Page 9 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 17, 1986
'M' TO HOST DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Blue wants RPI to RIP
ULNL: L'l
i\
Daily Photo by JOHN MUNSON
Michigan goaltender Tim Makris has been playing well of late, having inherited the starting job full-time.
Here, in early season action, he braces to stop a shot against the Canadian National Team.
DEPTH AND CONSISTENCY REMAIN KEYS:
:Tumblers brace for tough test
_P
By MARK BOROWSKY
Just how good are these RPI
Engineers, who roll into town tonight
for a two-game non-conference series
at Yost Ice Arena? The defending
NCAA champions are good, but just
how good depends on your perspec-
tive.
"This is the weakest RPI has been
in the last five years," said Engineer
coach Mike Addesa, whose squad is
nevertheless an impressive 13-3-1.
"We have some very good players,
and then there's a drop."
ON THE other hand ...
"I sense thatrtheydhave some dep-
th," contended Michigan head coach
Red Berenson, his contention based
on RPI's 8-3 victory over Michgan in
the first round of the Great Lakes In-
vitational December 28. "Up front
they have a guy like (John) Carter,
who is an All-American."
Despite Berenson's assessment,
RPI is hurting. With a squad that
numbers only 24, four of which are
goalies, Addesa has been forced to
play (horrors!) freshmen and walk-
ons. Having lost six players to
graduation, three to the pros, and one
who transferred, RPI is not favored to
repeat as national champions, much
less to win the Eastern College
Athletic Conference.
BUT DON'T let Addesa's bad-
mouthing his own squad fool you,
either. Only allowing 3.24 goals a
game, the Engineers have one of the
top defenses in the country. Senior
forward Mark Jooris has scored 16
goals and 14 assists including a GLI
record five goals and two assists
against Michigan. Co-captian and
All-American Carter (16 goals, 8
assists, 24 points) has three game-
winning goals, and the offense as a
whole is explosive - it scored 12 goals
agianst Toronto and 10 against Dar-
mouth. The offense is not consistent.
"Scoring goals is a problem," said
Addesa. "(We don't have) as many
catalyst type-players as last year.
Our forwards have only been fair."
Michigan knows what inconsistency
is all about, especially on defense.
The Wolverines have allowed 124
goals over 24 games a 5.16 average.
They will be wihout the services of
defenseman Jeff Norton (serving a one
game suspension for (slashing) And
For Brad McCaughey (shoulder in-
jury.) Last weekend against con-
ference foe (and number one-ranked)
Bowling Green, the Wolverines upset
the Falcons, 7-4, Friday, but suffered
major lapses Saturday in losing 7-3.
The RPI series figures to be a high
scoring one, or so it would seem.
"WITH OUR team," Berenson said,
"you never know. We're capable of
scoring a lot of goals, but we have to
tighten up defensively."
One Wolverine that has tightened up
aeiensiveiy is gomeeer ii
Makris. Playing well over the past
four games, Makris appears to have
finally shored up the goaltending, one
of the weak spots for most of the
season. Makris, forced to play full-
time with the departure of Bob Lin-
dgren, was often spectacular in the
split with Bowling Green, and in the
Besides meeting in the GLI, the
teams played a two-game series last
season at RPI. The two Engineer vic-
tories (5-2 and 5-1) were marked by
not only rough but often violent play.
The game at the GLI was relatively
mild, but this is not a pair of teams
who like each other.
'There's a little revenge in playing against RPI.
Last year, we just felt we were abused, and let's
face it, they're still the national champs.'
- Red Berenson
UafanciIVatI3 s W Urpptjw.. .T im a e gintTc.
two games the week before with
Ferris State.
"He's playing at a level with the
best goalies in the league," Berenson
said. "In the past he was inconsistent.
I sense that he's over that."
AND DESPITE RPI's 8-3 pasting in
the GLI, both coaches agree that the
score was not indictative of the game.
"The game could have been 4-3
either way," Addesa said. "Michigan
could have scored a lot of goals."
Berenson readily agreed. "Coming
off Christmas break we were off the
ice for eight days. I just felt that we
were a better team (in the consolation
So despite the fact each team has a
tough conference schedule ahead -
Michigan faces arch-rival Michigan
State next weekend - neither squad
needs motivation. Espescially
Michigan. Having suffered three
straight losses to RPI, having beaten
the number-one ranked team in the
country, and now facing the defending
national champions, the Wolverines
should be hungry.
"There's a little revenge playing
against RPI," Berenson said. Last
year, we just felt we were abused, and
let's face it, they're still the national
champs."
By GREG MOLZON
The bright lights of Crisler Arena
will be shining on the floor tomorrow
9s some top rate Big Ten competition
-comes to town, but it won't be for a
basketball game. The men's gym-
.Aastics team will host Minnesota and
Illinois in the Wolverines' home
ppener tomorrow, 2 p.m.
Michigan hasn't started strong, but
*e team is getting healthier and head
coach Bob Darden believes this meet
will be a good chance to see im-
provement and compare his club to
the Big Ten competition. Darden said,
a' It'll give us an indication of where
we stand in the Big Ten and how much
work we have to do."
