IN TOUCH
with Club Sports & RIM
t MOtbgoi
Growing up in California, the only ice
1 ever save was in my glass of soda
The Luis in my neighborhood had
heard of hockey, bin the chance of
anyone actually getting to play a real game of
hockey seemed about as remote as getting to
ski jump oi bobsled
So when I was given the
opportunity to see some ice
"up close" by the club hrxkey
team during one of Us prat
ilees. I jumped on the chance
While other guys from the
neighKirluxHl cotilJ say they
were the tusi io graduate from
college or make a million dol
lars, I could claim to be the first to ever play
"real" hockey.
As my skating skill rivals that of any aver
age eight-year-old. it was clear the only posi
tion I could play was goaltcnder. By playing
goalie, I wouldn’t have to repeatedly skate up
and down tlx* nnk, and if I were to fall and need
help up. I could use the goalposts for support.
John O'Donndl, the "usual" goalie, was gra
cious enough to loan me his goaltender's equip
ment. I le was also nice enough to dress me
There were so many straps, buckles and strings
on the equipment, it looked like the lingerie
section of a department store.
The primary protective equipment was a cast
iron athletic cup. O'Donnell told me, unnec
essarily, that this was essential. Next came the
padded shorts, vest and shoulder protection.
And then was the trademark piece of goal
tender’s equipment, a pair of leg pads
While dressing, other players told me that,
r
even thtHigh they had played hockey Mr sev
eral years, they had never played goaltcnder
Ross Sanders, another ()regon g<>a I tender, said
he first tries! the goalie position while an ado
lescent only because his doctor would not let
him play* a skating position while he was recos
erirtg from an injury
OTXtnnell said one reason sets tew people
ever try the goalie's past non ts Ixx auso of the
prohibitive cost <>l the equipment.
"It probably costs about SI,500 just to out
tit a g<wlteiuler.” O'l Xmncll said "The leg pads
sou have on are probably worth $400. even
though they’re pretty old."
O’Dnnncll's comment was an understate
merit, they lookesl to lx.’ the style used before
goaltender masks were invented.
O'Donnell explained the basics of goal
tending to me and then slapped a few shots
toward me in the locker room for practice. He
told me to leave my mask off so that I could see
better I thought to myself that he was so expe
rienced there was no chance he could mistak
enly* shoot high and ruin my orthodontist’s
work, hut after hts second shot went flying by
neck high, I told him tt was time for me to get
used to the mask.
I tentatively stepped onto the ice and sur
prisingly found that it wasn't too difficult to
maneuver about. Instead of slipping around as
I anticipated, 1 weighed so much with all the
padding on, my blades just sank into the ice.
Sanders gave me my first hit of advice and
reminded me that although the Duck players
are good, they do not have NHL caliber shots.
"Even tl you just stand in front of the net
and don’t move, they'll miss the goal about half
L
J
PHoto by ICim Ngxjvrtt
Emerald sports reporter Erick Studenicka tries his luck as goalie during a club sports hockey team practice.
the time, Sanders said.
The first drill I participated in was a two-on
onc drill, where two players advance toward
the goaltc unopposed. There was little to do
but hope the puck nst*»ht hit me as the shots
came rifling in. After allowing 4^ of 50 shots to
go into the net, 1 felt bad tor not offenng enough
resistance. But Sanders also had trouble stop
ping the unopposed skaters, casing mv wor
ries somewhat.
When I first skated onto the ice, I felt as if I
was in the dairy section ot gateway. But now,
after skating and flopping around on the ice
with 50 pounds of pads on for 15 minutes, my
body temperature increased dramatically.
Because of the insulating^ualities of the pads,
playing a hockey goaitender is probably the
"hottest" job in all of sport, despite the cooling
effects of the ice.
On the few times I was able to place my body
between the puck and the goal, I flinched as I
expected the puck to sting upon impact.
Instead, because the padding was so heavy, i
actually didn’t feel a thing. This became a prob
lem as I had no idea where the shots were
rebounding to. While I was looking around try
ing to find the puck that was sitting at my feet,
a player would poke the puck into the net for
the easy score.
The major difference I noticed between
Sanders and myself was that he moved by
instinct, anticipating where the puck would be
shot. He was entirely fearless, sliding on the ice
like .1 seal, completely .it home in hunt ol hi>
mx foot hy four t<x'i cage
The coach then pickeJ teams for an
uurasquud scrimmage. The players chosen to
he on my "side" looked to he depressed !■>
they realized they had a human sieve defend
me their goal. One defenseman skated hy, hit
my pads with his stick, and voiced his confi
dence in me.
"just do what you can." he said.
1 he scrimmage went well, as my defense,
fearing a sure score for the other team if anv
thing even came near the goal, tightened up
and didn’t allow a clear shot for the opposi
non The tew times the pile k did come drih
hlmg my way, I jumped on it as it I were a kid
finding a quarter in the street
Despite nn lack ot involvement in the
action. 1 began to gasp tor ait Because ot the
speed ot a hockey game, the goalie can never
relax. While a soccer goaltender can take a
breather during plav, the hiK kev goalie is con
stantly repositioning himself. Before playing. I
had believed the effort exerted hy a goalie
approximated that ot a baseball pitcher, now I
learned firsthand that the position is one ot
the most tiling in sport.
After 20 minutes of scrimmage, our rink
time ran Out. While the Others warmed down
with some sprints up and down the ice, I went
hack into the locker room exhausted and
drenched in sweat, thinking NHL goalies are
underpaid no matter how much they make.
As I later helped O’Donnell put his equip
ment into his truck, he invited me to make a
return appearance sometime. Maybe he only
asked because the team needed a goalie to
give the shooters some confidence, or maybe
he was only being kind. FVrhaps he even saw a
spark ot raw goaltendtng genius in my play.
