Heritage model celebrates refined, outgoing, Ford F150

Among the anticipated big news items on the upcoming major auto show circuit is the introduction of the all-new 2004 Ford F150 pickup trucks. Very likely, the 2004 Ford truck will be a best-seller, because the Ford F150 has led its class in sales for 25 years, and all vehicles in sales for the past decade or so.
But pickup truck buyers, and particularly Ford pickup truck buyers, have an option. They don’t have to wait. They can stick with the tried and true version of the truck that has dominated the full-size truck marketplace for the past eight years. The flip side of the all-new 2004 F150 is that the new – but already outgoing – 2003 Ford F150 pickup is an example of what can happen if an existing best-seller gets refined and refined further, right up until the replacement shows up. And that may be more than enough for Ford loyalists.
The 2003 Ford F150 Heritage Edition is specially painted to stand out, and to represent the 100th year anniversary of Ford Motor Company. It is appropriate that the F150 have a commemorative model, because the F150 has been the top-selling vehicle in the United States, and therefore the world, for so many years that even FordÂ’s opponents have quit counting.
Consider that for the 2002 model year, just ended, there were 2.3 million full-size pickup trucks sold, and 880,938 of them were Ford F150s. That indicates that the big Fords havenÂ’t lost their allure, but it also indicates that there are some valid challengers out there, from ChevroletÂ’s Silverado (which ranks second with 693,866 sales), Dodge (which was sixth overall in sales with 390,768 and rated tops in a recent Car and Driver comparison of big pickups) and Toyota, which has entered the competition with its excellent Tundra.
Nissan is also ready to spring with a full-size pickup, which will make things even more interesting for 2004. But letÂ’s not get ahead of ourselves.
For now, the F150 is a rugged worker-vehicle that works. It always has been a strong worker, perhaps yielding some points to Chevy in on-road comfort, but settling for a tradition of outworking the competition.
You recall, of course, the days of not too long ago when the only people who bought pickup trucks actually needed them for work, around the farm or the ranch or for heavy-duty hauling. Those days are long gone, because people now buy pickup trucks because of their appeal as a symbol of rugged independence.
For those who still want a no-compromise worker, the 2003 Ford F150 still clears all the hurdles.
The Heritage Edition has all sorts of badges and emblems to make you realize it is celebrating the companyÂ’s centennial year. The test truck had a two-tone paint job, with shiny black on the hood and roof, over dark bergundy on the lower portion of the body.
It also has fancy 17-inch cast aluminum wheels, chrome tubular running boards, a black bedliner for the pickup box, and a chrome grille outline around a black honeycomb grille.
In reality, the Heritage Edition is a specialty version of the SuperCab XLT, but its distinctive Heritage touches will set apart 15,000 F150s, which will be built strictly at the Norfolk, Va., assembly plant.
The SuperCab configuration gives you a small jumpseat behind the front buckets, accessible through rear-opening small doors, which are extra convenient for getting to stuff youÂ’ve stashed in the back seat. But the rear seats arenÂ’t really what you might think of as inhabitable for adults. Kids would have a great time back there, while adults would only survive short hops, with the backrest pretty much bolt upright and precious little knee room.
With the F150s, you can get a base 4.2-liter V6 with 202 horsepower and 252 foot-pounds of torque, but the majority move up to the 4.6-liter Triton V8, a proven, single-overhead-cam engine with 231 horses and 293 foot-pounds of torque. Those who need more power can choose the 5.4-liter Triton V8 with 260 horsepower and 350 foot-pounds of torque.
The biggest V8 can be had in supercharged form, upping the power to 340 or 380 horsepower. At the same time, you select the engine according to what you need it for, such as a payload that can range from 1,440 pounds to 3,150, or from a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds up to 8,800.
The other choice, of course, is what price youÂ’d be willing to pay. You can get a basic Ford F150 for under $20,000, or you can go for the specialty versions and equip them up to nearly double that, at over $36,000. The Heritage Edition takes the pricey SuperCab XLT and tacks an extra $1,200 onto it, sending it onward and upward toward $39,000.
When Ford brought out the current F150 as new in 1996, it had made a major change in suspension systems from the proven “I-Beam,” and rumor has it that the new 2004 model will have independent rear suspension. But there are those who feel more comfortable with the polished and proven version, and the Heritage model fills out Ford’s current specialty vehicle scheme.
While the competitors have closed in from all directions, Ford has tried to hold them off by offering regular cabs, SuperCabs, Styleside and Flareside, and even the SuperCrew full four-door, and the ultra-fancy King Ranch Edition, as well as the hardcore Harley-Davidson SuperCrew. Then thereÂ’s the SVT (Special Vehicle Team) Lightning. Both the Harley and the Lightning get the supercharged versions, and they are built to be screamers, not workers.
The Heritage Edition is meant to show you appreciate FordÂ’s heritage, but still want a worker for a truck. It has full instrumentation, with the cruise control remotes on the steering wheel, and an excellent audio system. That, of course, doesnÂ’t set it apart from other full-size pickups.
The stylish pipe-shaped running board is useful, because the cab in the Heritage Edition is up high on the stout FX-4 suspension, and youÂ’d best be a high-jumper if you think you can hop aboard without the running board.
Once inside, you appreciate what was the most controversial part of the current truck when it was introduced – the aerodynamic nose tapers down steeply, allowing you to have a vast view of the road and all you are approaching. Before that, the F150 was like all the others, with a long, high hood.
We donÂ’t know yet what the 2004 will hold for looks and for visibility. But for those truckers who are impatient, buying the 2003 model and getting the final version of the current model is not a bad alternative.

