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Show Sports The College Times MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2007 Kenneth Dolezsar (1957-2007) 'When I found out I said, 'Lot's pul hockey aside. He was more than a hockey coach. Ho was a dad, a brother, a friend andjg mentor. Head coach Matt Beau "Ho did more for anyone and he did it for the players on the team but he was there for guys outside the team as well." DJ Strader, hockey team member for three yei "Ho always took the time to ask how you were doing, and it didn't matter whaf it was. Whether hockey, school, girls or whatei ho was there for you." ___^_ , ~ . ,.., Forward David Wyr "Ho was the rock and the base of what we did. Without Coach Dolezsar we wouldn't even have a team. He was one of the I people I met in Utah and he helped me adjust when I got here . . . we lost a big part of this team." K H WK The Adkins File Baby steps, not rocket launch, in Wolverines's future _ Winning something A* r Mesa State no match in season opener Matt Beaudin Assistant Sports editor There's nothing like a season opener, especially when it turns into a dominant win. The women's basketball team had an easy go in its first game of the season with a 94-58 win against Mesa State. The Wolverines were paced by an offensive attack that saw five players score in double figures including 19 points from guard Sandy Marvin, who continues to shoot the ball well from the perimeter. Utah Valley also got 17 points from junior Robyn Fairbanks in the post. The inside-out threat of the Wolverines has dominated opponents early this season. On Saturday, Utah Valley played Cal State Fullerton. and continued to impress wii-ran 89-63 win. In both games, the continued theme was the impressive offensive contributions from Sports writer See COLUMN. B6 - , » jmWr Captain Eric Bowman I N M E M O R I A M Jason Adkins It wasn't a national championship, but a trophy was on the line. And the women's soccer team didn't mute its excitement at taking the United Soccer Conference championship. The title, which to outsiders probably means little, means everything to a team that doesn't have any other venue to play. And guess what? The Wolverines will only get better in doing more than just defend a title. With a roster that had no seniors and included 12 freshman, it's amazing that Utah Valley did as well as it did. Not counting blowout losses to a couple of NCAA tournament regulars, the team was in virtually every other match. Unfortunately, several games were lost due to goals scored by the opposing team in the last 10 minutes. "Coming from a high school or club soccer background, they didn't know how much work they needed to put in," said coach Brent Anderson. While the team struggled for most of the year, it was the simple things that caused them the most problems. The forwards played well as a unit. And so did the midfielders and the defense. Communication between the units, especially during transition play, was the biggest breakdown during matches. Learning to trust your teammates in defense and knowing their range was a constant issue during the year. "They were trying to find out who was going to be a leader," Anderson said. Luckily, the Wolverines came together at the end. "One of the biggest things we developed is a stronger mentality," Anderson said. If the players can anticipate each other's play better, which can only be solved by practice, the whole team has the goods to deliver. Another year of experience will add much to the squad. Don't look for a dramatic turnaround though. A more realistic expectation is closer losses to teams like Utah or UNLV. Even a 4-1 loss would look better than losing 5-0. Plus winning two or three of against teams they lost by a goal this season would bump the record to a 5-13-1 record to potentially a game or two under .500. Why couldn't the record improve? The real question is why shouldn't the team w See WOMEN'S BASKETBALL • B€ First win finally comes for men But turnovers prove costly in two losses Jason Adkins Sports writer In a first half that saw Longwood dominate possession, a rare offensive opportunity for the Wolverines turned into the first goal of the game when junior Jenni Clough put the ball in the back of the net off of Taryn Smith's shot that narrowly missed its target Longwood answered back near the end of the half as Lauren Trizna floated a free kick over the head of goalkeeper Mallory Schott to tie the score at 1-1. The Wolverines wasted no time in the second half, taking the lead back for good. Katey Turner, who has been battling a knee injury and wearing a bulky knee brace, started the second half and scored in the first minute for Utah Valley. "It was very fitting for her to score that goal," Anderson said. "The team was ready to go after that." Turner's goal seemed to be a momentum shifter for A 1-2 record isn't unexpected for Utah Valley men's basketball team. Especially since the team could have gone 3-0 or 0-3 in the Wolverines first three games, all on the road. Turnovers were the key as Utah Valley committed 28 in a one-point loss to Boise State, 17 in a loss to No. 11 Marquette and 20 in its first win versus Arkansas State. It's been a team effort in the error department as no one player is committing most of the mistakes. But helping the team along despite the miscues is successfully competing on the boards, with its offensive rebounds standing out. Of Jordan Brady*s 15 rebounds against Boise State, seven were from offensive boards. Joe Walker's 13 rebounds led the team in the win against Arkansas State. Ryan Toolson is carrying the Wolverines in scoring, averaging 23 points in the first three games. Depth, though, has to be a concern; as not many players are putting in points. Six players scored against Arkansas State and Boise State, with seven contributing points against Marquette. As the team comes home for two next week, an easier schedule gives the bench a See SOCCER. B6 Sec MEN'S BASKETBALL. B7 Ken Hoglund/UV athletics Utah Valley womenis soccer team celebrate the teamfs first United Soccer Conference Championship. The team beat Longwood 3-2 at home in the Conference tournament final lost week. Revenge to go with a championship despite going 6-13-1 on the season Utah Valley won its conference tournament Matt Beaudin Assistant Spons editor Throw out the record and schedule the parade for the United Soccer Champion Utah Valley State Wolverines. In a tough-fought game last week, the Wolverines knocked off the Lancers of Longwood 3-2 in the championship match to avenge the team's only conference loss. "We know what we've done and the hours we've put in," coach Brent Anderson said. "To end the season this way is a great reward for us." Freshman Andi Bagdan's goal in the 73rd minute turned out to be the difference maker when Alex Myers of Longwood scored in the 87th minute to cut the lead to one. In a run-the-clock-out situation, Utah Valley was able to fend off the Lancers in the last three minutes of regulation and escape with the win. |