St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 30

C)V L5 MAY 11993 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH BUSINESS 8-13 GENERAL NEWS 13 SCIENCE FAIR 14 SECTION SPORTS 1 ii r- nn JEFF GORDON jm mm. mmmwmmm COMMENTARY in (I d) iifl Jo I't JJ tq Blackhawks Send Blues Packing 8-2 4S (' 4 ,1 i mi I By Dave Luecking Of the Post-Dispatch Staff CHICAGO The Blues needed another Miracle Monday. Instead, they got a Manic Monday. The Blues' quest for the Stanley Cup came to a grinding halt Monday night before a raucous crowd of 18,472 at Chicago Stadium.

The Chicago Blackhawks forechecked the lackluster Blues into oblivion with an 8-2 victory in Game 7 of the Norris Division final. Chicago won its second seven-game series of the National Hockey League playoffs, having gone the distance with Minnesota in the Norris semifinals. The Blackhawks, the only final four team from last season still alive, advance into the Stanley Cup semifinals, beginning Wednesday at Edmonton. The Blues are off until training camp in September, but the memories of Manic Monday may linger. "It's a poor excuse to end the season," defenseman Paul Cavallini said.

"It's a disgraceful way to lose, and I hope that all of us are in pain all summer. This is unacceptable every guy on the team is not embarrassed, there's something wrong with them." The players were embarrassed and hurt. "Hurt is an understatement," winger Brett Hull said. "It kills us." A bad start killed the Blues, with the See BLUES, Page 4 Linesman Ray Scapinello slips while the Blues' Glen Featherstone (left) and Chicago's Greg Gilbert fight early in Monday's game. Again Roenick Takes A Big Bite Out Of The Blues "Just when I thought Brown would turn to force me out, I turned inside and tried to frustrate him a little bit.

I just got the puck under his stick, and I think Riendeau was overplaying me a little bit." On his second goal, Roenick again broke in on right wing. This time he turned the corner on Blues defense-" man Harold Snepsts. While holding him off with his left hand, he eased to the net and swipe the puck at Rien-See ROENICK, Page 4 emy was going to be real good. "He is going to be great. He has a great attitude.

He's good people. He's going to do whatever it takes to win. He's had a great playoff. He's going to be a great player. He's going to be fun to watch, talent-wise." Roenick scored on the first shot of the game, bursting in on right wing, cutting back to his left against Blues defenseman Jeff Brown and beating goalie Vincent Riendeau as he cut a path parallel to the net.

again his two first-period goals sent the Blackhawks flying toward an 8-2 victory over the Blues in Game 7 of this Norris final. As it turned out, the Blackhawks are the only team from last season's final four to return this spring. And Roenick played a big part in both journeys. "When he got his teeth knocked out last year, that's a tough thing to go through," Savard said. "That's a time when you might get a little timid.

That's the time when I realized Jer By Jeff Gordon Of the Post-Dispatch Staff CHICAGO It was about this time last year that Chicago Blackhawks center Denis Savard learned how special rookie Jeremy Roenick was. In last year's Norris Division final against the Blues, a couple of Roen-ick's teeth were knocked out in Game 5. Undeterred, he then scored the winning goal that clinched the series for Chicago. On Monday night, Roenick did it Game 1: Blues 4-3 Game 2: Blackhawks 5-3 Game 3: Blues 5-4 Game 4: Blackhawks 3-2 Game 5: Blackhawks 3-2 Game 6: Blues 4-2 Game 7: Blackhawks 8-2 MEAGHER TRIED to inspire Blues in Chicago Page 4B H.HM' Storm Wins 4-3 In Overtime As De Oliveira Gets Winner Blowout Loss May Be Just Dot On Big Picture CHICAGO The Next Generation, as the Blues are marketed, will have to wait until next year. But weep not.

Though the Chicago Blackhawks vigorously erased the Blues from the National Hockey League playoffs Monday night, mauling them 8-2, their fans still have a reason to live. This grisly ending for the Blues analogous to a 'possum merging into rush-hour traffic doesn't taint the new beginning this season became. Led by peerless right winger Brett Hull, the Blues constructed their most encouraging campaign in five years. They dumped their regular season nemesis, Toronto, in five games and pushed the Blackhawks to the brink in the Norrls Division final. Had the Blues played harder and-or smarter in earlier stretches of this series, they could have finished their mission.

Though they looked otherwise in Game 7, the Blackhawks were beatable two of the Blues' losses in the series came by one goal and the other came by two, including an emp-ty-netter. Nonetheless, Hull was outraged at Monday's transpirings. He even accused some of his teammates of not going all out. can say what you want, but if you go out and don't want to play, what Can you say?" Hull said. "There were a lot of guys out there who didn't give an effort Without all 20 of us, it's a futile effort.