Nissan dominates Car, Truck of Year list of award finalists

Nissan, the resurgent Japanese auto-maker that has turned loose a flock of new products for 2003, is the big preliminary winner in the International Car of the Year and Truck of the Year competition, providing three of the seven finalists for the two awards, while no other manufacturer had more than one vehicle in the field.
The Car of the Year finalists are the Mini Cooper, the Nissan 350Z, and the Infiniti G35 coupe and sedan, which is also made by Nissan for its upscale affiliate.
Truck of the Year candidates include the Volvo XC-90, the Honda Element, the Nissan Murano, and the Hummer H2. A tie among truck candidates caused four finalists to be named, rather than the traditional three.
A jury of 49 automotive writers from all across the United States voted last fall to establish a list of candidates, then voted again to determine the winners in both car and truck categories. The top vote-getters are named finalists. The winners will be announced Sunday, Jan. 5, 2003, at the Detroit International Auto Show.
While car of the year awards are commonplace nowadays, most of them are done by one organization, or a magazine or newspaper. The International Car of the Year and Truck of the Year awards were started in 1994 by a group of automotive writers, who organized and conducted their own competition – independent of any advertising or specific agenda.
The 49 journalists drive all the candidates and vote for their top choices on a point basis. Each vehicle is judged on design, safety, fuel economy, performance, comfort, handling, assembly quality, technical innovation, driving pleasure and price.
The jury cut the original list down to 12 car nominees and 13 truck candidates, selecting only cars and trucks that are considered “substantially new.” Other cars considered were the BMW 7-series, Honda Accord, Honda Civic Hybrid, Mazda6, Mercedes E-Class, Pontiac Vibe, Saab 9.3, Saturn Ion and Toyota Matrix. Other truck candidates were the Ford Expedition, Honda Pilot, Kia Sorento, Range Rover, Lexus GX470, Lincoln Aviator, Mitsubishi Outlander, Toyota 4-Runner, and Subaru Baja.
In the voting process, I ranked the Mazda6 as my top auto pick. Entirely new, with a sleek look, the Mazda6 is still a family sedan, but it has been redesigned for sporty handling and performance, making it a solid, safe and fun-to-drive vehicle with the efficiency of an attractive sedan and the performance of a sports car.
I voted for the Mini Cooper second, the 350Z and the Toyota Matrix tied for third, with the Infiniti G35 next, and the Mercedes E-Class and Civic Hybrid also getting points.
My winner, obviously, cannot win. Here is a brief overview of the finalists:
MINI COOPER – Built by BMW, the Mini Cooper is a new version of the decades old British econobox, which was armed with a racy Cooper engine in the old days, and comes with a high-tech 4-cylinder under BMWs guidance. It is tight, roomy for four, quick in acceleration and steering, and an absolute joy to drive. At right around $20,000, the front-wheel-drive Mini is a solid candidate. And it’s impossible to drive without a smile on your face.
NISSAN 350Z – The return of the Z-car is a flashy giant-step forward by Nissan, which turned out a superbly styled sports car with luxurious but sporty interior amenities and a sizzling engine, with great suspension as well. The Z is certain to be a big seller at $30,000, and has an excellent chance to win the award, even though its front-engine/rear-drive configuration would make it a handful on snow or ice.
INFINITI G35 – Nissan built a true Japanese answer to the BMW 3-Series sedan by taking the 350Z platform and putting a slick sedan body on it. As a coupe, it is longer, with actual rear-seat room, compared to the 350Z, while the sedan seems like an entirely different car. Both have the same 3.5-liter V6, tuned differently, and both give traction-control a thorough workout on ice and snow, because it, too, is front-engine/rear-drive. In style, comfort, luxury, performance and overall panache, the G35 pair as an entry make a formidable contender.
