Varsity ice hockey status 'hinges on new rink'
(Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series on the
possibility of Penn State's hockey program gaining varsity
status.)
The Penn State hockey club has been striving for varsity
status since its inception in 1971. The club hasn't achieved this
goal yet, and one of the reasons why is money.
Hockey is so expensive that Athletic Director Ed Czekaj
said he doesn't see the club going varsity:He said he thought
the team would have to play a, schedule with the Big 10 or in
'the northeast, would have to recruit froth Canada (where the
eest players are) and would have to hire full-time coaches. He
also said travel, scouting and grants-in-aid would driVe costs
i
up. Only T.V. revenue keeps the sports program n the black,
he said, and hockey , expenses would require a budget of
$lOO,OOO-$150,000 a year.
Most hockey players feel a new rink must be built to go
varsity. This'Arongly hinges on finances.
A new rink is on the Mind of former Penn State hockey coach
Morris Kurtz, who isn't coaching this year because he's
pursuing his Ph.D. He said he wouldn't coach at Penn State
again unless he got a definite commitment from the
University to go varsity (Kurtz turned the program around at
Penn State, guiding the team to a 25-5-1 record in his two years
as coach).
Kurtz said that he felt a new hockey rink stood in the way of
varsity status and that hockey could make money at Penn
State, but not in the present facilities. "We would not break
even with our rink," he said.
Bill Proudman, hockey club president, said varsity status
"strongly hinges on a new rink." He said this involves in
creased seating capacity and warmer temperatures (the rink
has no heat). With a new rink, "the University's chances
of turning a profit or breaking even would be greatly en
hanced.
Rex Gedney, a player, said,, "Right now, the facilities are
Hot Lions take 44 of last 51 games
Stroudsburg win extends spikers' streak
By CHUCK BUCHANAN
Collegian Sports Writer
Last night's volleyball match at Rec Hall was a
very important one for the Nittany Lions. Not only
were a division title and a better seeding at the
Eastern championships at stake, but some rather
important people turned out to watch the home
team play.
The Lions routed East Stroudsburg, by the way,
by scores of 15-3, 15-7, and 15-9. But the games were
not the story last night; after all, those three wins
were just part of 44 out of Penn State's last 51.
No, the story was the audience.,.ln. the crowd last
night, to the delight of the 200 fans who cheered on
the spikers, was the Nittany Lion. Also present was
Rutgers-Newark coach 1 aras Hunczak, who, armed
with notepad and Instamatic, was scouting the
Lions.
Penn State and Rutgers figure to be the favorites
Rookies beware
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — . A
flock of first-timers and the
one-and-only Jack Nicklaus
are the central figureg in the
41st Masters golf tournament
scheduled to begin today in
the spectacular beauty of a
Southern spring.
Although a burgeoning
corps of newcomers 'has
swept the game with a
relentless tide of fresh talent
this season, the in
dominatable Nicklaus
remains the man to beat in
the most revered of all golf's
myriad championships.
Just as he ' occupies a
category of his own, having
reached a plateau of per
formance unsealed by any
other player, so does Nicklaus
approach the Masters with a
philosophy and undiminished
desire that are unique.
"This is the Masters,"
Nicklaus said, with the ob
vious implication that the
statement was sufficient and
all-emcompassing.
"'Phis always is the start of
the season for me," said the
man who has built his career,
his life, his financial fortune
around his unequalled
mastery of the Big Four 14
career victories in the major
professional tests of golfing
greatness, the U.S. and
British Opens, the PGA and,
of course, the Masters.
,
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No this isn't Buffalo in mid-winter. Instead it's Riverfront Reds could play ; their opener with the Padres. Happy
Stadium in Cincinnati where the grounds crew spent the Opening Day.
better part of yesterday morning clearing the field so the .
By JOE GARVEY
Special to The Collegian
He's won on the flower
bedecked, rolling hills of the
Augusta National Golf Club
course a record five times,
has collected four PGA
national crowns, three' U.S.
Opens, two British Opens.
And that's only the more
highly-visible tip ,of the
iceberg. He holds almost all
the records worth having.
All but one.
And it is the lack of that one
unreached and improbable
achievement that drives this
proud and history-conscious
man.
"I cannot achieve what I
want in golf without winning
the Masters," he said. "It is
the first."
It was an explicit reference
to the game's unachieved
Grand Slam a one-year
sweep of the Big'Four events.
Ben Hogan once won three of
them in a single season. In.
1972 Nicklaus won the first
two, the Masters and 4 U.S.
