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Clinton News-Record, 1984-02-01, Page 1811 ncolip,WE,DNE$DAY,FE13111,10Y1,1044 • Report on Sport% Clinton The Greatest Who scored only one goal in his first season for the Nadrofsky Steelers Novice team in the 1967-68 season? Who scored 378 goals in his final year of Novice hockey? And finally, who starred for the Turkstra Lumber major peewees by scoring 196 goals in the 1973-74 season? P11 bet you never guessed the NHL's sharpest shooter Wayne Gretzky. Last Saturday, Gretzky's NHL record point streak was stopped at 51 games when the Los Angeles Kings blanked him, InA-51 games, he had 12 one -point games, 11 two- point games, 11 three point games, four four -point games, eight five -point games, one six -point game, one seven- point game and two eight -pond games. -It-seems as long as Gretzkycouldskate he• WAS grkat. In his minor hockey days, Gretzky scored a total of 1,097 goals in only eight seasons. His junior career was equally ''. impressive as he netted 127 goals in three seasons. In one season with Indianapolis and Edmonton Oilers of the. WHA, he scored 46 goals and 64 assists for 110 points in 80 games. Scoring is definitely in his blood. Thus far in his NHL oareerrthe GreatOne has compiled 269 goals, 44Q assists for 709 points. The total grows by the day. To date, he holds 23 NHL regular season records, eight playoff records, four All-Star game_ records and three miscellaneous records. When a player can set miscellaneous records he must be spectacular. These in- clude: youngest player to score 50 goals (19 years -old), fastest 50 goals from start of season (39 games) and most games with seven or more scoring points, career (six). Some say the media gives him too much coverage. That's a lot of bull. Obviously, the media should cover a player that produces points in the style and number that Gretzky, does. Gretzky mania will continue as long as the man can lace up a pair of skates. Not only do, you see Gretzky struttin' his stuff in hockey games but he's also doing it on corrunercials.---It-- makes- sense.-- Adver- tisers aren't dummies. A 30 -second plug starring Gretzky could be more powerful than 100 Brian Glennie-Lanny MacDonald tv. dinner commercials. • In Canada, Gretzky's greatness is old news but in the United States, he's just beginning to come into the limelight. Cities By Rod Hilts like New Jersey, Pittsburg and St. Louis are drawing close to capacity crowds when Gretzky (and the Oilers) come to town. Under normal circumstances, those teams would haVe small crowds. When will Gretzky burn out? The end isn't in sight. Unless he suffers a major injury, Gretzky could conceivably score goals in large amounts until he is gray. Granted, if Gretzky played for a weaker team, his goal production would suffer. Anyone who knows anything about hockey can tell you, one man can't do everything. Without talented linernates, Gretzky would be only "above average". With talented linemates he is simply superb. He needs linemates to set up By Rod Hata The Clinton Mustangs will be glad to see the end of this season. The Mustangs lost their fourth in a row Monday night when Kincardine embarassed them 9-2. On Friday night at home, Clinton bowed to the Hanover Barons 6-4. Clinton's record now stands at an unimpressive 6-20-3. Clinton plays host to Port Elgin on Friday in the final game of the season. ustangs' Kinucks 9 Mustangs 2 The final road trip of the season couldn't have ended soon enough for the weary Clinton club. The game was almost identical to the opening game of the season when Kincardine tamed them 8-3 in the same building. "Some individuals played well but it's the team effort that counts," said dejected Head Coach Bob Zimmer of the game. The individual efforts were hard to see as the Mustangs were crushed, into the ice in every department. Although the game meant nothing in the standings, Kincardine and vica versa. - • -was-hungry-for-the-victory from the opening -Heves an -amazing statistic, Gretzky has __face tiff. — -- scored-or assisted on 46 per cent of the goal Both sides were minus. players for the game with Clinton dressing only 14 players while the Kinucks had 13 suited up. The Mustangs were without the services of Brad and Dean Armstrong, Sean VanDongen and Brad Hymers. the OilerAbever scored in