Zuccato’s zeal propels SFU Clansmen

Former WV Highlander enjoys outstanding season

THE DAY Hillside second- ary became a middle school could weil be remembered by one student as the day his whole future, not just his school, changed.

By A.P. McCredie Sports Reporter

Paul Zuccato was a Hillside student when the decision was made to close the senior high school section of the school and disperse the senior students to other North Shore high schools.

Zuccato ended up at West Van- couver secondary school. New surroundings, New faces. And a _hew passion: football.

“41 played in the GSL (Gordon Sturtridge football league) as a kid, but since Hillside didn’: have

PAUL ZUCCATO... key part of | SFU Gefence. -* a football team I kind of fell out of it for a little while,”’ said Zuc- “ato. : Fans of Simon Fraser University football are no doubt thankful the affable 20-year-old fell back into -* the world of the gridiron. ~ Zuccato is currently in his third year of criminology at SFU, a year in which both the standout linebacker and the team are enjoy- ing one of their best years in some time. The Clansmen are currently 5-3 on the season, and 3-2 in the highly competitive Mt. Ranier

conference of the Columbia Foot- ball League, NAIA Division II.

On Saturday the Central Washington Wildcats defeated the Cfansmen 24-17. Both teams are tied in conference play at 3-2. If Simon Fraser defeats Pacific Lu- theran this weekend and Central loses to Western Washington, the Clansmen will claim the con- ference title.

While playing tailback and linebacker for the Highlanders, Zuccato developed a reputation as a hard-working player, both on the field and off.

**Paul was always very serious about the game, studying film and always working to become bet- ter,”” recalls West Vancouver football coach Gary Schwertfeger. **He was one of those players » Never had difficulty try focus on his game.’’

Other “West Vancouver gradu- ates currently playing for SFU in- clude Peter Williams, Gavin Murgatroyd, and Rick Bartlett.

Being awarded the 1989 B.C. high school defensive player of the year honors is just one of the fewards Zuccato’s work ethic has garnered.

More importantly for the then 6°1’’, 195-pound graduate was the offer of a full football scholarship from SFU coach Chris Beaton.

“I knew it was a great football program since ] had met a lot of the players in my final year of high school,’’ Zuccato said. ‘Also, the team seemed to be really close, and that’s the kind of atmosphere on a team I like.’’

Once Zuccato had shed his of- fensive mindset — he was drafted by the Clansman as a linebacker — it didn’t take him long to adapt to the faster college game.

He played on special teams and did some linebacking in his first year, and by the second year was a key component of the Clansmen’s defence.

On the switch from playing solely defence Zuccato remarked, “The change was fine with me because I'd rather hit someone than take hits.”’

He was named defensive MVP in the 199] Shrum Bowl game against cross-town rivals UBC, and finished his sophomore season

a member of the Mt. Ranier All-Conference first team.

Now in his third year, and tipp- ing the training-room scale at 225 jos, Zuccato is enjoying another outstanding fall season, as is his team.

“Our defence consists of many great athletes and with that whole group moving together in sync so well we’ve been really successful,"’ Zuccato remarked.

And how does his coach feel about his play this year?

‘Paul is one of the premier linebackers in vur conference,’” said Beaton. ‘With his speed and

size he has the potential to be an All-American. We are extremely proud to have such a committed player involved in our football program.”

Beaton added that Zuccato’s speed and strong side position make him a key part of the Clansmen’s defence.

Excluding last Saturday’s game against conference powerhouse Central Washington, Zuccate has 44 tackles, 27 assisted tackles, ana one interception so far this year.

And what of the future for this football phenom?

“Pve always wanted to play

professional football, but right now that’s at the back of my mind,’’ Zuccato said. *‘The most important thing right now is to keep working hard for the next few weeks and see how far we can take it.”

One thing is for certain in his future. He will be back for his senior season in a Clansmen uniform.

You can almost hear the cheer- ing from atop that mountain to the east.