In the truck competition, I voted for the Volvo XC-90 first, with the Element and Murano tied for second, and the Sorento, Outlander and Range Rover tied a notch behind them, and other points going to the Pilot, Aviator and 4Runner. It was extremely tight competition, with every vehicle – just as it was with the cars – deserving of strong consideration.
Here is an overview of the truck finalists:
VOLVO XC-90 – Quite possibly the safest vehicle ever built for normal consumer purchase, the XC-90 is a $40,000 testimony to the Swedish company’s dedication to safety. Not just a crossover from its livery of station wagons, this one is an actual SUV, beefed up for off-road duty, with comfort, performance and an unwavering devotion to safety. A highly sophisticated anti-spinout device prevents the tendency to roll over, and when a rollover test was conducted with a media audience, it proved so structurally strong that it survived a 4.5-rollover crash test. All four doors still opened and closed, and the airbags and self-tightening harnesses kept all four test dummies safe and secure.
HONDA ELEMENT – A tall, boxy vehicle, the Element is so filled with goodies it is sort of a Swiss Army Knife of active-lifestyle SUVs. Side doors open to leave a pillarless side, and rear seats fold up against the walls to leave room for everything from storing mountain bikes upright to sleeping on the floor. Typical strong and high-tech Honda engine gives the Element plenty of variable-valve-timing punch to perform, while the handling makes you forget how tall it is. A bargain in the $20,000 range.
NISSAN MURANO – At a glance, the Murano looks like an escapee from the futuristic concept-car circuit, with its sweeping front end and silhouette lines that lead to an upswept rear. The $30,000 Murano has all-wheel-drive capabilities, and is powered by Nissan’s superb 3.5-liter V6, plus it has a new continuously variable transmission. Impressive as is all that hardware, the interior is perhaps more impressive, loaded with plush leather and futuristic electronics combined in a state-of-the-art package that does the design studio proud.
HUMMER H2 – The Hummer was perhaps the ultimate combination SUV and Desert Storm warhorse, but it was enormously wide and barely manageable in normal conditions. So General Motors connected with Hummer’s builders and concocted a Hummer look-alike with the underpinnings from a basic GM Tahoe/Suburban SUV, chopped off shorter to fit. The result is an impressive off-roader that is definitely easy to manage on the road, and, at $50,000, it will still stop your neighbors in their tracks.
If there is a surprise, it is that the four Nissan vehicles that comprise the three finalists – because the G35 coupe and sedan are lumped together – all have the same engine, with different settings. It seems surprising that all 49 journalists would vote for all those vehicles higher than what is an extremely competitive field.
More than that, in the later years of the original Z car, there was a two-seater and a bulbous 2-plus-2 version of the same car. ThatÂ’s essentially what the new cars are, with the 350Z as the sports car and the Infiniti version as the stretched, 2-plus-2 G35 coupe. So in reality, two of the three car finalists could be accused of being virtually the same vehicle.
However, it proves how effective Nissan has been in its very busy redesign effort.
If the jury were asked to vote again, on just the finalists, it would be interesting. It might even come out differently. In my case, I would vote the Mini Cooper first, the 350Z second and the G35 twins third – which would be the same order I had those cars in behind the Mazda6 in my official vote.
As for the trucks, my top three are there, so I would obviously vote for the Volvo XC-90 first, the Element and the Murano tied for second, with the Hummer H2 next.
Now, all we can do is be patient, and wait until Sunday, Jan. 5, when the official winners will be named.

