TODAY High schools to get new names - Canton Public Library

Observer Snorts
J Ris.ito Editor 73-1 953 2108. cjtisak " oe.homecomm net
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OBSERVER
SPORTS
SCENE
Open time
•Qualifying rounds for the 85th
annual Detroit Newspapers Michigan
Open are scheduled for May 22 and
May 23 at eight sites throughout the
state. The $200 entry fee and completed
application must be received in
the Michigan Section PGA office by 5
p.m. Tuesday, May 9.
May 22 qualifying Bites are Greystone
Golf Club in Romeo; Forest
Akers West Golf Club in East Lansing;
Gull Lake Country Club in Richland;
and Meadowbrook Country Club
in Northville.
May 23 qualifying sites are Crystal
Mountain Resort in Thompsonville;
Western Golf and Country Club in
Redford; The Fortress in Frankenmuth;
and The Highlands in Grand
Rapids. -.
The field at all qualifying sites will
be limited to 104 competitors, with all
golfers assigned on a first-come, firstserved
basis.
The Michigan Open will be Monday
through Thursday, June 26-29, at
Grand Traverse Resort. Contestants
will vie for the James D. Stand ish Jr.
Trophy and $110,000 in prize money.
• The 19th Michigan Senior Open
Championship will be June 13-14 at
Bedford Valley Golf Club. A Pro-Am
is scheduled for Monday, June 12.
The event ia open to all male golfers
50 or over who have established residency
in Michigan. Contestants will
play 36 holes of stroke play golf; there
will be two age divisions, 50-64 and
65 and over. Handicap limits for competitors
is 10.0 for those in the 50-64
division and 15.0 for the 65 and older
division.
The $200 entry fee includes greens
fees, range balls and automotive golf
car for both rounds. The entry fee and
completed application must be
received in the Michigan Section PGA
office by 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 23.
Entry forms are available by contacting
the PGA office at (734) 522-
2323.
Goif outing
The WaCo Wolves USA Travel
Baseball Club is sponsoring a golf
outing fund-raiser at 1 p.m. Sunday,
May 7 at St. John's Golf Course in
Plymouth (located at 44115 Five
Mile).
Cost is $90 per person, which
includes 18 holes of golf (shotgun
start, four-person scramble), prizes
for closest to the pin and longest
drive, beer and pop on the course, a
complete steak dinner and door
prizes.
All proceeds go to benefit the WaCo
WolveB travel teams. Checks should
be made payable to the WaCo Wolves.
For further information, call John
or Karen Abrahamson at (248) 473-
1336.
Women's golf
•A women's Friday morning golf
league will get under way May 8 at
Fellows Creek Golf Course in Canton.
All ability levels are welcome; individual
handicaps will be established. -
Tee times begin at 9 a.m. The 16week
season costs $16 to register and
weekly greens fees. There are no residency
requirements.
For more information, call (734)
397-5110. '
•A women's golf league is forming
at Hilltop Golf Course, starting May
4. The league will play at 8 a.m
Thursday mornings.
Those interested should call Liz at
(734) 397-1212.
• Beginning golf lessons/clinics for
ladies are scheduled for May 9, 16
and 23 at Pheasant Run Golf Club.
The lessona/clinics will be conducted
by Dave Horstman, a PGA professional.
and his staff of assistants.
There are two times to choose from:
10-11:30 a.m. or 5:30-7 p.m. Cost is
$70 per person
The three sessions include instruc
tion in chipping, putting, sand shots,
iron play, wood play and golf course
management. Equipment needed
includes tennis or golf shoes, a threeor
five-wood, a seven-iron, a nine-iron
and a putter
The lessons/clinics are being conducted
through Canton Parks and
Recreation Services, there are no residency
requirement* Register M the
Parks snd Recreation offices, located
at 46000 Summit ia Canton.
Registration deadline is May 5 or
the class limit is reached. For
call (734) 397-6110.
®he (Dbsmrer
INSIDE:
Track, C2-3
Golf, tennis, C2
P/C Page 1, Section C
Thursday, April 20. 2000
Rockers strike deal with Compuware
BY C J. RISAK
SPORTS EDITOR
CjriaakOoe.hoinecoaun.net
Once the Rockers left downtown Detroit, the
logical move would seem to be to a smaller
arena in the heart of the soccer community.
Enter Compuware Arena, which beginning in
October will be the Rockers' home site.
It was the logical move to make.
So the Detroit Rockers did it, agreeing
to play 16 of their 22 regular-season
home indoor soccer games next season
at Compuware Arena. The Rockers
have Bigned a three-year lease with
Compuware.