the NHL. I'II bet you would have never guessed that I once hated Gretzky's guts. It's true. I despised the awkward -looking Brant- fordian. I threw darts at the television set when his jean commercials came on. I Clinton scored 23 seconds into the game lioned. _that Igs_t_oace_ he'd choke CO that 'candy bar he was MailffiigTrthi--540,t _he _wlien_Wayne .Smith raced in from his point position and d cttDiJfldwas getting too much publicity. Maybe, I over veteran Randy Petrik. just wanted his six digit salary. On the other After goaltender Pat Cronin had made hand, perhaps it was plain, old jealously about six sparkling saves, Kincardine found the mark as Randy Cline scored with assists going to Larry MacPhersonand Kent Alton. The Mustangs got the short end of the stick on the next goal as a strange bounce cost them. A loose puck behind the net spurted out in front of Cronin and was golfed Mine by Jamie Emnerton. Grant Garrow tied the game for Clinton with 2:28 left in the period when he pounced on a rebound and belted a shot to the stickside of Petrik. Daryl Madge and Jeff LeBeau drew assists on the play. • One minute later the Kinucks struck again as MacPherson let a blast go from the nip of the faceoff circle. The shot cleanly beat • that led to my hatred of him. My attitude has changed now. The man is the most potent scoring machine that the league has ever seen. He deserves the recognition that he gets. For those of you that hate Gretzky's guts - don't worry he'll only be around for another 15 years or so! Semi-final Snooker Action Action resumes Friday night at 8 p.m. in the Vanastra Snooker tournament, when Bob Hart of Clinton and Wayne Tydswell of RR 5 Clinton shoot off in the A Division. The winner of this match will meet Dennis Kelly of Vanastra in the final to be held on Feb. 10. - -John—Gremlanus --of Clinton- and -Kim Cronin high to the stickside• .-- Hodgins of RR 5 Clinton square off in the B It was lights out for Clinton in the second division at the same time Friday night. The period. Kincardine scored four unanswered winner will play off against Roy Brown of goals to blow the game wide open. Two goals Vanastra for the B championship. in 39 seconds dug the Mustangs into a hole The tournament is being held at Family too big to crawl out of. Billards in Vanastra and spectators are Team Captain Brian Catto started the welcome to attend '. barrage when he deflected a Dave Fair slapshot over the shoulder of Cronin, three Seaforth team minutes into the period. The Clinton was no where to be found on the next goal 'as defense wpeuriaodonbge.cause of, a body penalty to Danny Mich Landry was allowed to walk in alone. •Landry picked up a rebound in the slot and In the third period Seaforth came up. with walked around Cronin before depositing the three7Tanapawered—gealse--Seaforth's__first_puekinta an empty rA.,,,, -- ..., goal was scored by Mike Watt assisted by Chris Dunlop ,inade it 6-2 with rity-rer 1, Joe Murray and Kenny Hildebrand. when he skated through half of the Clinton Seaforth's second goal was scored by Watt •team and tucked the puck .between Cronin's assisted by Mike Moylan.• pads. The Clinton players seemed to be The third goal came shortly after, scored afraid to hit the Kinucks and seemed content by Kevin Van den Neucker unassisted. to watch them skate by. The Novices' next game is in Monkton on Mike Zuzek added to the scoring spree Thursday night at 5:45 p.M. ' when he backhanded a rebound past a Clinton Novice bow to • A tense game was played Monday night when Clinton Novice hosted Seaforth. The blew very rarely because of the quick pFiergaine. The first period was scoreless. Derek Hoggarth came' up with some beautiful saves throughout the game. The first goal of the game came when Nathan Burns • slammed in the puck past Seaforth's goalie John Moylan. The assists went to 'Shane McDonald and Mark Livermore. Clinton played short-handed in the first final road game =prised Cronin. Zuzek nabbed the rebound while standing literally on top of the Clinton goalie. Cronin had no chance on that one, or on the majority of the seven goals that got by him. The third period was merely a formality as neither team was interested in playing hockey. Instead, they decided to goon it up as a number of vicious slashes were ex- changed. "It's hard to discipline my