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Show /port/ B4 MONDAY-OCTOBER 10-2005 ranee Yanks enter playoffs right where they want to be How do the New York Yankees keep doing this? It seems like they were 15 games out of first just over a week ago. Once again, they've defied logic to somehow overcome an insurmountable lead and win the American League East. But then again, overcoming early-season mediocrity is just what they do. The month of April was a lot of this: "Did you hear about the pin-stripes?" "What's going on with the Yankees?" "America's team is terrible!" It's almost as if all their marathon seasons are scripted episodes of early season drama and championship endings, and if you were asking the same questions, you have yet figure out the routine. I guess the adage is true, how you end a season is far more important than how you begin one. Yankee fans are just glad they finally pulled it together; although you know they all feel as if they've been painfully teased like some starved mouse looking up at a fresh block of elevated cheese. Experience is valuable, but perhaps for no better reason than knowing exactly when it's essential to turn it on. The Dodgers turned it on in April by winning 12 of their first 14 games (over five months from the playoffs). LA quickly crumbled and New York did exactly the opposite. Why? Because they know the smell of October (who cares what spring smells like). They know what it takes to get there. There's no doubt George Steinbrenner was at times sweating a hurricane during the April through June slump; but my guess is, Derek Jeter, Randy Johnson and Joe Torre were as cool as the other side of the pillow. They've been there too many flippin' times. And maybe they didrr't take the off-season as seriously as they were supposed to, or perhaps the effort just wasn't there because they knew they could afford to take it easy. Whatever the reason, New York opens up against the Anaheim Angels (yes, I'm still calling them that) in the first round of the playoffs, with the Boston Red Sox (who owned the AL East top spot for most of the season) just lucky to squeak in as a wild card draw. It's cunning deception, and though New York may not win it all, you can't help but respect the consistent winning attitude of this historic organization. However, last year's utter meltdown against the Sox was evidence that the Yanks are anything but unbeatable. I heard the Vegas odds of letting a 3-0 series lead actually slip like that was something in the See RANT-B5 Chad Clark/NctXNews UVSC Hockey is in its first year and is already bringing in big crowds. Overshadowed athletics Extra love, extra commitment, extramural title back in 2001 after going 9-0 in their championship tournament held in Kansas City that year. Men's soccer did the same thing two years later in their own year-ending tournament, earning the crown after the University of Illinois (whom they lost in the final game) was later declared ineligible for using professional players. Lacrosse went into the 2003 season ranked Morgan Vance Sports Editor S omewhere at UVSC, in-between the Thursday night intramural flag football player, and the recruited, NCAA bound blue chip, is another kind of athlete. One who doesn't compete leisurely, or on the other end, for the stardom or financial backing others might receive to help them. It's called extramurals, where the commitment is just as intense and the competition just as real. Where they represent their school, but where scholarships don't exist. And though press may be hard to come by and despite the fact many students here are blind to the fact it even exists, the UVSC extramural program has been highly successful. "I think it starts with the fact that a majority of our teams have solid coaching," said third-year director of the program. Bo Earls. "We have full-time teachers and professionals that have been coaching here five and ten years in some cases; and now that we're paying them a little bit, there's a lot more accountability from them and the teams are just doing exceptionally well." Exceptional might very well be an understatement. Volleyball claimed a national unnoticed to the general body of the school these various teams represent. And many others seem to be unaware of what extramurals really are. "In the past, it's been like well, they're better than clubs, but they're not athletics and nobody really knows them. But most of them are going to the regional and national tournaments," Earls said. Though considered infe- "Mfe'rf be the logical choice to be the next Division I team here. If we wentD-1 tomorrow, we'd be highly competitve, probably one of the better teams in the western United States/' Connor Valentine UVSC Men's Soccer Coach as the pre-season #1 by the rior to NCAA status, those United States Intercollegiate . involved will all tell you that Lacrosse Association. Last