Open, then missed by a single
shot in the British Open.
"I'd like to get some of that
'72 talk going again," he said
with a smile.
Arrayed against him in the
77-man field are all the old,
familiar challengers,— Gary
Player and Arnold Palmer
and Tom Weiskopf and
another group that is
reaching their golfing prime
adequate. But because hockey is growing here, the rink won't
be adequate in the future."
Dean Robert J. Scannell of the College of Health, Physical
Education, and Recreation admitted, "I don't think if we
called it a varsity, in the present facilities, the University
would be too proud of us."
Dean Scannell said .the University has two options for the
club to go varsity: upgrading the present facilities orbuilding
a new rink.
On funding:
"Hockey doesn't mean that much to the
alumni. They're more likely to contribute to
something that will benefit a lot of things,
or an activity they participated in.
—Robert J. Scannell
Dean, College of Health,
Physical Education, and Recreation
"Upgrading the present facilities means better lighting,
putting in heat for the players and the fans, and the rink size
ought to be cut down, so when the players go on the road,
they're not running into one another" (Penn State's rink is 15
feet wider than any other college rink). The club stopped
requests to improve the rink, waiting to see if a new one will be
built, Scannell said.
Building a new rink is a three-part plan. Conceptual plans
have been approved by the board of trustees, Scannell said.
The first part of the plan "would appeal to football, baseball,
track and other outdoor sports. We'll convert the present rink
into an indoor sports area," Scannell said. This calls for im
proved lighting, heating, installing an artificial grass surface
and an indoor track in the present rink. Scannell said there
would be enough room for a 60-yard football field (only punt-
m
theally Collegila in rx y r tt
Thursday, April 7, 177-9
S
- at the Eastern playoffi, scheduled for April 22-23
at West Point. The Lions assumed co-favorite status
by virtue of their impressive victory last night.
Jeff Seavy, team co-captain, admitted before the
fray that he was a bit nervous.-" Yeah, I can feel it,"
he said prior to taking the court for his final home
appearance. But the nationally-touted senior
quickly-eased the pressure by slamming the ball to
the floor for the game's first point. The Lions upped
that advantage to 12-1 before finally taking the
contest, 15-3.
Lion coach Tom Tait may have suspected
something from his team's easy win, though. "We
gotta maintain this intensity and execution," he told
his team after the blitzing.
His premonition proved correct in the second
game as the Lions, once up 13-3, found themselves
at 14-7., Carey Seavy averted further damage by
making two great plays to save the Lions' 15-7 win.
Masters calls Nicklaus
Hale Irwin and Tom
Watson and Hubert Green and
Ben Crenshaw and im
portantly, perhaps the
greatest influx of new, fresh
faced talent the game has
ever seen.
"Early in the year,"
Nicklaus observed, "you
usually have some new
players winning tournaments.
There's just more of them this
time, that's all."
The season, however, has
belonged to the kids. Week
after week, in a seemingly
endless line, they've emerged
from the ranks of the also
rans and claimed the top prize
while the more established
players ground their teeth
and vowed that next week it
would be different. Each
succeeding week, however,
only produced another 25-
year-old winner, ranging
from alligator-wrestler Andy
Bean to Bible student Tom
Purtzer.
Bruce Lietzke, Gary Koch,
Danny Edwards, Bill Krat
zert, Mark Hayes. All are 1977
winners.
Now they face the test
can the youth movement
continue, can they extend
their , success story in this
event ,that places such a
premium on history, tradition
and experience?
"History and tradition are
very heavily against you,"
said Lietzke, who won two
titles and more than $lOO,OOO
on an early-season string of
26 consecutive rounds at par
or better. "I'll be happy to
play well, maybe finish in the
top 10."
"I think it's about this time
of the year the more easily
recognized players will be
heard from," said Irwin, a
former U.S. Open king and a
prime contender for the
famed green jacket that will
go to the Masters winner.
"It's very, very difficult for
a first-, second- or third-year
player to win in the Masters,"
said defending champion Ray
Floyd. "I'll take a group of
players and give you the
field."
He named himself, Irwin,
Crenshaw, Green, Nicklaus,
four-time runner-up•Weiskopf
and Player, a two-time
winner and the only foreign
born champion the Masters
has had.
Those ' are the top choices.
Others include Graham
Marsh, the globe-trotting
veteran from Australia who
scored his first American
victory only two weeks ago,
Al Geilberger, Don January
and David Graham, another
Australian who compiled one
of the world's finest in
ternational records in 1976.
