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Show Section C Friday Morning-Janu- Gondrezick Steal Keys Utes Win ary - crook. The Utes forced 14 Colorado State turnovers including Gondrezicks vital steal in the closing minutes and went on to post a victory over the Rams at Moby Gym. The win was Utah's first in two years over CSU and it upped the Utes record to overall and in the Western Athletic Conference. Jerry Stroman, scoring more than 20 points for the seventh time in the last nine games, fired in 26 and dropped the Rams from a share of the 59-5- 4 3-- 2 7-- 9 overall and in 3-- 2 1 l ocal 2:17-202- Inlorination Sporl1 Call 2.17-200- 1 .1 Mounting Financial Woes Could Permanently Ground Golden Eagles Tribune Sports Writer FORT COLLINS, Colo. Utah stole one here Thursday night. And Gale Gondrezick was the chief WAC lead. CSU is now Page nrltl Scores or Cali Will the Puck Stop in Salt Lake? By Steve Luhm 11-- 5 17, 1986 )OFl I the league. Gondrezick's steal with 2:30 remaining was the difference, CSU Coach Tony McAndrews said afterwards. It came with Utah nursing a 6 lead. CSU, though, had a chance to get within one when Barry Bailey grabbed a loose ball and headed down the floor leading a fast break. He tried to dish off as he went past but Gondrezick intercepted and, after the steal, Utah iced the game by hitting 10 straight free throws in the final 1:13. "I thought Baileys pass was the key to the game, said McAndrews. We had the ball. We had the advantage. We had two guys open, but Bailey chose to make the tough pass. It was intercepted and, well, it was the difference. Said Gondrezick, "The second he (Bailey) got the ball, I knew he didn't see me. When he took off, I just kinda stayed hidden and, when he threw the pass, I went over and got it. It was a sweet steal and a sweet for Gondrezick, who grew victory up in nearby Boulder, Colo. Im excited, he said. This is our first WAC road win and I thought wp played pretty good. In fact, I thought we played some of our best basketball of the season tonight. Gondrezick had a point The Utes never trailed in the game, sprinting out to leads as big as 13 (28-1in the first half. At halftime, though, CSU was back within eight, 49-4- e, By R.C. Roberg Tribune Sports Writer A noose is wrapped around the neck of the Salt Lake Golden Eagles Hocney Club. It's tightening, rapidly sapping the financial life from a franchise once considered the epitome of minor league hock- operating budget The Golden Eagles will pay $123,000 for their travel-relateexpenses Another $151,300 goes for IHL teams coming into Salt Lake to play. The $275,000 figure is nearly 3 z times that of the $80,000 the club spent for travel for the entire 1980-8season in the Central Hockey League. The Golden Eagles turned a quarter-millioprofit that year. There hasn't been a ledger in the black, though, for the past three seasons. Teece said since he sold Western Foods, which handled the food concessions at the Salt Place about five years ago, a good portion of his income from those concessions has diminished. half-millio- 1 ey. Despite boasting a second-plac- e team, the attendance continues to drop. That, along with a costly travel budget and league subsidies, may spell doom for Salt Lake Citys professional hockey team. Im not a rich man, said Eagles owner Art Teece. "I have n dollars of probably a my own money invested in hockey in Salt Lake. And the wells about to run dry. I do need financial assistance from the community. Teece said he needs to raise about $200,000 from the community to help defray rising costs and enable the Golden Eagles to comseason. The Goldplete the 1985-8en Eagles have the largest operating budget in the league and pay the highest travel costs. Without considerable help of the $200,000 it would be quite difficult to finish the season, said Teece. 'I would just have to make other arrangements. Personally borrow the money or something of that nature. And its something that I dont want to have to do. Teece said hes been in contact recently with a few Salt Lake businessmen to drum up some support for the ailing franchise. He said he doesnt consider it a gamble to invest $10,000 in the franchise because of the potential gains. Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money to a lot of people. But it the franchise has great potential. I dont feel theyll be gambling. They certainly would be keeping hockey in Salt Lake City. And if Teece cant find investors? Well Ill certainly finish the season. But I would have to take a long-har- d look at next year. But the response we have gotten so far from the number of people we have been talking to and I dont "Im not a rich man. I n have probably a dollars of my own money invested in hockey in Salt Lake. And the wells about to run dry." n half-millio- Art Teece Eagles must fly to cities like Peoria, Milwaukee, Fort Wayne, Toledo and Saginaw. Those cities unfortunately arent located in air- flow markets where cheap discount air fares can be obtained. "I know a lot of people think Im a rich man and that I still own the concessions and that I've got a 1,000 people