Wednesday, December 30, 1992 @ Win or lose, it’s in The News. Jonathan Green 365-7266 BOWL ME OVER B.C. bowlers will take to the lanes for more than just a good time Jan.9 - 23. During those two weeks, fundraising for the Variety Club's B.C. Bowls For Kids takes place at alleys all across the province, with money raised going to B.C.’s mentally and physically challenged children. Last year, local bowlers raised just under $1,600.In addition to raising money, bowlers could win one of three trips. For more info, contact Castle Bow! at 365-5723. ON THE ICE The Castlegar Rebels hit the ice for their first game of the KIJHL's second half Saturday at home to Spokane. The Rebels are right behind the Braves in the fight for third in the league’s West Division, and a win would be a pretty good start to 1993. Game time is 8 p.m. at the Complex. LoclSPORTS NEWS STAFF The Grand Forks Border Bruins are mak- ing life un-bear-able for their Kootenay Inter- national Junior Hockey League opponents. Kings of the KIJHL heading into the new year, the Bruins have made things look easy this year with 23 wins in their first 25 games. Add to that the fact they outscore their op- position roughly 9-2 in each game and you've got a team to be reckoned with. _.Coach Sam Skinner said the Bru- ins success can be attributed to a Skifiner said he’s not surprised with his team’s nearly-unblemished record, but added he didn’t sit back and predict it. “T look at every game as the first game of the season or the last game of the season,” he said. “Every game is a challenge and that’s how I coach.” A team blessed with both offence and de- fence, the Bruins boast not only three of the league’s top six scorers but two of the three top Bruins looking to continue KIJHL dominance goalies as well. Pointing to those five, Skinner said they are just one small part of a successful big picture. “It’s every kid who’s wearing a uniform,” he said. Skinner said the team isn’t led by any one player, using a 21-0 Dec. 18 whipping of Ross- land as an example. He said he couldn’t recall if anyone scored more than two goals in that game, a pattern ij the team has followed all year. “The point I’m trying to make is the versatility of who scored Wednesday, December 30, 1992 hings just swell fo WS STAFF With four of the top five scorers on their roster, it only goes to reason why Woodland park Shell is first in the astlegar Recreational Hock- ey League. Heading into the new year, Shell sits with 19 points after 16 games, two better than Castlegar Sports Centre and three ahead of Castlegar Pres- sure Wash. League scoring leader Kelly Keraiff said familiarity has probably been the secret to his "squad's success. “T don’t know why we’re in first,” he said. “I think it’s a case of everyone getting used CASTLEGAR RECREATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE _ (As of Dec. 28) GW LTP Shell 16 9 6 119 Sports Centre 16 8 7 117 Pressure Wash 15 6 5 416 Computers 18:6 7 214 Banjo's 14 4 8 210 SCORING LEADERS GP GA P 16 26 32 58 16 19 32 54 14 31 21:52 Keraiff, Shell Martini, Shell Knowler, Shell Sauer, Sports Hyson, Shell 13 18 33 51 15 27 23 50 to playing with each other, starting to work better'as a team.” Stuck in the pack with the 18 rest of the CRHL in the middle of November, Shell has en- joyed success while most of the league has faltered since then, With just two losses in their last seven games, they have held onto first place for a month after a Nov. 30 win over the Kootenay Computers. As for his own success, Keraiff said it’s a case of team- work between he and linemate Clay Martini. “Me and Martini work well together,” he said. “When he scores I assist and when I score he assists.” Action resumes Monday when the Computers meet Banjo’s Pub. bunch of kids “who are really hard working and really excited about the game.” During training camp, Skinner said he was in the market for a team that worked hard night in and night out, regardless of whether it was a practice or a game. Now, almost three months into the season, the coach says he’s got what he wanted. “Those are the kids I’m looking for and I think I’ve got a fair share of them on the team,” he said. With 46 points, the Bruins have al- with last season. Scott Pattison CASTLEGAR NEWS SERVICE Sports fans in Los Angeles have enjoyed a 40-year love affair with baseball announcer Vin Scully, while New Yorkers and sports fans coast to coast have come to trust NFL half-time show host Bob Costas. What made the above two sports journalists who they are today — honesty, professionalism and consistency — have become the fabric by which