Wrestling vs. Minnesota Tonight, 6:00 p.m. Crisler Arena SPORTS Women's Basketball vs. Northwestern Tonight, 8:30 p.m. Crisler Arena . ......... . . The Michigan Daily Page 9 Friday, February 1, 1985 ILLINOIS-CHICAGO SERIES IS KEY FOR 'M' PLAYOFF PROSPECTS Blue icers hope By MIKE REDSTONE ILLINOIS-Chicago's offensive at- tack is led by the nation's top scoring Playoff time is rapidly approaching line. Left-wiing Mike Rucinski has 24 for eight teams in the nine-school Cen- goals and 26 assists while center Colin tral Collegiate Hockey Association, and Chin leads the team in assists with 33. coming into this weekend's games, Ray Staszak rounds out the potent line. Michigan is far from feeling confident The 6-0, 190 pound sophomore leads the about seeing post-season action. team in goals with 33 and total points The Wolverines are currently tied for with 64. seventh place in the conference with the "Their obvious strength is that one Ferris State Bulldogs, who were beaten line," said Berenson of the Rucinski- twice last weekend on their home ice by Chin-Staszak combination. "When the same Illinois-Chicago team which they're playing well their whole team 4 invades Yost Arena for two games this plays well. Our defensive game is going weekend. to have to be very tough against them." WITH HIS team just one point ahead Illinois-Chicago's coach Val Belmon- of last place Miami, Michigan coach te disagrees with Berenson s Red Berenson is hopeful his team can assessmentrand instead feels he has a begin a playoff drive tonight at 7:30 on well-balanced team. home ice. "All three of our lines are playing "We have to be worried about making well and scoring some goals," said the playoffs," said Berenson, whose Belmonte, whose Flames split a pair of team has only one home game games with Michigan earlier this season remaining on its CCHA schedule after in Chicago. "We've also been getting this weekend. "We have to be realistic consistent goaltending lately and our at this point. We definitely have to win defense has been playing extremely well. our remaining home games." But both us and Michigan are different That may be easier said than done teams from when we met in Novem- considering the Flames' powerful of- ber." fense and a Michigan defense which has THE DIFFERENCE for Michigan is let up 45 goals in the last six games. that the Wolverines have their own hot Women hoopsters hope to avoid 'Brown-out' to douse Flames scoring players. Center Brad Jones leads the team with 17 goals. The Sterling Heights native has had a hot January, picking up three goals and six assists in the last six games. Senior Paul Kobylarz has also been hot of late, moving up to sixth in team scoring with five points in his last six games. Left wing Tom Stiles rounds out the top scoring Michigan line. Stiles has been the most consistent Wolverine scorer in the past month and leads the team with 24 assists and 37 points. IF THE Wolverines hope to start a playoff drive this weekend, they will have to put last week's losses to Michigan State out of their minds and, according to freshman right wing Brad Mc- Caughey, the team has already done that. "We weren't ready for Michigan State last weekend but we're definitely ready for these guys," said Mc- Caughey, who had his first college hat trick against the Flames in Michigan's 7-6 overtime win in November. "We just want to win our last eight games and make it into the playoffs." Illinois-Chicago will not be holding back in preparation for the playoffs, however. "We take nothing for granted. We are not assured of a playoff berth yet," said Belmonte."Every game to us now is like a playoff game. We're looking at the Michigan series very seriously." o * COACH AND FOUR The HAIR STYLING o All e Convenient Location and Hours * S Sports Reasonable Rates S ShOP Personal and Distinctive Styling Appointments Open Tues.*Fri.8:30-5:30 806 S. State St. Available Mon. & Wed 8 30-8 00 * Bet. Hill and Packard 668-8669 Saturdays 8:30.5:00 -0- Stiles and Staszak ... leading their teams in scoring GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS AVAILABLE 1985-1986 ENGLISH DEPART - MENT, EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY Teach college composition while working towards an M.A. in English. $3800 plus 16 hours free tuition per year. FOR INFORMATION CALL: James Reynolds 487-1 363 or Judith Johnson 487-4220 FOR APPLICATION FORMS, WRITE: Director of Graduate Studies English Language and Literature Eastern Michigan University YPSILANTI, MI 48197 AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER By BRAD MORGAN Northwestern Wildcats and an easy win. The two terms go hand in hand, right? Well, let's not be too hasty. While a matchup with the lowly lakeside university usually means a break in a team's schedule, a matchup with the Lady Wildcats basketball team is far from a breather. WHILE NORTHWESTERN is only 8- 8 overall and 3-4 in the Big Ten under first-year coach Don Perelli, it is a veritable powerhouse when compared to Northwestern's other teams. Led by Anucha Brown, last year's Big Ten MVP and now the nation's leading scorer with 30.6 points per game, the Lady Wildcats have knocked off tough Indiana and Minnesota squads, and suf- fered only a two-point loss to nationally ranked Long Beach St. in December. "They can definitely play well," said Michigan head coach Bud Van De Wege, Jr.. "They've won some big games, but that's not to say that they aren't capable of being beaten." TO DOWN NORTHWESTERN, Van De Wege feels his team must achieve two goals: control Brown and pressure guard Laura Wiesen. "We can't let Brown get away form us," he said. "We know she's going to get her points, but we can't let her get going to where she's carrying the team, something she's very capable of doing." "With Wiesen, we just have to go out and disrupt her game," he added. "She's a tough floor leader." VAN DE WEGE ALSO FEELS Michigan must get its offense moving if it expects to improve on their 1-6 Big Ten record (7-10 overall). "We're playing well defensively right now, but if the other team tries something on defense, we tend to break down," said the first-year coach. "We just seem to be having trouble getting the baskets when we need them." Freshman Lorea Feldman and senior Wendy Bradetich have been the heart of Michigan's offense so far, averaging 14.4 and 13.1 points per game, respec- tively. Feldman is also averaging 7.3 rebounds a game. ACCORDING TO VAN DE WEGE, the team is at an important phase of the season and is badly in need of a victory tonight. "We've reached a very critical stage right now" he said. "We're playing hard, but we very much need a victory. "The girls just need to see the hard work is paying off. A win would cure a lot of ills." Maybe Northwestern's mens' team isn't busy tonight. The invitation just said black tie. Thanks to your friends, you also wore a jacket and pants. Brown ... nation's top scorer P _. w:* r. I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 I:RE E GLOVES NO PURCHASE NECESSARY Bring in this ad for a free pair of leather-faced work gloves ($3.00 retail value) when you join our Rental Club (no membership fee). Rental Club card entitles you to 10% discounts on all rentals at your U-Haul Center. Find us in the white pages. ,V.a. SPECIAL OFFER TO INTRODUCE YOU TO RENT N' SAVES"M EQUIPMENT 0 *1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I N. l T 1 1 1 .1