Denver scoring woes open WCHA door to CC, North Dakota

SAINT CLOUD, MN. — No team gets through a rugged WCHA season completely injury-free, but a strange thing has happened to the Denver Pioneers. The preseason WCHA favorites lost one of their two goaltenders, and suddenly the Pioneers seemed unable to score enough goals.
If that sounds curious, it also is a fact – unrelated as the two elements of success might be.
Before the season started, all the coaches in the WCHA agreed that defending league champion Denver, and defending NCAA champion Minnesota would be the top two contenders for this seasonÂ’s WCHA crown. So when Minnesota suffered serious injuries to four regular skaters, Gopher coach Don Lucia said that he suspected Denver might build up an early but insurmountable lead.
Denver coach George Gwozdecky undoubtedly would have gone along with that scenario, but his Pioneers have had their own struggle, and they have done more than just leave the door wide open for the rest of the WCHA challengers. As the league broke for the Christmas holidays, the Pioneers find themselves in an 0-3-1 WCHA tailspin, and now must look up at Colorado College, North Dakota and the resilient Gophers.
After a 5-1-2 start, the Pioneers are 5-4-3, exactly the same as upstart Minnesota-Duluth for a fourth-place tie, but in a league where the “loss” column is pivotal, they stand behind Colorado College’s 9-1-2, North Dakota’s 8-1-1 and Minnesota’s 6-2-2.
The superb goaltending tandem of senior Wade Dubielewicz and junior Adam Berkhoel was the primary reason that Denver was everybodyÂ’s favorite to win the title. And it still could happen, certainly. But when Dubielewicz went down with a hamstring strain, no team seemed better prepared to cope with his absence than Denver. Berkhoel stepped in for his first full-time stretch of duty, and the Pioneers beat Alaska-Anchorage 3-1, then whipped Mercyhurst 5-1 and 7-0. No problem, right?
But a pivotal home-and-home series against arch-rival Colorado College came next, and Denver lost 4-3 and 6-2.
That sent the Pioneers to Saint Cloud for their final series before the break. Denver looked properly smooth and polished, and it didn’t seem much of a problem when the Pioneers scored only one goal – by flashy freshman defenseman Brett Skinner – because they made that first-period goal stand up for about an hour. Thanks to Berkhoel’s brilliant goaltending, it appeared the 1-0 lead would remain.
However, Huskies coach Craig Dahl pulled his goalie, Jason Montgomery, and the last-minute attack worked. Colin Peters got the puck to Ryan Malone, and Malone spotted fellow-senior Jon Cullen off to the side of the slot. Cullen scored with 17 seconds remaining to gain a 1-1 tie for the Huskies.
“I saw the puck go from the point to Malone,” said Berkhoel, “then it got through a screen, and I got tripped up as the pass was made.
“The CC games were two games I’d like to have over again,” said Berkhoel. “I didn’t play real good in the first CC game, and the second game was worse. So it was great to get some confidence back. It was nice to get into the game early, but we’ve still got to get a ‘W.’ ”
Gwozdecky was tight-lipped about his deeper feelings perhaps, but he praised Berkhoel. “I thought the game was a heck of a battle, and Adam Berkhoel was tremendous,” said Gwozdecky. “St. Cloud came on in the second half of the game, and we gave them too much space and time. Adam was the difference between us getting a tie and losing.
“We are having more difficulty scoring than I thought we’d have,” Gwozdecky added. “I’m not sure why that is. But we’re gong through a little period where a lot of guys are not playing with a lot of confidence. We’re not reading the ice, we’re not shooting, and we’re feeling not as good as we could with our offensive game. Against Mercyhurst, we had 60 shots, and 39 Grade-A scoring chances, with five goals.
“Friday against CC, we were sloppy. Saturday we were much better, and in the first 10 minutes we had four 2-on-1s and a 9-1 edge in shots, and of the nine, five were great scoring chances, but it was 0-0. They got a simple little shot by Peter Sejna from 25 feet, and they had the lead.
“Like in anything, when you’re not doing well in one area, you’ve got to make sure you’re doing the other things.”
The next night, the Pioneers found the net and held leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 4-3. But the persistent Huskies came back to torment Berkhoel, who was starting his seventh consecutive game. The Huskies turned their big first line loose, and Cullen completed a hat trick with his third goal gaining a 4-4 tie, and Ryan Malone broke in to score for a 5-4 lead with 5:02 left. Malone then hit an empty net for his third goal of the night, and the two hat tricks gave St. Cloud an improbable 6-4 triumph.
The Saturday Denver goals were scored by defenseman Aaron McKenzie and forwards J.J. Hartmann, Jeff Drummond and Gabe Gauthier, which means nobody on the top two lines in that game scored a goal all weekend. First-liners Connor James and Kevin Doell lead the team with 11 and 8 goals, respectively, but they were silent against the Huskies.
Berkhoel enjoyed the chance to play a lot, and in the seven straight starts he gave up three goals in four of the games, but also was dented for 15 goals in the other three.
“I like to play, but personally, I know we’re a better team with Wade playing in front of me and me coming in the second game,” Berkhoel added.
At that, Berkhoel still has glowing statistics, with an 8-3-2 record, a 2.13 goals-against mark and a .904 save percentage. Gwozdecky remains fully confident in his goaltending; itÂ’s the rest of the team that has aroused his concern.
“I expect we’ll come out out of it,” said Gwozdecky. “After St. Cloud, we have a 10-day break, then we come back against New Hampshire, Miami and Clarkson in the Denver Cup.”
By then, Dubielewicz should also be back in the rotation – so the Pioneers can start scoring and winning again.

