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Page 10- The Michigan Daily-Friday, March 11, 1988
THE SPORTING VIEWS
By DAVID HYMAN
The XV Olympic Winter Games came and went
like a chinook. Since ABC has returned to its usual
prime-time lineup, people have forgotten what ex-
citement and joy the games in Calgary brought us for
sixteen days during the midst of winter.
But Canadians are still celebrating. This was the
biggest party anybody had been to. But another one is
still to come.
Thanks to the Calgary Flames, people in Calgary
will be singing in the streets until mid-May when the
coveted Stanley Cup will arrive for the first time.
Calgary has the best record in the NHL with a to-
tal of 85 points (39-20-7). While the Olympics were
taking place in the Saddledome, the Flames played 11
consecutive road games and did not lose their hold on
first place over Edmonton. Now they have returned
home and are fine tuning their game for the playoffs.
They have what it takes to win the Cup.
THE FLAMES are loaded with offensive power
led by the sensational rookie Joe Nieuwendyk (46-34-
80), and veterans Mike Bullard (40-42-82), and Hakan
Loob (38-41-79). Nieuwendyk is almost a sure bet to
win this year's Calder Trophy, awarded to the top
rookie.
Offensive power, though, is not the only thing it
takes to win the Cup. It requires strong defense and
clutch goaltending.
Defense is not foreign to the Flames. They have
experience, strength, talent and the ability to put the
puck in the net.
Leading the defense are captain Gary Suter and Brad
McCrimmon. McCrimmon, acquired as a free agent
during the off season from the Philadelphia Flyers,
provides leadership for the younger defensemen.
Defensive sharpshooter Al MacInnis, rumored to
have the hardest slapshot in the league, can score
from anywhere within the red line and is a potent
threat on the power play.
Calgary has what it
takes to win the CUP
GOALTENDING, however, is what determines
who wins the Stanley Cup. The team with the hottest
goalie wins. That's a fact.
Mike Vernon provides the Flames with the goal-
tending that might possibly bring the coveted Cup to
the streets of Calgary.
In the 1986 playoffs, Vernon's stellar perfor-
mances led the Flames past division rivals Oilers and
past the St. Louis Blues into the Stanley Cup, before
bowing out to the Canadiens in six games.
What prevented the Flames from winning was that
Canadien's goalie Patrick Roy out-dazzled Vernon.
This year Vernon has looked strong.
With NHL veterans Lanny McDonald and John
Tonelli, the Flames have players who have experi-
enced playoff pressure. McDonald, formerly of the
Toronto Maple Leafs, and Tonelli, a member of four
Islander Stanley Cup teams, will be able to help the
younger players,.
TONELLI'S continuous work in the corners,
digging the puck out and setting up his teammates,
continually shows that the game is not lost until one
gives up.
As if the Flames didn't have enough talented play-
ers, on Monday they added to this arsenal. They traded
rookie right winger Brett Hull and left winger Steve
Bozek to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for All-Star
defenseman Rob Ramage and goalie Rick Wamsley.
The loss of the sharp-shooting Hull may hurt the
Flames in the future, but by adding Ramage the de-
fense has been tremendously boosted. Wamsley will
provide backup goaltending and enable Vernon to rest
in preparation for the upcoming playoffs.
With all of this talent, it is hard to believe that the
Flames will not be able to win the Stanley Cup.
When they do win the Cup, the celebration from
the Olympics will continue. Calgary will be all par-
tied out by the time the Cup is brought home in
May.
PURDUE NEXT AS 'M' AIMS FOR WINNING SEASON
Cagers hold off Ii nois
By MICHAEL SALINSKY
The Michigan women's basket-
ball team assured itself of at least a
.500 season with a scrappy 65-63
victory over Illinois last night at
Crisler Arena.
Despite the close score, the
Wolverines (14-13) never trailed in
the game. The Illini closed a nine-
point half-time deficit to one with
eight minutes left in the game, but
never could seize the lead.
Michigan, which completed a
season sweep of Illinois, was led
once again by Tempie Brown. The
sophomore guard scored 20 points,
shooting seven-of-11 from the field
and a perfect six-of-six from the foul
line. Two of her six foul shots came
with 48 seconds left in the game to
give Michigan a seven point lead.
ILLINOIS closed the final mar-
gin to two on a four-point play and a
three-point shot by Lisa Bradley.
Bradley, with 29 points, was the
game's leading scorer. The senior
forward was hurling shots into the
stratosphere of Crisler Arena all
evening. Somehow 13 of 21 found
the basket including three from
three-point range.
Illini coach Laura Golden was
pleased with Bradley's hot hand but
was visibly upset with the officiat-
ing. "This is the first time I've ever
told my team that I think officiating
had something to do with the out-
come," said Golden. "I've been
coaching for 23 years."
Michigan coach, Bud Van-
DeWege, skirted Golden's criticism.
"I think we deserved to win," said
VanDeWege, "I think the players
deserve the credit."
VANDEWEGE spread praise
throughout his team after the game.
"Everybody had a turn at making the
critical play," he said. The coach
cited specifically Brown, Carol
Szczechowski and Lisa Reynolds.
"Carol was so clutch in there,"
said VanDeWege. Szczechowski
sank both ends of a one-and-one with
Michigan up 59-56, after Michigan
missed front ends of two one-and-
ones.
Reynolds' under-pressure play
was perhaps the most critical. After
Illinois closed to within 47-46,
Reynolds rebounded a Szczechowski
miss and put it in for two. Reynolds
forcefully blocked an Illini shot on
the other end of the court and scored
again on a beautiful feed from Tanya
Powell.
Reynolds then rebounded Illinois'
next two misses. Michigan con-
verted both times to finish an eight
to zero run. The sophomore center
finished with nine points and 12 re-
bounds.
Vonnie Thompson, playing in
her second to last game for Michi-
gan, played her usual full 40 min-
utes. "Both teams were a little
sloppy out there," said Thompson,
"I think it's because it's the end of
the season. I know it's catching up
to me."
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Thompson
... a solid 40 minutes
IN ITS final game, Saturday
night, Michigan will go for win
number 15 against a tough Purdue
team. The 15 wins would be the
second highest total for a Michigan
team in its 15-year history.
Purdue clinched at least a tie for
third place in the conference last
night with a win over Michigan
State. Christa LaCroix leads the
Boilermakers in scoring (19.2 ppg).
Lisa Jahner is Purdue's leading re-
bounder while Sharon Versyp is the
main source of assists.
Purdue topped Michigan by 15
earlier this season in West Lafayette.
VanDeWege hopes the result will be
different this time.
"It's the last game of the season,"
says VanDeWege. "You have to say,
'Let's pull out all the stops."'
Although a win would give
Michigan its first winning season in
six years, Purdue also has something
to play for. "They have an NCAA
bid on their mind," says VanDeWege
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