"It's a good fit for us,* said Rockers'
general manager and part-owner Dave
Woodrow. "I think it's going to work
out well."
Mike Vellucci, building supervisor for
Compuware Arena, agreed. They went
out to the Palace (of Auburn Hills), and
that was too big," he said. "This is a
more intimate facility for them, with
4,500 seats."
It does, indeed, seem the right place
for soccer. Compuware sits in the middle
of the state's biggest soccer pocket,
with Plymouth, Canton, Livonia,
Farmington, Northville, Novi and
Brighton all within a 20-minute drive.
In the last decade, most of the state's
best prep soccer teams have come from
these areas.
The move began to take shape when
Mike Illitch, owner of the Detroit Red
Wings and Detroit Tigers, decided to
sell the Rockers last year. That forced
the team to leave Cobo Arena for the
Palace.
But that proved too big a forum for
this still-growing sport. "Our product is
better suited to a smaller arena," said
A bit better
Churchill battles, but Salem prevails
BY C J . RISAK
SPORTS EDITOR
cjruakOoeiiomeconun.net
Only a preview.
That's how both coaches viewed Monday's
meeting, a game that pitted two
of the Western Lakes Activities Association's
premier soccer teams. And the
result was about what was anticipated:
A hard-fought, down-to-the-wi're
affair that saw Plymouth Salem prevail
over Livonia Churchill by a 2-1 margin.
The win kept the Rocks unbeaten
through seven games; they are 3-0 in
the WLAA. Churchill suffered its first
defeat; the Chargers are 3-1-1 overall,
3-1 in the WLAA
"It was a great game," said Salem
coach Joe Nora. "It reminded me of a
tournament-style game, Both teams
Left it all on the field."
The Rocks seemed to control the play
a bit more, surrendering few scoring
opportunities — something Churchill
must have anticipated, considering
Salem had given up just one goal in si*
previous matches.
But certainly the Chargers had some
chances.
"In the first half, I thought we had
five-to-10 minutes strsight where we
had the ball in their end," said
Churchill coach Chad Campau.
The end result, however, was an
unlucky turn of events for the Chargers.
With 42 minutes left in the half,
Salem got possession and Kellee Mullin
triggered a quick counter-strike, sending
the ball through to Jami Coyle.
Coyle outsped the Churchill defender
and put the ball past keeper Renee
Kashawlic — who was outstanding
throughout the game — giving Salem a
1-0 lead with 11:26 remaining.
"It was unfortunate on their goal in
the first half," said Campau. "But I
thought we responded well, especially
after that second goal. I was happy
with the way we came back."
The issue seemed to be decided
when, after 67 minutes of battling
mainly in the midfields with few good
chances for either squad, Salem doubled
its advantage.
Following a Salem restart in
Churchill's end, Coyle centered a pass
to Suzi T'owne and she rifled a shot
into the upper left corner from 20 yards
out, a shot which Kashawlic had no
chance to stop.
But the Rocks' 2-0 lead, which came
with 12:56 left, didn't last long. The
i BT Pau. •nasnauw
Pitchers' duel? Steve Gordon
came on in relief to get the win in
a game featuring 23 runs scored.
STAFF PHOTO IT PAUL HILARS****
Back-and-forth struggle: Salem's Jessica Bucks clears the ball
from harm's way during Monday's encounter with Livonia
Churchill. The hocks managed to hold off. the charging Chargers.
Chargers got a restart deep in the
Salem end two minutes later and took
advantage of it when Salem keeper
Jenny Fitchett — who split time in
goal with Jill Dombrowski — charged
out in an attempt to smother the ball.
She couldn't. Michelle Smith sent a
pass to Michelle Esparza, and she powered
it past Fitchett to halve the Salem
lead with 10:53 still to play.
"We were very happy to get something
off a restart," said Campau.
Unfortunately, the Chargers could
muster nothing else offensively.
Both teams looked solid defensively
and good in the midfield, but finishing
offensively, particularly against better
teams, could present a problem this
season.
There's time to work on that. "We'll
see them again in.the districts." predicted
Nora.
Indeed, they could also clash again in
Woodrow.
Enter Compuware. v '
According to Woodrow, the Rockers'
owners were "approached by three
other arenas" in the area, but settled
on Compuware.
"There were two reasons," he said.
"The greater Canton-Plymouth-Livonia
area is much more conducive to our
demographics."
