The Leader-Post from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada • 13

ft -JJ The Leader-Post Regina, Saskatchewan Monday March 6, 1978 (( frjt Bob 47 Hughes Cougars come back with two wins to capture berth in national final 0 mm til -1 i 1 I I There is a certain sort of sadness attached to the, weekend victory of the University of Regina Campus Cougars in their series for the hockey championship of the Great Plains Athletic Conference. Now, that everybody has suddenly become interested in the Cougars, it'll take a trip to Moncton, New Brunswick to see them, live and in person. It is like discovering that the little girl with the freckles and the pony tail and the braces and the baby fat moved away and became Cheryl Tiegs. The Regina Campus Cougars have been around here for more than a few years, sometimes playing in a league with other university teams, sometimes not. But, always they were trying to deliver this message.

The message was simply that given the chance and given the support, they could do something that only one other hockey team in Regina has been able to do in decades. That, simply, is to get to a national championship. Yesterday afternoon, with what likely was the biggest crowd to watch a university hockey game here ever, the Cougars moved closer and closer to achieving that impossible kind of a dream. After dropping their first game in the best-of-three series with the Lakehead on Friday night, the Cougars evened the series Saturday night and then took the deciding game on Sunday afternoon in a game rich with the action and the thrills and the drama and everything which always is playoff hockey. Through it all, their message finally got through.

University hockey has taken the first big step towards acceptance in Regina. Before last weekend, they were sometimes lucky to play in front of friends and relatives. They played their home games out of the Al Ritchie Arena, and it was too big. On the weekend, the Cougars outgrew the Ritchie and belonged hi the Ar-gridome. They had become THAT much of an attraction.

The place was filled to capacity, but that only meant 1,400 fans. There were some who felt that figure would have at least doubled if they had been able to get the Agridome. But, the Agridome had been handed over to the Canadian junior badminton championships and so the Cougars stayed where they have played all year. Too bad. The Cougars became the hit tune in town over the weekend on the sports calendar.

In many ways, that they had to bounce back from their loss in the opening game of this series, a loss which was considered critical at the time because, in effect, it had switched all the pressure from the Lakehead te the Cougars was significant. Coming out of nowhere has more or less been the style of the Cougars this year. They have been in the struggle for top spot in the GPAC pennant race from the beginning of the season, riding something called momentum and spoon-feeding it with talent until it became reasonably obvious that they just might be the best team in their conference. But, they also were blanketed in obscurity. That nebody-knows-us-except-our-friends-and-families feeling began following them like a nagging cold that just would not go away.

Outside of Regina, they were more than the unknown factor around the country. They were the unknown. Every week, the top 10 rankings of collegiate hockey teams are put together by some people in Ottawa who displayed their total incompetence in doing this sort of thing by ignoring the Cougars for much of the season. Not until The Leader-Post's Daphne Bramham phoned the ranking people in Ottawa to find out why the Cougars were not ranked did they start getting some of the national attention they deserved. Whoever it is that puts together those rankings likely will spend considerable time today wiping egg off his face and remaking his national map on the wall in his office to include Manitoba.

Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia on it. But, beyond all that and, really, it is not that important there is the most significant factor to emerge from the Cougars' weekend conquest and the berth in the Can There is a definite place on the sports entertainment scene for university hockey in Regina. The theory that the hockey won't be as exciting, won't be as dramatic, won't be as entertaining as junior hockey because those playing university hockey don't play 100 games a year or don't devote most of their time to the game, has been defeated here. The victory of the Cougars over the Lakehead was worth more than a championship and more than a trophy. It really was measured by the very fact that there wasn't an empty seat to be found at the Al Ritchie on the weekend.

Reg Higgs might figure it's about time. Leader-Post photos by Ian Caldwell Rick Uhrich watches the puck dribble in ill apllill By Daphne Bramham Sports Writer Cougars hockey team are to be the first University of Regina team to qualify for a national collegiate final. Cougars won the Great Plains Athletic Conference after defeating Lakehead University 3-1 on Saturday to force the third game and then winning 9-7 on Sunday. Cougars scored their first goal only 13 seconds into Sunday's game, which set the tone for the first period. They went ahead 6-1 after the first period and then were outscored by Lakehead 4-1 in the second period for a 7-5 lead.

