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®portWaterloo **You better believe it‘s a great feeling, maybe these guys don‘t have the talent of other teams we‘ve had, but none can match the spirit of this one â€" and that sure makes up for the last two (losing) years," said Nickelchok, who was as deâ€" serving as any of some reward for the effort he has put forth during his career. While Longpre was the manâ€"ofâ€"theâ€"hour in the zany zoo that was the UW dressing room, none felt better about the victory than thirdâ€"year goalie Rick Nickelchok. » Michael Longpre was the scoring hero with three goals, while others went to Don Langiois, Mark Gray, John Verâ€" meer, Randy Swanson and Randy Neal. Brian Schnurr had one of the four Western goals, the first one of the third which led to early finakperiod nervousness throughout the stands. * R ‘"It was sort of like the U.S. â€" Czech game last night (Thursday‘s 7â€"3 U.S. upset)," said Warriorâ€"rookie John Whalen, an instrumental force in Warriors success this year. We just never stopped for a minute, worked hard in the corners and never let down." Sunny South scene of turnaround Rick Nickelichok By Rick Campbell Chronicle Sports Editor The seeds of Waterloo hockey Warriors success story this year were not planted in any arena last September. s According to one of their most improved defencemen this year, the Warrior turâ€" naround came on the beaches in Florida about six months earlier. ‘‘*We had missed the playoffs for the second straight time and we had all gone through a bad year," said defenceman Randy Neal midst the chaos of Warriors dressing room Friâ€" day ‘after they clinched the sixth and final playoff berth with an 8â€"4 win over Wesâ€" tern. ‘*A bunch of us were down in Florida and just deâ€" cided that we had had enâ€" ough losing and that this year we were réally going to make a go of it." 514 : As the thirdâ€"year Neal pointed out, perhaps Warâ€" riors veterans were moâ€" tivated more by the proâ€" pects of seeing increased ice time this time around. ‘‘*You look around the room, most of the vets exâ€" cept for a couple rode the bench the last two years and we knew we wanted to make the most of our chances this year, :: _>, : But while the improved play of> the returning players, efilally along the blueline ( Azzola,. Ted Kewley, Neal) has been an influencing force, the unaniâ€" mous feeling around Warâ€" riors dressing room Friday was that the incoming rooâ€" kies and their brash attitude of taking on all comers reâ€" gardless of reputation has taken up many chapters of the success story. ‘**Guys like Harpo . (Don Langlois), we looked to them immediately to proâ€" vide the leadership, but it was the rookies and the new spirit that they brought with them that made the difâ€" ference," said veteran (o;fiue Rick Nickelchok. "This team has just kept coming back all year long. it‘s a tremendous feeling after the last two years to be in the &hyofls with such an enthusiastic club." Secondâ€"year Arts student Waterloo Chronicle, Wednesday, February 20, 1980 â€" Page 9 John Whalen is a perfect exâ€" ample of the ‘"new"" Warâ€" riors. In his first season with the club, he is near the top of the list in scoring working with club leader Langlois and has scored many key goals in addition to patrolling right wing faithfully. **When you think of it, this team has been fighting for a playoff spot since the Christmas break, every game was of utmost imporâ€" tance even though we knew it would finally boil:â€"down to this game,"" said Whalen. "We figured we‘d have to win three of our last four to make it and that‘s what we did. We‘re where we are today bocausoxrgm down to the 19th guy on this club, Chronicle Sports Line 886â€"2830 ‘"Actually@we‘d prefer to play Mac since they‘re not as freeâ€"wheeling as some others," assessed Neal. ‘"But they‘re big and they hit hard, it should be a very good matchup."" * Finishing sixth, Warriors go _ up against the third place McMaster Marlins in a suddenâ€"death quarterâ€"final tonight in Hamilton: But the fact that the Hamilton school finished 10 points up on Waterloo did not seem to faze any Waterloo player, and really it shouldn‘t since in two meetings this year, Mac eked out a narrow 3â€"1 win in Waterloo and Warâ€" riors rallied to tie 4â€"4 in Haâ€" milton. everyone worked so hard."