Providence-St. Mel coach Tom Shields had a tough time controlling his emotions during his team`s 89-70 victory over St. Gregory in the St. Benedict Class A regional final Friday. Shields had to watch the game from the press table because of a two-game suspension given to him by principal Paul Adams for ”an internal problem.” Several times, Shields laid his fist into the press table.
GIRLS` BASKETBALL
Conant will wear the visitors` uniforms and will be the visitor on the scoreboard, but Thursday`s Mid-Suburban League championship game between the Cougars and Hersey will be at Conant, much to Cougar coach Barb Bostian`s delight. The South Division champion Cougars (12-0) were scheduled to play the title game at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at North Division champ Hersey (8-2), but the Huskies` gym was already booked, so the site was shifted. ”We`ll take it,”
Bostian said. The Cougars (20-3) will go into the playoff hurting. Seniors Sue Schafer (16 points a game) and Lori Finch (14) were injured during Saturday`s Conant Invitational. Schafer hyperextended an elbow during a 53-46 semifinal loss to eventual champion Palatine and Finch suffered facial injuries in a collision with teammate Sandi Calderone during Conant`s 82-65 victory over Waukegan West in the third-place match. The status of both is questionable for Thursday. In Palatine`s 53-51 championship victory over Fremd, Amy Bachmann rebounded a missed free throw and scored with four seconds to play to give the Pirates the victory. The Waukegan West-Wauconda opening-round game, won 78-75 by Waukegan West, was a shootout between two of the state`s top scorers. Wauconda`s Saundra Cermak had 44 points, Waukegan`s Hope Ceasar 36. . . . The Girls` Catholic Athletic Conference playoffs begin Monday at six sites. The small-school championship game is scheduled for noon Saturday and the large-school finalists square off at 8 p.m., both at Loyola University.
. . . Regina`s Patti Froehlich is a perfect 10, at least in the minds of GCAC North Division coaches. Division coaches rate players on a 10-9-8 basis. All five North Division coaches picked Froehlich as the No. 1 player in the league. . . . New Trier junior Bonnie Fisher is on a roll. The 6-1 junior has scored 31 and 30 points in her last two games, hiking her season`s average to 20 points a game.
HOCKEY
The Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois state tournament starts this week. Second-round games are next week. The March 18-19 quarterfinals, March 21 semifinals and March 24 championship game are at the Franklin Park Ice Arena. Glenbrook North coach Jim Friberg, whose defending state champion Spartans are in the bottom bracket, believes that`s the weaker bracket. ”The top bracket is loaded,” said Friberg, alluding to Catholic League champion Mt. Carmel, Metro League North Division runner-up New Trier Green and West Division champion St. Charles and runner-up Naperville North. ”You`re talking about the heavyweights, which I`m just happier than heck about.” Glenbrook North has a first-round bye and plays Notre Dame in the second round on a date to be determined. Notre Dame coach Bob Miller witnessed Glenbrook North`s 9-0 Metro League quarterfinal victory Saturday over Highland Park at the Northbrook Sports Center.