(John Gilbert has covered the WCHA for 35 years. He has just published a book, “Return to Gold Country,” about last year’s Minnesota NCAA championship run. It is available by return mail at 1-800-678-7006, and he can be reached by e-mail at jgilbert@duluth.com.)

Lengthening age should earn respect, for cars and people

The excitement and anticipation for new creations in the automotive world can make us quick to dismiss what brought us to this point, early in the 21st century. ItÂ’s interesting to pause, every once in a while, and look back. Go back to the first recollection you have of ever riding in a car. What was it? Was it trouble-free? Was it trusty and dependable?
Younger, newer drivers may think cars always have been shiny, flashy, powerful and loaded with cupholder and navigation systems. But how about if you were older – I mean, really old? What if you could go back in memory a full century?
There is a parallel, because in our society, we seem to treat our elderly people a lot like we treat our old cars. There are a few that are thoroughly restored to classic condition and maintained well forever, but a lot of others get sold, in the case of cars, or put away in nursing homes, in the case of people, where both can become somebody elseÂ’s responsibility and we can get on with our modern, contemporary lives.
My first memory of a car was a 1941 Plymouth, two-door. My parents were already in their 40s when I was born, and it was our family car. It was white, as I recall, but it might have been a pale shade of something close to white. I remember scant details about it because I was an infant, but I remember the grille, a wide expanse of wing-shaped chrome bars. About the time I was capable of knowing what was happening in the world, we had traded that 1941 Plymouth for a 1946 Dodge, a used car, to be sure, but a new car to us. It was light green, a four-door, with those rear-opening “suicide” doors.
I’ll never forget my first “thrill ride,” because it was totally unexpected. My dad was driving the Dodge down a Duluth hill, fourth avenue west to second street, as I recall. I was sitting in the right front, where I always loved to sit, and it was in the days long before seatbelts were even thought of. They weren’t even used in race cars at the time. My dad turned left, and as we reached the apex of the turn, my door flew open. And I flew out.
We werenÂ’t going very fast, but it would have been extremely painful, maybe even fatal. Amazingly, my dad, incapacitated as he was with one lung removed from an ailment he got working at the steel plant during
World War II, reverted to his greatest athletic instinctive reactions. Without taking his left hand off the wheel, he lunged across the wide front seat and caught my left wrist. He gave a quick yank, and after an instantaneous two-point landing when my knees hit the pavement, I bounced right back inside and landed in my seat.
I closed the door, and I always wondered if any pedestrians or other motorists saw it, what they must have thought.
A few years later, we traded the green ’46 Dodge for a 1951 DeSoto – black, four doors, sleek lines, and fluid drive. It, took, was used, but it was new and luxurious to us. My dad, Wally Gilbert, and my mom, Mary, weren’t what you’d call car fanatics, but they admired the DeSoto. After my dad died in 1958, I was wise enough to start helping her decide on what cars to buy. There was a 1955 Chevrolet, three-speed stick, in which I learned to drive and took my license test. Then a 1960 Volkswagen Beetle, brand new, with a sunroof and a gas heater. After that, a 1963 Rambler American.
I had just gone from college to the newspaper business when I talked her into buying herself a 1966 Volvo, 122S. Great car. Very safe, very substantial. I felt good, knowing she would be as safe as she could be, driving that car. She kept driving it, not many miles, but often, as she grew older. She was sort of shrinking in size, too, and it got to the point she was looking ahead at the road by looking under the top rim of the steering wheel.
She had a minor accident, then another, and we realized she shouldnÂ’t be driving any more. We joked about it, and her sense of humor was always wonderful. I accused her of driving by ear, going straight until she hit something, then changing vectors. We tried to watch over her, but it was a major cause for concern, with her living in the country.
My family frequently took my mom on trips, either up the North Shore, or down to visit us living in the Twin Cities. Once we went to Florida in a small motor home, and had a million laughs. She loved the new cars I always drove for test-drive evaluations, and she always wanted to ride along.
In later years, she fell and broke her hip. She forced herself to recover and returned home to her beloved Lakewood hillside. Then she broke her other hip, and she was headed for nursing home care. Carlton, first, then Lakeshore Lutheran. Both offer fantastic care, with devoted, sensitive staffs. She could walk a little, then less, then it was wheelchair confinement. Not nearly as neat as the Volvo, which we had taken for our older son, Jack. But it was nowhere near as durable as my mom; while the motor was fine and the transmission perfect, the bottom of the trunk and some of the floor had disintegrated from rust, and we had to send it off to a junkyard.
