The Salt Lake Tribune from Salt Lake City, Utah • 39

i Mit e5alt galit gdf bunt Spor Section Tuesday May 24 1988 Page 1 ii For Recorded Scores Call 1-800-662-4354 Local 2372025 Sports Information Call 237-2001 A-----t Mit e5alt ga1 it Ztibunt loon For Recorded Scores Call 1-800-6624354 Sports Information Call 237-2001 Section Tuesday May 24 1988 Page 1 Local 2372025 errilt IL RRe-or 11 Eagles Arrive Home With 111 -Fri -n A ITIT With 11 II hag li eq Arra-we nome Vvt a4m eir' Cup 1 Flames Pleased 1 By Eagle Title 9 Cun By Joe Baird Tribune Sports Writer 4 i It I 11 1 6 i I 1 1 s--- 1 1 1 I 11 A --1 hp i 1 1 4 I 4 1 i 4 1 A 1 I i it 1 sr-AN- 14Ai 4kAoli The Turner Cup the Golden Eagles won Sunday night at Flint represents the fifth championship in the franchise's 19-year history But it was just the first for the parent Calgary Flames' organization And that fact wasn't lost on Flames' executive Al Coates as he prepared to make his way back to Alberta on Monday morning "This is a really proud moment for our organization" he said "And this success will big dividends for us down the road in our quest for Stanley Cup banners Some of these Salt Lake players will be a part of it" Yes it's safe to say that the Flames are pleased with the way the first year of their two-year working agreement with the Eagles: has panned out "I think it's been a growing learning experience for both the Calgary and Salt Lake organizations" said Coates who has been in charge of monitoring the Flames' minor league operation this season "It's really tin portant to us that the new IHL epitomizes what the development is all about We had 13 first-year pros here and we want to see the league continue to move in that direction "Naturally we got off to a slow start" he continued recalling the Birds' shaky 2-8-2 start last autumn "We had two rookie coaches and a lot of young players But they grew: together as a family They believed in each other and refused everything but winning as the final outcome" Coates singled out the clutch goaltending of veteran Marc D'Amour as a key factor in the team's rise to the title "No team can win with out outstanding goaltending and we got thatir' from Marc D'Amour" he said The Flames' vice president also pointed to key late-season acquisitions that helped put the Birds over the top "We got that injection of new blood with Theoren Fleury Jim Johannson and Peter Lappin" he said "That was a big surprise bonus for the organization We didn't expect that they would dominate the way they did so quickly' WU OLP VAIL AV By Joe Baird Tribune Sports Writer The Golden Eagles came home to a rousing airport welcome and a downtown parade on Monday just a dozen or so hours after winning their second consecutive International Hockey League championship Sunday night with a 9-5 pasting of the Flint Spirits at Flint the Birds with their Turner Cup la tow w4re greeted by several hundred fans when they disembarked from their flight from DetrOit at mid-morning From there they were loaded into cars for a lunchtime ride through dIwntown to show the city their prize the four-foot high Joseph Turner Memorial Trophy which they will keep in Salt Lake for another year "It feels great" said veteran Eagle goal-tender Marc D'Amour who led the charge up the jetway ramp with the Cup tightly in his grip "There's mixed emotions though I'm happy but I'm also kind of sad the season's over This was just an excellent group of guys" Last May with a totally different "excellent group of guys" the Eagles won their first Turner Cup with a 7-3 thrashing of the Muskegon Lumberjacks at Muskegon in Game 6 of the finals Sunday at Flint's IMA Sports Arena with a roster chock full of the Calgary Flames' best prospects the Birds staged another Game 6 rout on the road by breaking open a tight contest with a four-goal explosion in the third period Dave Reierson scored 38 seconds into the third off a long rebound to give Salt Lake a 6- 4 advantage and Randy Bucyk and Martin Simard followed with two more goals to turn the contest into an 8-4 blowout Doug Clarke's empty net goal with just over a minute to play capped the drive to the championship Laying the foundation however was an incredible four-goal performance by St Lawrence University rookie Peter Lappin that staked the Eagles to early leads of 3-1 and 4-2 in the first and second periods And making it stand up was an unconcious goaltending effort by D'Amour who had everything but the kitchen sink thrown at him by the Spirits when they rallied furiously late in the middle period Lappin who recorded another hat trick last Friday in