Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Regional scene: DU women claim opener in soccer

The Rocky

Published August 23, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

Text size  

More More Sports

More stories »

Columbine High School graduate Mariah Johnston and Rocky Mountain High School graduate Kelli Breid enbach scored goals to spark the University of Denver women's soccer team to a 3-1 victory Friday against New Mexico in its season opener at Pioneer Field.

Pioneers coach Jeff Hooker recorded his 200th career victory, all at DU. Hooker has a 200-85-29 mark in 16 seasons.

"It's a good start to the season," Hooker said. "In first games, you can play inconsistently, but in this one I thought we played solid defense and had creative playmaking. I was pleased by the way we played."

TIGERS ROLL Emily Beans and Sydney Fetter scored goals to power Colorado College to a 3-1 season-opening win against Oklahoma at Stewart Field in Colorado Springs.

"For not having played any scrimmages, I'm really happy with the intensity we showed (Friday)," said Tigers coach Geoff Bennett. "It's the first time in a while that we've played as a complete team, and it's nice to see everything we've been doing in practice translate into a game. Oklahoma is a good team and is going to win a lot of games, so we're very pleased."

BUFFS DRAW Smoky Hill High School graduate Ameera Abdullah scored in the 13th minute to help 20th-ranked Florida record a season-opening 1-1 tie against the University of Colorado at Prentup Field in Boulder.

Silver Creek High School graduate Kate Russell scored the lone Buffaloes goal in the ninth minute.

"Our defense was definitely good," said CU senior captain Michelle Wenino. "We are just getting used to each other and how some of the new girls play."

COWGIRLS LOSE DEBUT Ralston Valley High School graduate Jamie Scarcliff made nine saves, but Wyoming lost its season-opener 3-0 against Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, Mich.

"They were more prepared than we were," said Cowgirls coach Danny Sanchez on his Wyoming debut after moving from Metro State.

BEARS PICKED TO FALTER The Northern Colorado men's and women's cross-country teams were each picked to finish last in the Big Sky Conference this fall, according to a poll of league coaches. Northern Arizona was picked to win both league titles.

OUTLAWS SEEK TITLE The Denver Outlaws have reached the Final Four again.

They hope to walk away with a Major League Lacrosse title by the end of the weekend.

The Outlaws face the Los Angeles Riptide in one MLL playoff semifinal at 1 p.m. MDT today at Harvard Stadium in Boston.

The winner advances to the MLL championship game at 11 a.m. MDT Sunday against either the Rochester Rattlers or the Philadelphia Barrage.

SKY SOX STUMBLE Delwyn Young and Chin-lung Hu each recorded three hits to spark the Las Vegas 51s to a 12-0 win against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in a Pacific Coast League game at Security Service Field.

VETERANS GAMES Fourteen Colorado veterans are participating in the National Veterans Golden Age Games in Indianapolis this weekend.

The group is made up of Olle Daniels (Aurora), Charles Smith (Aurora), Jerome Springs (Aurora), Ronald Jones (Aurora), Joseph Maes (Brighton), Wayne Field (Colorado Springs), Arthur Steed (Denver), Willie Mayfield (Denver), Thomas Vialpando (Denver), James McDonough (Denver), Stephen Ham (Evergreen), Emma Folnsbee (Grand Junction), Eric Rosenquist (Grand Junction) and Mikel Marty (Lakewood).

FAZEKAS PLOTS MOVE Ralston Valley High School graduate Nick Fazekas said he learned how to adjust to the speed of the game in his first season in the NBA. He also learned that professional basketball is a business.

The 23-year-old power forward has bounced from one place to the next in the past year, playing with Tulsa's D-League team as well as the Dallas Mavericks - who drafted him in the second round - and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Fazekas said several teams have shown interest in him and that he could soon work out for the San Antonio Spurs.

Fazekas might take a look at playing overseas if the NBA doesn't come calling.

"If I had to go to Europe, it's not the end of the world," Fazekas said to the Reno (Nev.) Gazette-Journal. "You can look at it as a positive. You would get a chance to experience a whole new country and get a whole different culture. But my goal has always been to play in the NBA, so that is what I am focused on."