By CHRISTY BARBEE NEW YORK (AP) — When the University of Evansville lost its entire basketball squad in a plane crash last week, it dropped out of. com- tition for the season, reaved, without trying te rebuild the team. But professional teams, feeding from a_ vast supply of waiting talent, have contingency plans for rebuilding their ranks when several or ali players are killed or incapacitated. . Spokes- men for the professional leagues knock on wood and swallow hard when asked to explain haw a team goes on in the face of disaster. The National Football League, the organization that brought you the complicated playof formula, relies on a highly-structured Practice makes perfect Larry Robinson is one hockey player whe firmly believes in the adage that practice makes perfect. The rangy Montreal defenceman, who admits he's been having trouble finding the net with his shots recently, was on target Wednesday night... scoring twice—includir the Owinkidr Lo agith>+ a seconds left in the game—as the Canadiens overcame a third-period rally by Toronto and defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2 in a National Hockey League game. “It’s Shout the first time that I've hit the net in four months,” Robinson said. “But I've heen practising my shot lately and I guess it paid Thefinal-minute heroics sent the 16,485 in attendance at Maple Leaf Gardens home | shakin their heads in disbelief, for Toronto: had fought back from a_ two-goal deficit to tie the game at 13:35 of the final period and appeared headed for their second consecutive 2-2 tie athome againat the Canadiens. However; Rohinson hud other ideas. After 4 mble by the Montreal fenceman backfired and resulted in Darryl Sittler's tying goul, he atoned for his misluke hy firing from the blueline and watching us his shot doflected off Leal defenceman Randy Carlyle’s stick ani pust a helpless Mike Paimuleer in the Toronte goal snapping the Leals un- beaten string al seven. LANDS SOLID CHECK With Lanny McDonald moving up the = right boards, Robinson had moved over and landed a solid check which sent the Laaf winger lo the ice. However, the move also left Sittfer in the open and the ‘Toronto captain picked up the loose puck and sent a slapshot. mish Montreal netminder Ken Dryden fram the edge of the faceoff circle. In other games, Los Angeles Kings, walloped Minnesota North Stark & 1, New York Rangers und Washinglon Capilals ted 55, Boston Bruins beal Colorado Rockies 64, Buffalo Sabres downed Detrott Real Wings § dund Chicago Rlack Hawks dumpul St, Louis Mues 6 iy Robinson incentive added to score Wednesday. Barlier in the alny, he had visited the son of Canadiens geowt Doug: Robingon ina Toroulo hiepilat. “DE gol the goala for Jimny Hobinson," be Hueel ‘Soviet said. “Jimmy's in the hospilal recovering from an operation he had about 18 weeks ago. [ went to see him in the hospital: today and I told him as I was leaving that I'd try to get a goal for him.” Roger Neilson said he felt a mi conduc to’ “till-sHit_. dé argued too strenuously with referee Bob Myer that Monitreal’s Pierre Mondou had tripped him, may have cost his club a tie. “Borje's going to have to learn to control his feelings or else he’s going { penalty. to,cost.us games, He may +: aall-slig. détenceman,. well have cost-us,this oq: Borje *~;Salming, - who : vee tonight.!:': Jets rocket to top By TUE CANADIAN PRESS Winnipeg Jets = are climbing steadily toward the top of the World Hockey Association standings. “We had a litile dry spell for about 12 games, but we had a total team effort out there tonight,” said Jets left winger Bobby Hull, who scored his 25th goal of the season Wednesday night on a second-period power play to help Winnipeg heal Houston Acros 4-3. The win moved the Jets to within four points af first-place New England: Whalers, idle Wed- , nesday. In other gumes, Ed- monton Qilers whigped a Union all-star squad 5-2 while Bir- mingham Bulls blanked the © Czechoslovakian national Bo team’ 5-6. Results of games in- volving the two louring Kuropean clubs count‘in the WHA standings. “We're back in the hunt," said coach Larry Hillman, whose Jets now have won six games in a” row after dropping five straight. They took a 4-2 lend in the first. period on pouls by Dove Kryskow, An- ders Itedherg and Bill Lesuk, while Morris Lukowich and Terry Ruskewski scored for Houston. Cam Connor tied the score in the second period before Hull notched his gamewinner. SCORES THREE GOALS Juha Widing scored three goals and added an assist lo Ab DeMarco’s power- play goal gave the Gilers a 1-0 lead in the opening period, Brent Callighen made it 2-0 midway through the second period with Widing assisting and Widing = stored sed - monton's final three goals. The Soviel Union now has a 2-3 mark against WHA teams. Two goals by Ken Linseman sparked Birmingham's five-goal blitz in the second period. After a scoreless first period, the Bulls scored our times wilhin seven minutes of the middle session and added a Filth jusl 23 seconds before the end of the period. Paul Henderson, Peler Marrin and Phil Roberto got the other Bir. mingham goals as the Bulls handed ihe Czechoslovaks (heir sixth defeat in eight games, . They have tied one other contest. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1977 7:00 p.m. CFTK.TY,.CH3, oe i} ace Edmonton. - Despite disaster, team carries on disaster plan under which an aggneved team can restock itself from other teams in the league, take additional draft choices or draw from inactive lists, depending on the circumstances. Under the NFL plan, if a team loses fewer than 15 players, the remaining squad must play out the season but choice of all league players on waivers and on inactive rosters until it reaches its own 43-man active limit. BASED ON RECORD In addition, if the number of players lost is more than five but less than 15, the team’s choosing. position in, the:- next,regular- player, draft isv based. ‘on’ .its. wdn-lost record in post-disaster games. But if .15 or more players die or can no onger play, the com- missioner can take the team out of action, as well as the standings, for the rest of the season. If the accident