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(10/29/01 5:56am)
It had all the makings of a Hoosier football game when senior quarterback Antwaan Randle El dropped the ceremonial opening faceoff at Friday night's hockey game between IU and the University of Kentucky. \nBut the similarities were supposed to end there. Watching either of the Hoosiers' two-game home and home sweep of the Cool Cats, it might have seemed a cold, icy day on the gridiron.\n"Kentucky played smart," head coach Rich Holdeman said. "Their strategy was to slow the game down; clutch, grab and slash to make the game as ugly as it can get. The other thing they needed to do was get great goaltending, and they did. In terms of an attractive hockey game, it wasn't. But we got the wins and that's what counts."\nWith a 3-0 lead, the Hoosiers came out for the third period looking undisciplined, which led to a quick Kentucky goal just two minutes in. While killing a penalty, senior Brandon Phillips skated the puck all the way back into his own end and the Hoosiers commenced to dangerously pass the puck around in their own end. Kentucky defenseman Jared Christopher picked off one of those passes and threw a shot on net that was tipped in by Peter Notkin. \nThe Hoosiers answered back when senior defenseman Tim McMahon scored a power play goal just two minutes later, roofing a slap shot off the feed from senior Bryan Grant. \nBut Kentucky fought back again with another goal that was tipped just in front of goaltender Charlie Pulley to end the scoring 4-2. \nSaturday night, the Hoosiers traveled to Kentucky for a midnight game in front of 1,000-plus at the Lexington Ice Center. This time, the Hoosiers were without Grant, who was out with a shoulder injury, and their leading goal scorer senior Gordy Haggard, who suffered back problems. Freshman Matt Ritz and junior Trent Washburn performed admirably as IU went on to beat the Cool Cats 7-3, extending IU's winning streak over Kentucky to 17 games.\nIt was another two period effort by the Hoosiers, who were down 3-2 going into the third period before scoring five unanswered goals.\n"I honestly think the spark came when we put (senior) Chad (Whitlock) in (goal), although nobody really expected it at the time," Kyrias said. "We put Chad in and then four minutes later, (senior) Ed Karasek scored our first shorthanded goal of the year. That sparked the turnaround"
(10/19/01 5:55am)
Tryouts have ended. The lineup is set. The ice is prepared. All that's left now is the drop of the puck.\nAt 7:30 p.m. today at the Frank Southern Ice Center,1965 S. Henderson St., the Hoosiers open the 2001-2002 hockey season against longtime ACHA rival Central Michigan University.\n"I can't wait," coach Rich Holdeman, who is celebrating his 10th season behind the IU bench, said. "We've been practicing real hard, especially this past week, and I'm looking forward to finally seeing these guys in action."\nThe Hoosiers have reason for optimism as the team has more than 20 returning players from last year's group that finished sixth in ACHA Division II National rankings. Included among the returnees is the high-scoring trio of seniors Dan Hauck, Brandon Phillips and team MVP Bryan Grant. \nGeneral manager Alex Kyrias said he saw even more positive signs last weekend when the squad participated in their annual Indiana hockey red/white game. That is to say, he saw good things when he could see.\n"It was like 'Fog Bowl II,'" Kyrias said laughing about the conditions last weekend. "It was 75 degrees and humid outside. That shouldn't be a problem on Friday."\nBut through the fog, Kyrias noticed some significant contributions from a few of the team's newcomers Despite the veteran lineup, he said the new blood could establish themselves as impact players by season's end. \n"I think the two that stand out right now are (freshmen) Jamie Dillon and David Ravensberg," Kyrias said. "Dillon scored the first goal for the red team Saturday night. He came from one of the top two high school hockey programs in suburban Chicago, which has some pretty good high school hockey. As for Ravensberg, right now he's on our second line. He was the leading scorer at North Central High School, and is very fast. But he's trying to fit in around a lot of veterans so the important thing is that he knows the system right now."\nThe Hoosiers will need a big weekend from their goaltending as Central Michigan brings one of the biggest lineups in the ACHA. Having already played four games this season (3-1), the Chippewas could prove a tough opponent as the Frank's undersized ice surface is suited to their style of physical game.\n"We're going to see a real contrast in styles this weekend with Central Michigan," Holdeman said. "They're a team that likes to hit and forechecks real aggressively. They're a very different team than we are in some ways. We're going to need to use our strength well and move the puck quickly."\nKyrias agreed.\n"There's probably about 10 guys that are 200 lbs and 10 guys that are 6'0 and up. That's a bit of a contrast from our team. They're big and they like to hit. I'm expecting a very physical weekend."\nTo beat the Chippewas, IU will have to skate hard and take advantage of their team speed, an approach they'll likely take into most games this season. Last year, the teams split their season series (1-1), but IU had considerable success on special teams. Five of their 10 goals against the Central Michigan came on the power play.\n"We've got a pretty quick team this year, and we've got to use it," said Hauck. "It's our first game and we might seem a little rusty, but I expect us to come out skating hard. They're big and they like to hit, but we can skate through it"
(10/03/01 4:36am)
How they'll finish in the NHL:\n• New Jersey Devils -- the defending Eastern Conference Champions of the past two years look to claim a third victory under head coach Larry Robinson. Losing Alexander Mogilny and his 43 goals hurts, but the core of players that guided the Devils to their 2000 Cup Championship remains intact, while talented youngsters like Scott Gomez and Colin White will only continue to improve. \n• Philadelphia Flyers -- arguably the most improved team over the off-season, adding veteran free agents Jeremy Roenick and Eric Weinrich. They also added desperately needed speed in the form of Jan Hlavac, Kim Johnsson and Pavel Brendl; the three young players acquired for the stubborn Eric Lindros. Overlooked of all the acquisitions is 32 year old rookie Jiri Dopita. Often described as a "Czech John Leclair," Dopita had been unwilling to leave his native Czech Republic until this season, when longtime friend and Flyers starting goaltender, Roman Cechmanek, convinced him to join the Flyers. Culture shock could be a major issue, as Dopita didn't speak a word of English on the first day of training camp, but if he can overcome it, an already deep Flyer lineup gets much scarier.\n• Washington Capitals -- pulled off by far the best trade of the off-season by getting the league's reigning scoring champion (one of only two active NHL players with a scoring title) Jaromir Jagr without giving up a single player from their playoff roster. For years, Jagr and the Penguins have been torturing the Caps by dominating them in the playoffs no matter who finished higher in the regular season standings. As the saying goes; if you can't beat him, trade for him. Mark my words, a happy, more dedicated Jagr will once again claim his title as the best player in the game. The Capitals can finally be taken seriously as a legitimate Stanley Cup threat. \n• Toronto Maple Leafs -- the veteran Leafs finally played to their expectations by upsetting division champs, the Senators, in the first round of the playoffs, but it still wasn't enough to be considered among the elite of the Conference. They added tremendous depth by acquiring Mogilny, Travis Green, Mikael Renberg, Anders Eriksson and Robert Reichel, a former 40 goal scorer who returns to the NHL after a two year hiatus. They're still a little green on defense, and a prolonged holdout from Tomas Kaberle, their best defenseman, could hurt.\n•) Pittsburgh Penguins -- it may seem strange to predict that a team who dealt the league's scoring champion without adding anyone significant would actually move up in the standings, but this year's regular season Penguins will have a few benefits that last year's team didn't. For one, owner/captain Mario Lemieux will be more fit and will play all season, as opposed to last year when he joined just after Christmas and only got in 46 games. Last year's record was also marred by horrible goaltending all season until playoff phenom Johan Hedberg was acquired in March. Despite losing Jagr, the Pens kept restricted free agents Martin Straka, Alexei Kovalev and Robert Lang, the trio made up the most productive line in the NHL last year. Nevertheless, their defense is among the worst in the NHL, combining unspectacular, undersized veterans with completely green prospects that will need plenty of time before they're ready to compete for a contender.