Whatever the reason, I’ll never know.
"I think I’ll stick with an easier sport," I
saul, "and take up marathon running."
—Erick S’tudemdut
Lane County Ice
caters to skaters
D.imi.tn Jorgensen
\till remembers the
lirst goal he ever
scored in «n in'
hotkey game, as a second
grader in (drafton, N P.,
where ki«.i> arc practically
horn with sink’. in their
hands and blades on thetr
feet
"I could hatch skate,
Jorgensen said I had a late
start I here, people were
skating a lot earlier than
that.”
But the inexperienced
Jorgensen batted at the puck
in hts hrst game, and today
he can still vtstialirc all the
kids around him tumbling
on the ice, not knowing
what to do. The puck
seemed to have a mind ot us
own, as it scooted past the
blades, knee-pads, sticks
and elbows ot defenders and
teammates alike.
"The puck goes through
everybody and just barely
goes in,” said Jorgensen,
laughing ai the memory ot
this movie-like scene ot kids
tailing all over each other,
while the unsure rookie
scores in spite of himself. " I
think it was the only one I
scores! all year."
I outmatch tor the Cold
Ducks, the Oregon Club
SjMrts ice hoc key team, jot
gensen has unproved quite a
hit since those early years.
I he veteran tight winger
leads the team into action
during a I S game schedule
that runs until early Matsh
fen home contests at I a tic
l ounty Ice are slated tor the
team as it tries to improve
upon last year's record.
But the 17 members of
the University team arc just
a very small portion of the
increasing number of lov.il
residents that have taken
advantage of the county ice
rink since its December
1 989 opening
Tom Bahls, manager of
Lane County Ice and a for
mer Cold Duck himself, said
lessons are the best way to
get accustomed to gliding on
the ice, whether the partici
pant is interested m devel
oping the advanced skating
ability necessary lor playing
hockey or just wanting some
Kirn to HOCKEY, Page HB
ACTIVITIES
( ji)Hiiuu-J jnnn Page Ml
The results of the games .ire printed regularly in
the limcraU . I here t> also a RIM hotline to call to
get the day's schedule of events. The number is ?46
4ICM. It tells who is playing and on which courts.
"I love to look in the paper after a great win and
see my own team’s name in print. Victorious again!"
said Mike Sullivan, an intramural basketball diehard.
When a team is registered for basketball, it has a
three-game season All teams then enter a single
elimination playoff, which plays down to a final win
ner in each division.
There is a coed volleyball league winter term. It
also offers special weekend tournaments. Look lor
the wrestling meet Feb. 15 and 16. The registration
tee is $2. Finally, there is a tennis tournament coming
up in February. It offers singles and doubles competi
tion lor men, women and coed lire registration tee
is $6 lor singles and $12 lor doubles.
Next term the big sport is slow-pitch softball.
There are usually more than 100 teams. Three divi
sions of coed and men's, and one women's division
divide up the teams.
“List season we all had a great time; it didn't mat
ter it we won or lost. We weren't the best team out
there, but we had the best time," said softball ama
teur Kelly Ray.
Outdoor soccer season also starts in the spring.
Because of a lack of space, there will be only 48
teams competing. Be sure to sign up early tor soccer.
Special weekend features spring term will include
a tennis tournament, a track meet, a swim meet and
a goll tournament at Tokatee Golf Course.
—Teresa Isabelle
SUPER BOWL TRIVIA!
Ql Where can you get a -
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AI At TYack Town Pizza
on Super Bowl Sunday!!
Minimum $7.00 Delivery • (Jood on January 31, 1903 only
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WEST CAMPUS
484-4262 484-2799
2511 W. 11th & Wilson 1809 Franklin Blvd.
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haircut. Men and women welcome
We use and sell Nexxus and Paul
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$9.00 HAIRCUTS/NO APPTS.
8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. M-F 343-7654 851 E. 13th
• Satellite Sports TV! •
Satellite & Cable: 3 screens
Extensive menu starting at $2.75
Micro brews on draft!
* Super Bowl Sunday! •
Starts at 9 a.m.
Special pnees all day!
Free drawings at halftime - great prizes
Downstairs at the Treehouse
1769 Franklin Blvd.
Open Noon till Midnight
Bar & Bistro
ENERGIZE - EXERCISE!
OPEN GYM HOURS
Gerlinqer Annex
Open Volleyball (B54) F 1:30-7:00pm
Sat 2:30-5:00pm
Open Basketball (352) F 11:30am-5:00pm
Esslinqer
Open Basketball
Center (43) M-F
West (38) MWF
West (38) UH
Open Indoor Soccer
Center (43) H
11:30am-3:30pm
12:30pm-3:30pm
1:30pm-3:30pm
10:30pm-12:15am
RACQUET
SPORTS
Outdoor Racquetball Courts
M-F 6:45am-9:30am
MWF 11:30am-1:30pm
UH 12:30pm-12:30am
MWF 3:30pm-12:30am
Sat/Sun 8:00am-10:00pm
Covered
Tennis Courts
M-F
M-F
Sat/Sun
Open Badminton UH
(GerX B54) F
Sat
6:45am-9:30am
3:30pm-12:30am
8:00am-10:00pm
7:00pm-9:00pm
11:30am-1:30pm
12:00pm-2:00pm
LATE NIGHT HOURS DOUBLED!
Late Night Mon -Thurs • 10pm - 12:30am
Esslinger: includes gyms, tennis courts and
racquetball courts
Leighton Pool* 10:30pm - 12:00am
Weight Room* 10:00pm - 12:00am
• 50c fee for Late Night use