occurs - during the pre-season, the team would be per- mitted to replace each of the veterans fost plus its first, second, and third- round draft choices who were denied ihe op- portunily to play because of thei season’s abrupt ending. That means if 15 veterans and all the team's’ four. lop draft choices were lost, then the leam would be en- tilled to acquire 18, not 15, replacements. But if the roan, tragedy ets first d occurs after the team has trimmed to the 43-man limit, the team would be rebuilt according to a stocking plan much like the formula used in creating the expansion Tampa Bay and Seatile teams, selecting one player from each. other team according to the previous year's draft or- er. NBA PLAN SIMILAR - The National Basketball Association operates a similar plan, lowing any team losing seven or more players to choose one replacement from every other league team. Each of the sur- viving teams is allowed to protect. five of its players-—that: is, .it :may- designate those players it does not wish to lose to the rebuilding team. If the disaster team has lost more than four but less than seven players, it can protect seven players. When the loss is our players or less, the team is “on its own," said NBA spokesman Matt Winick and must rebuild with free agents and straight trades. As with the NFL, the damaged team's position in the college draft is based on its wonlost record after the tragedy. Each NBA team gets $400,000 in compensation - for the player it gives another team. That money, from indemnity — in- surance, is a flat com- pensation figure anti does not alter with the con- tract value of the player. Woe . 98, Christmas season shines wiltit seroray wou! peace and fooe forall mankind, Have a ver ste and: happy hold. Us bee a pleasure i rreeen 635-5576 which comes’ CORTINA D'AM- PEZZO, Italy (AP)Italy’s Herbert Plank, stung by Austrian criticism of his triumph in Val Gardena on Sunday, posted his second World Cup downhill win in four days Thursday and dealt the Austrians another stunning defeat. The 23-year-old Italian took a commanding lead in the World Cup downhill Sports FIGHT TALKS BEGIN TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Negotiations for a world heavyweight boxing championship. fight between Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton here in September are under way, but no final agreement has been reached, Iranian sources said Thursday. Ohb- servers doubt Iran will put up the $12 million Ali Ss demanded. PLAYERS TRADED HOUSTON (AP) Housten Rockets of the National Basketball Association have acquired Alonzo Bradley from Indiana Pacers in exchange for Ron Behagen, who was ob- tained only last week from Atlanta Hawks, the club has announced. MANAGER SIGNS LONDON (Reuter) — Ronnie Allen, manager of English League First Division soccer club.West Bromwich Albion, said Thursday he has ac- cepted the job as manager of Saudi Arabia's national team. He signed a 16-month contract worth a reported $200,000. RANKED NO. | LONDON ...{AP). — ‘Biorn. Borg .and Chris. Evert are rated: the top~ male and female tennis layers of 1977 by Lance ingay of The Daily Telegraph. Guillermo Vilas and Jimmy Con- nors, and Virginia Wade pe fas Tonight THE HERALD, Friday, December 23, 1977, PAGE 3 World cup — downhill win standings with 70 points although he is second to slalom specialist Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden in the over-all standings. Plank covered ithe 3,350-metre Tofana course in this Dolomite resort in one minute, 50.99 seconds. Swiss veteran Bernhard Russi took second place in 1:51.13. and Billy Jean King, are ranked second and third among the men and women. TRAIL, B.C. (CP) — University of British Columbia Thunderbirds defeated Trail Smoke Eaters of the Western International Hockey league 6-3 Wednesday in an exhibition hockey game. . Peter Moyis and Frank Gorringe each scored twice for UBC, which led 2-1 at the end of the first period and 5-3 at the end of the second. Terry Shy- kora and Doug Tot- tenham added singles. Bob Whitlock, Doug Buhr and Dan McCarthy scored for Trail. UBC outshot Trail 32-29 and the teams split eight minors. WINS MATCH MELBOURNE (AP) — Topseeded Vitas Gerulaitis of the United States breezed into the second round of the $200,000 Australian Open tennis tournament Thursday, but defending champion Roscoe Tanner was upset by little-known Chris Lewis of New Zealand in five sets. PLANS TO RETIRE DALLAS ,. offensive tackle “ Ralph Neely, 34, said Thursday he will retire at the end of the. National Football League season. The 13- year veleran cited age as his reason for quiting. _ DALLAS, (AP)... Veteran Dallas Cowboys’ Franz Klammer, the Olympic champion, slumped to eighth place in- 1:52.19, Peter Wirnsherger, 19, was once again fastest Austrian, taking third place in 1:51.24. Ken Read of Calgary lost about a second when he missed a turn and placed ninth in 1:52.21 and Steve Podborski fin- ished 19th in 1:53.15. Plank's win in the Val. Gardena downhill had been criticized by the Austrians. SOUGHT AN INQUIRY Austrian team director Udo Abi demanded an official examination of the timing system while Italian team direvtor Mario Cotelli said tix. Austrian team was a “‘poor loser.’” As a team, however, the Austrians did well. Thursday, placing five: skiers in the top eight. Klaus Eberhard was: fourth in 1:51.61, Bartl. Gensbichler fifth in 1:51.81 and Werner Griss-. mann seventh in 1:52.17. Another Swiss, Erwin: Josi, took sixth place in. 1:51.82. t Read, who is in 16th” place in the World Cup: standings, said he could : have done better if the: track had been harder. : “E missed one tum. badly going into a fast. section. You want to be” tight by the gate holding a . clean edge into the turn. — “T got partly into the: turn, leaned slightly and -, skidded. As soon as you: skid you lose time and.. speed. Coming out of it 1). had to set up wide for the ” next gate. It cost me + about a second. Other-= wise it was a reasona run.” . : pe ak ‘i The Canadian men’s’ team will skip World Cup “ races in early January. ~ Its next race will be a downhill in Wengen, -. Switzerland, Jan. 14. e ee 2