DARDEN thinks the team is ready
for a good showing, but it won't be
easy against Illinois and Minnesota.
Tracks ter
for Michii
By EMILY BRIDGHAM
"You have to be a real horse to
place in the NCAA," said assistant
track coach Ron Warhurst, whose
1986 Wolverine squad has more then
its share of thoroughbreds. With
three All-Americans among its ranks
in the past year and several more
bonafide All-America candidates,
Michigan will compete tomorrow, the
Michigan Relays, in its first official
meet of the season at the Track and
Mennis Building.
TOne of the premier events will be
the two-mile, with University alum-
nus and former All-American Gerard
Donakowski competing along with
sophomore John Scherer. All-
'American distancer Chris Brewster
will not run in the meet but should be
back in next weeks Western Michigan
meet.
FILLING OUT the middle distance
will be senior Todd Steverson, who
notched the 600-meter indoor and the
400-meter outdoor events in the Big
Ten last year. Running alongside
Steverson will be sensation Omar
Davidson who grabbed All-American
honors as a freshman in the 400-meter
indoor event and should play a big
role in the mile relay along with
Steverson.
All-American Thomas Wilcher will
cover the hurdles for the Wolverines.
Wilcher placed third in the NCAA last
year in the 110 high hurdles and
lowered his own varsity time record
from 13.74 to 13.52.
Wilcher, a tailback on the football
team, is joined by freshman gridder
f.J. Grant. Grant heaved the shot 67'3
in high school and has been throwing
well according to Warhurst.
ALSO REVIVING Michigan in the
field events will be Butch Starmack
'Who triple jumped 50'9%" last year
and will break 50 this week according
Twins trade
"They're both always historically
strong. Of course, any team in the Big
Ten is strong, so it's going to be a
tough meet," he added.
The Wolverines main problem so
far this year has been a lack of depth,
but that should improve as the young
freshmen gain valuable college ex-
perience. In the meantime, Michigan
isn't lacking strong individual per-
formances.
The highlights of the season have
included excellent performances
from Scott Moore, Brock Orwig, Mit-
ch Rose, and Steve Yuan. Each of the-
se gymnasts has placed high in their
respective events and should continue
to place as the season progresses.
For now, Darden is most concerned
about team improvement and hopes
the Wolverines can do well this
s gear up
ran Relays
to Warhurst.
This years question mark lies in the
sprints. Highly touted freshman
Philip Ferguson, a 10.3 100m runner
from Jamaica, Alex Polakowski, 10.6
from Ann Arbor and Wiley Boulding,
10.6 from Kalamazoo, will be counted
on to fill out the team.
"Everyone will be throwing their
marbles into the ring and around 10
we will know who's got them back,"
said Warhurst. "This is going to be a
low key thing. We're just trying to get
everyone back on their feet."
weekend against the Big Ten com-
petition. "I think, teamwise,
everything comes down to the Big Ten
Championships in March," he said.
If Darden can continue to get good
showings from his standouts and also
develop some depth and consistency
from the rest of the squad, the team
should be peaking in time for the im-
portant Big Ten Championships.
Women ubtlers face illinois
Coming off Saturday's victory over
Western Michigan in its season
opener, the women's gymnastics team
flying high. "Having the win under
our belt built up our confidence for the
new season," said coach Dana Kem-
pthorn. "Now we could work on
specifics and executions."
The Wolverines will indeed have to
work, for Illinois (tomorrow, 2 p.m.) is
their next opponent, and quite a for-
midable one. "Illinois has always
been a real tough competitor for us,"
said Kempthorn. "I was pleased with
the girl's performances in the last
meet, but we sure can't slack off
against Illinois."
Illinois-Michigan figures to be a
close match. Last season, these two
teams were neck and neck in the Big
Ten standings, with Michigan
finishing fourth, and Illinois breathing
right down their backs in fifth. Even
last years meet was close with
Michigan winning a tight one, 175.4 to
174.35.
Angela Williams, who placed first
for the Wolverines in the WMU meet,
was injured in that meet and will only
compete in two of the four events this
Saturday. Williams' absence will give
freshman Janne Klepek a chance to
show what she can do in the all-
around. Also competing in the all-
around will be Heidi Cohen (second
place in WMU meet), and another
freshman, Amy Meyer.
Illinois will be competing in its first
meet of the season, prompting their
coach, Bev Mackes, to comment:
"This will be a feeler out type of com-
petition, a whole new experience for
us." Mackes expects big performan-
ces from senior, Lu-ann Roberts, and
sophomore, Laura Hicks.
- DOUG VOLAN
WANTED
S
I
RS
I
For Major Even ts Concerts
MASS MEETING
Tuesday, Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m.
Anderson Room Michigan Union
4
VETERAN USHER - Those who have ushered
Major Events concerts in the past.
NEW USHERS - Those who would like to usher
Major Events concerts.
U
A
7 pY
ION
S Feb a
Donakowski
... a two-mile alum
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