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Show The Newspaper 1 hnrsda . February 25, 1982 Page B7 by Jim Murray Mmnnray oim Spqpirtig a? - v - ; : r V ? fei - ?v - s Through the miracles of modern athletics, a hockey team will soon emerge from this motley crowd. Dholo by John Sundauis! Silver Kings set sights on series with Snowbird by John Sundquist The Park City Silver Kings are better late than never. Starting with a practice session held Monday night at the new Cottonwood Ice Rink in Salt Lake, the local hockey club of Park City is gearing up to face arch-rival Snowbird Snow-bird for the coveted Challenge Chal-lenge Cup. The Challenge Cup championship cham-pionship will be determined by a best of three games Jp be played at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake March 15, 22 and 29. This will be the fifth year of the rivalry between Park City and Snowbird. In 1978 the Silver Kings were just a motley crew of homesick hockey players hoping to skate somewhere on a regular regu-lar basis. The team came into being when John Jenkins, Jen-kins, the owner of the now extinct Silver King Club (next to Shadow Ridge) decided to sponsor the club. In 1979, the Park City Resort took over the sponsorship sponsor-ship and provided the team with new jerseys and socks bought from the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. The Silver Kings prospered pros-pered under the sponsorship blessings of the Park City Resort and won the Challenge Chal-lenge Cup and the Senior A League in Salt Lake in 1979. In the last two years, the Silver Kings have fallen on hard times due to lost personnel and a general improvement in the Salt Lake Senior Amateur Division. Divi-sion. In 1981, the Silver Kings won the opener of the Snowbird series, but the aroused Snowbird team came roaring back to take the remaining two matches convincingly for a 2-1 edge and the Challenge Cup. The 1982 season was slow to develop because there were too many braves and not even one chief. Eric Smith, who had assumed the coaching duties in the 1981 season, declined to continue another year. Add to this the breakup of the Senior Division, and there was no Park City hockey team and no league to play in. "The Salt Lake people had combined the A and B Leagues because the A teams couldn't get their old sponsors back," Smith said. "There was a general lack of interest." Now, with the new surge of activity, the Silver Kings are again looking to the Park City Resort to sponsor them. "We are talking to (Marketing (Market-ing Director) Craig Badami in hopes of reaching an understanding. We would like new uniforms because our old ones have worn out, or just disappeared." At the first workout Monday Mon-day night, the Silver Kings had some new talent as well as some old hands. Accord ing to veteran defenseman, Brian Strait, the outlook is upbeat. "I was really surprised at the number of players who showed up and their quality of play. I feel real confident we can return the Challenge Cup to Park City." There were 20 players at the first practice, including two goalies. They are: Greg McWhinney, Eric Smith, Brian Shields (goalie), Ron Larson, Eric Gudell, Mike Cornu, Mel Uhl, Brian Strait, Carl Jackson, Dave O'Brien (goalie), Tim Miller, Steve Kloek, Jim O'Halerin, Rick Quarantiello, Bill Dickson, George Alexander, Jack Pa-delsky, Pa-delsky, Nick Benict, Bill Pfau, and John Sundquist. Basketball Miners wilt in Laketown heat by John Sundquist It was a hot time in Laketown last Friday night for the Park City Miners. Playing the North Rich Mustangs has taken on a certain prescribed scenario: a barnburner at the end, with the Miners last-gasp surge falling short. Up by two points at the half, 28-26, the Miners went down to defeat, still kicking, 53-51. With 15 seconds left in the game, Park City was trailing by three, 52-49. Tom Flinders was at the free throw line shooting in a one and one situation. Flinders missed his first shot, but Chris Cooper pulled in the rebound and scored on a layup. Now, with eight seconds to go, Park City tried to call time-out. But the referees did not respond, and the Miners were forced to commit com-mit a foul to stop the clock with only one second left. Stan Mattsen of North Rich made one free throw and missed the other to make the score, 53-51. In desperation, Steve Toly hurled the ball down court, looking for a miracle. But the six-foot senior heard tne buzzer before the ball left his hand. Not only was the contest hot, but also the gym in which it was played. "We were using a full-court full-court press and they were coming back on fast breaks," said Park City Coach Bruce Reid. "The gym became noticeably warm and this combined with the pace of the game took its toll." According to Reid, the first half was played full bore, forcing him to rest Darren Lawless and Roger Burns in the second quarter. They were replaced by Troy Orr and Tom Flinders. "It was the first time