Game 5 of the championship series at the Salt Palace finished with 16 goals and 12 assists in the playoffs to claim Turner Cup MVP honors "I was pretty surprised so I'm sure the Spirits were surprised" Salt Lake Coach Paul Baxter said of the sudden stunning impact Lappin had in the IHL playoffs "I sat the guy out two games in Peoria That shows you how smart a coach I am" "It's something" added Eagle Captain Rich Chernomaz "When Theoren Fleury left Peter stepped in and did an awesome job" D'Amour was right behind him though with a goals against average of 352 in 19 post-season appearances "You have to give Shaky D'Amour a lot of credit" said Simard "He kept us in the game Staff Photo by Dan Miller A few hundred fans greeted the 11114 Champions because of the Turner Cup which D'Amour is holding Eagle goalie Marc D'Amour gets a rowdy reception from fans at Salt Lake International Airport Monday player although I think he thought he was For that reason he didn't always like me I pushed him But he's responded in an exceptional manner" "We never would have made it through the playoffs without guys like that" said Lappin "Cullen was pretty much silenced in the series and that can almost solely be attributed to Kenny Sabourin" With the title in their collective pockets the Eagles spent all of Sunday night and most of Monday morning partying After the parade they didn't have anything more strenuous planned than lying in the sun They were scheduled to meet one more time on Tuesday morning then will be free to go their separate ways for the summer "No more taking orders for three months" Clarke whooped as he readjusted his dress code-mandated tie during the morning beer-soaked bus ride from Flint to Detroit "I can't wait" ed like hell in all the other areas to help this team win This is a team that's full of competitors" And that's why Baxter feels his club showed itself the better unit in the six games with the Spirits Still the former NHL defenseman couldn't help himself when it came to raving about Sabourin And with good reason The big (6-foot-3 205 pounds) second-year veteran from Scarborough Ontario was given perhaps the toughest assignment of the championship series: to stick to IHL scoring leader John Cullen like glue and make him pay the price on every shift he skated That Sabourin did holding the Flint center to just two goals and four assists in the six games and flattening him at every available opportunity "Kenny's a real competitor for starters" said Baxter "He's not a one dimensional the whole second period and throughout the playoffs" And right behind them was former US Olympic team member Jim Johannson a late-season addition like Lappin who responded to the Turner Cup call with a relentless playoff effort that totalled up to eight goals and 15 assists by the time it ended Finally there were the unsung heroes: defensemen Ken Sabourin Kevan Guy and Jim Leavins and forwards Clarke Jeff Wenaas Rick Barkovich Marc Bureau Chernomaz Simard and Bucyk and of course the wheeling and dealing Fleury when he was available for duty Really just about everyone contributed at some point in the drive to the title Because there were so many names on the championship roll call Baxter said he has "a tough time singling out guys even when they've had games like Lappin and D'Amour had Bucyk and Chemomaz for example didn't score that many goals but they compet Especially Lappin who was named the Most Valuable Player of the Turner Cup offs after recording back-to-back hat tricks in Games 5 and 6 "Lappin was a longshot" Coates admitted "But the guy grows on you every time you see him play He's a Joey Mullen type of playerZ: Somehow whether he's on his butt or on his: head he finds a way to get a stick on thq'l puck" The biggest key to unlocking the champion See D-6 Column31 -C rt se es dwa II ok 1111 to 113-98 111 avericks Lakers Attack 0 0 1 adiko NBA Playoffs Los Angeles 113 Dallas 98 American League Chicago 3 Cleveland 2 Minnesota 7 Kansas City 5 Milwaukee 9 Toronto 7 Seattle 14 Boston 3 New York 5 California 2 Baltimore 7 Oakland 3 National League Atlanta at Chicago ppd rain Cincinnati 8 St Louis 3 Houston 3 Pittsburgh 0 TV Sports CETI3F)1 7 am Tennis French Open WTBS (IVVZ 12:05 pm Major League Baseball Braves at Cubs ESPN 5:30 pm NHL Stanley Cup Edmonton Oilers at Boston Bruins Jazz Rally A rally will be held in honor of the Utah Jazz Tuesday at noon in front of the Salt Palace "This is a way for us and the players to say thank you to the fans for their support" said Jay Francis vice president of marketing for the NBA team Several of the