players when they can get away with crap like that on the ice," Coach Zimmer screamed at Referee Garry Baker following the game, "There should have been three match penalties called in the third period. The next time that happens throw the players out of the game." Surprisingly, the referee responded to Zimmer's verbal blast with an acknowledging nod and a simple, "thank you." Zimmer was speaking of three instances when players were using their sticks to deliberately injure their opponents. Garrow and Tom Smith were the two Mustangs guilty of the offense and Kincardine's MacPherson also used his stick in weapon - like fashion on one occasion. Tom Smith's wild slash to the back of the leg's of Catto resulted in a fight between himself and Fair. Both players were ejected from the game. Catto with a goal at 14:42 and Landry on a powerplay at 14:05 concluded the scoring. Terry Bean played goal for Clinton in the period. Playoff Picture Kincardine will face Port Elgin in the playoffs with home -ice advantage going to the Bears. The first -place Wingham Iron - men, will meet the fourth -place Hanover Barons in the other match -up. Clinton and the Walkerton Black Hawks will be wat- ching from the sidelines. ' Hanover 6 Clinton 4 Clinton overcame a three -goal deficit but ran out of steam in the third period as the Barons edged them 6-4 last Friday night in Clinton. w. Migw cJ sunKARIATEs "The Tasty One" • GET MORE EACH TIME • YOU BUY OUR DELICIOUS • 15 INCH SQUARE PIZZA *More to Enjoy *Easier to Share WE DELIVER: 4P -CLOSING OPEN: Sunday -Thursday 11am to 12 midnight Friday and Saturday Ilam - 2am *Great Subs Tool • *Other sizes to Please OPEN Seven days a week 11 am -12 midnight Open Friday & Saturday nights till 2 AM •itt=i1257=1=6:1=:. "Home of the Square Perfect Party Pizza" 28 HURON STREET CLINTON 482-3924 A chippy third period between Kincardine and Clinton on Monday night led to this brawl between the Mustangs' Tom Smith and Kinucks' Dave Fair (with feet in air). Clinton won the fight but lost the game 9-2. (Rod Hilts photo), a disaster "I thiolt it was a team thing," Coach Zimmer said of the loss, "Our forwards weren't quick enough in the opening period and we got caught on a lot of three on two's." The first period was disastrous for the Mustangs as they were outscored 3-1 and outshot 13-4. If it wasn't for the goaltending heroics of Jim Terry the score could have been much higher. Tim Davis opened the scoring at the 13:16 mark as his wrist shot off a faceoff beat Terry high to the corner. Midway through the period, the Barons increased their lead to 2-0 when Steve Reay connected with an unassisted goal. Reay unleashed a low shot that beat a screened Terry. • On the third goal the Mustangs were caught up ice and Paul Nixon cashed in on a rebound. Bruce McLaughlin and Reay drew assists. Jeff LeBeau got Clinton on the scoreboard with two seconds remaining in the period. LeBeau picked up the puck at centre ice, skated around the defense and planted the pucksvenTira Peed. Aceor, ding- to- Zimmer, Clinton -dominated play in the second period but they fell apart four minutes into the third. Jim Mathers shot Clinton to within one at the 14:31 mark. Withers split the Baron defense and scored on his own rebound. Shawn Rehbek and David Wright earned assists on the play. Zimmer described his players as "very 51tIggiali!! fur Wei beiinai1rame He said "many players felt like they were carrying weights out there." Brent Daw rifled a slapshot from the hash marks at 12:45, tying the score. Torn Smith and Daryl Madge assisted on the goal. Tim Davis put Hanover into the lead with 7:08 remaining when his shot from the circle beat Terry cleanly. A surprise goal three minutes later gave the Barons a two -goal bulge. Reay was credited with the goal after he stabbed the puck off defenseman Madge's stick, bet- ween the pads of Terry. Daw scored his second of the game, 16 seconds later when his wrist shot snuck past the blocker of Peart. Tom Smith and • Mathers drew assists. Bob Sullivan salted the victory with 35 seconds -left -w -hen -he -won -a -draw -in -Clinton----. territory and scored on Terry from point- blank range. • Final game of the season Clinton hosts the Port Elgin Bears on Feb. 3 at 8:30 p.m. in the final game of the season. 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