\n• Ottawa Senators -- Although many Senators and fans alike were happy to see Alexei Yashin go, the loss of his offensive flare will be significant, and Ottawa's young, improving lineup is not ready to fill in for what he brought. A solid young defense and another strong performance from goaltender Patrick Lalime will propel the Sens to the playoffs, but they enter the season without a No. 2 center or a power play point man.\n• Buffalo Sabres -- Goaltender Martin Biron is one of the most talented young goal-tenders in the NHL, but to expect him to replace six time Vezina winner and two time MVP Dominik Hasek in his first season as a starter is too ridiculous for even the most bias of Sabre fans. Slava Kozlov and Tim Connolly will help the offense, but not enough to save the Sabres from sinking a notch or two in the standings.\n8) New York Rangers -- small market NHL teams rejoiced when the overpaid villains of free agency fell flat on their faces last year. But it's hard to believe that they'll be just as bad after acquiring Eric Lindros and getting back a clean and healthy Theo Fleury. They still desperately need a goaltender after missing out on Chris Osgood at the NHL waiver draft.\nMissing the playoffs:\n• New York Islanders -- Mad Mike Milbury was at it again this off-season, acquiring established NHL stars Alexei Yashin, Mike Peca and former Stanley Cup goaltender Osgood. They'll help, but it won't be enough to pull their inexperienced teammates from the basement of the East's strongest division.\n• Boston Bruins -- They went out of their way to sign overpriced free agents Martin Lapointe and Sean O'Donnell, then alienate the best player on their team, Jason Allison, by not willing to meet his cash demands. Byron Dafoe will undoubtedly find a way to end up on injured reserve, and the Bruins will again miss the playoffs.\n• Carolina -- Possibly the league's shallowest team will once again be in the battle for eighth place. It'll take more miracles from goaltender Arturs Irbe just to get this squad in the playoff hunt.\n• Florida -- Pavel Bure is reunited with his younger brother Valeri, and the result should be amazing to watch. Unfortunately, Florida's pathetic defense got even weaker over the off-season, and 21-year-old goalie Roberto Luongo can only win so many games by himself.\n• Atlanta Thrashers -- This team features some of the most sought after young talents in the league, but zero goaltending and no experience means another year of growing pains.\n• Montreal Canadians -- Just when it looked like things couldn't get any worse for the storied but struggling franchise, their best player Saku Koivu is diagnosed with cancer and will miss the entire season.
(09/25/01 3:55am)
The Frank Southern Ice Center, 1965 South Henderson, opened its doors to the public for the first time last Wednesday since undergoing an estimated $600,000 worth of renovations that started in May. Just one step into the entirely redesigned front lobby and the difference is clear.\n"Anyone who's left Bloomington and come back is going to say 'wow,'" said assistant manager Alex Kyrias. Kyrias also serves as general manager and assistant coach for the IU hockey squad. "From the inside, it's a completely different building."\nAmong the multiple additions are an improved cooling system, a new party room that will be available for rent, new boards, new floors, a new paint job, new bathrooms, a new ventilation system, a relocated concession stand, a new skate sharpener, a new sound system, two state-of-the-art cooling towers and a desperately-needed new electrical system. \n"Last year, we couldn't run a microwave and the popcorn machine at the same time," Kyrias said. Another bonus is the new compressor, replacing a severely outdated piece of machinery that resembled something out of Freddy Kreuger's boiler room.\n"With the old compressor, to make it cooler we had to use a crank," Kyrias said. "It looks like something out of the middle-ages. It was awful."\nBut most apparent will be the new overhead arena lights that have four times more wattage than the previous system. The old system was so dismal that opposing hockey teams often referred to the Frank Southern Ice Center as "the cave."\n"I'm not so desperate for home ice advantage that we'll have to turn the lights back down again," joked coach Rich Holdeman. Holdeman was one of the dozens in attendance at the celebration. "When these new lights are turned down to their very dimmest, that's what it was like at full blast last year. I'm really pleased with what they've done."\nFunded by the Bloomington's Parks & Recreation, it is the second time "The Frank" has undergone major renovations. The first occurred in 1988 when the city spent about a half million dollars to keep the facility operating. As with similar projects, getting everything finished was a race against the clock.\n"I know it always comes down to the wire with something like this but we were literally racing to get it done by the 19th," said Jeff Beall, arena director and youth sports coordinator for Bloomington Parks and Recreation.\n"I've never seen ice here in September," Holdeman said. "Now I can't wait to get out there."\nFor those that have been around the facility for a while, Wednesday marked the culmination of a major struggle to keep ice sports in Bloomington.\n"Back in 1996, the city was threatening to shut us down," Kyrias said. \n"Our motto has always been, 'keep ice in Bloomington.' Four years later, we were still here. Now we've added another 5-10 more years to this building. Plus, it's a much better place to play a game in"
(05/07/01 1:54am)
Most people would have given up. In fact, most do.\nSenior Michael Dixon had high expectations for his collegiate wrestling year. But after placing just 8th in February's Big Ten tournament, the heavyweight fell short of his goal -- an invitation to the NCAA National Championships in Iowa. As a fifth-year senior, Dixon was about out of options.\n"Usually, after the seniors are done, we just let them go. But Michael didn't miss a practice," coach Duane Goldman said. "It was obvious that, after Nationals, he had something left to prove."\nEyeing a shot at the University Freestyle National Championships, Dixon continued to show the kind of work ethic that had made him such a valued member of the Hoosier wrestling squad. In a few short weeks, Dixon went from being Big Ten wrestling afterthought to National Freestyle Champion. In doing so, he automatically qualified to represent the U.S. at the Pan American Championships in the Dominican Republic later this month.\n"It was a little bit of a surprise, just because I wasn't sure of his freestyle experience," assistant coach Mike Mena said. "As a reward for having such a good attitude, he ended up winning the Nationals. That's huge."\nIn an ironic twist, Dixon shut out Ohio State grappler Nick Preston 2-0 in the tournament semifinals, which led to the final match against Michigan State's Nike Fekete. Preston and Fekete placed 2nd and 3rd, respectively, at the 197 pound weight class in that same Big Ten tournament that had seemingly ended Dixon's wrestling career just a few weeks earlier.\n"It felt pretty good," Dixon said. "They were in a different weight class, but those guys were the elite 197 pounders in the Big Ten." \nIn the finals, Dixon jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead, but saw that evaporate in the waning moments of regulation. But Dixon won the match, and the title on an overtime takedown. \n "I feel like I can beat those guys anytime I want to," Dixon said.\n Dixon came to IU weighing around 210 pounds, attempting to break into a heavyweight racket made up mostly of 280-pound wrestlers. Collegiate wrestling goes directly from the 197-pound weight class to heavyweight, making it difficult for Dixon.\n"He was always facing guys that were bigger than him," Goldman said. "Even though he beat a lot of those guys and was in some close matches, it was just so much to overcome."\nThe transition to freestyle wrestling was made easier by the help of IU assistant coach and U.S. Olympic wrestler Charles Burton, who will also have his own hands full this month when he faces 1996 Olympic champion Khadjimourat Magomedov, among others, at the 2001 World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling in Baltimore.