WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL Sports Editor: Bill Brophy, 252-6170 MONEY SB UW hosts NFL scouts 2B 1B Carey wins in NHL debut 2B SPORTS • Friday, March 3,1995 Fewer stars means more West, Memorial down, out uncertainty Controversial late call Next week, coaches and athletes will thwarts Regents' rally gather for the 25th Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association girls By Eric Anderson basketball tournament They will Sports reporter reminisce about past tournaments, It was almost the perfect end- WIAA state rightfully proud of the advances in the ing to a fairy tale, Nearly the hockey tournament sport since 1971, and will feel good masterful finish seen only in about where their sport is heading. Oscar-winning movies. Just about At Dane County Coliseum The WIAA is staging its 25th hockey the conclusion to a grand novel. Thursday's quarterfinal results tournament at the Dane County Ah, but alas, there was nothing Onalaska 3, Madison Memo- Coliseum this weekend. More than 7,000 but sorrow and frustration in the rial 2 (2 OT) fans witnessed Thursday's action and Madison West locker room after Fond du Lac 3, Madison West saw a field that might be more balanced the Regents lost a 3-2 decision to 2 than ever, but was minus stars like Mark Fond du Lac Thursday in a Wis- Eau Claire North 7, Northland Johnson, Craig Ludwig and John Byce, consin Interscholastic Athletic Pines 2 who once skated in the tournament and Association prep hockey state Superior 6, Stevens Point 1 eventually ended up in the National quarterfinal at the Dane County Hockey League. Coliseum. Today's semifinal games But unlike girls The Regents had seen a furi- Onalaska (17-6-1) vs. Fond du Lac (22-2), 5 p.m. COMMENTARY basketball, prep ous final-minute rally fall'just hockey followers short as Adam Frenz's apparent Eau Claire North (18-5-1) vs. are uncertain goal with 4 seconds left was dis- Superior (18-5-1), 7:30 p.m. about the direction allowed after officials ruled that their sport is West's Erik Jensen was guilty of heading. interference before Frenz had tunate to come out of here with a To be sure touched the puck, nullifying the win. It's a game, breaks go both participation is up. shot. ways, and tonight we got a break." When the first "I hope when I look at video- West (18-6), ranked sixth in tournament was tape that (Jensen) actually ran the High School Hockey Report BILL held at the somebody over and threw them Top Ten, trailed, 3-1, throughout BROPHY Coliseum in 1971, out of the way," West coach Lee the final period. Skille pulled there were nine Skille said. "Because that's a re- junior goalie Greg Badger (21 schools wearing ally tough call to make at the end saves) with just over 2 minutes hockey sweaters in the state. Today of the game like that. (The offi- there are 55. cial) had better have his facts Please see REGENTS, Page 3B And there are good stories like straight" Fond du Lac.. I 0 — 3 Thursday afternoon when Onalaska, a Madison West. 1 1 — 2 The result left some fans First period: FdL. — Plepenburg 2 (O. Nikon), 1:2* school that two years ago was playing as Grater 45 (Mar, D. Mellon), 2:52 (pp). questioning the decisive call and Second period: MW — Freni 5 (Tzakls, Porter), 3:57. a club team, beat six-time champion FdL - Belonola1 (EnoHuno), 13:14. the Cardinals' celebrating their Third period: MW — Jensen IB (Frent), 14:13 (DP). Madison Memorial, 3-2. first state tournament victory. Soves: MW (Dodger 21, Muehl 0) 21) FdL (Llegl) 30. But more than ever, the skill level of renames: MW 3-6, FdL 3-6. "We had all we could handle Alt, — 4,647 (union). teams is down. The better players in the here today, there's no question state have chosen to speed their Slate Journal photo/SCOTT SEID about that," Fond du Lac coach I Superior rips Stevens Point/36 development by going out of state or Wes Bolin said. "We feel very for- playing either in the U.S. Hockey Fond du Lac's Bengie Belongia (3) fires^a shot through the legs of West's Greg Badger to put his team up, 3-1. League, if they are upperclassmen, or for the Madison Capitols midget program, if they are underclassmen. The Spartans tumble in double overtime reasons are the same that Edgewood has said it will turndown an opportunity to I just swung at it. I just hit it and play in the WIAA tournament next By Eric Anderson the stakes were a little lower — Sports reporter the quarterfinals — but the result it goes in." season. Edgewood officials feel WIAA Wickizer's goal