here at least buying hot dogs," said Teece. I have nothing to do with the concessions. I dont receive a nickle from it. All that remains, according to Teece, is monies he put aside for the proverbial rainy day. It may be drizzling now, but there could be a major cloudburst in the coming months unless some sort of financial assistant is obtained. The Golden Eagles owner has repeatedly said he feels the city can support hockey. He admitted, 6 And because of the distances volved once the Golden Eagles there, ground transportation and overnight lodging is needed. Other IHL teams like Kalamazoo can play a game and bus back immediately thereafter, saving hotel and meal costs. Before the season ever started, the Golden Eagles had to pay some $90,000 to fulfill a $125,000 fran- chise requirement from the league. There is also a $6,000 fee to the NHL. Golden Eagles office personnel costs have risen to nearly $100,000 and equipment will cost the team? another $20,000. Players and coaches salaries will surpass $200,000. What is Teeces solution? The ideal solution for the Golden ' Eagles obviously would be for the IHL to bring in clubs with a closer ; ; geographical base to Salt Lake. ; . Theres been much talk about cit- - ; ies like Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, San Diego, Tucson and ' Portland forming a league. j Teece said the league has given him approval to explore the possi- -' j bility of drawing another city Denver or Phoenix into the IHL. It's an area he says he will actively t pursue. j I feel its a step in the di- right rection. I feel those crowds of 7,000 , t people are not too far away. however, hes disappointed in the Salt Palace crowds. But he isnt blaming the fans for staying away. want to reveal their names has been very positive. The club averaged 3,227 fans per game last year and lost a reported $350,000. That loss could be equalled or surpassed this season unless a fresh transfusion of funds or concessions from the IHL office are forthcoming. From 1974 until the 1983-8season, the Eagles belonged to the Central Hockey League. When the CHL folded the Eagles sought admission to the International Hockey League. The cost? Teece agreed to fully subsidize all travel (airfare, hotel and meals) for the teams coming to the Beehive State. 4 No one had a gun to my head," said Teece. I felt in order for hockey to survive in Salt Lake we had to become a member of an organized league." He said he tried the American Hockey League, but the Easterners weren't receptive. The only league left to me was the IHL. Teece said he accepted the harsh monetary agreement with the IHL feeling he could draw strong fan support. I felt if I drew 7,000 people just a year or so before 1980-8- 1 I certainly could average 5,000 people. But I guess my guess was wrong. Travel costs account for the largest single item in the 1985-86 I did not enter hockey to increase my income and try and make a lot of money, said Teece. On the other hand, I cannot now afford to lose any more. I still think that hockey has a great future in Salt Lake City and there are enough fans out there who do not want to lose hockey and the excitement theyve seen in the past. The Golden Eagles are the only team in the IHL keeping the airline companies punching tickets while the other nine teams are content to keep the buses rolling along the in- ' terstate. Most IHL teams are able to out in- get to bus games. The Golden 30-2- Cougars Visit CSU Then, in the first three minutes of the second half, Colorado State charged from behind and tied it, with 15:15 to play. I don't think we let down, Utah Coach Lynn Archibald said. I think you have to credit them. They came out with fire in their eyes and got back in the game. Over the next seven minutes, though, Stroman kept the Utes in front. He scored nine points during that span, and the Rams never got even again after his three-poiplay with 15 minutes to go made it "We just let up on defense for awhile, said Stroman. And that let them get a couple (fast) breaks. We didnt panic, though. We just went to a zone defense, started playing better and kept them from getting the ball to the big guy inside. The CSU was Rich big guy Strong. He finished with 19 points, but he had only six in the final 10 minutes against Utah's tough zone defense. The key was stopping Strong, Archibald said. And we did it because of how our kids played the zone. They kept the ball from going inside. Added Gondrezick, I think our zone confused them. I think it kept them off balance. So did Utah's foul shooting. In all, the Utes connected on free throws. They made all 10 down the stretch, including four each by Stroman and Kelvin Upshaw, who finished with 15 points. Stroman ended up hitting from the line, and he said, Its largely just concentration. Lately, Ive spent an hour maybe more shooting (free throws) before practice. I've been shooting about 1,000 a day and it helps. It seems like I'm getting better and better." Archibald has noticed. "Hes very confident now," the Ute coach said. You can see it. It's not like last year. Remember? He'd step up there and it looked like he didn't even care." So Utah upped its road record for the season to heading into Saturdays contest at Wyoming with a victory Archibald called the Utes most important of the season. Why is this so important? he said, 32-3- Resurgent Gneiting Helping BYU Cause nt 35-3- BYU At at Colorado State Moby Gym, Fort Collins, Colo., 7:30 p.m. (Channel 1), KSL Radio (1160) PreboDte Starttrs KBYU-T- , n look-alik- e, 5 look-alik- good-nature- d ). 