Cougars major assets on Sunday were Mark Piller, who scored four goals to lead their offensive effort, and the goal-tending of Bob Leslie, who turned away 41 shots. "We had a super team effort and we knew after the first goal that the goal-tender for Lakehead (Dave Fitzpatrick) was shaky. When he was replaced by the other goaltender (Dan Moro) we never really took advantage of it," Piller said. "We played too defensively in the second and third periods and never really took advantage of their second goalie. If we had forced them more I think we could have outscored them by more.

We got going again in the third period and played offensively. They are the kind of team you always have to go after. But, I think it would be safe to say the first and third periods were ours." Piller's line of Rick Uhrich and Greg lng scored six of the nine goals on Sunday. Ing scored two goals unassisted, while Uhrich assisted on all of Piller's goals. But, it was Mike Wirachowsky, Re-gina's top defenceman, who scored only 13 seconds into the game on a pass from Ing.

Regina scored five more goals in the first period before Fitzpatrick was replaced in Lakehead's goal. Regina goals included a goal by Barry Clarke only Fryia played well eight minutes later followed by Ing's first goal, Gord Sandberg's back-hand shot into the net and Piller's first. After Piller's goal at 15:35, coach Dave Sici-liano replaced Fitzpatrick with Moro. Fitzpatrick has started for Lakehead throughout the season and had the second lowest average in the league behind Regina's Bob Leslie. Siciliano said, "I was going to pull Fitzpatrick after the third goal but I waited and waited and then it was just too late.

I had hoped that Moro would go in and make some big saves to give the team a lift but after I put him there were fewer shots on goal and he didn't have to make the big save. "I think the game came down to us not getting solid goaltending and we just got too far down. It seemed that everything Regina touched turned to gold and we just couldn't get that big save which would have settled everybody down." Siciliano said he was particularly impressed with the way his team came back in the second period and outscored Regina 4-1. Vince Friyia played an outstanding game for Lakehead, scoring four goals and adding an assist. However, it was not enough to overcome the powerful Regina offence.

Cougar coach Reg Higgs said "We intended to play conservatively in the second period. We knew they'd get a goal or two but a couple of individual errors cost us the others that period it wasn't the whole team letting down. "At the end of Saturday's game, I began to notice the frustration of the Lakehead team, they started to take a few cheap shots and that's when I thought our chances of success went up dramatically. We beat them convincingly enough on Saturday that the seeds of doubt were planted." Not everyone was as confident as Higgs, particularly when Lakehead started their come-back in the second period. Leslie said, "I was kind of worried that we couldn't get going again after they starting scoring in the second period.

Everyone was really tired and I wasn't sure we could hang on." Regina outshot Lakehead 16-13 in the first period but Lakehead outshot Regina 18-7, 17-9 in the second and third periods to outshoot Regina 48-32 on the game. Higgs said, "I think the feature of the game was that when we needed the goal-tending, we got it. Leslie and Fitzpatrick are supposed to be the best in the league but, when it counted, our man was there and Fitzpatrick wasn't." In addition to Friyia's four goals, Paul Vandergust, Al Avery and Alex Dampier scored for Lakehead. On Saturday, Ross Mahoney did everything for Regina. He scored two goals arid kept Friyia from scoring.

All Regina's goals came in the second period Mahoney's two and one from Ken Dodd. Al Avery scored Lakehead's single early in the third period. Regina outshot Lakehead 40-38 on Sat- A '1 Davis 'upset' with Pats after loss 1 0 1 i ''if' ryt- -fll liCwii i imJ then celebrates the goal with teammate Mark Piller A 9-7 win by Saskatoon Blades over the visiting Regina Pats Sunday in Western Canada Hockey League action didn't inspire many positive thoughts with Lome Davis. "I'm very upset with this hockey team," said the Regina general has no pride, no guts, no heart, no nothing. "I should have known better at the start of the year that some of these guys were that way.