sent the Spar- rules of a 20-game schedule with no As the seconds ticked away on was the same. the clock at the Dane County Col- tans to their first opening-day scrimmaging are too confining. Onalaska senior forward An- tournament loss since 1987. Doug Chickering, the executive iseum Thursday afternoon, Madi- drew Wicldzer picked up a pass son Memorial High School "We played well in the begin- director of the WIAA, understands from linemate Jeff Olson and ning of that period, we had the Edgewood's position. He also knows that hockey coach Vic Levine started flipped it into a nearly open net to get the feeling he had seen this puck down in their end," said next year some private schools are likely with 36 seconds left in the second Levine, whose team has been at to petition to play in the WIAA scenario before. overtime to give the Hilltoppers tournament. "That's why we call it Double overtime. The Wiscon- a 3-2 come-from-behind victory Please see SPARTANS, Page 3B choice," Chickering said. "If people sin Interscholastic Athletic Asso- over Memorial in their first ap- ciation state tournament. And his Madison Memorial........... _,_._.HV^....l 1 0 0 0 — 2 want to have more latitude, run their pearance in the tournament. Onotaika . I 0 1 0 1 — 3 team watching its opponent Flnl period: 0 - Dwyer IB. 5:41 (pp). MM - own program and not have the controls McGlnnU 24 (Burkhordt), 10:20. slowly grab the momentum. "1 just knew we were going to Second period: MM — Woodward 4 (Ketterer), 9:22. that the WIAA has, that's fine. But they Slate Journal photo/MEG THENO TOrd period: O - U Flnco 21 (Dwver), :21 (pp). Last time it was Superior score, we were just pouring it Second overtime: O — Wlcklier 13 (Olson), 7:24. have to realize they will have no on," Wickizer said of his 13th Saves: MW (Sonno) 26) O (Wledenhoerl) 45. postseason tournament at all that is From left, Memorial's Del Schwab, Onalaska goalie Eric Wiedenhoeft, Onalas- downing the Spartans for the Penalties: MM 6-12. 03-4. goal of the season. "I didn't think. Alt. - NA. sponsored by a state association." ka's Tony Bluske and Memorial's Kevin McGinnis follow a loose puck. state championship. This time, Chickering said he can't foresee the day when school administrators would lengthen the season. So it's likely that the elite players will play outside the WIAA, much as current and former 1995 Big Ten Conference women's basketball tournament University of Wisconsin players Gary Suter, Barry Richter and Kirk High hopes ' Penn State #1 Daubenspeck did when they left Minnesota #8 Saturday, 11 a.m. Madison to play at Culver Military Today, 1 p.m. Academy in Indiana. Sunday, 1 p.m. When Memorial and West dropped Iowa #9 3-2 decisions Thursday, it set up the first Northwestern #4 for tourney 1 state Final Four since 1990 without a HlnkleFleia House Saturday, 1 p.m. Madison representative. Arena, an intramural facility on Butler University .Indiana #5 It is probably not coincidental that it Badgers want the Michigan State campus in Indianapolis, Indiana Monday, 6 p.m. •— Champion is also the first year that the Capitols' East Lansing that could seat no Purdue #2 midget program has existed and that more than 1,000 people. Ohio State #7 Saturday, 6 p.m. some of the elite players who are Spartans again Not that the limited seating eligible to play prep hockey have ever posed a problem. The cham- Today, 3 p.m. elected to play with Bob Suter's team. By Rob Refschel pionship game that year drew Illinois #10 Sunday, 3 p.m. West coach Lee Skille played in the Sports reporter just 675 people and an opening Wisconsin #3 state tournament in 1974 and recognizes Fourteen years ago, the Big day contest between the Univer- Michigan State #6 Saturday, 8 p.m. the Caps' plan. But he thinks there is Ten Conference tried something sity of Wisconsin and Iowa was something to be said for the thrills of a new, something bold, something the poorest attended game, with Today, 5 p.m. state tournament, too. And as prep unique for the sport of women's 75 people showing up. Michigan #11 hockey celebrates its 25th birthday, basketball. But since that time, the sport The league held a conference Skille is aware of some growing pains. has grown, and that figures to be facility that seats 11,037. Big Ten came to pass. "First, there's an like atmosphere before the "When we get to 55 or 60 or 70 teams tournament — and the results extremely evident when the incentive for the teams in the NCAA tournament." were rather poor, to say the least.