New-York tribune., 1911-01-01
ATHLETICS AT COLUMBIA
Basketball Squad Ready for
Some Stiff Games.
HOCKEY COACH CONFIDENT
Not Thought That Opposition to
Freshman Swimmers Will
Affect the Blue and White.

Affect the Blue and White.
Columbias winter sports teams will get
down 10 hard work in the coming week,
when the university opens after the two
weeks Christmas recess. Although the
basketball, swimming and hockey teams
have already played a few games of their
respective schedules. the important con-
tests in those branches Of sport have been
arranged for the weeks that are TO come.
The fencing, gymnastic and wrestling
teams will not begin their seasons for
week or two yet and possibly not until
after the midyear examinations, which
come at the end of this month.
Although the basketball squad had lay
off in the first week of the vacation, Harry
Fisher, the coach. had the men hard at
work in the gymnasium all last week. r. V.
Mahon and A. D. Alexander. forward and
centre, respectively, OF last years victori-
Gus five who were unable to report for
practice earlier in the season. were put
through a stiff drill with the varsity team
yesterday. Neither is certain that he will
be able to continue until the end Of the
season, but they Will probably play in most
of the games that are held before the term
examinations begin in the Law School.
With these two players back, Fisher
counts on a team that will duplicate the
work Of the five last season when fourteen
of the fifteen games played were won, the
only contest lost being that with the
alumni five. Jaques, a sophomore, was at
centre in the games preceding the Christ
mas rest, but his work was not up 10 the
standard With the veteran centre back In
the game. however, that position is well
taken care of, while Mahon will probably
fit in with Kiendl in the forward line.
Beginning next Saturday the team Will
play series of five games within two
weeks, four Of them being In the intercol-
legiate championship series. The first is
with Cornell, at Ithaca, and on the follow
ing Wednesday the five will play Prince
ton in New York. Wesleyan will come down
to the Columbia gymnasium on January IA.
and on Tuesday. January II, there is an
other game with Princeton, this time at
Princeton. The final game before the ex-
aminations is on the following Friday, when
the second contest with Cornell will be
held in the Columbia gymnasium. After
that the five will play no games until Feb
JUdTy =, hUtH the 1dTllSle lUuldn uNe Will
como 10 Columbia. The Cornell Princeton
game. however. will be played on the Co
lumbia court on Saturday. January q.
The hockey team, which began its season
by winning successive games in Cleveland
from the Case School OF Applied Science
and Western Reserve. will have It's first
taste OF real intercollegiate hockey this
week, when IT faces Princeton in the open
ing game OF the round for the intercolle-
giate championship. For the first time In
its history the Blue and White seven has
had professional coach, and although the
squad was seriously weakened by the loss
of four Of its best players through ineligi-
bility, Percy lie Seuer. the coach, has built
up a strong defensive combination. AL
though lie Seuer does not hold out any
prospect Of annexing the intercollegiate
championship. he is not backward in say
ing that the team will beat the records of
any of the teams that Columbia has turned
out thus far. No games outside of those
in the intercollegiate series have been
scheduled, but it is expected that a short
trip will be arranged for in February, when
the team will so TO Albany and meet Will
Jams. Rensselaer, Polytechnic and the LOU
don Field Club. This trip has usually been
included in the Columbia schedule.
1t is not believed at Columbia that the
opposition to freshman swimmers on teams
competing in meets for the championship
of the intercollegiate Swimming Associa-
ton will have any effect on the Columbia
team during the present year. It has been
suggested, since the recent Cornell Colum-
bia dual contest, in which Cornell was very
badly beaten, that the rules of the associa-
ton should be changed 80 that first year
men would be ineligible TO represent their
colleges In the water on varsity teams
Even II the opposition should crystalline
and become strong enough TO have the mat
ter brought TO the attention of the league
officials, II Is not likely that anything would
be done In the matter, for as is the case
with other minor intercollegiate associa-
tions, the swimming association follows the
rules of the ]. c. A. A. A A. In regard to
BY these regulations the eligi-
bility rules of the respective colleges deter
mine the eligibility Of the members of
teams. At least this is the way one Colum-
bia man prominent In swimming circles ex-
plains the affair. And II the league should
20 contrary TO the practice Of the /. c. A.
A. A. A." he said yesterday. 'it would be
impossible for the rule to be
put into effect this year, for that is con-
trary to all principles OF law
The Columbia swimmers are not worry
ing very much over the matter, however.
and both the swimming and water polo
teams are practising hard. The swimming
team is weakest in the middle distance
swims and is strong in the plunge and
diving events Several club swimmers have
taken the Individual men In hand and arc
coaching them. c. D. Trubenbach has
coached the water polo team, which Is con-
sidered one of the strongest in the league.
with Pell. Ruthart and Rogow as strong