Cagers, THE MICHiGAN DAILY PAGE ThREE Wrestlers And Puckmen InAction Here Saturday C= Sextet Returns And Therein Lies A Story im rovement In Defense, Goldsmith's Play Please Lowrey In Tech Series By STAN CLAMAGE Braving the long trip through the' wilds of Northern Michigan, Hockey Coach Eddie Lowrey and his gallant band of puckmen arrived in Ann Ar- bor late yesterday afternoon-a bit weary, but still in one piece after a tie and a defeat against Michigan Tech at Houghton. Nothing had been heard from the squad after they had embarked last week for the two game session against the Engineers. Finally, after many attempts, word sifted in late Monday night which told of the weekend results. But here any con- tact with the team reached an abrupt end. They were expected to return either Tuesday or yesterday morning. Still nothing was heard, Early yesterday afternoon prepa- rations were being made to secure a team of hearty dogs to harness to a couple of sleds that somebody got for Christmas. Arrangements were made with an owner of some experi- enced caines. And supplies were set in. Team Finally Arrives Finlly, in a last desperate at- tempt, Lowrey's home was contacted and a feminine voice helped the caller to a sigh of relief when she gave information to the effect that the, team had ;arrived at 5 p.m. It was indeed a great day for all those concerned. In an explanation, Coach Lowrey told how bad connections were made in Chicago (still don't know what they were doing there) and that the return had to be postponed. To top it all off, the squad was unable to practice last night because their equipment had still to arrive. About the two battles against Tech, Lowrey had muh to say. "The de- fense showed a marked improve- ment," he said, "but those boys from Michigan Tech had just too much speed." He continued to say that Captain Paul Goldsmith did his best work of the season in the two en- counters. First Game Is Tie In their first game on Saturday night the sextet looked like they were going to open up the New Year with their first victory. Led by counters by Goldsmith and Max Bahyrch the team went into the last three min- utes of the final period with a one- goal advantage (2-1). A close de- cision sent defenseman Jim Hull to the penalty box and Tech turned on the heat to tie the score. The con- test went into overtime, but neither team was able to punch through an- other goal. Michigan 2, Michigan Tech 2. Monday's follow-up game found the two teams determined to garner a decision. They battled hard all night to thrill the assembled throng. In this final game the speed advan- tage which the Engineers held proved the margin of victory. Michigan Tech lost no time in their victory charge, and finally wound up with a 4-1 win over the Wolverines and the mythi- cal State Championship. Wolverines Are Improving One definite fact came out of the frozen north: The Wolverines are coming along, and with the addition of the ineligibles at the turn of the second semester they will provide some tough competition for the com- ing opposition. In the nets Hank Loud is consis- tently turning in some very capable work. The defense in front of him is getting better with every game. Thus, a strengthened front line will ice a much better Wolverine team. Saturday night at the Coliseum Michigan will face the Point Ed- ward A.C. from Sarnia, Canada. The visitors hold victories over the Wol- verines whichwere made in the past two seasons. They are an experienced club with many capable men. The game should be a marked improve- ment over those seen thus far on the home ice. * Biggy Munn Relaxes " Cage Blarney By HAL WILSON Daily Sports Editor LINE COACH Clarence "Biggy" Munn had an off day from his rigorous banquet schedule yesterday and spent most of the afternoon kib- itzing down at basketball practice. Biggy is traveling the Roast Beef 'Circuit with great reguarity these post-gridiron season days and yesterday was enjoying a brief break in the schedule which takes him all over the Midwest to high school and alumni banquets with motion pictures and tales of Michi- gan's football campaign. TUESDAY Munn was guest at a Furniture Men's Convention in Grand Rapids, tonight he's some- where else in the endless succession of good will appearances from which will stem much of Michigan's grid talent along about 1946. "All our game movies are re- ceived well," Biggy reports, "but the Northwestern series are prob- ably most in demand." "You know,'' he said, moving into a different subject, "I think this basketball team of Bennie's will hit its stride within the next couple days. It's a young team, of course, but bound to improve with ex- perience. Wouldn't be surprised if they put up a great scrap against Illinois here Saturday." SOMEBODY mentioned that they understood the Purdue game which/the Wolverines dropped 36-18 was on the rough side with more than the usual number of fouls. This brought a round of reminiscing. Somebody else recalled hearing of a tale about Bernie Bierman when he played a little basketball as an undergraduate at Minnesota. Bernie, it seems, was primarily a football player, an excellent half- back. But he turned out for bas- ketball his sophomore year and played out the season, although dropping it his last two years to concentrate on the gridiron sport. ERNIE, so the tale went, helped win only one game in his brief