My mom stayed alert, although her hearing went. Then an accident during cataract surgery blinded her in one eye, and doctors refused to operate on the other eye because of that. So her vision in the good eye slowly dimmed, and finally went to black. Amazingly, her hearing returned somewhat after her vision went away, one of those miracles of humans, and a blessing because she loved music so much. Because she also enjoyed seeing beautiful things so much, I tried to explain in detail what each day was like.
It was more and more difficult to get her to talk at length. But she could take me back to the West End, to the Lincoln Park area where she was born in 1903 and grew up. Her brother Clarence, who was born exactly one year before her, had the first car in the neighborhood and loved working on it. A Model A, I think. Her father, a veterinarian, went by horse-drawn carriage to make his needed rounds. WeÂ’re talking 1910 to 1920 here, hard to comprehend even for someone of middle-age now. She recalled vividly a time when a white horse in his care got loose and wound up on the front porch of their home at 2326 W. 2nd St.
She and her sister, Isabel, would take the trolley downtown, or the train out to the familyÂ’s farm near McGregor in the summertime. She would take the train to Chicago in the early years, when my dad was playing third base for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and she would see him when the Dodgers played the Cubs. Sometimes she would take her sister, and they always would have fantastic adventures.
The most notorious was when they drove off from Duluth for Chicago, and drove and drove, two beautiful young women, laughing and enjoying life to the fullest. When they got to the outskirts of Chicago they stopped and asked for directions. A friendly man paused, then informed them: “My dear young ladies, you are not in Chicago. You are in Des Moines, Iowa.”
Her images were vivid, and her storytelling was great, even though she had trouble remembering what she had for lunch an hour before. Or even if she had lunch. A couple of times in the last three years, attendants were certain she was going to die imminently. But each time she would rally and return to some sort of normalcy. “We call her the Energizer Bunny,’ ” one attendant told me. “She just keeps on going.”
I would tell her every time I had to drive to the Twin Cities for an event, or function, and IÂ’d tell her what kind of car I was driving. Invariably, she said she wanted to go to. Just to go along for the ride. In the last year, though, her fragile body could only go for a brief ride outside in the wheelchair, to catch some fresh air blowing in off Lake Superior.
LaVonne, the night nurse at Lakeshore Lutheran told me how my mom would correct her if she ever mispronounced a word, and how she was not offended, but admired that, because she appreciated being able to listen and absorb the benefit of the wisdom of the old people she deals with every day. ThatÂ’s why sheÂ’s so good at her job.
I was glad that both our sons, Jack and Jeff, had visited in recent weeks, when she could respond to them. But this past week was a tough one for the Gilbert family. Mom faltered, and faded. I was there every day, and my sister Patt came often and stayed long. Mom kept clinging to life the way she would cling to my finger, and purse her lips when I kissed her, and form part of a smile when IÂ’d put my cheek next to hers for a hug. Then she lost the ability to swallow. She couldnÂ’t swallow any water, or food until I got her to eat some special cranberry-blackberry sauce my wife, Joan, had made. And I coaxed her to eat a final dinner on Thursday of last week.
The last half-dozen times I hugged her, I told her directly that it would be OK for her to relax and go, and that she had nothing to worry about when it came to leaving this world behind. God would see to it that she would rejoin her beloved Walter after 44 years, and she would see again her mother and father, and her brothers Clarence and Jack, and her sister Isabel. And I assured her that even then, she would also be with me, every minute of every day for the rest of my life.
Maybe that helped her. I hope so. Late last Saturday night, she drew her last breath peacefully and was gone. A century of history died with her, but her spirit is still here. I see it in the stars, and I feel it in the sudden north wind that caught me by surprise during a predawn walk out the driveway to the Lakewood Road on Sunday morning. All those years, from trolley cars, horse carriages and her brother’s Model A, to train-rides, all our family cars and her Volvo driving adventures remain. As does her wish to always go with me – with the mandatory admonition “Don’t drive too fast, now” – whenever I test-drive a slick new car.