\n"Freestyle is a lot more offenisve," Dixon said. "I'm still learning the moves. Burton taught me a lot as far as moves go. Points are a lot easier to come by."\nDixon spent the fall as a walk-on member of the IU football squad, and made the most of his time there by adding on 20 pounds of muscle. But competing in the Freestyle National Championships meant slimming down, as the competition includes a 213.75 pound weight class that was ideal for undersized heavyweights like Dixon.\n"He weighs about 230 naturally, so for him to wrestle at 213, he just overpowers everybody," Mena said. "They're not going to be able to hang with him. He's going to power out of a lot of moves, and he's athletic, too."\nA management major in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Dixon would prefer to pursue a coaching career when his competitive days are done. But the Indianapolis native has no intention of hanging up the head gear any time soon. On the advice of Burton, Dixon intends to go to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, with his eyes set on the 2004 Olympic Games.\n"Because of his strength, athleticism and attitude, it's very realistic that he could be an Olympic champion," Mena said\nGoldman further endorsed Dixon's potential.\n"He's coming into his own," Goldman said. "All of a sudden, when it looked like his wrestling career was over, it really had just begun"
(04/11/01 5:53am)
The Franklin Grizzlies can always blame Tuesday's 19-8 loss on the rain.\nThrough three and a half innings of Tuesday's game, the IU baseball team had spotted the Grizzlies a 3-1 lead. Hoosier pitchers freshman Chris Behrens and sophomore Ryan Smith had already been pulled. Then, the clouds opened up, and the rain began to fall. Suddenly, the Grizzlies found themselves drenched by a barrage of Hoosier offense. \nIU came out in the bottom of the fourth inning and hit four consecutive singles to cut the lead to one. Sophomore Kevin O'Brien hit what should have been a double play ball, but Franklin second baseman Marty Bowling, a junior, overthrew first base, allowing O'Brien to take second while two Hoosier runs crossed the plate. \nIt was the first of many headaches for the Grizzlies. \nAfter junior Mark Minor walked, sophomore Brad DeStefano chipped a routine sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. But Franklin starting pitcher Josh Adams, a junior, slipped on the muddy Sembower Field and lost the play to first, loading the bases with just one out. Sophomore Nick Evans then drilled Adams for a two-run single. \nThat would be the last of Adams, but the Hoosiers were just getting started. New Franklin pitcher Dennis Dixon, a freshman, loaded the bases again on freshman Kevin Mahar's single, and walked home another run. Junior Eric Blakeley sent another run home with an RBI single. Designated hitter sophomore Joe Sadler nearly ended the inning with a soft double-play ball, but Bowling mishandled it, dropping another run and loading the bases. Dixon walked home another run, then got drilled by Minor for a two-run single. When the fourth inning was over, the Hoosiers had scored 12 runs on nine hits and three Grizzly errors. \nIt was almost as if the Grizzlies were trying to make the inning last long enough for the rain to take its course and end the game before it became official. But not even Mother Nature was on the Grizzlies' side.\n"The rain had a little effect, but we just started swinging in the fourth," DeStefano said. "We both had to play in the mud, but we just came out and nailed a couple of their pitchers."\nTwo hours, five innings and a brief lightning delay later, the Hoosiers had soundly beaten Division-III Franklin College. The Grizzlies committed seven errors along the way.\n"The game got a little sloppy because of the weather," coach Bob Morgan said. "We took advantage of a couple of their miscues and it just kind of snow-balled. That kind of put the game out of reach right there."\nThe win was important for a Hoosier team (18-17-1) that dropped four consecutive games to the Michigan Wolverines last week. It also gives the squad confidence as it embarks on a six-game road trip.\n"It's nice to win. Period," Morgan said. "But we definitely needed some positive results."\nAlthough there were numerous offensive heroes for the Hoosiers (11 players registered a hit), no one has more reason to celebrate than sophomore first baseman Michael Woodside. Woodside came off the bench and nailed a two-run homer that barely stayed clear of the left field pole; it was the first home run of his college career.\n"It's been a long time coming," Woodside said. "The funny thing is that everyone's been telling me to stay short and quick to the ball instead of trying to hit them long. Today I stayed short and quick to the ball and I hit a home run."\nSenior pitcher Nick Otte (6-2) got the win, despite being the third Hoosier pitcher and lasting just two innings. Otte was called out of the bullpen with the bases loaded in the top of the fourth. He retired three consecutive batters to silence the Grizzly threat.\n"We brought him in when the situation was 3-1 and we couldn't let them extend the lead," Morgan said of Otte, who had four strikeouts in his two innings of work. "He shut them down for an inning or two. We were concerned at that point and that's why we put him in."\n"How were we supposed to know we were going to have a 12-run inning"
(04/11/01 5:43am)
(1) New Jersey Devils vs. (8) Carolina Hurricanes\nThis matchup features the deepest lineup in the playoffs against the shallowest. Heading into the playoffs, the defending champion Devils are undoubtedly the most likely candidate to take the East. Having Patrik Elias as white hot as he is (16 goals, 34 points in the last 19 games) only makes the Devils a scarier opponent. An interesting sidenote is that the Hurricanes' No. 1 goalie, Arturs Irbe, and their top defenseman, Sandis Ozolinsh, were No. 8 seeds in 1994 when San Jose pulled the first-round upset of the decade against Detroit. It will take another one of those miracles to beat a team that went 17-2 to close out the season. I hate calling a four game series, but come on….\nDevils in four.\n(2) Ottawa Senators vs. (7) Toronto Maple Leafs\nThe battle of Ontario: youth vs. experience. It's hard to doubt a team that finished as high as Ottawa did, especially when they're facing a team that had below a .500 record in January, February and March. But the Leafs' experience, along with Ottawa's lack thereof, will make this a much more interesting series than their records let on. Late season acquisitions Curtis Leschyshyn and Mike Sillinger have helped the Sens, but expect Toronto veterans such as Gary Roberts and Shayne Corson to step up as well. In the end, this could be a goaltenders duel between Curtis Joseph and Patrick Lalime, which favors the Leafs. Still, Toronto dropped all five regular season matches between the two and that can't be ignored.\nOttawa in six.\n(3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) Pittsburgh Penguins\nHere we go again. These two teams have met in the playoffs six times since 1992, with the Penguins taking five of those series. The third-seed Capitals saw it as no kind of reward when they drew the sixth-seed Penguins in Round 1, and their 9-10 record to close out the season couldn't have done much for their confidence. Penguin goaltending is a definite question mark, but Johan Hedberg and Garth Snow are adequate enough to be carried by their super-skilled teammates. There are a few guarantees in this series. I guarantee the Capitals will win around 75 percent of the faceoffs. I also guarantee this series will feature the most media mudslinging and trash talking of the first round matchups. And I guarantee that the Penguins will walk away winners.\nPenguins in seven ugly, physical game.\n(4) Buffalo Sabres vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers\nThis series could also get ugly. After spending years as Dominik Hasek's Czechoslovakian shadow, Roman Cechmanek has been catapulted into the spotlight to become what many believe was the top goaltender this season. Nevertheless, his complete lack of NHL playoff experience is a concern no matter how good your regular season numbers are. The Flyers will also be without their No. 1 center and leading goal scorer, Keith Primeau, and it's not known how soon he'll return. Bet they wish they could have the opportunity to trade holdout Eric Lindros again now, huh? The Flyers are a tough team to beat in the playoffs, but they've got an uphill battle here. Watch for Sabres star Doug Gilmour as a sleeper in these playoffs -- likely the final few games of a brilliant career.\nSabres in seven.