players who are still in the area including Karl Malone Bobby Hansen and Thurl Bailey will be present 0 4 I cf las defense that left the perimeter a haven for jump shooters The Lakers got their running game going in the third quarter and sprinted to a 76-63 lead with 2:29 left as Worthy Scott and Green made three baskets apiece Two of Scott's baskets were three-pointers Worthy and Green each scored again and the Lakers led 80-69 at the end of the period The Lakers' biggest lead of the game was 96-79 following Mychal Thompson's bucket on an alley-oop pass from Scott with 6:50 to play "We're a different team than the Utah Jazz" said Donaldson who scored 11 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in 29 minutes "We play a different style It doesn't look like we have the intensity or are at the level of play that Utah was at that's the way it seems "Kareem's play really didn't surprise me He struggled with his shot against Utah Some nights he is going to be on an some nights he is going to be off Maybe it'll be closer next time" Donaldson said he needs help against the NBA's all-time leading scorer "Eaton is a remarkable defensive player" Donaldson said "He's a great shot-blocker He has the size strength and height to block anyone's shot I have to rely on my teammates "No player can stop anyone like Kareem all by himself He is still a great player" Abdul-Jabbar made to look every bit his 41 years by Utah's Mark Eaton in the Western Conference semifinal Monday night looked like anything but the oldest player in the NBA Abdul-Jabbar stifled by Utah's 7-foot-4 Mark Eaton in the previous round scored nine of his 17 points in the second quarter "It's a lot easier shooting when you don't have to shoot it over Eaton" Abdul-Jabbar said "Eaton weighed 300 pounds and so does Dallas center James Donaldson but Dallas is a different type of team" The Lakers opened with a near-reckless push to the hoop that was absent against Eaton and the Jazz AC Green scored the opening basket after an offensive rebound and less than one minute later Johnson got inside for a layup In all the Lakers had nine baskets inside the paint in the first quarter including two via Abdul-Jabbar's skyhook that was AWOL during the conference semifinals "The Utah Jazz had a lot more intensity consistently thoughout the game" Abdul-Jabbar said "I think Dallas tried to play its game Everyone leans on me I guess Eaton just has more to lean on me with" Los Angeles controlled the inside in the decisive third quarter Of the Lakers' 13 baskets all but four came from close range The outside shots were the result of a sagging Dal Tribune Wire Services At Inglewood Calif James Worthy scored 28 points and Byron Scott 23 as the Los Angeles Lakers turned back a second-quarter Dallas rally and beat the Mavericks 113-98 Monday night in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference finals Magic Johnson added 19 Kareem AbdulJabbar 17 and AC Green 14 for the defending champion Lakers who led 52-49 at halftime Mark Aguirre Rolando Blackman and Roy Tarp ley scored 18 apiece for the Mavericks and Derek Harper added 17 't Game 2 is set for Wednesday night at the Forum The series then shifts to Dallas' Reunion Arena for games Friday and Sunday "We only had one day of rest but the adrenalM was still flowing from the last series" s'aid Worthy who hit 12 of 17 shots A "Sure we didn't have much time to prepare but I sympathize with them They were just sitting around waiting for us" The Lakers took a 41-32 lead on Michael Cooper's three-point shot with 9:45 to play in the second quarter But Dallas led by Tarpley Aguirre and Blackman went on a 15-1 fun capped by Blackman's long jumper at 1:22 to take a 47-42 lead The Lakers missed nine straight field goals before Abdul-Jabbar hit a sky hook at 3:53 of die second quarter to start an 8-0 run that save the Lakers a 50-47 lead Press Photo Lakers' James Worthy scored 28 points Monday night to help LA outrun the Mavericks 113-98 Tip Your Hat to Golden Eagles Who Won Cup in Shadow of Jazz 1 Quiz: Oakland's Don Baylor needed 15 stolen bases at the start of the season to reach 300 thefts and if he's successful he would be come the third major lea guer to steal 300 bases and hit 300 home runs Name the other two i I IL While were passing out the Wurel wreaths for outstanding performances how about a big hand for Coach Paul Baxter and the Golden Eagles who won their second straight Turner 4 Cup Sunday and their fifth 1 league championship in the franchise's 19-year existence I i i 4 Assossss Sports Editor John Mooney lam i N4 4 John Mooney -A 4 Yazoo Sports Editor onnommimmom '1 1 11 4- I 1101 L' th-j La Veil Edwards of BYU ranks ninth on the list of active coaches in number of victories (146) fifth among active major coaches in winning percentage (747) and fourth among active coaches in length of tenure at present school (16 years) 14-year career Joe Baird Salt Lake Tribune sports writer should be in demand as a beat reporter Joe has reported the activity of the Golden Eagles who won two straight Turner Cups and Salt Lake Trappers with three straight Pioneer League pennants University of Iowa will boost its basketball ticket prices $2 to pay the $392000 utility bill for the Carver-Hawkeye Arena The university has ruled the athletic department and all other self-supporting units must pay their own bills Present football coaching staff at Notre Dame does not include one Fighting Irish alumnus San Jose State once a track and field power is suspending that program along with wrestling men's cross country and women's field hockey to cut expenses John Ralston former Utah Aggie coach is planning a trip to Russia to teach American football to the Soviets If John can just get 'em all smiling as he always is his trip will be invaluable could top the Jazz This is strange because at one time the Golden Eagles were outdrawhig the professional basketball team but league switches and working agreement changes took a lot away from the hockey franchise over several years Player continuity is the secret of all major league professional sports The sports which rely on a parent club for athletes suffers when players are recalled during the season or for the next season when new players must develop their followings The Jazz have been pretty solid with only a few player moves in recent years and this stability develops loyalty among the fans for the players and the Jazz for the fans It's a perfect mix A prime reason the Utah Stars came to Salt Lake City was the state's reputation for following and understanding good basketball on the college and high school level When the Utah Stars won an ABA championship the crowd support was established so the first Jazz teams drew better than their records might warrant Now the Jazz are hot hot hot Already fans are looking forward to next year and the next when the Jazz not only will play well against the Lakers but will beat Los Angeles and go Bobby Bowden The Eagles played in the I shadow of the Utah Jazz during the playoff sched- 0 tiles but their feat was re- 1 markable in that the cup was won with an entirely new team this season Paul Baxter A year ago in winning the championship cup of the International tiockey League the Golden Eagles had a team (if free agents with just a few professionals 3igned with National Hockey League organizations This season the Calgary Flames furnished all of the players for the successful cup 'defense The Golden Eagles have not enjoyed the fan the Jazz have developed because the 'NBA entry did such a masterful job of selling the product to the populace Only the "Orange Crush" promotion of the Denver Broncos 11 Pi- A ilt h4 "414 Va on to the NBA championship Lost in the euphoria of this playoff season is the fact the same Jazz team only moved into fifth place in its conference on the last day of the season How the Lakers fare in the playoffs now may provide a better yardstick But meanwhile the Jazz made a lot of people walk taller the last month Disa and Data Serenity Scramble golf tournament Sunday at Murray Parkway course will benefit International Foundation for Treatment of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Tom Barberl is the celebrity chairman The $20 fee covers green fees golf cart snacks and trophies with a complete set of clubs as the hole-in-one prize The Box Off to select the US Olympic boxing team will be held in Caesars Palace sports pavilion in Las Vegas July 16-17 Trivia In leading Florida State to victory over Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl Bobby Bowden gained his 101st coaching victory since coming to the school in 1976 It took the Seminoles 20 years to register their first 100 victories and in 12 years prior to Bowden Florida State had a 66-60 record Cactus Bowl (Tucson) and Crab Bowl (Baltimore) have asked to be added to 18 post-season bowl games certified by NCAA Trivia Answer: In his 22-year career Willie Mays hit 660 home runs and stole 338 bases Bobby Bonds stole 461 bases and hit 332 homers in Observation Ward If Mikhail Gorbachev calls on the White House hot line let's hope Nancy doesn't answer 4 I I A01 01-0111W AN-0-LAR- Amal APR 011-4 i tvF.