Quest for WCHA victories frustrates rebuilding Seawolves

John Hill established an impressive resume as long-term assistant coach to Don Lucia, at both Colorado College and Minnesota. Hill already has his rebuilding program underway at Alaska-Anchorage, but the second year has been more trying than the first for his youthful team.
After tying and losing at Minnesota-Duluth, Alaska-Anchorage stands at 0-7-3 in the WCHA and 1-9-4 overall. That trip to Minnesota-Duluth offered evidence of the struggle.
The Seawolves, who opened the season with a 4-2 victory over Alaska-Fairbanks, had seen their six-game unbeaten streak against UMD end earlier in the season when the Bulldogs came to Anchorage and won 3-2 before the teams played a 2-2 tie in the rematch.
All four goals the Seawolves scored in Duluth were scored by freshmen – Morgan Roach, Brent McMann and Curtis Glencross in the 3-3 first game, and by defenseman Matt Hanson in the 5-1 second-game loss. When the Seawolves lost and tied UMD in their earlier series, all four games also were scored by freshmen. That may mean good things lie ahead, but it doesn’t overcome the futility of not winning right now.
The return series at Duluth might have been just the tonic, and, sure enough, the Seawolves hit the DECC ice flying. An early penalty didnÂ’t dissuade them, and when UMD was penalized, Roach scored with a goal-mouth pass on the power play for a 1-0 Alaska-Anchorage lead in the first period of the first game.
Late in the opening period, McMann blocked the puck free and took off on a breakaway, outsprinting the hustling defense and firing a shot past UMDÂ’s flashy freshman goaltender, Isaac Reichmuth, for a 2-0 lead.
“We’ve got a lot of young guys,” said Hill. “We had eight freshmen in the lineup, four of whom were defensemen. They’ve brought a lot of energy to our team, but there also is no question that Kevin Reiter’s play in goal has been the big reason our scores are close to competitive.”
UMDÂ’s coaches had been concerned that their players had been competitive with everybody so far, and even though theyÂ’re rebuilding themselves, they might actually be unready for the Seawolves. That concern proved valid, but the message got through, loud and clear in the second period.
Brett Hammond slammed in a Luke Stauffacher feed to get UMD up to 2-1, then two goals 19 seconds apart late in the period vaulted the Bulldogs to a 3-2 lead. Marco Peluso scored at 16:00 at the crease, and Junior Lessard scored at 16:19, as UMD outshot the visitors 13-4 in the middle period.
“We had another 2-0 lead,” said Hill, “and our guys were really high. Then after two periods, suddenly we’re behind 3-2 and the mood in our room was as if we’d already lost.”
It was time for Hill to make a key decision.
“We’ve had such a tough go, that I knew our guys don’t feel very good about themselves,” Hill said. “You can say all you want about players being leaders, but sometimes coaches have to provide the leadership. Our guys needed a lift, and I tried to do that.”
Hill stressed the positives. One period to go, the score was only 3-2. There was still a minute to kill of an overlapping penalty, but then one goal would tie the game.
The third period started, and UMD was all over the Seawolves, peppering Reiter. But, sure enough, UMD was penalized for too many men on the ice at 7:41, and less than a minute into the power play Glencross scored from the slot.
The Bulldogs stormed back, outshooting the Seawolves 17-5 for the third period, but junior goalie Reiter stopped all 17, and the game went to overtime. More of the same. UMD had three shots in the OT, and the Seawolves had none. But the game ended 3-3, despite UMD holding a whopping 41-17 edge in shots.
Hill was relieved, pleased and disappointed, all at the same time.
“Maybe Duluth is down because they had the lead and we got the tie,” said Hill. “But they can’t be faulted. They got 40-plus shots. Sometimes you’ve got to give your opponent some credit.”
His Seawolves seemed to play with confidence in the first period, and, after the second-period lapse, they handled the puck well again in the third.
It didnÂ’t last through the next night, as UMD started fast and won 5-1, with freshman defenseman Hanson scoring the Seawolves goal at 4:47 of the second period, but only after UMD already had three goals on the board.
“We’ve learned that you’ve got to rely on your teammates,” said Hill. “You’ve got to be responsible yourself, and you have to play with pride and believe in yourselves.
“But we need to get a win. We got our fourth tie here, but we haven’t won a game since opening night.”