(03/23/01 5:19am)
The game was already over in freshman Dawn Ramynke's mind when she stepped up to the plate in the 7th and final inning of a scoreless game against the Indiana State Sycamores (8-16). The Hoosier first baseman has been practicing visualization techniques, a strategy that has been encouraged this season by Hoosier coach Diane Stephenson. \n"I knew before I even stepped up to the bat that I was going to get a hit, that I was going to do something to win this game," Ramynke said. \nAll she needed was one pitch. The freshman nailed a 210-foot home run off Sycamore pitcher Kim McGinley on her first delivery of the seventh inning to break the scoreless tie and give the Hoosiers their first home victory of the season. \n"It was the pitch I was looking for," said Ramynke. "I thought I got on top of it a little bit, but it went over." \nThe home run was Ramynke's second of the season.\n"We've been working a lot on visualization and concentrating on the things we can control," said assistant coach Jen McIntyre. "Before Dawn stepped in the box, she saw herself hitting the ball and that's what she did. It was great."\nAlso important in yesterday's 1-0 victory was the pitching of freshman Heather Stillians, who pitched a four-hit complete game shutout for the Hoosiers. The California native kept the Sycamores at bay all game long, giving a clutch performance in the fourth inning. With two runners in scoring position, Stillians needed to retire Sycamore second baseman Kate Van Wechel to end the inning and preserve the tie. Van Wechel fought off the first couple pitches before popping one straight up and back down into the glove of Hoosier catcher Brooke Monroe.\n"Heather had a great performance on the mound," said McIntyre. "For her to come out here and keep the defense in the ballgame and keep the batters off balance was tremendous. She did a great job for seven innings."\nStillians was also quick to credit her performance to visualization strategies.\n"I was a little bit nervous, I didn't really find out that I would be starting until this morning," said the freshman who improves to 3-3 on the season. "But I felt good out there, I felt confident. Plus, we've been doing the visualization and that really helped."\nThe win gives the Hoosiers a 10-17 record on the season, not to mention some much needed confidence as the season draws closer to Big Ten competition. \n"I think it was a great win. We really needed it to build our confidence," said McIntyre. "Our defense played very well, we got great play on the mound from Heather. We're doing a lot of good things in practice, it's a matter of bringing it together at the same time. I think we had our offense, we had our defense, and our mental game together today."\nIU will play the first of three straight double headers at home against Ball State (9-10)at 1 p.m. Sunday, followed by a trip to Louisville (20-9) Tuesday. Next Friday's games against Wisconsin begin the Hoosiers' Big Ten season.
(03/22/01 5:08am)
March 13 marked the last day NHL teams could beef up their roster before the playoffs. Surprisingly quiet were the freewheeling New York Islanders and Rangers, who decided to build around the youth already in their systems. \nWithout further adieu, here are the winners and losers of the NHL trading season:\nThe winners\n1. Colorado Avalanche -- the league's best team only intensified its push for the Cup by adding annual Norris candidate Rob Blake. Steven Reinprecht might make the Kings pay as one time blockbuster throw-in Daymond Langkow has done to the Tampa Bay Lightning.\n2. St. Louis Blues -- gave up a lot of youth, but Keith Tkachuk is the only man who could potentially outperform Blake in his new uniform. He gives the team the power forward it desperately wanted, while Scott Mellanby and Cory Stillman make up for the offensive depth lost in dealing for Tkachuk. Defenseman Alexei Gusarov has Cup experience but question marks remain in goal with untested Brent Johnson and inconsistent Roman Turek.\n3. San Jose Sharks -- showed an astonishing amount of confidence in rookie goaltender Evgeni Nabokov by trading Steve Shields, but Teemu Selanne catapults this team of up-and-comers to the elite of the Western Conference. Newcomers Bill Lindsay and Jeff Norton will add invaluable experience to this young team.\n4. Washington Capitals -- The Caps' lack of depth at forward has been their Achilles heel for quite some time. That should change as long as pick-ups Trevor Linden and Dainius Zubrus stay healthy. Linden makes the league's best faceoff team even better. Alexei Tezikov is a promising young defenseman, but getting rugged Jason Marshall from Anaheim helps the team more now.\n5. New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators -- quiet contenders reaffirmed their thriving policy of building through the draft. Mike Sillinger and Curtis Leschyshyn give Ottawa much needed experience while Sean O'Donnell and John Vanbiesbrouck add to the Devils' already scary depth. All were acquired without losing any significant young talent.\nthe Losers\n1. Phoenix Coyotes -- traded two of their three superstars (Tkachuk and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin) without getting a future franchise player in return. Ladislav Nagy, Michal Handzus and Paul Mara all have great potential, but none as great as Tkachuk. That problem will be magnified if and when their third star, Jeremy Roenick, hits free agency this summer. But they might have stolen a future captain in Todd Simpson from Florida.\n2. Philadelphia Flyers -- Kudos to the Flyers for letting Eric Lindros sit the whole year and watch millions of dollars float away. But the Flyers could have made themselves contenders by dealing Lindros, and might have blown their last chance at the Cup with John Leclair contemplating free agency. \n3. Anaheim Mighty Ducks -- Often criticized for relying too much on their two superstars, the putrid Mighty Ducks are now down to one. Tezikov was a good pickup, but it will take a lot more than that to right this sinking ship.\n4. Pittsburgh Penguins -- By failing to address an atrocious goaltending situation, the league's most offensively skilled team set itself up for yet another early playoff knockout.\n5. Atlanta Thrashers -- even in a rent-a-player situation, you have to get more than a no-name prospect and a fourth round pick for a man who sits at 21st in league scoring (Donald Audette).
(03/05/01 5:12am)
EVANSTON, ILL. -- There couldn't have been a more appropriate atmosphere.\nJunior Viktor Sveda approached the mat opposite Illinois's Nate Patrick. \nIU wrestling remembers Nate Patrick. Last year, Patrick defeated IU's Ty Matthews en route to his second place finish at the Big Ten tournament. Earlier this year, Patrick and Sveda dueled twice, with each wrestler winning once. \nThese subplots combined for one of the most intense matches of the tournament. It also made Patrick's 4-2 overtime victory all the more difficult to swallow.\nAfter a quiet first period, the two titans traded points in the second period, and by the end of regulation, they remained locked at 2-2. With time ticking down in the overtime period, Patrick was able to wrap up Sveda's leg and seal the victory for his first Big Ten Championship.\nConsequently, he ended IU's only hope for an individual title.\n"I thought I controlled the match," said Sveda, who said he was disappointed, despite being seeded behind Patrick before the match. "He just shot in there and took me down. I knew I could beat him, and I got him in some situations where I should have taken advantage. I just should have finished."\nSome in attendance believe Patrick was stalling, but it wasn't enough to convince the officials.\n"He was definitely stalling," said assistant coach Pat Cassidy. "Patrick's a really good wrestler, and a good kid, but Viktor has to finish when he creates chances like that."\nWhile no one wanted Sveda to lose, his second place finish does propel him into the NCAA championships in two weeks. \n"I'll put money on it -- Sveda will beat him at nationals," Cassidy said. \nSveda wasn't the only Hoosier to have an impact over the weekend. Senior Kevin Stanley continued to put the finishing touches on his wrestling resume by taking fourth place in the 165-pound slot. Stanley defeated Penn State's Don Vecchio and Michigan's Charles Martelli before running into Wisconsin's Donnie Pritzlaff. It was the third meeting this season between Stanley and Pritzlaff, who went on to win his third consecutive Big Ten title. Stanley lost to No. 3 seed Brad Pike of Minnesota in an 8-3 decision in the third-place bout.\nSophomore Ty Matthews also stepped up for IU, placing sixth overall. The coaching staff praised his day one success, as Matthews (the No. 7 seed) defeated the No. 3 seed Nik Fekete of Michigan State. \n"This is all just preliminary. I had a great first day; I was moving my feet well and staying active," said Matthews. \nDay two wasn't as successful, but the sixth place finish also qualifies Matthews for the NCAA championships. \n"In the semifinals, I just got caught twice on my back. In my weight class, there's no dominant guy; there are eight guys that are all real tight. I didn't move my feet as well today. NCAAs are the light at the end of the tunnel for me. Big Tens are just preliminary.\"\nThere were some concerns about Matthews' conditioning, but coach Duane Goldman said he was pleased with the results.\n"He's shown that he's capable, he just hasn't shown the consistency," said Goldman. \n Freshman Coyte Cooper continued his outstanding season with a sixth-place finish at 141-pounds.\n The news was not so good for 125-pound sophomore Greg Schaefer, who was white-hot going into the tournament and arguably the Hoosiers best chance for an individual title after Sveda, Goldman said. \n Schaefer suffered a minor groin injury early on in day one of the tournament, which didn't pull him out of the lineup, but clearly limited his effectiveness. He lost three of his four matches over the weekend, including a 6-4 decision in the seventh place bout against Penn State's unranked Josh Moore.\n"I hurt the hamstring, but it didn't matter," said Schaefer. "I was wasting too much time on bottom and making too many high risk moves. I didn't wrestle well."\nDespite Schaefer's disappointing performance, the Big Ten coaches did not forget the breakout season that he had. Schaefer was named as one of only two wild card slots which makes him the fifth Hoosier to qualify for nationals this season. \n"It's a gift," said Schaefer. "One minute my season is over, then I'm told I get another chance. It's a clean slate."\nSeniors Gabe Cook (149-pound) and Mike Dixon (heavyweight) each finished eighth in their respective weight class.
