Page 10 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 10, 1985 Injured stickers stick together 4 By DAVE ARETHA Two weeks ago, junior midfielder Joan Taylor was the stick-handling wizard of the Michigan field hockey team. More recently, she stood uneasily inside the Michigan Fieldhouse, her left hand in a cast. She fidgeted along the sidelines, wat- ching her team prepare for an evening practice. Three weeks ago, junior midfielder Jane Nixon was the fastest and shif- tiest of all the Wolverines. More recen- tly, she stood next to Taylor, leaning on crutches, her left leg in a cast. TAYLOR (BROKEN hand, Sep- tember 29; out three to four weeks grabbed her stick. She had only one hand, but big deal. She would warm up goalie Joanne Green anyway. Nixon (torn knee ligaments, Sep- tember 21; out for the season) drop- ped her crutches and hopped onto the field. One leg? Bah! She grabbed her stick and flicked shot after shot at goalie Maryann Bell. "That's it, Maryann," Nixon said. "Way to control it. Good job." SOON, THOUGH, the goalies were ready for a real workout and headed to the goalcages. Taylor and Nixon retreated to the sidelines. For the rest of practice they would have to sit patiently and watch. Did you hear that, Joan? You have to sit patiently and watch. Taylor would never make it. She was too itchy. Too fidgety. After ten minutes, she grinned and pouted. "I WANNA PLAY," she said. "She's an inspiration out there," said coach Karen Collins of a healthy Taylor. "She picks up just about one Big Ten game with Taylor - a 0-0, tie against Michigan State. They lost their next conference game to Iowa - 14-0. "FRESHMEN AND sophomores look up to Joan because she's a total player," said Bell. "She has great stick-handling skills. She dodges, she creates things, she makes things hap- pen. She's an extremely strong player." But even the best players can't play 'The day I got hurt, people called, people came over. They brought chocolate chip cookies.' - Joan Taylor bright side. "It's not like I have to sit here allthe time." SHE LOOKED toward Nixon, who was now with a trainer getting treat- ment for her leg. "I don't know how Jane does it," she said. "I have something to work for this season. She's working for win- ter practice. "I'm sure she gets down - I know she does. But she doesn't let it show in front of the team." "I ALWAYS feel like I owe her one," said Bell of Nixon. "I just can't do enough for her because she's done so much for me. "When another team scores a goal, she's always the first one to come back and say, 'Maryann, it's all right. It's all right.' She's always there to support me, and she, does the same thing for practically the whole team. . "I remember the first practice after she was injured. We were doing laps around the field and I kept thinking, 'Geez, when is everybody else going to get here?' It was really quiet and in my mind there were only four or five people there. But after finishing my laps, I looked around and realized that everyone was there - but Jane. It just blew me away."~ NIXON TOOK a seat on the ground next to her fidgety friend. She wasn't quite as antsy as Taylor. She could deal with practices. It was the games that were painful, especially since the Wolverines, 0-7-2, continue to lose. "It's hard to watch," Nixon said. "It's really hard. "You're standing on the side and you're really motivated and the only thing you can do is yell. You know, if you're in a game and you're losing then you can run like hell and get people going." Her voice trailed off. "But when you're not out there, it's...I don't know. "YOU WORK so hard for a goal and then all of a sudden it's totally taken away from you." But at least she and Taylor have support from their teammates. everything we ask her to do and takes it a little bit farther. She goes beyond what's really expected." The Wolverines have played only with a cast. Taylor sighed. "In a few days, though, I'll be working out with my other hand," she said, searching for a 4 Daily Photo by JAE KIM Injured field hockey players Joan Taylor and Jane Nixon pal around at a WE GET IT FREE, 1ailg! recent practice.Y "That helps a lot," said Taylor. "The day I got hurt, people called, people came over." She smiled. "They brought chocolate chip cookies." "PEOPLE HAVE been so cool about it," said Nixon. "Patty (Mon- dul) and Debbie (Devine) dressed up and came to the hospital. They brought all my favorite toys, like my Snoopy and Larry Lobster. They put my hat and sunglasses on Snoopy and little Freddie - my stuffed monkey" Taylor smiled again. "I love Freddie," said Nixon. "Freddie was wearing my sunglasses." "IT'S NICE to know that so many people care about you," she con- tinued. "If you're Joe Schmoe and you get hurt, you don't get too much sup- port. So it's nice to have a bunch of people." Taylor looked to the field and4 noticed practice was over. She had restrained her fidgeting. She and Nixon walked onto the field to be with Maryann, Patty, Debbie and the rest. If they had to be 'injured, it somehow seems appropriate that Taylor and Nixon sit out together. "Joan complements Jane real well," said Bell. "Joan is a leader on the field and Jane is a leader off the field. Together they're a perfect mat- ch.h . ( THE SPORTING VIEWS Red replaces Dead... . ..Wings fly high I U of M En trepreneurs Club I By DUANE ROOSE GET YOUR octopi while there's still time! The Detroit Red Wings are prepared to do