Knute Rockne wasn`t a hockey coach. And George Gipp was never banished to the penalty box: Illinois-Chicago 9, Notre Dame 3. Illinois-Chicago 10, Notre Dame 5.
The ice-skating Irish are trying to elevate the caliber of their play in time for their debut next season in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, but last weekend they were easy pickings for UIC, a sixth-place team, albeit vastly improved, in the CCHA.
The Flame who did the most damage was freshman center Chris MacDonald. MacDonald had two goals and an assist in Friday`s 9-3 rout at the Pavilion and one goal and five assists in Saturday`s 10-5 romp at South Bend for a total of three goals and six assists on the weekend.
That effort earned him CCHA Player of the Week honors and moved him back into the team scoring lead with 36 points, one ahead of senior Rick Judson. MacDonald`s nine-point series was the best by a UIC player this season.
The UIC women`s basketball team lost 84-55 to Northern Illinois and 83-51 to Wisconsin-Green Bay last week to clinch last place in the North Star Conference`s last season of existence. UIC (6-20, 2-10) concludes its regular season Saturday at Loyola`s Alumni Gym before opening and probably closing North Star tournament play March 5 at Northern Illinois.
Illinois-Chicago will play host to the Midwest Independent Swimming and Diving Championships Wednesday through Saturday. Twenty-two men`s and women`s teams from throughout the Midwest, mostly from the Gateway, North Star and Mid-Continent Conferences, will compete.