(02/19/01 5:39am)
MADISON, Wis. -- Sunday was wrestling Fan Appreciation and Senior Day at the UW Fieldhouse in Madison, Wis. Among the scheduled events was a "dash for cash," in which three fans slithered around the gymnasium floor on their stomachs gathering as many $1 bills as they could get.\nUnfortunately for the 400 plus in attendance, the Badger wrestling squad spent a fair share of their day scrambling around the wrestling mat as well. \nThe 20th-ranked Hoosiers (15-6, 3-5 Big Ten) came into town and spoiled the festivities, taking home a 25-13 victory in the final match of their regular season. It also gives the squad confidence following Friday's 20-12 loss to Michigan State (6-7, 2-5), which left the Hoosiers with a bitter taste in their mouths.\n"We weren't very aggressive. We looked kind of flat," assistant coach Pat Cassidy said. \nThe loss was flooded with questionable calls that prompted coach Duane Goldman to call it "the worst officiating I've seen in my life." Among the alleged miscalls were debatable last-second take downs of Hoosiers Mike Dixon and Jack Wade. \n"Those weren't takedowns," Cassidy said. "In both matches, the guy only had one leg. But bad refereeing or not, you can't let the ref decide the match for you."\nDixon bounced back in the opening match against Wisconsin with a 3-1 victory over 20th-ranked heavyweight Justin Staebler. Dixon applied his smothering defense and appeared to frustrate Staebler throughout regulation. The match went into overtime before Dixon broke the 1-1 tie.\nGreg Schaefer had another big weekend in the 125-pound class, defeating both Michigan State's 12th-ranked Chris Williams 10-4 and Wisconsin's 16th-ranked Tony Black 15-4. Schaefer has now won nine consecutive matches and appears to have subdued all effects from his mid-season ankle injury.\nSenior Gabe Cook also came up clutch with a dominating victory against the Badgers' Mark Trinitapoli.\nThe highly anticipated rematch between the nation's top ranked 165-pounder, Wisconsin's Donny Pritzlaff, and the Hoosiers' No. 9 Kevin Stanley turned out to be one of the few bleak points Sunday afternoon. Following a 1-0 victory on Friday, Stanley couldn't seem to find an opening against the highly aggressive Pritlzlaff and lost the match 15-5. \n"I got out of position. I let him control the tempo of the match and that's why I lost," Stanley said. "If I see him in Big Tens, I'm going to have to be less cautious and more aggressive."\nStanley, Schaefer and 184-pound junior Viktor Sveda were the only Hoosiers to walk away with victories on Friday. Sveda also joins Schaefer as the only Hoosiers to go 2-0 on the weekend.\nBut none of those three is feeling as confident as 197-pound sophomore Ty Matthews. The coaching staff was looking for a big performance from either Matthews or Brett Becks, who got the start against Michigan State. Becks' 25-11 loss against 12th ranked Nik Fekete, combined with Matthews' convincing victory over Wisconsin's Jareck Horton have given him the edge.\n"I think Ty looked pretty good," Goldman said. "I have to talk to my assistant coaches, but I think Ty is looking pretty good."\nMatthews got off to a quick start and never looked back, amassing more than three minutes of riding time in his 10-3 victory. More importantly, he continued to wrestle aggressively long into the third period, which has been one of his major weaknesses all season.\n"That changed today. I really felt I could dominate this guy and that's what I did. It felt good," Matthews said. "Charles and Duane have been working with me on keeping me aggressive through the whole match. That was probably the best I looked in the third period all year"
(02/16/01 7:23am)
As the wrestling team's regular season comes to a close, Big Ten teams continue to jockey for position in the standings. The 22nd-ranked Hoosiers have an important weekend coming up with road matches against Big Ten rivals Michigan State and Wisconsin.\nThe Spartans, coming off a 31-9 loss to No. 3 Iowa that dropped the Spartans to No.14, will welcome IU Friday night. The Spartans (5-7, 1-5 Big Ten), though ranked higher than the Hoosiers, trail IU (10-4, 2-4) in the Big Ten standings. \n"It's always tough to win on the road," coach Duane Goldman said. "Michigan State's lost a couple, and they'll be looking to bounce back strong."\nOne interesting side note is the appearance of Michigan State assistant coach Roger Chandler. Chandler was a three-time All American wrestler for the Hoosiers from 1995-97, but Goldman downplayed the significance of Chandler's presence.\n"There's no significance; we're both trying to help our own guys," Goldman said. "He's doing his job, and I'm doing mine."\nWhen the Hoosiers arrive Sunday in Wisconsin for the final Big Ten match of the regular season, they will face a Badger team that is looking for revenge. The two schools met earlier this season in the consolation semifinals of the Virginia Duals. Indiana squeezed out a 19-18 victory from senior heavyweight Mike Dixon's 3-2 victory in the finale. \n"We had a tough match against them last time," senior Kevin Stanley said. "A lot of good guys lost, myself included."\nStanley will have added pressure as he faces the nation's top ranked 165-pounder Donny Pritzlaff. Pritzlaff got the better of Stanley in the Virginia Duals, but the red-hot Stanley is confident the results will differ this time around.\n"I beat him when I was a freshman," Stanley said. "If I look to compete for a national title, I'm going to have to beat guys like him. I just have to concentrate on my stance and stay active. Last time, I wrestled way too cautious."\nAn important decision the Hoosiers still have to make is who will start in the 197-pound class going into the Big Ten Championships. Sophomore Ty Matthews started the season but has since platooned with junior Brett Becks, who forced his way into the lineup. Becks will get the start against Michigan State, while Matthews will wrestle in Wisconsin.\n"We both want it pretty bad," Matthews said. "I can't say I like splitting time. This weekend is definitely important so both of us want to walk away with a win."\nThe final decision will be up to Goldman, who hasn't ruled out the possibility of a challenge match.\n"They're both going to wrestle this weekend. We're trying to see who's going to rise to the occasion," Goldman said. "They're totally different styles; one guy might be more effective against a certain opponent than the other. But if one doesn't come on top, we'll have a challenge match between the two. There's nothing personal about it, both have worked hard and are great athletes"
(02/12/01 6:08am)