5
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When Tait corraled his charges after that game,
he had some words of advice to offer. "Never,
never, never ease up," he barked. "Go at 'em hard
all the way!"
The night's final game was a see-saw affair, with
Penn State holding a narrow 7-6 lead at the midway
point. However, John Phillips and Dave Evans led a
Lion charge which carried them to a 15-9 triumph.
OVER THE NET: The match victory upped the
Lions' season slate to 41-10, and it gave them 19 wins
in their last 22 tries . . . The spikers' final tune-up
for the Easterns comes this weekend as they'll
travel to Fairfax, Va. for action in the George
Mason Invitational Tournament . . . Jeff Seavy had
another outstanding match in all aspects of his
game . . . Rich Emanuel displayed his fine spiking
ability by slamming numerous balls past the East
Stroudsburg defense.
Clark gets early dismissal in Frisco
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) with the EdwardJ. Dißartolo
Monte Clark, who turned the family of Ohio taking over,
San Francisco 49ers into a and the new management
winner in his only year as a hired Joe Thomas as general
National Football League manager. Clark's contract as
head coach, was fired coach also gave him most of
yesterday with three years the , responsibilities of a
remaining on his contract. ' general manager, and
The 49ers' ownership something had to give.
changed hands last week, It was the 40-year-old Clark
Blue Jays debut with Bowie
1 1 0 ,
741,.?
Kuhn and iVlacPhail were scheduled to be in Seattle for last
night's opener of the expansion Mariners and then head to
Toronto to join an anticipated crowd of 45,000 fans in
welcoming Canada's second big league franchise.
Toronto Manager Roy Hartsfield is going with veteran Bill
Singer as his opening day pitcher against the Chicago White
Sox who will counter with Ken Brett.
The Toronto-Chicago game is one of eight openers set for
today. In the other AL games, Kansas City will be at Detroit,
Texas at Baltimore, MilWaukee at New York and Cleveland at
Boston. In the National League, St. Louis opens at Pittsburgh,
New York is at Chicago and San Francisco at Los Angeles.
The season opened officially yesterday at Cincinnati Where
the defending world champion Reds defeated the San Diego
Padres 5-3, keyed by Cesar Geronomo's two-run homer before
51,937 chilly fans. -
Last night, California and Seattle opened the American,
League chase in Seattle.
Singer, 32, is tne leader of - a veteran Toronto pitching staff.
The rest of the Blue Jays lineup is decidely younger with
rookies like catcher Rick Cerone, first baseman Doug Ault and
outfielders Steve Bowling, Gary Woods and John Scott
counted on heavily.
The Blue Jays will play in Exhibition Stadium, home of the
Canadian Football League Toronto Argonauts. The ball park
was refurbished for baseball at a cost of $17.8 million.
Toronto has had baseball before. The International League
Maple Leafs operated there for 78 years before folding in 1967
ing couldn't be done, Scannell said, because the ceiling
wouldn't be high enough), a baseball infield and half a field
hockey field. "And we'd have a good indoor track better
than Madison Square Garden's," Scannell said.
The §econd part of the plan calls for construction of a new
rink, smaller in volume (with a lower ceiling) behind the
present one, Scannell said. The new rink would have a non
weight bearing wall that could be moved to increase seating
and would be air-conditioned at 60 degrees, Scannell said.
The final stage of the plan calls for building a locker com
plex, for both buildings, where the warming house is now.
Scannell said this would give the hockey team a place to dress
and should have special appeal for the track team, because
it's 0n1y,200-300 yards from where the new outdoor track will
be.
Scannell said the indoor sports area will benefit many sports
For example, he said the Penn State football team had to
practice outdoors in the middle of winter fot' the 1975 Sugar
Bowl while its opponent, Alabama, practiced in weather
comparable to fall in Centre County. The lacrosse team, which
wants to start practicing by late January, for its season
opener on April 2, had no place to practice. "If I send them
down to the IM Building, I get a phone call, 'I want to play
basketball,' " Scannell said.
The indoor sports area will also benefit teams "out of
season."
"If the soccer team wants to start practicing now for next
season (which begins in the fall) they have no place to go,"
Scannell said, "But with the indoor area, we could allocate
time, say from fifth period to midnight. The soccer team
might not get ip there 'til 11 o-clock, but at least they'd have
someplace to go."
This plan seems to have the most assets for the sports
program at Penn State. Because it has such a broad appeal,
Scannell sees another advantage.
"Hockey doesn't mean that much to the alumni," he said.
