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Show Ufer. May . W The Daily IMafc CHRONICLE ORT5 3 51 Ice Dogs Dig Hole, Bury Grizzlies Ute Fans- The Cancer Has It's OK, to Spread Indy RICK VAZQUEZ Chronicle Sports Writer Drendoa Wina There were so many bad omens before Wednesday's Utah Grizzlies playoff game, you would have thought it was Friday the 13th. The first omen came during opening warmups, when Utah Grizzlies mascot Grizzbee came flying down from the Delta Center ceiling on a bungee cord at slighdy slower than light speed. He crashed down on the ice with an echoing Chronicle U 'I Sports Writer rc u no you as exciting, as sport and as brutal as football. None. Not soccer, not baseball, not basketball. None, In football. 11 men each have to do their jobs, or a play won't work. If one of the offensive line men takes k easy, the quartcr- back is sacked or the run is stuffed. If a defensive back decides to jog instead of run, wefl. touchdown. If the quarter back decides to take a few plays what-the- tell I'D thud. After the announcer made fun of him for a few seconds, he was carried off the ice, . The sparse crowd 'of 4,163 (a minuscule crowd for a playoff game... another bad omen) didn't seem to care much. The hockey they would watch later in the evening would - not help their enthusiasm. Poor special-team- s play and sev- . know what Happens. off, we all It's called the Mike Fouts syndrome. In basketball three euys can stand outside an offensive while the other two run a 15 least eral barely-misse- d scoring chances were to blame for Utah's defeat at the hands of the Ice Dogs. The loss put Utah in the grim position of being down in their best-of- second-rounseven playoff series against Long Beach. No IHL team has ever dug itself out of so deep a grave, but Utah coach Butch Goring still remains 4-- 1 play pick-and-ro- ll. 3-- In baseball, you have at seconds between each pitch during which you can sit and relax. In soccer, a defender can stand the offense, never and Hatch confident "I was pleased with the effort tonight," Goring said. "We might have a few nails in the coffin, but we're not dead yet" They're mighty dose, though, and if their special teams play doesn't pick up by Friday, it may be time to call the coroner. The unit gave up Grizzlies' power-platwo shorthanded goals, and their penalty-killinunit surrendered a y power-plagoal to open the second period. It's not what you want to see against a Long Beach team that ranked sixth in the IHL in penalty-killinand first on the needing to run downfiekt But in football, it's a different story. On - every play, every snap, you need to go ail out, or the play won't work, lhats what makes the ' sport great. That's why I get exated every year when I hear the announcement that spring football practice is starting. Sure, die practices are in late April and the season does n't stan until late August-earlSeptember, but these practices begin tlic countdown to evening Tlus war, the Utcs look good. Thcu recruits arc all capable of their even but top-she- k lf 1-- 0 m high-stickin- . tynne football is now over. my excitement is just begin- - - ' nine 3-- g players, while returners arc breeding big-pla- v potential before the season ,: best-of-scr- en 4-- or-di- man-advantag- e. c kins. Ad Ted McKinety Fadng off: Utah's Audrey Vasflyev (right) and Long Beach's Mike Matteocci battle for a loose puck during the series 0 and lace a do Grizzlies' 1 loss at the Delta Center last night The Grizz now trail the e Ice on the with Dogs Friday. matchup rocket past the slid break or a slapper from point-blanhuge rebound on Brian Chapman's quick the somehow Grizz would the a defender to slapper from the blue line, Patrik puck ing range, give find its way clear of the net lead. Augusta somehow wristed a shot Ncar . thc end of the second peri- into the net despite begin dragged Utah would make it into the locker-roowith the lead, but not od, a Ravil Yakubov slapper from to the ground by several Utah before Joby Messier was called for the slot ricocheted off of Draper's defenders. "The shorthanded goals arc g at 18:59. The face mask. With just under 10 min Shortly after that, the sparse killing us" Goring said. 