Seniors Gabe Cook, Kevin Stanley and Mike Dixon received a warm send-off as an audience of about 150 gathered Sunday at the University Gym to celebrate Senior Day for the wrestling squad. The convincing victory against Northwestern represented the last time the Hoosier trio would wrestle in front of its home crowd.\n"I'm going to miss the fans; it's a great crowd here," Cook said. "Indiana's a great place to wrestle."\nA brief ceremony was held before the match as the three seniors were joined by their parents and honored for their accomplishments as four-year starters. The three have combined for 60 victories this season.\nThe 149-pound Cook set the Hoosiers off to a great start by easily handling the Wildcats' Ryan Cumbee in the opening match. Cook leaped out with a quick two-point take down and never looked back, en route to a 19-3 decision that gave the Hoosiers a 5-0 lead. The victory upped his record to 22-9 on the season.\n"I wanted to get out to an early lead, and I could tell he was a little tired," Cook said. "I did what I wanted to do, and he kind of gave up a little bit towards the end."\nStanley was the next senior to take center stage and followed up his outstanding performance Friday night by pinning the Wildcats' Ryan Kane with plenty of time to spare in the second period. His record improves to 25-9 on the season.\n"I was more concerned about Friday going into the weekend. I wanted to have a good showing against Michigan and then pick up the extra baggage today," Stanley said. \n Stanley recorded his 100th career victory three weeks ago in Indianapolis.\n Dixon was unable to break out of his recent slump against the Wildcats' Josh Saul, the 16th-ranked heavyweight in the country. The two struggled to solve each other's smothering defense as the match lacked a single take down. Saul took the narrow 2-1 victory when Dixon was penalized for stalling in the second round.\n "I'm a little disappointed in myself," said Dixon, who claimed to feel no added pressure in his final home match. "It was just a regular match. I have to find a way to get my offense going before Big Tens."\n Coach Duane Goldman had nothing but good things to say about his graduating seniors.\n"It was great to see all three giving a big effort, especially Stanley with the pin," Goldman said. "They've provided a lot of excitement over the last four years, and I'm proud of each and every one of them"
(02/02/01 5:29am)
The Hoosier wrestling team had practice as usual Thursday as the wrestlers watched old footage, joked and continued their regular training regimen.\nBut tonight's matchup isn't just another meet. \nThe Hoosiers will face the No.1-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers at 7 p.m. at the University Gym. \n"They're probably the most solid team top to bottom that there is in the nation," coach Duane Goldman said. "We have our work cut out for us. We're not favored in a single match."\nMinnesota (13-1, 2-0 Big Ten) will send nine top-10 wrestlers to the mat tonight, the lone exception being 14th-ranked Jacob Volkman, who will face an injured Coyte Cooper at the 174-pound weight class. Volkman is the only Gopher starter with more than four losses in the season. \nThe Hoosiers now face how to prepare to go against the talent.\n"Practice has been toned down," Goldman said. "We've just been too banged up. Two days of practice isn't going to be enough to get everyone at 100 percent."\nGoldman said he expects all of his regular starters to wrestle tonight, including Greg Schaefer (125 lbs.), Brian Smiley (133 lbs.), Coyte Cooper (141 lbs.), Gabe Cook (149 lbs.), Alex Lapointe (157 lbs.), Kevin Stanley (165 lbs.), Jack Wade (174 lbs.), Viktor Sveda (184 lbs.), Ty Matthews (197 lbs.) and heavyweight Mike Dixon.\nWhile there should be several hotly contested matches, all eyes will be on Sveda. Ranked fifth nationally, he is one spot behind his opponent, fourth-ranked Damion Hahn. The two met earlier this year in the Midlands Tournament in a battle for third place. Sveda led 3-2 until Hahn escaped with just :01 left to force overtime. Hahn prevailed in the extra period on his way to a 5-3 victory. Sveda is undoubtedly looking forward to the match.\n"I'm definitely looking forward to it," Sveda said. "He's one of those guys that I've had trouble with in the past, but I feel like I can beat him. I will beat him."\nGoldman said Sveda might be IU's best chance for an upset.\n"We have a pretty good shot at beating that guy. We lost a close match last time," Goldman said. "I'm not calling any upsets, we're just going to have to see what happens."\nSveda said he feels no added pressure, despite the rankings.\n"I don't really look at it like that," he said. "I want to win. I want to beat this kid."\nWhile Sveda and Hahn will be the main event, there are some who feelthere's a lot more potential for a huge upset than one might think.\n"This is what college wrestling is all about," assistant coach Charles Burton said. "You get a chance to go against the No. 1 team in the country"
(01/31/01 3:55am)
Sunday's meet against No. 9 Ohio State was supposed to answer a lot of questions about how the IU wrestling squad measures up against Big Ten competition. Instead, the Hoosiers limped back from Columbus, Ohio with even more uncertainty than before.\nA laundry list of injuries has crippled the Hoosiers in the middle of their most difficult stretch of the season, beginning with their painful 22-11 loss to Buckeyes. While most of the team members insist the match was closer than the score reads, they've made it abundantly clear they're not satisfied with the results.\n"We know we're just as good as them, we just have to put it together," said junior Victor Sveda, whose recurring back problems couldn't prevent him from compiling two pins Saturday and a major decision against 16th-ranked Anton Talamantes of the Buckeyes. "I think we could have won if we had everybody healthy. Everybody has to wrestle to their abilities if we're going to beat a team like that."\nAssistant coach Pat Cassidy said he agreed.\n"They weren't quite as impressive as we expected them to be. Either they're not as good as everyone thought or we're better than we thought," Cassidy said. "We're banged up. I think a healthy IU team could beat that team. There's no doubt."\nSveda has been able to fight through his back troubles and remain productive. He's been practicing every day, although coach Duane Goldman insists that it's "only because he wanted to and not because it was the best thing." \nHis health is crucial to the Hoosiers' success, as the highest ranked individual on the team. \nSeventeenth-ranked 125-pound sophomore Greg Schaefer is also recuperating after a severe ankle sprain cut into his season. Schaefer was held out of the lineup last week against Illinois, but fought off the recurring pain to score a 13-3 major decision against the Buckeyes' Kore Sharpley. \n"Those things are one of the worst injuries you can get because they take forever to heal," Goldman said of Schaefer's ankle. The decision to start Schaefer against OSU came after he had been held out of full-contact practices all week. "They just aggravate so easy. They feel like you can walk around fine, then all of a sudden, they pop again. Greg looked pretty good this weekend but I know it hurt him while he was wrestling."\nSchaefer is likely to start against Minnesota this weekend, but coach Goldman said he believes the injury is far from behind him.\n"There's no doubt that it's affected his performance," Goldman said. "The ankle is not 100 percent, but we expect him to be ready to go. That's his only choice; he has to be ready to go. This is the Big Ten."\nThe Hoosiers came upon some more bad luck with ankle injuries Saturday afternoon when freshman Coyte Cooper sprained his ankle in a victory against Carson Newman's Bobby Bossardet. The Hoosiers went on to beat Carson Newman 43-6, but Cooper's ankle began to stiffen. He was barely able to walk, let alone wrestle against the Buckeyes Sunday. The result was a devastating forfeit at the 141-pound weight.\n"They had an All-American at that weight, but I really think Coyte could have beat him," Goldman said. "Just bad timing."\nBad timing indeed. Also among the walking wounded Sunday afternoon were starters junior Brian Smiley (elbow), senior Kevin Stanley (stomach virus) and freshman Jack Wade (shoulder).\n"We had five starters that were in some way or another beat up against Ohio State," Goldman said. "We just need to get healthy."\nAll starters are expected to start Friday.\nOne of the few matchups Sunday that was not hindered by injuries was the much anticipated clash between IU's Mike Dixon and the nation's top-ranked heavyweight, freshman Tommy Rowlands. The match ended in an 11-6 victory for Rowlands, but eight of Rowlands' 11 points came in the first period.\n"He's pretty darn good, especially for a freshman," Goldman said of Rowlands. "He's what you call a franchise player. There are no shoo-ins in this sport, but I'd say he's the closest thing to a shoo-in as a four time All-American as there is. Dixon probably gave him the best match he's had all year."\nSveda recalls wrestling against Rowlands in high school competition.\n"I saw him when he was a 119-pound freshman," Sveda said. "Needless to say, he's grown up. He's able to wrestle like a lighter weight, even though he's about 240 pounds. Dixon gave up a couple points in the beginning, but I think that had to do with the initimidation factor. He was hesitant at first. Hopefully, we'll get to see the rematch in the finals"