Also, Compuware could guarantee
Friday-Saturday-Sunday playing
dates. The Rockers will still play si*,
home games at the Palace.
The relocation has certainly been
greeted with enthusiasm. According to
Pleue see ROCKERS, C5
Spitfires
eliminated
by Whalers
In the end, the
Plymouth
Whalers proved
too fast and too
deep for the
Windsor Spitfires.
The Whalers clinched the bestof-seven-games
series with a 4-1
triumph Saturday in front of
2,109 fans at Compuware Arena.
It was their fourth win in five
games against the Spits, and
their eighth in their last nine
playoff games.
Plymouth now advances to the
Ontario Hockey League Western
Conference finals against the winner
of the Erie/Sault Ste. Marie
series; through Tuesday, the
series was even at three-games
apiece.
The Whalers open the confer-
Saturday.
Goals by Damian Surma and
Justin Williams got the Whalers
Started Saturday against Windsor-
Surma scored his fifth playoff
goal 6:01 into the opening period,
with assists going to Tpmas
Kurka and Jared Newman.
Williams made it 2-0 at 10:42
with his ninth goal of the playoffs,
assisted by Newman and Libor
. Ustrnul. The Spits closed the gap
to a single goal with a power-play
marker by Viace Grapt with 5;39
left.
But that was all Windsor could
manage against Plymouth and
goalie Rob Zepp. The Whalers had
a commanding 38-21 shot advantage.
Randy Fitzgerald made it 3-1
with a power-play goal — his
eighth of the playoffs — scored at
2:53 of the second period. Shaun
Fisher and Williams assisted..
Kurka's empty net goal with 1:14
left in the game finished the scoring
r ~': 1
Zepp stopped 20 of the 21 shots
he faced. Mike Leighton had 35
saves for Windsor.
Pte*L»e~ltta(f7~£5
Please sec SOCCER, C5
Rocks' rally nips Vikcs
If his baseball team continues down
its current path of playing in down-tothe-wire,
extra-inning thrillers, Plymouth
Salem coach Dale Rumberger
may soon be doubling as a spokesperson
for Pepto-Bismol.
On Monday. Salem notched a dramatic
12-11 nine-inning victory over
Walled Lake Central in a game which
saw the Rocks rally from behind three
times in the late innings.
"These close games are taking a lot
out of me," Rumberger joked. Last
year, we lost a lot of one-run games It
was nice to win one for a change We
were in another nine-inning game last
week, but we lost because we couldn't
get any clutch hits. Today, we got the
hits when we needed them "
Salem is now 3-3 overall and 3-1 in
the Western Lakes Activities Association.
. Senior first baseman Adam Kolb
was the Rocks' primary hero on Monday.
Ko|b. who went 2-for-4 with four
RBI, either tied the game or gave
Salem the lead on three different occa-
Justin Barnett also deserves the
BASEBALL
"hero" label. It was his two-out, solo
home run that tied the game at 8-8 in
the bottom of the sixth.
The way the early stages of the
game unfolded, it looked like the
Rocks would roll. While the offense
generated a three-run first inning,
starting pitcher Jason Lukasik was
striking out four of the first six batters
he faced. As a result. Salem led,
3-1, after two innings
However, the Vikings rebounded
with a two-run third inning and a
four-run fourth to seize a 7-3 lead
It stayed that way until the sixth
when Central put one run on the
board to make it 8-3.
The Rocks then put on a stunning
diaplay of resiliency, scoring five runs
in the bottom of the sixth to knot the
game at 8-8.
Both*team* scored two runs each in
the seventh and the Vikings scored an
unearned run in the top of the ninth
to take a 11-10 lead.
Salem won the game in the bottom
of the ninth on RBI hita from Kolb
and Chad Goethe. Mike Thackaberry
scored the decisive run
Rumberger said he is surprised by
the way his team is winning gsmes
this season.
"Going in, we expected pitching to
be our strength," he said. "But it's
been our hitting that has led us.
"I'm not happy with all the errors
we've been committing (five on Monday).
It probably has something to do
-iiuih-how. cold it was. no kid likee to
play in this kind of weather. It will
just give me something to work on in
practice"
Senior Steve Gordon (1-i) earned
the win for the Rocks, who paraded
six different hurlers to the tnound
against the Vikings. Of the six, Rumberger
singled out senior Chris Hardy
for his three-inning stmt from the
fourth through the sixth.
"Chris held us in there when it
looked like it might get out of hand,"
Rumberger said 'He did a nice job"
Senior catcher Ian Winter paced the
Salem offensive attack, going 3 for-5
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