To say the least, we didn't play well." With the jet to Edmonton and the Stanley Cup semifinals waiting, the 'Hawks really belted the Blues. For the 23rd year in a row, your Boys of Winter will not take the big gulp from Lord Stanley's Cup. Yet this was not another typically bland Blues season. This was not just another second-round elimination. There was a new sense of energy and purpose originating from Oakland Avenue.

"At the All-Star break people talked about us not even making the playoffs," Blues coach Brian Sutter said. "We were 14 points behind the Blackhawks. At one point we got five ahead. We made up 19 points from the AU-Star Game on. "We had the youngest team in the NHL this year.

We started five rookies tonight. I was disappointed we lost this game. But we were one of five teams left in the playoffs until this game." "The Professor," Blues general manager Ron Caron, has devised a workable formula. First, he expanded his young nucleus, adding, in inverse order, Jeff Brown, Adam Gates, Curtis Joseph, Rod Brind' Amour, Peter Ze-zel, Dave Lowry, Vincent Riendeau, Sergio Momesso, Hull and Paul Cavallini. Then, for the playoff drive, he added veteran checkers Ron Wilson and Rich Sutter.

He also added some seasoned beef in Harold Snepsts. The formula worked, although we'll recommend that Snepsts follow through on his retirement plans. He was toasted in Games 6 and 7. "We still believe our team is much better than last year," Caron said. "Riendeau had not played in one NHL playoff game.

Joseph did not exist until last April for us. Brown, tonight's his 24th birthday, we did not have that dimension an offensive-minded defenseman. "Paul Cavallini has arrived. We got a home run hitter in Hull; as a matter of fact, he is the leading home run hitter in the league. "Last year was something different.

We weren't always sure who would report to work on game day. I don't think we have those players now." The Blues' progress before Monday can't be overlooked. While the Blues were extending the Blackhawks, the defending champion Calgary Flames watched while stilj recovering from being quickly eliminated. So did the three stars considered as the brightest in the game: Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings, Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Steve Yzerman of the hapless Detroit Red Wings. "To finish ahead of Lemieux, to finish ahead of Gretzky, I feel this Is an accomplishment," Caron said.

"If you realize the parity in the league i "The No. 1 example is Vancouver, which came so close to beating the Stanley Cup champion last year and this year they don't even make the playoffs with added players, the "A franchise like Philadelphia had over 100 points four years agQ, as we were putting this team together, and it missed the playoffs." The Blues' bid for the Stanley Cup semifinals should only strength-ened the heart of the team, which is still growing. One hopes they can learn from their lapses against the Blackhawks; Momesso, in particular, suffered brain lock. Ponder this: The Blues repeatedly were outwitted by Blackhawks hit man Jocelyn Lemieux. Yikes! "We still need to make the club better," Caron said.

"I have some ideas where this team needs help. There is no doubt the Blues could still use some unlimited strength and overall speed." The wheels already are turning, and training camp is Just five months away. By Bernie Miklasz Of the Post-Dispatch Staff SAN DIEGO Midfielder Claudio De Oliveira scored an unassisted goal 8 minutes 5 seconds into sudden-death overtime Monday night, giving the Storm a 4-3 victory over the San Diego Sockers in Game 2 of the Major Indoor Soccer League best-of-five Western Division semifinals. A crowd of 5,875 at the San Diego Sports Arena watched De Oliveira steal the ball from Sockers defender Ralph Black along the right boards, move to the middle, dribble around defender Kevin Crow and blast a low, left-footed shot from 25 STORM LOOKS FORWARD to playoff 'homework' Page 6B feet past goalkeeper Victor Nogueira. Goalkeeper Slobo Ilijevski had a terrific game for the Storm, making 16 saves as the Sockers outshot the Storm 30-24.

The series, tied 1-1, moves to St. Louis for Game 3 at 7:35 tonight at The Arena. Game 4 will be played Saturday (7:05) at The Arena. The Storm defeated the Sockers three times in four regular-season games in St. Louis.

See STORM, Page 6 Brunansky Is Bothered By Uncertainties By Rick Hummel Of the Post-Dispatch Staff SAN DIEGO Tom Brunansky found refuge from his plight with the Cardinals at his new home in Rancho Bernardo, about 1 5 minutes from San Diego. He could spend Monday with his wife, Colleen, and infant son, Jason, and sneak in a round of golf. "I might swing at the ball a little harder than I normally would," he said. The off-day gave Brunansky a respite from the uncertainties in his job. Will he be traded? If so, to whom? Will he play? And if he does play, will he break a three-for-34 slump? Brunansky seems the most likely of the four Cardinals outfielders to be traded, although nothing seems imminent.