(01/25/01 5:00am)
The wrestling team will carry an overall record of 10-2 into this weekend. It's a record with which even the most pessimistic of college athletes would be happy. \nBut you won't find any Hoosiers gloating about their winning percentage. They know numbers mean nothing in the Big Ten, by far the top conference in college wrestling.\n"Every year, it makes for a tough schedule," senior Kevin Stanley said. \nThe 165-pounder has racked up a 92-32 career record, but is only 15-10 in Big Ten action. \n"Year in and year out, it's the strongest conference. If you're ranked high in the Big Ten, you're going to be ranked high nationally. If you compete for the Big Ten title, you're probably going to win the NCAA title, too."\nThis year, the Big Ten boasts five teams nationally ranked in the top 10, including top seed Minnesota. IU ranks 23rd. Northwestern is the only team with a losing record, while Michigan State and Illinois remain undefeated. Six of the 10 top-ranked individual wrestlers are Big Ten athletes.\n"It's the premier conference in the country, without a doubt," coach Duane Goldman said. "The top kids in the country want to wrestle the other top kids in the country. In order to do that, you have to come to the Big Ten. It's always been that way."\nGoldman is no stranger to Big Ten competition. As a collegiate wrestler, he was part of four Big Ten championships with Iowa, and was a four-time NCAA All-American. \n"It's even stronger than it was when I was wrestling," Goldman said. "It's got the most national champions and the most All-Americans."\nGoldman's alma mater has played an integral role in the overall development of Big Ten wrestling. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles in the last 25 years, and have produced some of the better coaches in college wrestling.\n"It seems like all the coaches in the Big Ten have some type of Iowa background, whether as a wrestler or a coach," said Mike Dixon, a senior. "They get their own program at a different school and develop it."\nDixon said he believes part of the reason for the Big Ten's superiority is a difference in style. \n"You look at the guys we wrestle out west and there's a huge difference. We tend to hammer those guys," Dixon said. "It's a more in-your-face style; it's rougher. Iowa taught that. All the coaches have been through there, and they pass it on."\nGoldman attributes much of the Big Ten's success to Iowa alumni, but said it might be time for someone else to step up and take the crown from the Hawkeyes.\n"Iowa's struggling in the heavier weights, and four of their top five guys are seniors," Goldman said. "I don't want to make any predictions, but it'll be interesting to see what happens to them. Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan are right behind them. Us, too."\nIllinois proved its case with a convincing victory last weekend in which it sent the 23rd-ranked Hoosiers home without a win. The Hoosiers will have another chance to establish themselves this weekend against 15th-ranked Ohio State before matches against Minnesota, Michigan, Northwestern, Michigan State and Wisconsin. The Hoosiers are anxious to compete and earn respect in this unforgiving conference.\n"We could finish close to the top," Stanley said. "We have the talent. If everybody wrestles the way they should, we should finish in the top five of the Big Ten easily. If you can do that, you're looking at being ranked top 10 in the nation"
(01/19/01 5:40am)
Wrestling coach Duane Goldman knows he can count on Kevin Stanley. The 5-foot-2 senior has been a pillar of strength for the Hoosiers since bulking up to 165 pounds, a weight class that was surrounded by question marks before the season. \nPerhaps none of his 18 victories this season were more important than Thursday's match clinching a 20-17 triumph against Purdue. \nStanley lined up against Kirk Moore in the final match of the evening, with the Hoosiers facing a 17-16 deficit. Undaunted, Stanley stepped it up and dominated Moore. He jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead after the first period and never looked back, finishing the match with a 12-5 score. \n"I told him he was better than that guy," said Goldman of his pep talk with Stanley before the match. "He needed to not think about the pressure and wrestle like he always wrestles. He responded." \nThe victory was a big one for the Hoosiers (10-1, 1-0), as it was their first Big Ten action of the season against a Purdue team that many expected to walk away with a victory. They were favored in six of the 10 weights, so we needed a lot of guys to really step up for us and we got the individual efforts from the guys," Goldman said. \nOne of the key individual efforts was that of junior 197-pounder Brett Becks. Becks has seen limited action this season because of the success of sophomore Ty Matthews, but came through with a huge 5-4 victory against No. 18 Boilermaker Jonathan Bush.\n"It was the first time I beat a ranked guy in a long time," said Becks, who won the match on a clutch two-point reversal. "It was big for me, and I'm glad we walked away with a win." \nJunior Viktor Sveda also came up big for the Hoosiers with a dominating 14-1 win against Purdue's Jared Williams, a hometown favorite. Sveda amassed an uncanny 5:55 of riding time in the convincing win.\n"I didn't go after the fall like I should have in the third period," said Sveda of his victory. "I was hoping to get the pin, but it didn't end up mattering. Maybe next time." The Hoosiers got behind early as 174-pound freshman Jack Wade couldn't seem to mount any offense against a tough Ryan Lange, before Sveda and Becks sparked the squad with their consecutive victories. \nHeavyweight senior Mike Dixon's record dropped to 11-4 after a last minute surge by 20th-ranked Jake Vercelli. Sophomore Greg Schaefer, who received a warm standing ovation from the crowd at Mater Dei High School, his alma mater, lost a tough match against Jason Silverstein. Purdue took its third consecutive match when 10th-ranked Evan Robinson defeated junior Brian Smiley (133 lbs.) to give the Boilermakers a 13-7 lead. \nBut IU refused to stay down with back-to-back victories by freshman Coyte Cooper and senior Gabe Cook. Cooper tallied 12 takedowns before winning on a technical fall with 1:31 remaining in the third period. \nPurdue took the 17-16 lead when Hoosier Alex LaPointe lost to Clovis Crane (157) before Stanley's clutch heroics.\nUp next for the Hoosiers is another Big Ten matchup against Illinois. The Fighting Illini are 6-0 and feature six wrestlers ranked in the top 10 for their respective weight classes.