We haven't played well in two weeks. "I can't wait until the Blues are out of it (finished their playoff schedule in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League). "I'll replace the whole (Pats') team except for about six players. "Blues have had no problems against this same team all year." Davis was referring to the fact that Blades were using six members of the SJHL's Saskatoon Olympics. Dean Vogelsang and Terry Paskaruk spent the season with the Olympics and were playing their first WCHL game for Blades last night.

Both scored twice. Regular Dan Erickson added four goals while Ken Federko scored once. "There are too many holdovers from another era," continued Davis, who took over the g.m. and coaching duties midway through last season. "I'm sick of protecting them, sick of making alibis for them.

"It was a terrible hockey game tonight. What makes me mad is that this team has so much ability but it's so small in heart. "I have seven or eight guys I'll quickly get rid of. They're taking the place of a lot of guys who want to play." Gerry Galloway led Regina offensively with two goals with singles coming from Larry Ell, Dirk Graham, Darren Veitch, Kevin Clackson and Paul Hogan. Pats' goaltender Greg Dumba stopped 24 shots while Dean Berger of the Blades blocked 21.

Regina took seven of nine minor penalties, one of two majors, a misconduct and game misconduct. Pats next game is Tuesday in Brandon against the Wheat Kings. Larry Ell day to be able to come back, particularly in front of that number of Wirachowsky said, "Ah, the injuries don't hurt today, they will on Monday, but not Cougars will leave for Moncton on March 14, have a practice in Moncton on the 15th and begin tournament play the following Cougars scored two power-play goals on the weekend compared with five for a rung on the ladder and now, we only have one left. I don't want to make any predictions for the tournament but, we have a 50-50 chance there. At any rate, we will be the best ever GPAC representative." SHORT PAWS Approximately 3,650 fans watched the three games on the weekend.

Siciliano said, following Sunday's game that they just let themselves get too far down both Saturday and Sun Raiders take tourney urday and took five of 10 minor penalties. Although there was a lot of physical contact in the three-game series, Higgs said the bumps, bruises and injuries will be healed bv March 16 when Cougars play their first game of the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union final. He said they will try to take the entire team to Moncton, N.B., although they may not all play. Cougars' injuries include Wirachowsky with an injured wrist and knee; Mike Flegel with a knee injury, which kept him out of Sunday's game; Kelly Byers with a sprained ankle; and Jim Thompson with mononucleosis. Thompson is the only player that Higgs doubts will be ready for Moncton.

The national final is a round-robin with the six teams split into two pools. Regina is in the pool with University of Alberta Golden Bears and St. Mary's University, the second- and third-ranked teams in Canada. Cougars will play Golden Bears in their first game of the tournament on Thursday, March 16. Higgs said, "We've been looking forward to Moncton since September and we've seen each accomplishment as Holy Rosary Raiders of Regina won the championship title for the third consecutive year at the eighth annual Earl Oxford junior girls' invitational basketball tournament Saturday in Brandon.

Raiders defeated Estevan Immaculate Heart Pacers 50-24 in the final. Tra-cey Livingston had 15 points and Sharon Kubian 11 for Holy Rosary. Janice Lend-voy produced 12 points for the Pacers. Holy Rosary advanced to the championship game by defeating Winnipeg Chief Peguis 54-26 in one semi-final. Es tevan downed Earl Oxford 39-31 in the other.

Oxford Trojans downed Winnipeg Chief Peguis 39-37 in the third-place playoff while Selkirk Suns claimed the consolation championship with a 41-40 win over Brandon Harrison. Forward Lorna Botkin and guard Livingston of the Raiders were named to the tournament all-star team along with Lendvoy, a forward. Joanne Kurbis of Selkirk, was named as a centre and Susan Stewart of Earl Oxford as a guard. Darren Veitch 4.