"They're more likely to contribute to something that will
Johnny Miller and Jerry
Pate, the current holders of
the British and American
Open titles, are questionable.
The 23-year-old Pate, who
hit the tour in 1976 with more
impact than any rookie since
Nicklaus, is troubled by hand
and shoulder problems that
have curtailed his play this
season and may require
future surgery.
Miller, the complex and
moody Golden Boy of
enormous talent, is mired in
the worst slump of his
spectacular career and has
completed only two of eight
starts this year.
"I've paid the price," he
said. "I will be back."
The field also includes Lee
Elder, the man who broke the
color line in this Old South
stronghold in 1975, back for
his second Masters.
Major League baseball debuts in Toronto today and just so
the brand new Blue Jays don't feel cheated, Commissioner
Bowie Kuhn and American League President Lee MacPhail
will fly all night to be on hand for the historic occasion.
• 1....1..G,:in4r9a,
Photo by Patrick Little
Penn State outside setter John Phillips spikes home a shot in last night's volleyball
win over East Stroudsburg. Setter Dave Evans ( 11 looks on.
By the AP
benefit a lot of things, or an activity they participated in."
This is important because the University plans to pay for the
proposed rink through a special gifts drive, which has not been
started yet. Only certain, carefully-selected alumni will be
contacted. "We will say to them 'Here's what we're doing. We
don't want you to stop contributing to other things, but if you'd
like to contribute to this . . .' " Scannell said. "When we get $1
million, we'll go back to the board and ask them to hire an
architect to give us the exact cost and design."
On capacity:
"It would be a lot cheaper and a lot sounder
practice•to start out with 5,000. We could .
get 2,500 in with our club in warm weather."
Terry Brownschidle
Player, Penn State Hockey Club
Also related to finances is the seating capacity of the
proposed rink. The club and administration have a different
opinion of what it should be.
Dean Scannell said the seating capacity of the proposed
rink would probably be 2000-2500 because a hockey rink has
limited uses. "You can't run a concert in there," Scannell
said. "It's not like Rec Hall where if you're wrong on one thing
you're right on another." He also said the University has to
make a "sure investment" when tying up capital funds
(money for construction). "If the thing catches on you can add
seats," he said.
The players are concerned that there won't be enough seats
to accomodate the fans or to break even. Ed Luongo said he
thought the rink should be built with a seating capacity of
10,000 with the intention of going to big-time hockey.
Terry Brownschidle said, "It would be a lot cheaper and a
lot sounder practice to start out with 5,000. We could get 2500 in
with our club in warm weather."
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No new coach was named
immediately but there was
speculation that former
Denver Broncos Coach John
Ralston would be considered.
Edward J. Dißartolo Jr.,
the team's new president,
said in a statement released
prior to a news conference
that Clark was offered
and among the players who performed in Toronto on their way
to the majors were Ralph Kiner, Nap Lajoie, Charlie
Gehringer, Willie Keeler, Carl Hubbell, Elston Howard,
Heinie Manush, Jim Konstanty and Tony Lazzeri.
Chicago also has a new manager with Hall of Fame pitcher
Bob Lemon in charge of the White Sox this season. The Sox
also will have some new faces in their lineup including out
fielder Oscar Gamble, acquired from the New York Yankees
Tuesday in the deal for shortstop Bucky Dent.
The Yankees, defending their first pennant in 12 years, will
open with Catfish Hunter on the mound against the Brewers'
Jim Slaton with a crowd of 40,000 on hand at Yankee Stadium.
Besides the openers today, California plays the second of its
five-game series at Seattle with Nolan Ryan going for the
Angels against rookie Enrique Romo for the Mariners.
In the National League, Tom Seaver has his 10th straight
opening day starting assignment for the New York Mets.
Seaver never lost in that role with five victories and four no
decisions. He'll face Chicago's Ray Burris with a crowd *of
35,000 expected at Wrigley Field for Herman Franks' debut as
Cubs manager.
At Los Angeles, Don Sutton opens for LA against John
Montefusco of San Francisco, who pitched a no-hitter against
Atlanta in his final start of the 1976 season, with 40,000 ex
pected.
Baseballers postponed
Yesterday's Penn State home baseball game against La
fayette was cancelled due to snow. Future date of the game
has not yet been determined.
ERSi
"substantial improvement in
his financial package, plus an
extension from three to five
years on his existing con
tract."
But Clark would not go
along, Dißartolo said, since
the proposed contract
changes would have stripped
him of many former powers.