extramurals has acted as a year the team finished sec- consistent pipeline for proond overall, only to lose to grams at the next level. Earls the top program (the Univer- was quick to point to this consity of San Diego) in their fi- nection. nal contest. The Rodeo team "We're a club system, kind even produced a saddleback of like the minor leagues. Our national champion in Lance golf team for example is the Sagers back in 2003, and has minor leagues for our division been ranked #1 various times one program here," he said. themselves. Along with women's soccer, But despite recent accom- extramural golf was eventuplishment, much of it has gone ally propelled to division one status because of all its success. Extramural officials and current coach/advisor Tom Rasmussen ultimately decided to keep the program at the extramural level as well because it was already in place and functioning so efficiently. Women's soccer is clearly another example of a program that quickly made this transition, finishing 9-7-1 in their initial NCAA season. Men's soccer coach Connor Valentine agrees his program would easily be capable of making a similar move. "We'd be the logical choice to be the next division one team here," Valentine said. "If we went D-l tomorrow, we'd be highly competitive, probably one of the better teams in the western United States." This season they're currently 10-1-1, including recording their first ever victory over Weber St., a program with a reputation of being highly competitive themselves. The program here has nearly a 20-year history, but has really established a name for itself in the past few years. In 2004, they were one of the favorites going into the national tournament after losing only twice that whole year; but unlike '03, came up short. "It was a complete Cinderella," said Valentine, referring back to the team's magical See EXTRAMURALS-B4 Women's Soccer suffers tough loss to Utah State Phillip Morgan Sports Writer As the old saying goes, "Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades." For the UVSC soccer team, that proved true in their 2-1 home loss to in-state rival Utah State on Wednesday afternoon. "We're still looking for a complete 90-minute game this year," said UVSC head coach Justin Wagar. "87 minutes just doesn't cut it. We didn't come and play with the same heart that we need here at this school." The Wolverines got off to a quick start, dominating offensively and firing the first six shots (two on goal). The early attack, lead to a quick advantage as junior midfielder Courtney Robbins displayed superb dribbling before centering the ball to freshman midfielder Meagan Berrett who took the pass and pounded it into the back of the net. "It was good to see Megan get her first goal," said Wagar. "That was definitely the high point for us." The Aggies didn't let UVSC get too high coming back just three minutes later with a corner kick. Senior Rachelle Dixon gathered a rebound and beat UVSC goalkeeper Tasha Bell to even the score Y-BOII y/. dock Uloh Hole 10/10 @ 6 p.m. at one. The game remained tied as the horn sounded ending the first half. Back and forth, each team took its shots in the second. The best chance for the Wolverines came on a breakaway by senior captain Carolyn Theurer. But Theurer's shot sailed just over the crossbar after Utah State goalkeeper Lisa Willardson nicely punched the ball out of bounds. "In the last five minute of the game we were playing for overtime," Wagar said. "Playing for a tie can cost you, because teams get their chances." The Aggie's chance came in the 89th minute as freshman Lacey Christenson directed a perfectly placed ball into the top left corner of the net from 25 yards out; just out of Bell's reach. "They're just as hungry for a road win as we are," Wagar said. "Playing an in-state rival we can't let up, even for a few minutes." UVSC and Utah State are the only two teams to play all the other five D-I schools in the state. The Wolverine's in-state record falls to 1-4, while Utah State's improved to 1-3-1. Each team's sole victory came against Southern Utah. The Wolverines have seven games remaining with a possible 8th and 9th if they win the conference tournament. To achieve the team goal of a 10-win season UVSC must win soon and often. "That is a goal that the girls set on Monday," said Wagar. "We are 3-7, and we know that we have a long ways to go, but it's still not out of reach. I guess time will tell if we can match our expectations." After a quick trip to Reno, Nevada to take on the Wolf Pack, the Wolverines return home to host another in-state rival Dixie State on Oct. 14, followed by the Warriors of the University of Hawaii. men*/ Joccer v/. U. of Colorado 3 on 3 B-ltall 10/12 @ 5:30 p.m. @ Rice Eccle/ 10/15 @ 8 o.m. -2 p.m. + RJU/. Rapid/@ 7:30 p.m. Visit us online atwww.netxnews.net a '•rJSv'J'JM.w Send stoi^iaeas to siraggs86@hotman.eom |