Winter Teams

On the varsity level most Big Green teams did extremely well, with the basketball team compiling an overall 28-6 record and a 14-1 Ivy League record. Dartmouth's fighting hockey team turned in a strong 17-8 mark and a perfect 10-0 score in Ivy competition, while the swimming team posted a 9-3 mark in dual competition. The track squad had two wins in six dual meets, the squash team won seven and lost five, and the wrestling team established a 3-2-1 record for its season. Dartmouth's ski team had rougher going, placing second best in the major Carnival meets and winning only the McGill Carnival. The grand total for the 1958-59 winter shows 60 victories, 28 defeats and one tie (in wrestling).

The '62 freshman teams, for the first time in recent years, fared less well than their varsity counterparts, with the basketball team winning only six contests while losing ten. The hockey team split even, winning nine, losing nine and tying one. The freshman track team was the one bright spot as it swept to six consecutive victories, while the swimming team had a 5-3 mark and the squash team lost all five of its matches. The freshman totals: 31 wins, 27 losses, and one tie. The combined results for all formal Dartmouth winter teams: 91 victories against 55 defeats — an impressive record.

Coach Doggie Julian's varsity basketball team had difficulty winning the Ivy League crown for the second consecutive year but managed to squeeze out the championship by defeating Princeton in a play-off game. The team started the final month of action by avenging an early-season loss as it downed Holy Cross, 81-64, following a hard-earned 71-59 victory over Princeton to take the league lead. However, the Indians bowed to the Tigers at Princeton and then had to defeat Penn 69-63 and Brown 74-63 to stay in the race and force a play-off game with the Tigers. When Dartmouth and Princeton met for the rubber game at New Haven, the Indians jumped away to an early lead. However, Captain Rudy LaRusso collected four fouls in the first half and the Tigers came fighting back to pull even with the Indians and finally to take a five-point lead with two minutes to go. Two baskets brought Dartmouth's score to within one point of the Tigers', but with seven seconds to go and Princeton in possession of the ball, the cause seemed hopeless. However, the Princeton toss in was bumbled out of bounds and the Indians took over with just three seconds remaining. A quick flip-in to Captain Rudy LaRusso whose shot swished through as the buzzer sounded sent Dartmouth fans home in delirium, and the Big Green had their Ivy League title by a 69-68 margin.

Three days later Dartmouth and West Virginia met at Madison Square Garden in the second game of the Eastern N.C.A.A. Tournament. Three years before the Big Green had upset the Mountaineers in the opening N.C.A.A. game, but this time West Virginia, ranked eighth in the nation, was not to be denied. The Indians put up a stubborn fight in the first half and the score was tied two minutes before the half, when Captain Rudy LaRusso went to the bench with four personal fouls. At this point the Mountaineers jumped away to a quick eight-point halftime lead and went on to increase this during the second half to win with relative ease, 82-68. All-American Jerry West paced the Mountaineers in victory, while LaRusso was outstanding in the defeat.

In summary, however, it was another brilliant year on the basketball courts for the Big Green, and Coach Doggie Julian is to be commended for producing another Ivy League championship and some of the most exciting contests seen around the East for some time.

Dartmouth's underrated varsity hockey team continued to surprise the experts and even their most ardent fans by continuing their winning ways this past month and sweeping to undisputed possession of first place in the Ivy League with a perfect 10-0 league record. During the past month the Dartmouth skaters defeated Harvard 4-3, downed Brown twice by identical 6-2 scores, and edged Princeton 6-5. The Indians' lone defeat came at the hands of Boston University by a 5-1 score, and this, coupled with an earlier 8-2 loss to B.U., was enough to deny the Indians a bid to the N.C.A.A. hockey tournament.

However, the play by the Indians all winter was superb, especially when one considers that it was largely an all-out team effort on the part of a determined and fighting squad. In an open letter to The Dartmouth following the win over Harvard, Coach Eddie Jeremiah wrote, in part, "This is the hustlingest, fightingest team I have ever had...such spirit is a wonderful, contagious disease that spreads through the squad and even affects the loyal fans who more than once 'lifted' the club with their cheers." Jerry cited Mike Hollern's comment, "It's more fun when you hustle," as typical of the way all the players felt, and he went on to praise in particular Captain Rod Anderson, defensemen Ryan Ostebo and Rusty Ingersoll and goalie Dirk Frankenberg.

After some rather lean years it's nice to have the hockey championship back in Hanover and even nicer to win it in such convincing fashion!

After a somewhat shaky start, Coach Karl Michael's varsity swimming team got rolling and did very well. During the past month it defeated Pennsylvania, thumped Cornell, 65-21, and squeezed past Columbia, 43-42, and Navy, 47-39, for an overall record of nine wins and six defeats and third place in the Eastern Swimming League. Dartmouth's record was further enhanced in the Eastern Swimming Championships when Pete Anderson won the goo-yard backstroke championship against all comers.

In the past month the Big Green squash team fared less well as it lost to a powerful Harvard squad by a 9-1 count, then defeated Amherst, 6-3, and wound up the regular season's play by losing to Princeton, 7-5. At the Eastern Intercollegiate Squash Tournament the Big Green finished third, with Captain Dick Hoehn advancing to the semi-final round of play before bowing to Sam Howe of Yale in a close, five-game match.

The Dartmouth wrestling team wound up its season under Coach Bill Craver by coming from behind to tie Amherst, 15"15' and then going on to place seventh in the New England College Wrestling Tourney. Mike Duffy at 123-pounds, Jim Allison at 130, Hop Homberg at 157 pounds and Fred Graybeal at 167 all won fourth-place medals in the tourney. With Captain John Chilson the only veteran leaving by graduation this year, the Big Green wrestlers have good prospects for next season.

Coach Ellie Noyes has his own comments on the winter track team and prospects for spring (see "Coaches Corner"), but during the past month the Big Green runners placed eighth in the Heptagonals and lost the final dual meet of the season to Yale by a 64½ to score. In the Heptagonal meet, won by Yale, Rick Husband's fourth place in the broad jump and Dave Sloper's fourth in the 60-yard dash were the individual high spots for Dartmouth. The Indian relay team of Captain Mike Kistler, Tom Lennox, Tom Marshall and Bob Colyer took fifth in that event for the only other Green points.

In the dual meet with Yale, the Big Green won only four first places as Rick Husband took the broad jump, Lyn Carlin the high hurdles, and Dick Noel the pole vault, and the relay team of Dave Sloper, John Nunn, Jim Mueller and Jerry Boyle captured the mile event. The highlight of the meet was the performance of the Dartmouth freshman team which downed the Yale freshmen, 68-36, for their sixth consecutive victory. Freshman star Tom Laris turned in a sensational 4:18.2 mile to break his own previous record, while teammate Keith Jennison also broke the old record with a clocking of 4:20.9.

Dartmouth helped dedicate Yale's new hockey rink on February 21 and won, 5-4, in its marchto the Ivy title. Above, John Wadman's goal is cheered by Bob Batson (11) and Rod Anderson (20), who were credited with assists on this second-period play.

Captain Rudy LaRusso (35), left, and Dave Gavitt (23), right, are shown scoring important points in the 69-68 playoff victory over Prince ton at New Haven which settled the Ivy League championship. These two seniors are the only lettermen not returning next season.

Captain Rudy LaRusso (35), left, and Dave Gavitt (23), right, are shown scoring important points in the 69-68 playoff victory over Prince ton at New Haven which settled the Ivy League championship. These two seniors are the only lettermen not returning next season.