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Show Bl MONDAY •SEPTEMBER 12-2005 vet nee Bring on the spirit I understand there's a point in time where even beating a dead horse with a 3-iron gets old, but if you'll indulge me for the next few minutes of your life, don't mind if I address the attendance issue again here at UVSC. Now let it be clearly understood that I don't work for the Athletic Department, nor has Mike Jacobson ever invited me over for Sunday dinner (though I'd clearly accept if he were to do so). I just work; and as I work I observe. And as I observe, I tend to make some assumptions that usually prove to be accurate. At part of the volleyball team's season opener against nationally recognized Kansas the other day, I was painfully reminded of a question I've had ever since I began attending this school. Where are they? And when I say "they," I really mean "you," and the hundreds of others you rub shoulders with in the Hall of Flags everyday. I mean, this issue has been ongoing, and minus a few exceptions (one in which I'll mention here in a bit) attendance at Wolverine sporting events has been next to sad; we'll go ahead and call it depressing* People likd, me have tried 'diagnosing"'possible reasons for the mass absence for years now, but chaotic speculation I've decided is no longer worth my time. If you want to give it a shot and get back to me with a possible answer to the mystery, knock yourself out. But in the meantime, let me whirl some of my own logic around (however whacked out it may be). Just as Lavell Edwards Stadium was near full capacity Saturday for BYU football's season opener against Boston College, you would think our own Activity Center would have been close to the same; or at least possess the potential to fill up in a similar way. Even the Cougars lady's soccer team managed to draw 2,700 for an evening Labor Day contest with Utah State for crying out loud. Now this is against everything I believe in, but let's go ahead and throw some simple math around here for a second. The Activity Center holds a seating capacity of 2,000 people. And this isn't to discredit the 303 that actually were in representation that day, but how much are we really asking folks, to come out and lend their support? BYU drew 58,000 for their football game at an average ticket cost of $23. Though it's not really fair to draw any comparisons between the two sports, UVSC was hoping to lull 2,000 at a ticket price free to all students. UVSC in 2004 had over 24,000 registered. That means if just between 8-9 percent of the student body were actually at the Kansas match, the Activities Center would have been a semitruck loud, green and gold See RANT-B2 Sports Desk (801) 863-8603 In need of a little heart UVSC women's soccer falls to the Wildcats and Utes as they start their fourth season as a program Phillip Morgan Sports Writer For a program entering its fourth year, excitement was high as the UVSC women's soccer team hosted Weber State on August 26. "It doesn't come very often when you have an opportunity to play an in-state rival on your home field as your season-opener," said new head coach Justin Wagar. Unfortunately for the Wolverines, their first contest of the year was stolen by the Wildcats, 1-0, on August 26. "To have the ability and the chance to beat them in front of the home crowd for the first time ever, and not to take advantage of it, is hard on our team," Wagar said. "I'm very frustrated right now and the girls are too." Both sides played tentatively and somewhat unevenly to start the game. UVSC controlled the middle part of the field, but possession didn't translate into scoring opportunities for the Wolverines, who failed to even record a shot on goal in the first half. Thanks to sophomore goalkeeper Tasha Bell who had four spectacular saves, the Wolverines were fortunate to be in a scoreless tie at the half. "We're disappointed in our first 50 minutes of play/' Wagar said. "We didn't come to play with heart early." It was only after Wildcat's forward Natalie Ellis scored the game's lone goal in the 56th minute off a pinpoint pass from midfielder Shelli Gough, that the Wolverines put up a fight. "We fought back great when we went down 1-0. We fought like we needed to the whole game," Wagar said. "We need to find a way to get these girls to fight before we get down to these teams." It was a reminder of the Wolverines' exhibition season against BYU. There, UVSC went down 2-0 early to the Cougars, but then mounted a strong charge to put them back on their heels a bit. "If we can find a way to come out from the start of games and play with heart, then we'll be successful this season," Wagar said. The Wolverines will host another in-state rival, Southern Utah, this Saturday at 2 p.m. S Chad Clark/NetXNews Senior Carolyn Theurer goes up to try and regain control of the ball. Below left: Brooke Roberts (#7) and Megan Berrett (#12); below right: Jenni Wright (#11) Utah UVSC couldn't handle the pre-season Mountain West Conference favorite, Utah in Salt Lake City, losing 3-0. Only trailing by only a goal after the 1st half, the Ute's Jen Christoffers finished up with scores in both the 40th and 73rd minutes to seal the victory. "We're getting better," said Justin Wagar in regards to his team's effort. "We did a better job playing the entire game; I can't complain about the effort." SI On Campus to be distributed at UVSC Beginning September 15, Sports Illustrated On Campus hits UVSC. The school has been one of 150 colleges nationwide selected to receive a free distribution of the new magazine for the upcoming school year, dedicated solely to college athletics and the sports interests of college students. Through a unique partnership with NIRSA {the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association), the offshoot magazine of Sports Illustrated will be offered at no cost to students. You'll find it placed on newsstands in the studentcenter. "Being able to work with NIRSA's impressive list of Member Institutions presents a great opportunity for us to further increase awareness of the SI On Campus brand, while directly delivering the magazine into the hands of a million college students across the country," said Dave Morris, the magazine's publisher. It will be distributed to schools in 48 states, and some of the articles will be written by college students. "Being able to team up the mass participation and engagement of collegiate recreational sports programs and facilities with arguably the most recognizable name in sports print media is a Courtesy Photo/SI On Campus perfect match, and sets the groundwork for a long term relationship," said UVSC has been selected as one of 150 schools to receive Sports Illustrated On Campus, starting September 15th. NIRSA President Mike Deluca. on deck Soccer vs. Volleyball v#. 9/17 @ 2 p.m. I 4:30 p.m. Owlz hoot their way back Phillip Morgan Sports Writer When something happens for five years in a row it becomes tradition... But when it doesn't look like that tradition will last, there becomes emptiness inside. For the Orem Owlz, the thought of not making the playoffs this year after doing so every year since moving to Utah Co. from Helena in 2000, was a different experience for Orem Manager Tom Kotchman. "The worst possible baseball we could play," Kotchman called it after his team was swept by Billings on the weekend of July 22 falling five games out of first. However, it was at that moment the team began turning things around. Orem put together a five-game winning streak (longest of the year) winning 10 of their next 12 games, including some improbable wins; one of those a 1-0 victory against rival Ogden last week on a gamewinning RBI double by Dallas Morris in the top of the ninth. Another involved a 12-run inning in an extra inning game the Owlz won handily 16-4. And in the final home stand of the season, it was a pair of Mark Trumbo home runs and timely hitting from the Owlz offense that propelled the club to clinch a spot in the Pioneer League playoffs. But for most of the summer, this looked like the year the team's playoff streak may come to a crash and burn. The Owlz didn't resemble a playoff contender any more than this year's Kansas City Royals. Orem finished in third place (out of four teams See 0 W L Z - B 2 I Utah Valley 9/16-9/17 Send story ideas.to srniggs86@hotmail.com |