(01/18/01 5:30am)
Senior Mike Dixon anxiously lined up across from his practice partner. As sweat increasingly faded the letters on his IU football T-shirt, Dixon lunged forward and locked arms with his counterpart. Seconds later, he towered over his fallen opponent like any linebacker gloating after a quarterback sack.\nBut Dixon doesn't do his tackling on the gridiron anymore. Instead, he's resumed his wrestling career after spending the better part of this season with the football team.\n"Every year I was asking myself, can I really play in Big Ten football?" said the senior heavyweight. "It was my last year here. I didn't want to leave saying 'could've, should've, would've.'"\nDixon decided to join the football team in the final days before training camp in August. A former football standout at Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis, Dixon said he felt compelled to prove something on the field, if only to settle his own curiosity.\n"I had missed football a lot, because it was my original love in high school," Dixon said. "I always watched all the IU games, and I always thought I'd play football when I got to college. I played with a lot of guys that are here on the North/South All Star team my senior year."\nThe 22-year-old senior said he received nothing but support from his coaching staff on the wrestling team.\n"I was all for it," head coach Duane Goldman said. "He likes football and wanted to give it a shot because he would have liked to play, but it was also an opportunity to gain weight and lift."\nPhysically, there was little doubt the powerfully built Dixon would be able to endure the rigors of college football, even after the five-year layoff. But there's a lot more to football than physical ability.\n"I had to get used to the hitting a little bit because I hadn't done it in a while, but that didn't take very long," Dixon said. "The hardest thing was just learning all the defensive schemes. For the first three or four weeks, I was still trying to get into it."\nDespite not dressing for the Hoosiers, Dixon stayed with the team all season and received scout team player of the week honors for his efforts in preparation for the Cincinnati game. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of his short-lived college football career was his work in the weight room.\nRegardless of his previous success, Dixon was always one of the lightest heavyweight wrestlers around. Between off-season training with assistant coach Charles Burton and the intense weight training regimen of the football squad, Dixon packed on 20 pounds of muscle. He is now 232 pounds of finely chiseled power, with speed and a linebacker's ferocity, Burton said.\n"I watched him just get bigger and bigger," said Burton, who trained with Dixon before wrestling for the United States in the 2000 Olympics. "By the time we got to July and right before I left for Sydney in August, he was too big for me to wrestle." \nBurton and Dixon make frequent practice partners, as few of his teammates can handle Dixon's brute strength.\n"We scrap pretty good," said Burton of his practice time with Dixon. "I'm not going to concede anything, but if he hits me at the right angle, he'll blow right through me. He's 230 pounds of raw muscle."\nThe added weight has affected Dixon's performance on the mat. After an impressive 1999 season that was capped off with an invitation to the NCAA Championship, Dixon saw his production dip last year and finished with an overall record of 15-20. Although he had just a couple of weeks to make the transition from football back to wrestling, Dixon has burst out to a 10-4 start.\n"It's been probably his best season so far," Goldman said. "He's always been pretty effective in his wrestling, it's just that he's been too small."\nDixon used to rely on his quickness to counter his heavier opponents, not unlike a linebacker working against an offensive tackle. But the added power has made him a much more dangerous opponent these days.\n"Instead of giving up 60 pounds a match, I'm not giving up nearly as much," Dixon said. "I've been able to dominate the mat for the most part this year. I can push guys around and put them where I want to be, instead of them pushing me around."\nAlong with the added muscle, Dixon's agility is still a big part of his strategy.\n"I'm not as heavy-footed as my opponents. I'm able to move a lot smoother than everybody else," he said. \nDixon will receive many chances to prove his dominance in the upcoming weeks against Big Ten competition, including an anticipated matchup this weekend against Illinois' John Lockhart, the nation's fourth-ranked heavyweight. The two met last year in a close bout with Lockhart getting the edge, 4-3.\n"He's a tough kid, he's real tough to score on," Dixon said. "But I'm a lot bigger this year, and my offense is a lot better. But one of the things I learned in football is to take it one game at a time. I don't really look ahead."\nWhile the team's success is first and foremost among his priorities, Dixon said he would still relish another opportunity at the NCAA Championship.\n"It's in the back of my mind," he said. "Obviously, you always have the big picture in mind, but right now I'm just focused on beating Purdue."\nWith football season over, Dixon has no choice but to press on and keep winning.\n"I really wanted to see what I could do in Big Ten football," he said. "I wish I would have come out earlier, maybe freshman year. But I'm thankful for wrestling. If I had to do it all over again, I would"
(01/12/01 5:46am)
Wrestling coach Duane Goldman is well aware that his wrestlers will enter the Virginia Duals this weekend with an undefeated record. He knows how demanding the competition can be. He knows who will be in his starting lineup, and he said he believes they're prepared enough to walk away successful.\nHe's just not sure who they've been preparing for.\n"We won't know anything until we get there and they draw the brackets," Goldman said. "But we know it's going to be tough."\nFifteen other schools will join the Hoosiers in Hampton, Va., for the annual event. The double-elimination dual-meet tournament has developed a reputation for assembling some of the nation's toughest teams.\n"This tournament has been around for 21 years now, and every year, they try to invite a lot of premier competition," Goldman said. "So it's going to be pretty challenging."\nWhile the invitation list includes such highly regarded programs as Boise State and Big Ten rival Wisconsin, the Hoosiers remain confident that they can compete with the best.\n"They're all beatable," junior Ty Matthews said. "There's no powerhouse out there. It's up for grabs."\nAfter going 24-14 as a sophomore, Matthews has jumped out to a 7-3 start. Two of those losses came against wrestlers ranked in the top five in the nation. \nMatthews attributes much of his success to off-season workouts with assistant coach Charles Burton, who trained with Matthews before departing for the 2000 Olympics in Australia.\n"I was one of his main training partners for the Olympics, and we worked all through the summer," Matthews said. "That really helped. My conditioning is much better than it was last year."\nMatthews has been wrestling at 197 pounds this season, a big change from last year when he wrestled in the 184-pound class. The added bulk has improved his production.\n"Last year, I was cutting weight real bad, and it drained my energy," Matthews said. "This (197) is my ideal weight."\nAlso representing Indiana this weekend will be seniors Gabe Cook (149), Brian Smiley (133), Kevin Stanley (165), Jack Wade (174), Viktor Sveda (184) and Mike Dixon (heavyweight), along with junior Greg Schaefer (125) and sophomore Coyte Cooper (141). Sophomore James Wade will likely start at 157 pounds.\nThe Virginia Duals will be the Hoosiers' last tournament before they begin Big Ten competition, including a match against Purdue next week. Finalizing a starting lineup with which he feels comfortable will be one of Goldman's main concerns this weekend.\n"For the most part, they're determined," Goldman said. "There's a couple of positions that are up in the air, and we're trying to figure that out before the Big Ten competition coming up."\n"The coaches are looking for guys that are going to really get after it," said Cooper, who's off to an 11-6 start. "There's a few spots where they're going to mix it up, and throw guys in to see who really wants it the most."\nThis marks the second consecutive year that the Hoosiers compete in the Virginia Duals. Last year, the team went 2-2 in the tournament, a disappointing result for some.\n"We didn't really perform that well," Matthews said. "We did all right. It won't be as tough as last year's, but it's still one of the toughest tournaments around"
(10/18/00 5:54am)
It could have been a long, depressing winter.\nAs the last tournament of the Hoosiers' fall season, the Legends Intercollegiate would decide whether the next five months would be spent celebrating their success or dwelling on missed opportunities. As it turns out, they won't have much time for the latter.\nIU recovered from a disappointing Xavier Invitational to blow away the competition at the Legends Golf Course. They took home their first win of the season and their first nonconference win since 1991. The six Hoosier representatives combined for a score of 840, seven strokes ahead of second place Ball State.\n"After Steve (Wheatcroft) won last week and we didn't really help him out with our scores, we just wanted to come out this week and have an entire team effort," sophomore Aldo Jordan said. Jordan led the tournament with a score of 207 (72-68-67) for his first collegiate win.\n"This was a dream come true," said Jordan, who was dunked into one of the course lakes by his teammates in celebration. "It is something I'll never forget."\nJordan's victory was fairly secure toward the end of the third round, as he was on pace for a career-low 65. But a little bad luck cost him a double bogie on the 18th hole.\n"It was 220 yards in and the wind was in my face," recalled the new champion. "I wasn't sure I could reach with my two iron so I took my three wood and choked down, but I hit behind the ball and shanked it in the water."\nThe rough finish almost forced Jordan into a playoff, as a 15-foot birdie putt was all that separated Jordan from the man who finished in second. It was a man Jordan knows well, his own teammate, senior Steve Wheatcroft.\n"It's been a couple of good weeks for me," Wheatcroft said. "I just wish I could have finished better, but I'm happy for the team."\nIt was a team effort that rewrote the record book, as the Hoosiers' score of 24 under par blew away the old tournament record of 13 under, previously held by Miami (Ohio). Despite Jordan's title, coach Mike Mayer pointed to Wheatcroft as the inspiration behind the huge turnaround.\n"I think that last week's win by Steve was really a big help for this team coming into the tournament," Mayer said. "When something like that happens, you really get it going and you feed off each other. Our scores were simply outstanding, and to have Aldo and Steven finish one-two was just great."\nAlso impressive was the play of freshman Ryan Cassidy, who tied for sixth overall in his first ever collegiate tournament with a score of 212.\n"I was a little nervous the first couple of holes yesterday (Monday)," said Cassidy. "I heard some of the scores coming in and I knew that I had better catch up or I would be last."\nJunior Rich Thomas also had a strong performance, finishing in a tie for 27th with scores of 67-73-77. Freshmen Mike Castleforte and John Oliver rounded posted scores of 218 and 229, respectively.\n"I have lots of respect for my teammates," Jordan said. "Especially Steve, who played so well. I'm happy for the team and I'm happy for myself."\nJordan can take his time celebrating, he'll have all winter for that.