In a game often associated with violence and the darker sides of athletic performance, it is indeed refreshing to meet a player with the grace and humility of Paul Zuccato.

scale are

S photo Cindy Goodman

A LONE member of Sentinel’s senior girls’ field hockey is pressured by two WV Highlanders during North Shore semi-final action last week at Hugo Ray Park. The Highlanders beat the Spartans 3-1, but lost in the final to Handsworth 1-0 on a goal scored in overtime by Heather Hunter, sending the Royals to the B.C. Championships in Kamloops Nov. 11-14. West Van- couver then played a wild card game against Killarney for a vacant spot at the provincials and won, giving the North Shore two teams in the 8.C. tournament.

Will Winnipeg Jets cause next coaching commotion?

SO TELL me, how would you feel if you were John Paddock, head coach (at ‘press time, that is) of the Winnipeg Jets?

_ Nice work if you can get it.

Even nicer if you can keep it.

The Jets did their normal ballroom dance routine in moder- ate three-quarter time Sunday afternoon at the Pacific Coliseum and lost their fifth consecutive NHL game — 6-1! to the Canucks — leaving them one tenuous point in front of the toothless San Jose Sharks in the slum section of the Smythe Division.

Saturday night at the Westin Bayshore, Paddock sat with two tof his three assistant coaches in tthe coffee shop.

* It wasn’t your typical big night out on the town.

Paddock and Terry Simpson drank coffee. Gien Williamson really whooped it up and ordered a cappuccino. The bill, after a 90-minute session, was $11.70.

Somewhere else in the city, Jets’ vice-president and general manag- er Michael A. Smith and Pad- dock’s other assistant, Alpo Subonen, were having dinner.

Not only the coffee would be keeping Paddock wide awake and bug-eyed when he returned to his room to settle in for the night.

On June 17, 1991, Paddock was named as the tenth head coach in the Winnipeg Jets’ NHL history, dating back to the 1979-80 season.

Employing the ol’ Don Cherry style of grinding, lunch-bucket hockey, Paddock nursed the Jets into fourth place last year. The previous scason, under Bob Mur- doch, they failed to make the playoffs.

Paddock was surprised as any- one during the off-season when Smith went on a European binge and added Russisans Alexi Zham- nov and Sergei Batuin, as well as Finland’s Teemu Selanne to a lineup that already included two Soviets, two Finns and a Swede.

Greg Douglas

GOAL LINES

Smith referred to the moves as “*a cultural hockey experiment.”

“Walking into that dressing room was like visiting the United WNations,"* said veteran columnist Hai Sigurdson of the Winnipeg Free Press. ‘‘There were obvious

pockets of cliques...small! exclusive circles of four Russians in one section speaking their own lan- guage and three Finns in another corner shutting themselves off from the rest of the room.

‘*Paddock finally called a team meeting demanding that the players speak only English in the dressing room and on the bench. Some of them snickered but they had little choice but to follow the head coach’s instructions.”’

Smith, incredibly enough, drafted nine more Russians and one more Finnish player in last June’s amateur draft.

Paddock would much prefer his immediate boss do these things in moderation. But it isn’t his call.

When Pat Quinn acquired 30- year-old Soviet Anatoli Semenov from Tampa Bay last week, it made considerable sense. He im- mediately placed Semenov on a line with Pavel Bure, the position occupied iast season by Igor Larionov.

When Larionov bolted to the

Swiss League as a free agent dur- ing the off-season, Bure was con- cerned about losing his longtime idol and fellow countryman.

Semenov’s arrival was or- chestrated by Quinn to maintain the Russian Connection that has such a soothing effect on young Bure.

In Vancouver's company.

In Winnipeg, four’s a crowd. And about to become more con- gested.

Already in this young NHL season Bob Plager has resigned as head coach of St. Louis and Mike Keenan has resigned as general manager in Chicago because of his obsession to get back into coaching.

Will the next commotion be coming out of Winnipeg?

Paddock would have a_ better idea if he’d been privy to the din- ner conversation Saturday night between his boss and his assistant coach.

case, two’s