Rarely does a day pass when he does not see his name in a newspaper article discussing the possibility of a trade. But he said, "That's not as unsettling as not seeing my name in the lineup." Brunansky did not start Sunday in San Francisco, the first time since 1983 that he had not started back-to-back games without being hurt. Even that year, he played 151 games, and he has played at least 155 every year thereafter. See CARDS, Page 4 CARDINALS PLACE hobbling Pendleton on 15-day disabled list Page4B HIGH SCHOOLS Formidable Foes Lincoln High coach Nino Fen-noy's Tigerettes posted 12 victories Saturday in the Kirk-wood Invitational 6 Young And Hungry The Berkeley Bulldogs may be young, but they showed plenty of bite Saturday in winning the Clayton Invitational Blue Division title 6 HOCKEY Soviet Victory The Soviet Union surprises Canada with four first-period goals and cruises to a 7-1 victory, setting up a gold-medal game with Czechoslovakia in the World Hockey Championships 2 ALSO Tom Wheatley says that education must be a top priority for black athletes 2 REGULARS Sports Views 2 NHL 4 For The Record 7 Bills Gain Recruit, Lose Another 3 A Chip Thompson, a 6-9 forward from Kansas City (Kan.) Community College who signed a letter of intent with the Billikens on April 16, will not be admitted to the university. On the surface, this is not an even exchange.

Carr, though an outstanding small-town high school player, is projected as helping the Bills a few seasons from now. Thompson, who averaged 17 points and seven rebounds a game last season, was expected to come in and immediately contend for the job being vacated by Anthony Bonner, who led the nation in rebounding as a senior. See BILLS, Page 6 By John Sonderegger Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Just what the plus-minus will be in terms of playing time and success is questionable, but St. Louis University gained a basketball player and lost one Monday. "We've got a new Carr in the garage, but a Chip fell off the block," coach Rich Grawer said, lightly.

Robert Carr, a 6-foot-9 forward from Paoli High in southern Indiana, signed a letter of intent to attend St. Louis U. in the fall. The Billikens consider him a solid prospect. 0 Oespeiral-Domi RHov 'Miserable' Clark Altered His Stance To End Slump 4 CLARK WANTS Padres to talk about a new contract Page 4B "I was even having friends calling me from high school offering suggestions; that's how -bad it was.

I totally had no concept of what I was doing at the plate, and even when I got a hit, I had no idea how it happened. I literally forgot how to hit. Eventually, I just started looking for a walk every time I came up, because I knew I wasn't going to hit my way on." He was convinced that he'd be traded. Maybe even given away. But then he thought, who in their right mind would pay $2 million, a year to a guy who was hitting .219 with only nine homers through June, having already accumulated 90 strikeouts? "They probably iiad no choice but to keep me," Clark said, "with the way I was going I'm sure my market value had hit the bottom of the barrel.

"I felt so bad because Jack McKeon, the Padres manager did so much to bring me over from New York, and here I everyone down." Then one day, maybe it was June 26, an idea suddenly struck. It seemed crazy. May-See CLARK, Page 4 By Bob Nightengale 1 990, Los Angeles Times SAN DIEGO Jack Clark has been in baseball 13 seasons, played for 10 managers and been employed by four organizations. He has been an All-Star. He has been a bum.

He has been a town hero; he has been ridiculed by what seemed to be entire cities. "I figured there was nothing left, you know, that I already hadn't been through before," Clark said. But he never imagined a slump like last season's. It terrified him, frightened his family and closest friends, and it left him won-dering for the first time if he still wanted to play this game. Few knew the pain and torment that Clark endured.

Even his teammates were unaware of his anguish. "I never let on what I was going through," said Clark, who will be the Padres' first baseman and clean-up hitter when the Cardinals play tonight and Wednesday in San Diego. "Until now, I never really was able to discuss it. I mean, people knew I wasn't happy, but no one knew just how miserable I was. "The pain was just too much.

I Just, couldn't talk about it. But I'm telling you right now, Ihe pain was just too much. I just couldn't talk about it. I've never gone through a more miserable time in my life.ff JACK CLARK I've never gone through a more miserable time in my life." Tammy Clark remembers waking in the middle of the night, glancing at her husband and seeing him staring at the ceiling. The kids remember seeing their dad standing in front of a mirror, practicing his weight shift with an imaginary bat.

His parents remember the phone calls from Clark's friends and acquaintances, all offering suggestions on how he could get out of the slump. "I was scraping the bottom of the barrel and had such a bad taste in my mouth that there were days when I just dreaded coming to the ballpark," he said. "I was questioning myself. I was doubting I was Just totally, utterly disgusted with myself. "i i AP Jack Clark, one Padres teammate said, "more than anything wanted to be the team leader.".