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• About the Author

  John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
  
  For those who want to keep up with John Gilbert's view of sports, mainly hockey with a Minnesota slant, click on the following:
  
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• Exhaust Notes:

  PADDLING
  More and more cars are offering steering-wheel paddles to allow drivers manual control over automatic or CVT transmissions. A good idea might be to standardize them. Most allow upshifting by pulling on the right-side paddle and downshifting with the left. But a recent road-test of the new Porsche Panamera, the paddles for the slick PDK direct-sequential gearbox were counter-intuitive -- both the right or left thumb paddles could upshift or downshift, but pushing on either one would upshift, and pulling back on either paddle downshifted. I enjoy using paddles, but I spent the full week trying not to downshift when I wanted to upshift. A little simple standardization would alleviate the problem.
  
  

  SPEAKING OF PADDLES
  The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution has the best paddle system, and Infiniti has made the best mainstream copy of that system for the new Q50, and other sporty models. And why not? It's simply the best. In both, the paddles are long, slender magnesium strips, affixed to the steering column rather than the steering wheel. Pull on the right paddle and upshift, pull on the left and downshift. The beauty is that while needing to upshift in a tight curve might cause a driver to lose the steering wheel paddle for an instant, but having the paddles long, and fixed, means no matter how hard the steering wheel is cranked, reaching anywhere on the right puts the upshift paddle on your fingertips.
  
  

  TIRES MAKE CONTACT
  Even in snow-country, a few stubborn old-school drivers want to stick with rear-wheel drive, but the vast majority realize the clear superiority of front-wheel drive. Going to all-wheel drive, naturally, is the all-out best. But the majority of drivers facing icy roadways complain about traction for going, stopping and steering with all configurations. They overlook the simple but total influence of having the right tires can make. There are several companies that make good all-season or snow tires, but there are precious few that are exceptional. The Bridgestone Blizzak continues to be the best=known and most popular, but in places like Duluth, MN., where scaling 10-12 blocks of 20-30 degree hills is a daily challenge, my favorite is the Nokian WR. Made without compromising tread compound, the Nokians maintain their flexibility no matter how cold it gets, so they stick, even on icy streets, and can turn a skittish car into a winter-beater.