collegiate cage career. Minnesota was playing Purdue at the time El- mer Oliphant was a Boilermaker of- fensive ace. Bierman wasn't much of a; scoring threat, but he did have excellent defensive talents, so he drew Oliphant for the evening. "He'd come dribbling right don the floor fast," Bernie is quoted as relating the story, "and come right at me. I wasn't sure how to stop him, so I just charged in to meet him. He was a football player, too, and I guess he fell back on his instincts, because every time I came out, he'd pivot and throw his hips into me. The officials called it a double foul. It took just four' and a half minutes for the two of us to be fouled out. "I remember, shaking hands with Oliphant when we were leaving the floor. I told him I was sorry he was going out but figured that as matters stood I had got the better of 'him. Ie didnt get it at first. What I meant was that he hadn't made a point, which was 20 below his average. I hadn't made any either, but that was just par for me." THIS STORY for some reason re- minded Munn of his basketball cqaching days back at Albright. His team played some of the best in the East, according to Biggy, and some- times-had a pretty rough time of it. "There was the time for in- stance," Biggy began, "when we were playing on a court a little similar to the set-up we have right here in our Field House. I sat on one side of the scoring table and the other coach on the other side. Well, the captain of my team some- how became involved in a fight right across the floor from us. "The other coach and V jumped up and started on the floor in order to stop it, but some quick-thinking fellow turned out the gymnasium lights in an effort to halt the scrap a little quicker. "And this was fine," Munn con- tinned, "except some over-enthusi- astic band member seated on the other side of the court reached on- to the playing floor and gently tonked my captain with his saxo- phone." OOSTERBAAN sent, his cagers in to the showers and sauntered over. The conversation, by this time, had shifted from sweet music to-of all things-soy beans and their place in Penn State To Pit Impr'essive Mat Record Against Wolverines Scrappy Varsity Puckster By JACK FLAGLER Coach Charles Speidel brings his Penn State wrestling squad to Ann Arbor Saturday with an impressive 1941 record and four lettermen re- turning from last year. The Nittany Lions lost only one meet, to Princeton, last season while winning seven others, the Wolverines being one of their victims, when they succumbed, 14-12, in a close one which tied up the six-meet rivalry of the two teams at three-all. Lions Have Eastern Champ One of the invaders' outstanding performers is junior Charley Riden- our, who as a' sophomore turned in a brilliant six-win, two-loss season record, besides copping the 121-lb. championship in the Eastern Inter- collegiates. He was the only Penn State man to place in that meet and with a year's experience should be a tough one for opponents this year.I Another letterman is Captain Glen Alexander in the 155-lb. class, a stea- dy, dependable lad, according to re- ports, who should have a mighty successful season. Alexander won four while dropping two last year. The Lions also have a lot of faith in a burly heavyweight by the name of John M. IL Kerns, otherwise an- swering to "Mike." Although he won only five while losing three last sea- son, Kerns took a second in the East- ern Intercollegiates and lost out in the semi-finals of the National by a one-point margin. Another Returning Letterman The other returning letter winner is Clair Hess in the 128-lb. division. As a junior last year, Hess had a, pretty fair record of five and two against very tough competition, and he has been showing improvement steadily from season to season. The other four weight divisions are more or less big question marks as yet, with sophomores very likely getting a chance to fill the Lions' ranks so sadly depleted by gradua- tion last year. At 145-b, junior Al- len Crabtree seems to have the nod, but with a dubious record of one and one last year, he is still an Unknown quantity. In the same boat but with a little more experience is a senior, Ralph Sayre, Jr., at 165. Sayre lost two matches as a sophomore and didn't get a chance to see action at all last year. Both Sayre and Crabtree are being closely pressed for top posi- tions by very likely sophomore can- didates, and there may be a lineup switch before Saturday. Other Weight Groups,Open The other two weight groups are still wide open. Sophomore Jim Foust is running evenly with Ronal Cris- man, who understudied last year's Uncertainty Forces Dodgers To Delay SigningOf Players NEW YORK, Jan. 7.