Vancouver’s Sportstalk radio show host Dan Russell weaves the success of his nightly program. Between 10 p.m. and midnight Monday to Friday, Russell and pro- ducer Scott Woodgate tuck in sports fans across the province (with the help of satellite even as far as Toronto), blanketing them with guest interviews, all the sports news of the day and the most important part of Russell’s show — the callers. “A forum like ours is incredible,” said Russell, who just signed a multi-year contract with Rock 101 CFMI Radio(a member of the West- ern Broadcasting empire) to continue on as the late-night voice of sports heard on more than 40 stations in B.C. “We’ve been able to suc- cessfully build up a big following and they’ve followed me from one station to another. They’re a very loyal audience.” A graduate of BCIT’s broadcasting course, Russell has always known the intimate medium of radio was his calling. “My career goal has always been broadcasting — since the age of six. I’m lucky, most kids don’t know what they want to do when they’re 16. I’ve always known.” Russell’s first big break in the biz came in 1978 as a DJ for CJOR Ra- dio AM 600 (now CHRX). From there, he continued to sow his radio seeds working the all-night, red-eye 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift, six nights per week on his home-town Richmond station, CISL. Russell then returned to CJOR, doing post-game interviews for Van- couver Canadians baseball and Whitecaps soccer games. Following a stint on CJOR’s afternoon drive home show, he was offered a one-hour sportstalk show in October of 1984 that eventually was lengthened to an hour-and-a-half and then three hours, 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. in 1988. “Just when I was getting comfortable the station switched formats them,” he said. “It’s everybody combined, working together.” With the Jan. 10 final roster deadline just around the corner, Skinner said it will be tough to de- cide on who stays and who goes. But rather than worry about it, he said the sooner it’s done the sooner the team can focus on ex- tending its regular season success into the playoffs. “It’s going to be very difficult because we’ve worked together so News file photo Much this year,” he said, “but it’s ready exceeded the 42 they finished The KIJHL’s top goalie, Jim Bousfield is one of the reasons why the just part of the game and some- Grand Forks Border Bruins are the league’s best team. ‘Sportstalk-ing it up with 101 CFMI Radio’s Dan Russell thing that has to be done.” and as a result 55 people lost their jobs,” said Russell. “I had four job offers in one week and chose a midnight slot on CKWX.” October seems to be a good month for Russell, who moved over to CFMI in that month of ’89, which he now calls his “Sportstalk Head- quarters.” “There were a lot of eyebrows raised at that time,” he said, in refer- ence to an evening Sportstalk program being aired on FM Radio. “But it has worked out incredibly well. “Tt’s not a great shift, and you have no social life — he’s still a bach- elor — But I’ve thought about my job a lot andI get to go to games and talk a lot about sports. Obviously there are certain things you have to sacrifice, but I’ve got a great job.” Russell begins a typical day rising out of bed around “the crack of noon.” He then digests his daily diet of four newspaper sports sections, before returning an ever-expanding list of telephone messages. Be- tween 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., Russell is in his in-home studio interview- ing sports personalities involved in breaking stories around North America. Russell rolls into the Sportstalk headquarters at CFMI around five. Once there, he proceeds to scour the day’s wire copy. After a brief break for dinner, Russell and Woodgate begin their nightly behind-the-scenes ritual affectionately referred to as “The Panic Hour.” “It’s certainly the toy department around here for most of the time, but you don’t want to be around here between nine and 10,” said Rus- sell. “We're very serious about our show. It’s a radio show that just happens to be about sports.” As Sportstalk continues to mature, so to does its identity. Charac- ters like Ranger Smith, who is “a little more off the wall” than most New York Rangers fans, and The Pauser, who Russell so dubbed be- cause of his lengthy, annoying sentence pauses (currently in the Sport- stalk penalty box) and the imaginary Sportstalk Orchestra, are all part of the winning formula. “T’m less tolerant for people who are off the mark,” said Russell. “Why shouldn't I tell a caller he’s wrong? I’m a traffic