> From:         Droopy <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject:      a final plea
>
> This is my final plea (I promise) for info on any WCHA teams. I've gotten
> a Wisconsin preview and Pam Sweeney sent me a UMinn preview which I
> must have deleted but I defintiely need any info anyone could provide
> me on any other WCHA teams. Thanks a lot and I won't take up any more
> bandwidth.
>
OK, "Droopy" - I was really hoping someone with more in-depth knowledge
of the Wildcats would respond, but I guess I'm better (barely!) than
nothing.  Since what I can provide is so skimpy, I figured putting it on
the list would not be a terrible use of bandwidth.
 
From this fan's personal perspective, 1992-93 looks somewhat mysterious
at this point.  Northern Michigan lost five tremendous goal-scorers,
most of whom had played together from three to six years.* They include
Jim Hiller (now with the L.A. Kings), Scott Beattie (playing in the
Italian pro leagues), Dallas Drake (tearing up the NHL exhibition
schedule with the Detroit Red Wings), Mark Beaufait (with the San Jose
Sharks, and the "forgotten man" who got the assist on NMU's
championship-winning triple overtime goal at St. Paul in 1991), and Tony
Szabo (current location unknown to me, but may also be working with a
pro team at some level).  I'm not familiar with the details anymore, but
this fivesome must have scored at least 80% of last year's goals.
 
* I say six years since the Beattie-Hiller-Drake group also, I believe,
played together in the Canadian juniors prior to arriving in Marquette.
 
On the other hand, the Wildcats return fifteen lettermen.  In other
words, the bulk of the team is back, and pretty well experienced.  The
defense, which was quite a problem for the first two-thirds of 1991-92
(and only kept from being a gigantic problem by the tremendous offensive
output of the "graduates"), jelled in the last month of the season and
the playoffs.  Thus I expect a markedly better defensive effort from the
opening game onward.  Furthermore, three of the returnees (I think) are
last year's goalies.  One of them, Corwin Saurdiff, played almost the
entire season last year even though only a freshman, and I believe he
finished third in the final WCHA statistics.  He is, IMHO, quite a
phenomenon and should really draw raves the next three years in the
league.  Finally, ONE of the top six scorers IS back this year--Joe
Fredericks.  Not only is "Freddy" a good scorer, he seems to really rise
to the occasion in difficult situations.  He scored six shorthanded
goals in something like the last ten games of the season.
 
I know the coaching staff stated they were very happy with the half
dozen new recruits they have brought in, again (as usual) mostly from
the British Columbia (Tier I?) junior league.  However, at this point I
know nothing about them.
 
My current view: fairly optimistic; probably a winning record (perhaps
by a small margin), and a particularly good second half of the season
once the new offensive units come together.  In the meantime, I'm
hoping--and frankly expecting--that the defense and goaltending will
keep things close enough in most games so that every one (well, almost
every one) will be winnable.
 
Final note--whatever the regular season is like, the Wildcats should be
regarded with extreme care at WCHA playoff time.  The record of recent
years attests to that!
 
Sorry I can't provide more.
 
                      ***********************************
                     *      Steve Christopher, NMU       *
                    *  "Go 'Cats!''Goin' for it again in  *
                    *     '93--With a little less "O"     *
                    *          and a lot more "D"!        *
                     *        [log in to unmask]         *
                      ***********************************