Lawless had gotten tired in a game," exclaimed Reid. At the end of the first quarter, the score was tied at 13. The full-court press employed by the Miners proved effective, forcing several Mustang turnovers early in the game. Overall, the Mustangs gave up the ball 15 times to Park City's 10. But foul trouble for the Miners also began early. Trent Leavitt received three fouls in as many minutes to start off the game, and Bill Simmons got into trouble in the second quarter. These two Miners stayed in foul trouble throughout the second half. Enabling Park City to take a 28-26 lead into the locker room at halftime was the shooting of Steve Toly and the rebounding of Darren Lawless. Toly finished the game as Park City's leading scorer with 16 points, and four steals. "Toly played exceptionally exception-ally well," said Reid. "He mixed up his shots, and when it was possible he would drive inside to pass off to Lawless or Burns. And Lawless had a strong overall game. He did a good job rebounding and guarding North Rich's middleman Jeff Hilsman, keeping him down to six points for the game." Park City took off the full-court press with three minutes left in the second quarter to try to conserve energy. Nevertheless, the team was still dragging as the second half began. "We were pacing ourselves our-selves in the third quarter," said Reid. "We played passively pas-sively and paid for it." Park City scored only eight points during the third quarter while the Mustangs produced 16. The Miners played out the third quarter looking for the open man in the Mustang 2-3 zone defense. de-fense. Hurting the Miners in the third quarter was the absence of Roger Burns, who came out after the half still winded and shooting short. He was replaced by Tom Flinders who gave Park City a boost, in Reid's opinion. "Flinders did a good job (filling in for Burns) and scored seven points." The end of the third quarter saw North Rich up 42-36. With the start of the fourth period, the Miners had to bring the score back to within reach. "We committed a lot of purposeful fouls so we could get the ball back," admitted Reid. The free throws had entered the bonus stage and the bet was on North Rich to miss the first shot. To some extent, it worked. "We fouled Stan Mattsen five times and he missed all five first shots in a one and one. We would come back down the floor to score and in this way chip away at their lead," Reid said. The strategy would have been more effective if it had not been for the shooting of Mustang sophomore Kelly Mills in the fourth quarter. Mills came into the game and proceeded to put three 15-foot shots in the basket after the Miners had worked the North Rich zone for a hard basket. Mills was able to stifle the Park City comeback just enough. From Reid's perspective, it was one of the Miners' better games this season. "It was a strong performance per-formance at certain times. Our turnovers were low. we shot over 40 percent (21 ol 46) and there was some good passing. "North Rich is traditionally tradition-ally strong at home. But we have to get over the hump and beat a good team." Park City will close out its regular season Friday night with a home game against South Summit. The Region 11 playoffs are scheduled to begin the following weekend, with the Miners due to play at North Summit High School against either Wend-over Wend-over or Dugway. PARK CITY HEADFIRST Featuring Toi Higgins, 9:00 p.m. Resident discount cards are applicable Coining next week: Sawmill Creek Unquestionably the finest western fare and entertainment in 268 Main St. Park City. 649-4146 There is no place like the Cowboy An old club fighter tries once again Well. I got up at 9 again. Took the count on one knee. My life is beginning to resemble Dempsey-Firpo. I'm getting to look like a club fighter who has taken too many shots around the eyes, getting to be known as a guy "who can take it." I've had more things stuck in my eyes than Fritzie Zivic's last 12 opponents. I look like one of those oldtime fighters you see standing around the lobby on fight night and someone says, "Hey, Rocky, tell them again about the night you got the Bombah mad." My right eye tried to get away this time. Sick of looking at the Rams, I guess. The crowd was yelling, "Stop it!" but they patched me up in the corner again. Dr. Jungschaffer thinks I could even go the route. If I learn to keep my left up. I'm not going to quit in my corner, but I don't think I'm going to win this thing. This is a tough guy I'm in with. Ahead on all cards. And he never heard of the Marquis of Queensberry, he hits after the bell, low and even butts and gouges. And, you know how the crowd at a fight will yell, "Get the other eye, Louie!" Well, this guy doesn't need any encouragement. This guy is what they call a "head hunter." I'm beginning to wish he'd go to the body. Of course, my lifestyle is going to change. No more cliff-diving at Acapulco. My days on the