cop. “I have to get the best out of my callers and my guests.” > Closkey happy Jonathan Green SPORTS REPORTER Despite living in a city where the daytime highs aren’t much } warmer than the lows these days, Laurel Closkey is happy. The Castlegar native is calling Medicine Hat, Alta. home as she attends the city’s college on a bas- ketball scholarship. Home for the holidays, Closkey said life is good. She said making the jump from high school star last year to first-year reserve this year wasn’t easy in the early going but things are slowly coming around. “It was tough at the beginning but I’ve to- tally fit in and everything,” she said. “It’s fine now. Heading into the season, Rattlers coach Cheryl Kryluk said Closkey shouldn’t have any trouble adjusting to the college game. “She likes to run and that’s what we like to Need a Christmas loan? We'll make it happen. (KS) Kootenay Savings Where You Belong do,” she said in an August interview. “She’s really aggressive and we like to play an ag- | gressive game.” And Closkey said being able to play that in Medicine Hat Laurel Closkey way has been an asset. “It’s a lot faster and it’s way more aggressive (than high school),” she said. “The refs let you play a lot more.” As a point-guard, Closkey said she plays a variety of roles with the chief one being the leader of the offence. She said not being vocal enough is a part of her game Kryluk wants her to work on to be an ef- fective leader. “I’m a lot quieter than the start- ing point-guard,” she said. “(Cheryl) wants me to take control, she wants me to shoot more.” One of five first-year players on a squad of 11, Closkey said the team has struggled with just one win in their first four games. But with a post-Christmas stretch that sees them at home for four straight weeks, the 18-year-old expects both her play and that of the Rattlers to get better. “We should do really well,” she said. “I’m happy with how I’m doing. I could be shoot- ing more, but I think I’m playing pretty well. “Everything’s really good.” NEW YEAR'S EVE DANCE Doors Open 8:00 p.m., Thursday, December 31st, 1992 Playmor Hall Playmor Junction Advanced Tickets Only *20°° Call: John 359-7489 Fred 226-7245 Vera 226-7636 NEWS STAFF The mental side of golf is as important as the physical side, but too much thinking can be detrimental and it’s something that Denise Pottle knows all too well. A member of Kansas State University’s golf team, the Castlegar native had had a rough year when she re- turned home in May. She said that her mental game was causing her fits and it was something she needed to control by the time school resumed in September. “It’s like anything, to be as good as you were before you have to find out what’s wrong and work at it,” she said in May. And work at it she did, en- listing the help of local pro Denny McArthur and her parents to exorcise those mental demons. When the season started again in the fall, her efforts were rewarded as the 19- year-old qualified for all five tournaments the school com- peted in. In town for the holidays, Pottle said the mental prob- r Shell Pottle pleased with game lems that plagued her game the year before had almost disappeared, but added her success was as much a matter of timing as anything. “Sometimes things go good and sometimes things go bad,” she said Tuesday. “I just played well when I had to qualify.” One of a dozen team mem- bers, Pottle had. to work to qualify for each tournament. She said the amount of practicing done over the sum- mer went a long way to earn- ing one of only five spots available each time. “I think the team is stronger this year,” she said. “It was harder to qualify for the tournaments.” Heading back in two weeks, Pottle said it would be practice time again for the spring’s first tournament in Florida in March. As nicely as things went in the fall, she said she realizes there are no guarantees when play resumes and this means tackling the mental game again. “T’ve just got to keep work- ing at it I guess.” NOW STRIPPING 1986 NISSAN PULSAR 1973-77 DATSUN 710's 1973-77 DATSUN 610's 1978 DATSUN 510 four door Western Auto Wreckers Granite Road, Nelson Ph. 354-4802 The Castlegar News, Taylor's Place Family Restaurant and the Castlegar Rebels present .. . SPOT THE HOCKEY FAN If this is you, Congratulations! Taylor's Place Featuring Doukhobor Cuisine Family Restaurant You've won dinner for two at Taylor's Place Family Restaurant ($20.00 value) and two tickets to a Rebels home game. Pick up your prize at the Castlegar News, 197 Columbia Avenue. SS 908 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar 365-5516