4 Page 12 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, December 8, 1988 THE SPORTING VIEWS Sud Rookies BY TAYLOR LINCOLN Some players wait several games to collect their first assist or goal in their college hockey careers. Rookie forwards Denny Felsner of Michigan and Rod Brind'Amour of Michigan State didn't wait long at all. Felsner tallied a goal and two assists in his first game, then proceeded to assert himself as one of the Wolverines' top scorers. Brind'Amour also scored in his first game, then proceeded to collect at least one point in each of the next 11 games. These two, along with Miami (Ohio) forward Craig Fisher, are considered by many to be the premier first-year players in the CCHA. Michigan fans will have a chance to see Felsner and Brind'Amour this weekend when Michigan hosts the Spartans Friday night at 7:30 at Yost Ice Arena. THEIR SKILLS have not gone unnoticed around the league."Both players have made a mark on the CCHA during the first few months of their careers," said Bowling Green head coach Jerry York. "Felsner seems to have really good offensive instincts," York continued. "He went to the net well against us. Brind'Amour clearly has everybody taking notice of his outstanding play. His strength in front of the net is really impressive." When asked about making the transition to college hockey, Felsner and Brind'Amour marvel at the difference in the speed of the game and the strengh of the players. "Oh yeah, said Felsner incredulously. "It's so much faster." FELSNER IS known as a skater, "a flow player," in the words of Miami head coach Bill Davidge, and the faster college pace hasn't seemed to phase him. He led the team with 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in Michigan's first 10 games. Though first-year players cannot be depended upon, Michigan head coach Red Berenson said that Felsner was expected to be a presence this year. "You can never be sure, but we felt Denny was one freshman who was capable of doing a lot of things at this level." Center Todd Brost has been surprised by Felsner's early-season production. "Denny is big and strong and he's got all the talent. He is an excellent player, not just for a freshman," said Brost. Felsner, who played for the Junior Red Wings during his high school years, was not selected in the NHL re-entry draft , but was highly recruited out of high school. "I came here basically because of Red," said Felsner. "Some schools say, 'Hockey, just play hockey.' Red's just the opposite. He says that school comes first, not hockey." FOR THE LAST few weeks Felsner has been plagued by inconsistency - the bane of nearly every freshman. He has been shut out for the past six [den impact make a difference NBA's Heat will rise over Hornets BY DAVID FELDMAN NBA expansion teams are an odd.breed. They can be identified by their youth, horrid won-lost records, and, in the case of the Charlotte Hornets, uniforms designed by Alexander Julian. The two newest NBA teams, the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat, are keeping expansion tradition alive by playing some of the worst basketball since the Dallas Mavericks strutted their stuff in 1980. Charlotte has a 4-11 record, and the Heat has started the season 0- 13. To the casual observer, it would appear that the Hornets are progressing faster than the Heat. After all, they won four games before Miami could get a single victory. Charlotte's superior record is deceiving. In time the Hornets will look up to the Heat in the standings. TWO SCHOOLS of thought exist when it comes to building an expansion team. One philosophy, which the Hornets have employed, is to grab some quality veterans that become available in the expansion draft, combine them with rookies, and hope for the best. The Heat's approach was to accept the fact that their team is going to stink for a few years. We're not just talking Detroit Lions Stink here, we're talking Big- Time Stink. For the next couple of years, Miami will play basketball so ugly that not even the players' mothers will want to watch. Still, the Miami franchise is taking the wiser approach. The dean of its team is Scott Hastings, who has six years of NBA experience. Instead of landing a slew of capable veterans in the expansion draft, the Heat thought ahead by making deals for several future draft picks. WHEN THE HEAT cashes in on these draft picks and gets time to mature, the years in the cellar will have been worth it. Although the Hornets will rise from horrid to- mediocre before the Heat does, it will seem like an* eternity before Charlotte catapults to respectable. It is easy to see why. Right now, Charlotte can snare a win here and there because they have some veteran talent. Sure, Kelly Tripucka, Robert Reid, and Kurt Rambis aren't the most intimidating threesome in basketball, but any team with a minimum of solid, experienced players can win a few contests during an 82- game season. The Hornets will be in trouble, though, if Tripucka's shooting ability leaves him (every other facet of his game already has). Rambis and Reid aren't getting any younger. TAKE AWAY these three aging veterans, and Charlotte is left with such marquee names as Earl Cuireton, Tim Kempton, and Mugsy Bogues. Ugh. It won't be long before Hornets coach Dick Harter wishes he had some of Miami's draft picks. History supports the Heat's strategy. Several short years ago, the Dallas Mavericks, now one of pro basketball's elite teams, were the epitome of athletic futility. 4 Michigan's Denny Felsner races for a loose puck against Ohio State. FelsnerJESSICAsGREENcEDond on the team in scoring with nine goals and top rookies in the CCHA. games. "The puck's just not going in, I'm hitting posts and everything but the net," said Felsner. "I'm going through a hard time now - I've got to concentrate more." For Brind'Amour, the adjustment to the CCHA has, perhaps, been even more graceful than it was for Felsner. "The team's been doing well and so far I've been doing OK," said Brind'Amour. OK? On top of compiling a 12-game scoring string, Brind'Amour is seventh in the CCHA in points - one of five Spartans in the league's top 10 scoring list. After Michigan State's series against Miami, Falcons' center Rob Vanderydt called him the closest he's seen to an NHL player at the college level. Brind'Amour, who played his high school hockey at Notre Dame High School north of Calgary, eight assists, is being recognized as one of the Ontario, was selected ninth overall in the NHL draft by the St. Louis Blues. As one of the top college prospects he faced a deluge of phone calls during his senior year. "It was kind of hard getting phone calls every night," said Brind'Amour. "It's kind of hectic when you've got 20 schools calling." As a top NHL draft choice, he had the opportunity to turn pro out of high school, but turned down the chance to go to college. "I knew I had a long ways to go," he said. "College was something I've been meaning to do all along." Brind'Amour says he chose Michigan State for its reputation as a solid program. Considering that the Spartans have won 15 games in 16 tries this season, his choice hasn't worked out too badly so far. TA's & SA's: GEO cordially invites you to join us as we present our 4 4 4 NEW CONTRACT PROPOSALS to the administration! Meet us on the DIAG FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, at 1:30 p.m. l Ta ... 11 A I a k ..A dA ,, 4 4 4 __Six Pack Refutnd Prepare yourself for a beer with a smoothness 4