something for the first time in eight years. What the Wings will do is not all that un- common in cities like Chicago, Washington, and Montreal. But the upcoming 1985-86 season will send Detroit's long suffering hockey fans into a wild frenzy. Why? Because the Detroit Red Wings are going to finish in second place in the National Hockey League's Norris Division. Now, you Black Hawks and Capitals fans are probably saying, "Big Deal! What's so great about second place?" Well, for the Detroit Red Wings, second place is one long step up the ladder to the NHL's elite. After two consecutive third place finishes in the Norris Division, the Wings have im- proved themselves enough to move up another rung. You wouldn't get that impression, though, by reading what the "exper- ts" have to say. Hockey Stars magazine picks the Wings for third place. Meanwhile, Hockey Illustrated and Superstar Hockey pencil Detroit in for fourth place. Both also attribute this "accomplishment" solely to the ineptitude of their fifth place selec- tion, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now that they've told you I'm wrong, let me tell you why they're wrong. Let's take a look at the Norris Division from top to bottom. At the top reside the Chicago Black Hawks. Led by Denis Savard, one of the top players in the league, Chicago throws Al Secord, Steve Larmer and Ed Olczyk at you on offense. On defense, Doug Wilson, the best defen- seman in the conference, anchors a crew of capable blueliners. The Black Hawks are a throwback to old time hockey; talented skaters combined with tough cornermen. Over the cour- se of 80 games, the Black Hawks will establish themselves as the best team in the division. Second place is where the improved Red Wings fit in. Following last spring's playoff trouncing by Chicago, Detroit relieved Nick Polano as coach and replaced him with Harry Neale. That was only the tip of the iceberg, though, as owner Mike Ilitch proceeded to corner the free agent market. The signings of Warren Young, Harold Snepts, Mike McEwen, Tim Friday, Ray Staszak, Adam Oates, Dale Krentz and Chris Chihocki demonstrated both Ilitch's disdain for last year's performance and his desire for a winning hockey team. Not only did the Wings obtain a 40- goal scorer, two NHL defensemen and a talented crop of rookies, but they also landed one of the best players in Europe, Czechoslovakian star Petr Klima. Klima's defection to the free world will free the Wings from the grasp of third place. Once Klima gets used to his new country, culture and teammates, his dynamic skating and puckhandling skills will bolster the Red Wing attack. With Klima and Young joining the likes of Steve Yzerman, Ron Duguay, Danny Gare and first team all-star John Ogrodnick, Detroit appears to have enough offensive firepower. The defense, however, a glaring weakness last year, is the key to the 1985- season. Free agents Snepts and McEwen will have to help veterans Reed Larson and John Barrett fill in the holes on defense. Continued improvement will also be needed from Randy Ladoceur and Larry Trader. While. less than spectacular, Detroit's goaltending is sufficient for success in the Norris Division. If Greg Stefan concentrates on stopping pucks instead of slashing opponents, h4 could emerge as a solid NHL goalten- der. Detroit's newfound strengths will enable them to finish ahead of the Norris Division's third place team, Minnesota. The North Stars, who could be renamed Team Dissension, were decimated by injuries lastyear. If new coach Lorne Henning can unite his troops and if Minnesota stays healthy, the North Stars should show some improvement this year. Last season's overachievers, the St. Louis Blues, will end up in fourth place this season. They can no longer be called the St. Liut Blues since goaltender Mike Liut was traded last year. Their amazing coach, Jacques Demers, gets the most out of his players, but in this year's improved division, he'll need more than that. Rounding out the Norris Division is Toronto. The Maple Leafs' anemic of- fense and swiss cheese defense makel them a virtual shoe-in for last place. The once-proud Leafs are now the laughing-stock of the league, and there aren't many signs of im- provement. For that matter, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Blue Jays have only one thing in common; that is, neither can play hockey. It looks like another long win- ter for Harold Ballard's Boys in Blue. So, Red Wing fans, it appears Detroit is ready to rise from the lowe echelon of the NHL. It's been a long time coming, and Detroit's devoted hockey followers certainly deserve a winner. Just relax, turn on Bruce and Sid, and don't forget to buy your oc- topi. ATTENTION STUDENTS SAVE 20% On all Michigan Daily Classified Ads '174 1k Qif nn fd T T1 / % STUDENT 8 LOANS " No Co-Signer Required! * No Credit Requirements! * Parent OR Student Can Sign for Loan! Get to the answers faster. With the l-,55L. What you need to tackle to perform complex calcula- the TI-55-II even simpler, the higher mathematics of a tions - like definite integrals, and shows you how to use all science or engineering cur- linear regression and hyper- the power of the calculator. A Student May Borrow Up to $2,500.00* Per Year For Undergraduate Work - And May Have Up To $25,000.00* Outstanding While A Graduate Student *NO INTEREST CHARGE TO STUDENT WHILE IN SCHOOL Today is the day to learn more about this exciting opportunity.