2-- 4 a reporter's question. Well, first of all it's our first WAC road win. Second, they (CSU) beat New Mexico here last week. Third, they were tied for first place. That makes it important enough for me." repeating McAndrews, meanwhile, was distressed. "I don't understand it, he said. "We're and on top of the league. We're playing an excellent team like Utah. Then we don't come out and bust it I don't know why we didnt play better." Archibalds Idea. "Our players," he said, "were really good tonight." By Roger Graves Tribune Sports Writer PROVO He looked like Tom Gneiting. He walked, talked and dressed like Tom Gneiting. He was a and rugged and resolute claimed to hail from the small town of Lewisville, Idaho just like Tom Gneiting. But he wasn't the real Tom Gneiting. Maybe he was an imposter, a stand-iwearing No. 35. Maybe it was e a Tom Gneiting and sound-alikbut this couldn't be the Tom Gneiting who averaged 6.3 points and six rebounds during his first season at BYU in 1984-8and occasionally looked dominating inside. So who was this guy masquerading as Brigham Young center Tom Gneiting at the outset of the 1985-8- 6 season? Well, believe it or not, that Gneite who failed to record ing a single field goal in BYUs initial five games and didn't even play in the Cougars first victory of the year was Tom Gneitagainst Fordham center who mysteing. That riously failed (o reach double figures in BYUs first nine games and didnt score a single point against TCU and Pepperdine really was Gneiting. "Looking back, us hard lo believe how I played, analyzed the Gneiting (pronounced night-ing"I'm not sure what was really wrong at the beginning of the season. I dont know who that was out there, but it wasnt me. I worked hard last summer and played more basketball than I ever have. But when I came back, I guess I was playing a little nervous and I was worried about making mistakes. Then, I'd go in and miss a few shots and I gradually started losing my confidence." Early in the season, it got to the point where BYU Coach Ladell Andersen was ready to check Gnciting's fingerprints. He just wasnt playing like Tom Gneiting," recalls Andersen. "He wasn't playing his type of ball and doing the things he normally does well like rebounding and playing good defense inside. He Just wasnt sharp and confident." In the Cougars initial nine games, Gneiting averaged only 2 9 points and three rebounds. It reached a point where the former Rigby High School (Idaho) and Ricks College standout lost his starting job. "I started the first game against Washington State and Jeff Chatman normally a forward came In at my position and played a heckuva game," reviewed Gneiting, who will guide 3-- Tr BYUs Tom Gneiting, showing off his stuff against Notre Dame's Gary Voce, played i I Ibuo Stotf Photo by M K K like an Imposter early in season but has returned to old self in WAC competition. ! vein BYU against Colorado State Friday 7:30 p.m. in Fort Collins. All of a sudden, I didnt get in too much after that and pretty soon I was second string. I wasn't starting, and that kind of hurt. But I wasn't playing very well. As 1985 began to melt into 198S, Gneiting slowly began to regain his confidence and look like his old self Tom Gneiting. After I was kind of down on myself, I just decided to go out and play like I knew I could. I just told myself that I had to get going. I had to get tougher mentally. That's when Gneitings schizophrenic season showed its other face. Thats when that Gneiting imposter was replaced by the Tom Gneiting. The guy with the Real Seal. at Gnciting's change in personality began on Dec. 28 against Weber State. The Idaho native swished two pressure free throws with no time remaining to send the game into overtime and BYU ultimately out- lasted the Wildcats, previously undefeated Gneitings contribution? His first double-figurgame with 18 points and 12 rebounds. I think that Weber State game gave me a lot of confidence," maintains Gneiting "Alan Pollard was sick that game and I knew it was my chance to really prove myself. I started and then the whole game came down to those two foul shots at the end of regulation. When those foul shots went in, it was a big confidence builder for me and winning that game kind of got the team back on track, 88-8- e too." That yeoman performance against Weber State was merely the unveiling of the true Tom Gneiting The who plays with a unique intelligence underneath, followed with 10 points and 14 rebounds in BYU's WAC opener at Texas-E- l Paso. Then, there was a game at New Mexico; 1 1 points and 12 rebounds opposite Hawaii; 14 more rebounds against San Diego State, and a memo-Se- e C-Colama I |