high wire are over. No more climbing the Matterhorn. Don't look for me in the grid at Indianapolis. Also, skydiving is out. Also getting shot out of a cannon. You know those sports writers who like to tell you what it's like to get hit by Dempsey or tackled by Alex Karras or how it feels to face Nolan Ryan's fastball on a cloudy day? Well, I leave that to Plimpton. This is one guy who is really a Paper Lion from now on. A dictionary is all I can handle. Even some of those words tend to disappear like Hoyt Wilhelm knuckleballs. But, you know one of the worst things that happens to you when you're lying there with your eyes bandaged and you can't read or watch television? It's the lies people tell you. I mean, it's really depressing. Know what someone tried to put over on me? You won't believe it but they tried to tell me that San Francisco won the Super Bowl! I mean, can you believe that? Those goofs! I mean, that's not a team, it's a cocktail party. You go to a game in San Francisco and the only excitement in the day is in the third quarter when the announcer says there'll be a no-host cocktail party for the boosters at the Starlight Lounge and half the stadium leaves. Sometimes, the quarterback goes with them. Or should. Anyway, those guys haven't had a team since Joe "The Jet" Perry, "Strike" Stryzkalsi, Frankie Albert and Hugh McElhenny. They're spear-carriers in the NFL, right? They're the equivalent of a "bye" on your schedule. They got a quarterback from Notre Dame and a coach from Standford, if you can believe that. They should be playing Yale. No, I'd have to have more than my eyes taped to swallow that one. They might as well try to tell me the Chicago Rockets won. At that, they did the next best thing. They tried to tell me the Cincinnati Bengals did. Believe that, and you'll buy a watch from a stranger on a train. Next, they tried to tell me the Super Bowl was played inPontiac, Michigan! I ask you! Do they think I just got off a tractor? Pontiac, Michigan, is a swell place to be if you're a carburetor. Or a Christmas tree. It's a nice place for moose. Its principal difficulty is, it's about 1,800 miles from Ft. Lauderdale. That's not its only difficulty, just its principal one. No, they wouldn't put a Super Bowl in a place like Pontiac. The stadium's covered, but the state isn't. And nobody is dumb enough to try to move 75,000 people from hotels in Detroit to Pontiac on a Sunday afternoon in January, I don't care how much advertising General Motors buys. They're not kidding me. Super Bowl XVI was played in Miami, as usual, and Oakland and Dallas were the teams, as usual. They tried to tell me the No. 1 college football team in the country was Clemson. Clemson! Well, they did beat Wofford, at that. They tried to tell me golf pros are going to orange balls on the tour. Let me just ask you one thing: Can you picture Ben Hogan using an orange ball? Ben wasn't too crazy about pants with no cuffs in them. They claim a college football coach got a $1.7 million contract. If you consider Texas A&M a college, that is. All I can say is, Knute Rockne had to teach chemistry on the side when he was coaching Notre Dame. Pop Warner sold Bibles. Anyway, if a real college had $1.7 million to blow, it would put it in cancer research. Or build a library. Wouldn't it? Then they told me that Indianapolis had become a multi-week event like the Americas Cup, but that, at last glance, which was December, Bobby Unser seemed to have taken the lead from Mario Andretti by an injunction. Their average speed now computes out to about that of the covered wagons. These would be the first Indy cars in history to be out of warranty before the race was over. They finally went too far. They told me that, in the National Hockey League, a player refused to go out on the ice and get into a fight. And the league punished the coach who so ordered him to. "Wait a minute," I said, "what was the punishment?" punish-ment?" "Six days," they said. "What did they do with the player." "Sent him to New Haven." That was more like it. An NHL coach who likes to fight got "punished" with six days. An NHL player who doesn't get "rewarded" with a lifetime in the bush leagues. THAT, I'll believe. Copyright 1982 Los Angeles Times The only front wheel drive, 5-cylinder COUPE in the world! Exhilarating! There's nothing else like the new Audi Coupe. It's the only front-wheel drive, 5-cylinder coupe in the world! A personal automobile designed to be impressive with sports-car performance, and the luxury and versatility that are Audi traditions. Buy or lease The Coupe today! at Dave Strong 1045 South State Street Salt Lake City, Utah 801-531-9900 PORSCHE AUDI 1 MIL SHEiCMJ AT PARK CITY ROCK 'N ROLL ENTERTAINMENT "CRACK A NOON" Thursday 25th & Friday 26th I The Nail will be closed to the public Sat. 27 I ROCK WITH "THE 2ERKS" Tuesday 2nd through Saturday 9-1 Lot. nidi iit the Resort Plaza Huppv Hour H - i) o49-3 500 |