'Their Grizzlies would pay for that utes left in the third, Andrey crowd became even smaller. unit outworked our penalty-killin- g mishap, as the Ice Dogs executed a Vasilyev couldn't get his stick on a They outplayed us at every There's no excuse"; power play. scries of three pinpoint-perfe,puck that was just sitting on the position," Bcaupre said. "It was to Like die1 last two games, touch the point of embarrassment for me. passes to open the "second. goal line. started on out contest for Wednesday's It was that type of night The way we played tonight is tough The last pass was a a high note for the Grizz, Chris rocket which ended v to swallow" up on the stick Utah. 3:14 at the scoring face situa- of chances lot widehad opened a "We The Utcs Taylor a tonight. of Mark Fcrricr in front of a in the first He picked up a bounc-tiori on a but Tommy Draper played really Friday, facing open netTTie game, home Game 4 at the Delta Center. ing puck at center ice and streaked On the other end of the ice. Doe . well, Gorine said. r "We blue line. He" in across the have to find a way" to get goaltendcr Tom Draper used a v The goal that seemed, to take all with Ray Whitney, combination of skill and blind luck of the spring out of the Grizzlies' more thari one goal a game, said isolating both of them on one Long to keep Utah off the scoreboard, step came at 2:48 in the third. After Utah defenseman Jeff Sharpies. ' Beach defender. Taylor snapped a Whether it was a" - Utah goalie Don Beaupre gave up a "Wc have to get it done Friday." g dav big-um- Omnku y y becoming 0 d ct cross-creas- fm especially excited about the Lies offensively. The very., accurate Jonathan Crosswhitc is the No. 1 Quarterback, while Chns Fuamatu Ma'afala is back and heavier than ever atari? with Juan Johnson and Omar Bacon in uic backfackt The offensive line is solid. The receivers, with Kevin Dvson. Donnv Uni and e do-or-d- ie 2 1 win-or-go- far-sid- e criss-crosse- ( d : threc-on-tw- o Boo Bcndinger teaming up with Uarucljoncs, could be uic ocst uiat ute fans have seen ' in a ' long while. Defensively, the T It will Kr hettcr, but thc"1ron( line still is for Mill newcomer question: offer is 15 ThewhrV Chrrnrf I fum. He may be the littlest Ute on the roster, but he is bv far the "rat powerful He dclivcn pre- u, powerful enough to Jnock the Behavioral Science buildin? n(T it fnmA is Robert Love, perhaps the wpiosive dcicnder on the hat th n F 15, so he rardy gets beat wn. and then there is Ron McBndcThc coach is back, and foster. Love Winn" r;n m page 10 -- to Chair ChampsCompetition Cabinet selected , the Cabinet are the coprdmationH athletics .and "overseeing 61 the 'selection 'University director Chris Hill as the chair of teams and individuals to NCAA championships as well its of. Championships as the nominees for sports comHill Cabinet 'Competition ' - chairs a committee of 34 people , mittee vacancies. , Another major duly of the that will oversee 81 'annual' Cabinet is gpyernv 22 in sports.'", championships ' ' on Division I committee the ing The Championships T issues. football under Competition Cabinet, 10th as his in now 17 year Hill, Hill's leadership, manages has athletics director, Utah's NCAA committees. Among those are Division I men's and been instrumental in Utah's women's basketball, gymnastics, surge into national prominence. has Softball, baseball, volleyball and During his tenure, Utah women's gym- soccer. Included in the duties of won four NCAA Jias v "The j NCAA of tUtab -- Hill-directe- "' -- I-- A ' 'the-majo- , - -- - d "T- said nasties championshipsand three I new NCAA , structure NCAA 7skiing championships. .illill, a part' member of the" Athletic The Ute football team has been NCAA Division to four bowl games in the last Directors Executive Committee. "I'm excited about the opportuv five years, and the men's basketball team has ' made three nity to make positive changes in' Sweet Sixteen ' appearances, intercollegiate athletics. including this year's Elite Eight ' "It's a chance to oversee all finish. .". the sports and championships in The softball team has gone to the NCAA, which is one ol the College World Scries twice, responsibilities of the and the women's basketball NCAA," Hill said. "It is a large team has made the NCAA assignment, but something I " look forward to. Wr certainly Tournament six times. "I'm looking forward to the ' have many exciting challenges challenge of working within the ahead of us." ' r |