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Show OCTOBER. 18, 2000. WASATCH COUNTY COURIER THE SPORTS GUY! Local Hockey § tar New Look Jazz Ready to Go Making Goud: year, Finally, the Jazz added the mustard _to this big, juicy stadium dog. In a trade that sent Eisley to Dallas Keefe received 69 to Golden forward ‘ ‘ | have produced hockey stars, Utah probably doesn’t come to mind. After all, Wasatch County © isn’t exactly a hotbed for budding NHL superstars. However, young Lars Nielson, a Next year, Nielson is hoping- to make the jump to Canada and compete in the Junior Hockey League—a step up from where he’s at now and an | incubator for future pro fessional hockey players. “‘T’ve talked to a few scouts about State, Donyell play is heating up in the NFL, and the Marshall from the Warriors. Marshall World Series is about to get started in averaged 14 points and ten rebounds last year for Golden State, and should step in right away. with a positive Major League Baseball. hen you think of areas that To be honest, [ could probably sit in front of my television the entire month impact. of October and be a happy man—as The only problem with this batch OL long as someone was supplying me tailgating chili is Utah’s competition. with Dr. Pepper and a few bags of M & The NBA’s Western Conference M’s. might be the best conference in 1 the But man cannot five on football and history of sports. junk food alone. The Los Angeles Lakers, last No, it takes much more than just a year’s world champions, return a few flying pigskins and frozen pizzas host of talented players including to make the avid Kobe Bryant and sports fan happy. Shaquille O’Neal. You see, while Trying to unseat many football and Los Angeles will be guard Howard Fisley oa baseball fans have Portland who. been — surgically Trailblazers, Utah leave opted to attached to their have had a very lazy-boys, the busy off season in TO TION Adam Utah — { } and inone of the better amateur leagues i in the country. Teams like the Lakers and Trailblazers will have.a tough time exploiting the off guard position like they did last ts a great time of year to be a sports fan. _ Conference battles are under: way in college football, regular season now he’s 64 second- line far dare Waray RUSS RIGGS SPORTS EDITOR RUSS RIGGS . ‘SPORTS EDITOR Try} T | j —A13 Although pint microwave —~popcorn waiting to be ~ devoured during this week’s _ Monday Night Football, the Utah Jazz await center stage in local ath- letics. The the Jazz landed a few big name free agents that should — make quitean impact this winter In addition to staples Scottie Pippen, Rasheed Wallace, and Steve Smith, Portland acquired journeyman power forward Shawn Kemp. keep If Kemp can his weight problem under control, the Blazers might be impossible to beat. Jazz ; If those teams have many Utah sports fans cite. don’t make you salivate, then feast noise this year, and not because of the youre eyes upon some other franchisbad batch of nachos eaten = t week at. -es in this buffet called ‘the Western the football game. Conference. For the first time in many years, ~ Tim Duncan, perhaps the es Utah has had an extremely busy off- power forward in the game today, season. Although point guard Howard Eisley opted to leave Utah in favor of Dallas for some strange reason, the returns from an injury that kept him Jazz landed a few big name free agents sidelined a year ago. He and the rest of the San Antonio Spurs should make > the race for the Midwest division an that should make quite an impact this. exciting one. winter. Utah started by drafting | young and spotty defense Seattle Supersonics agen this year’s draft. the best athlete uniform, but his shooting ability long-time Knick Patrick Ewing, and, with a rejuvenated Vin Baker and the always intense Gary Payton, should be quite talented. Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett, Sacramento’s Chris Webber and will have to be Pheonix’s Jason Kidd are among=the DeShawn Stevenson—who could turn out to be the steal of Stevenson could be ever to wear a Jazz questionable outside The addressed. - most talented young stars in the NBA Next Utah grabbed free agent today. All three teams should be specDanny-Manning, who was once one of tacular. And, with side dishes like the better players in the league before Dallas, Houston, and Denver, any taker | having multiple knee surgeries. At an will come away from the dinner table agile 610, Manning could provide loosening his belt. some offense in the low post and give If nothing else, the 2000-01 version Karl Malone a much-needed rest. durof the Utah Jazz will be competitive and ‘ing the long regular season. have a much different flavor than in However, the Jazz didn’t stop there. year’s past. If savvy veterans Malone Like Saturday’s frozen burrito reeking and John Stockton along with Bryon havoc on your unsettled stomach, Utah. Russell can gel with the many newfelt a bit queasy about the off guard comers, this might be a year to rememposition left vacant by Jeff Hornacek’s ber. retirement. Shooting guard John More importantly, it gives us sports Starks was then signed, and should fit fans 82 additional reasons to plop in > nicely into what the Jazz are trying to front of the television and bust open a do. Starks is a bigger, more physical soda. defender than Hornacek and can still Thank goodness ae adjustable — light things up from beyond the arc. belts. Nielson is currently competing in Indiana, Pennsylvania for the Indiana Thunder—a Junior City Hockey team. The Thunder are members of the Continental Hockey Association, a league that lets the best 17-21 year old hockey players in the country go head-to-head. They are off to a 10-0 start, and Nielson currently ranks 20th in scor- “They told me that I need to improve my leg strength—and if I do that then _ maybe I can go to Japan and play pro to start out with.” Nielson enjoys everything about the tough, physical sport of hockey. He’s injured his back, elbow, knee, and had several concussions—and wouldn’t have it any other way. “I like the speed, skill, checking, start playing pOekey until a — of and fighting. But as many checks as I throw, I take twice as many,” he said. years ago. “I would ice skate, then — “I’ve gotten in a fight or two and I’ve held my own. I’ve won a couple and ing—not bad for someone who didn’t always — ro wed - of some strange reason, their own right. | about two years ago I got into a league = ‘lost a couple, but sometimes a fight can turn around a game.” and started improving,” Nielson said. While with the Thunder Nielson “I played two years in the Utah Winter practices every day, sometimes Games and we won a1 bronze medal doing on-ice drills and other times ~ my first year.” working in the weight room and runAlthough the Utah Winter Games ‘ning. All of this practice will pay-off gave Nielson a great start, the compe- tition isn’t exactly what he’s facing with the Thunder. © | “In the Utah Winter Games dae wouldn’t be one team we couldn’t have | beaten by 20 goals,” he said. “We’re averaging 10 goals a game right now, and we’ve won the championship three out of the last four years.” After competing in the games, Nielson was invited to a hockey scout camp in Denver where he competed ~ against 30 players from 11 different states. At a wiry 5°10 and 145 pounds, he used his speed and toughness to impress scouts and was invited to try Out for the Thunder. Nielson accepted the offer and paid someday, he hopes, and get him a shot at the national Hockey League—every young hockey player’s dream. “I don’t want to just — in the NHL, but I want to play for years. It would be a let down to play just two games,” he said. For now, however, Nielson is content with improving his skills in Indiana,-Pennsylvania. The Junior Hockey League in Canada? Someday. The NHL? Well, let’s just say he’s young and has plenty of time. | “I need to get faster, gain . eee and catch a few lucky breaks—and sleepy city of hope Indiana. Coaches were impressed, and said. his own way to the SPORTS that somebody likes me,” he er Yh bag for CALENDER Wednesday, Oct. 18th Volleyball at Union, 6:30 p.m Cross Country at Sugar House , 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19th Football vs. Lehi, 7:00 p.m. rn next of Dallas } rest of the NBA teams have begun fall camp. _ Not unlike the — in favor . [ | | } | Utah Jazz and the playing Junior League Hockey, but it’s terribly hard to make it,” he said. | tale of Heber City, wants to change all that. | |