---P)-Be- cause of the war the Brooklyn Dodg- ers have decided to postpone mailing 1942 contracts to the National League champions until next month, but most other ,clubs insisted today they were following a "business as usual" policy. The doubt'of the Dodgers was ex- plained by secretary John McDonald: "We operate on a budget and in normal seasons we have a payroll of around $300,000. But right now I don't guess anyone knows what re- ceipts to expect from next seasof and we're going to sit on the situa- tion a few weeks before committing ourselves on salaries." President Larry MacPhail is toying with the idea of including bonus clauses in the contracts of some of his higher-priced stars, McDonald added, so their salaries would reflect whatever financial success the Dodg- ers might have next summer. So far the Dodgers have signed two players-pitcher Kirby Higbe and batting champion Pete Reiser. But they expect some trouble in reaching terms with first baseman Dolph Camilli, who was voted the League's most valuable player, and possibly with some of their other stars. The salaries of at least five of their cast run into five figures, with Joe Medwick probably tops at about $20,000. Camilli would like to get into that range. He was supposed to have been paid $15,000 last year. captain, at 136 lbs. Neither have had a chance to perform in public yet. The same situation exists at 175 lbs., where Bob Morgan, another sophomore, and Bob Sproat, a junior who didn't see action last year, are the main aspirants. These boys are still green, but advance notices at- test to their ruggedness. This is Speidel% sixteenth season at State. In that time he has com- piled one of the most enviable rec- ords in the business, winning 78 matches, losing only 17, and tying two for a percentage of .814. Before coming as mentor to State, he was amateur wrestling champ of New Jersey, a member of the 1924 Olym- pic squad, and wrestling instructor at the New York Athletic Club. Lions Outstanding Wrestlers The Lions themselves have long been one of the outstanding wrestling aggregations of the country. Since the sport began in 1909, they have rung up 156 wins against 31 losses" and six draws for an .824 percentage record. Only two other ;teams have been able to stay ahead in the win column in that time, Navy with twelve wins out of fourteen and Iowa State with three out of four. The Wolverines have the next most impressive record against them with their three wins and three losses, so Saturday's matches will be in the nature of a "crooshul" series. Max Bahrych, junior member of Coach Lowrey's hockey squad, is one of the hardest players on the ice in every game. The scrappy wingman scored one of the Wolver- ine goals against Michigan Tech in last Saturday night's encounter. COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES Hillsdale 38, Griffin J. C. (0.) 36 Pittsburgh 64, Carnegie Tech 34 New York U. 53, Manhattan C. 42 Pennsylvania 45, Swarthmore 24 Dubuque U. 30, Iowa State Col. 46 Notre Dame 34, Wash. (St. L.) 31 Lafayette 67, Fort Dix 23 Rutgers 54, Lehigh 46 Louis Picked Over Buddy Baer * ;, Brown Bomber Is Out For Blood Friday As He Seeks / To Keep Up Great 'Second Fight' Kayo Record By SID FEDER NEW YORK, Jan. 7.-(A)-Joe Louis is considerably annoyed when another fighter dumps him out of the ring-especially when he lands on his head. He is also somewhat irked when he is accused of any foul tactics. And r ~ JOE LOUIS he is always put out at any kind of a "squawk" from a rival Buddy Baer did all of these things to the Bomber last May before Joe stopped his challenge in six rounds.' Now, Louis isn't angry at the big, easy-going Californian, but he's that proud thiat he doesn't want such a matter as this to stand in the books without a clear-cut settlement. So, he figures on walking out in Madison Square Garden's ring Fri- day night and belting Buddy over- rapidly, This corner believes he'll do it just that way, and that Buddy won't be on hand when the gong sounds for round four. Those return engagements have always been more or less fatal for fellows who've survived one waltz with Louis. Max Schmeling tried it, and then decided parachuting was safer. Arturo Godoy crowded and crouched for 15 rounds in his first ride on the merry-go-round. The second time Joe turned out the lights in half that distance. Bob Pastor rode a bicycle the route once. Next trip to the post he was floored six times and then the roof fell in. Of course, an accident can happen this time. Buddy is big and strong and apparently unafraid of playing with the Bomber's dynamite a second time. He has that right, hand that tagged Joe last spring, and he could conceivably pull the trigger on it again. But if training work and men- tal attitude mean anything,'he's go- ing to find himself working with a different dancing partner this time. And when Joe. has a peeve on, it hasn't been safe, up to now, trying to knock a chip off his shoulder. That's the chief reason the betting boys in the 49th Street shops will just about let you write your own ticket in this 20th defense of Louis' record run as heavyweight champion. Louis donned the big gloves for his final sparring session today. The champion went one round each against four sparring mates. Joe will be out on the road tomorrow morn- ing and then will rest until time to motor to New York for the weighing- in at noon Friday. dp F I on I Hogan Leads Qualifiers For Los Angeles Open OVERCOATS 20% R eductions LOS ANGELES, Jan. 7.--(P)-Not a whit discouraged by favorite Ben Hogan's sizzling 63, the golfing con- tingent went out today in search of qualifying places in Los Angeles' $10,000 open. Hogan, the pride of Hershey, Pa., clipped nine strokes off the Hillcrest course par yesterday in a warmup, to tie a record set 11 years ago by Leo Diegel. He and other top-flight per- JANUARY CLEARANCE SALE SUJITS -9'COATS OFF 20% The Coats -Coverts, Fleeces The Suits - Single or Double- I Formerly 42.50 Formerly 35.00 Formerly 30.00 Formerly 25.00 Now 34.00 Now 28.00 Now 24.00 Now 20.00 I _ 11