Winter Sports
Space limitations will permit only a cursory examination of the Dartmouth varsity winter teams at this time, but an overall look would indicate generally stronger teams in basketball, hockey and swimming, and weaker teams in squash and track.
Coach Alvin "Doggie" Julian, starting his fourth season as basketball coach at Dartmouth, expects a slightly better performance than last year's 12-14 record if he can solve the problem of replacing last year's captain Fred Gieg at forward. The starting five this winter will have four regulars Paul Wisdom at center, Art Patterson at forward and Captain Pete Geithner and Glen Wilson at the guards. The other forward post will see a wideopen battle between Bill Gardner, John Parker, Tom Byrne and sophomore Tom Strauss. Sophomore Tobey Julian, Doggie's son, John Stoughton, a junior, and Norm Kasperson are the principal backcourt replacements. On the forward line Dick Fairley will spell Wisdom at center, while sophomores Pfeifle, Minelli and Burke are ranked behind the reserve forwards mentioned above.
Julian's team will use the pivot-type offense chiefly, with a wide variety of defenses. The speed should be there, but the shooting may be spottier because of the absence of Fred Gieg. So far as the league chances go, Julian thinks Cornell will be the team to stop, while the others including Dartmouth rank about the same.
The hockey picture is even more promising. Like Julian, Dartmouth hockey coach Eddie Jeremiah has an all-veteran squad returning, having lost only three men, none of them regulars, by graduation. Twelve lettermen are back including Captain Seaver Peters and last year's captain Bruce Haertl. Peters, Haertl and John Titus, another letterman, are expected to team up for Dartmouth's first line with Peters also playing some on defense. Irv Sherwood, Dave Thielscher, George Snelson .and Pete Gulick are the ranking defensemen,. with Dave Conlan and Gordie Russell battling for the goal tending position. Chet Gale, Dana Hennigar, Ed Heydt, Dan McCarthy and John Towle are other returning veterans. These men plus some sophomores should give Dartmouth plenty of depth and talent. With early practice sessions assured by the artificial ice system, with improvements expected on the part of all and with a hustle and enthusiasm that hasn't been seen for some time on the part of a Dartmouth hockey club, this Dartmouth team will bear watching.
With a nucleus of twelve returning lettermen, swimming coach Karl Michael is looking forward to a good if not perfect season. Yale is still on the schedule and is, as usual, very tough, while Harvard also will have a strong entry in the league. Returning veterans include free stylers Fred Brooks, Mike Buck, Roy Coffin, Gene Elsbree, John Glover, John Heyn, Tom Kelsey, Dick Mount and Steve Mullens; divers Tom Creamer and John Wolfer; and Jack Hodgson, breaststroke. Three Dartmouth all-Americans Captain John Heyn, Mullins and Glover will team up with one of the other free stylers to give Dartmouth a strong relay team. Phil Pendleton, a backstroke specialist, is back after a year's absence and Rolf Engelhardt is another veteran in this event. Top sophomore prospects include freshman captain Dick Karslake, a freestyler, Phil Haslam in the backstroke, freestylers Bill Crate and Emerson Houck, and diver Noel Sankey.
The swimmers should be strong in the sprint, dive and relay events, but weak in the breast and backstroke departments. Coach Michael feels his team has a good chance for a high ranking this year if they can keep their top men off the injured or sick lists and if the sophomores develop as expected.
In squash Coach Red Hoehn reports four returning lettermen led by Captain Stew Stearns. The others are Bud Addis, who played No. 2 last year, Jack Buffington and Tom Harrington.
The gaps will probably be filled by juniors Ted Isaacs and Dan Anzel, seniors Bob Bean and Lee Harris, and two other juniors Rogers Bennett and Kenneth Harvey. The only good sophomore prospect at the moment is Herb West. Hoehn feels his squad this winter will not be as strong and that depth will be a problem. Of side interest is the fact that Dartmouth will be host for the National Intercollegiate Squash Championships March 5-7.
Two other Dartmouth winter teams track and skiing have not jelled enough to warrant any accurate report. Coach lie Noyes rates his winter track team about the same as last year with graduation cutting heavily into his talent and not too much help expected from the sophomores. Coach Walter Prager has a strong skiing team returning, but is waiting to see how big a bite the F.I.S. selections and injuries will make in the squad. Reports on both these teams will be made next month.
CHEERS! ICE IN NOVEMBER: A record for early hockey practice was established when Coach Eddie Jeremiah and his varsity squad launched preparations on the new artificial ice surface November 9. Shown on opening day are Captain Seaver Peters taking a shot at Goalie Gordie Russell, with Jeremiah, Bruce Haertl, last year's captain, and John Titus watching. Peters, Haertl and Titus are expected to form Dartmouth's first line this winter.
