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Show PAG I E EDITOR 7 Thursday August 30, 2007 Justine Pruitt, PL 586-548- 8 L , X-Coun- try starts season at invite race By JUSTINE PRUITT jpruittsuujournal.com The mens and womens crosscountry team will start the 2007 competitive season Saturday at the Idaho State Invitational in Pocatello, Idaho. The women come back from a building year and aie greatly improved, Eric Houle, crosscountry coach, said. The women are making huge strides, he said. There are three girls who can run a 5:02 mile or faster, which shows the depth and speed of the team, Houle said Some freshman girls to watch would be Steffi Minson from Salem and Joanna Crowther from Payson, Houle said. Junior Sharia Platt will be another one to watch ERIC POOLE Sophomore midfielder Laura Goodrich rockets the ball away with a kick during Tuesday's practice. The womens soccer team lost an exhibition match against FOR THE JOURNAL rivals Weber State Aug. 24. The teams second game is Friday at UVSC. As the begin the season, they are ranked fourth in The Summit League. te n 11 n 1 conference: IPFW, North Dakota State and South Dakota State. The mens side experienced some misfortune this summer when Jess Baumgartner, the No. 1 guy on the team, will no longer compete, Houle said. The mens team is young, with one junior and two sophomoies with the rest freshman, Houle said. Junior Dave Sheeran is expected to lead the team as he finished in third place in the 2006 championships with a time of 26: 12.98, followed by Suu CROSS COUNTRY out for, he said. We have a pretty good slew of girls, he said. We are so deep compared to last year. There are a number freshman who seem to be adjusting and could easily compete in the top three at conference championships with a shot at the title, Houle said. Thats right now, based on last year, he said. We have to wait for the new schools. y competes in The Summit League, which has three new institutionsjoimng the Cross-countr- sophomore teammate Shaun Vernon with a time of 26:14.91. There will be a few freshmen guys that are good and expected to stand out, especially since the team lost the top freshmen to LDS missions and other Houle obligations, said. They could really give us a boost, he said. As the men return this season, n they defend their won title, meaning the y the conference title, the indoor track and field title and the outdoor track and triple-crow- cross-countr- field title. as Returning defending title earns SUU instant respect from the rest of the Houle said. conference, See MEET, Page 8 a JJ V. Womens soccer plays Friday at UVSC By CHRIS BABB against the FOR THE JOURNAL For most, Monday marked a fresh start at SUU, but it seems the womens soccer team is a step ahead. SUU womens coach Brian Stock and the were putting the finishing touches on preparation for the 2007 season Friday. In their exhibition only game this year, SUU fell 1 to a Weber State team, which had two games already in the 4-- books. Stock said his goal into the match was to tactically sound. However, an SUU the opening minutes was called back by an leading remain goal in of play offsides SUU hung tough throughout the first half, managing five shots and limiting fouls to one. lone The goal came in the 32nd minute when junior midfielder Kelsey Buchanan punched in a pass from senior forward Brooklyn Phillips to cut SUUs deficit in half. was The goal Buchanan's first at the division I level. In the second half, Weber State pulled away thanks in pait to eight shots with two goals. Seven SUU fouls and solid ball control by the Wildcats sealed the game for Weber. While we didnt get the result we were looking for, it w'as a learning experience and a test of Stock said. chemistry, With the preseason behind them, attention turns toward UVSC and revenge from a 2 overtime defeat at Thunderbird Soccer Field last year. said Stock the Wolverines are a well rounded team. Theyre solid, no one aspect is great but they do a lot of good things; they have good speed up rout, he said. As for this years have spread expectations ide. league-The Summit League preseason SOCCER I n berth. Led by captains Catherine Johnson, senior forward, and senior Courtney Milligan, midfielder, Stock possesses a balanced team of upper and lower classman missing from post-seaso- his first six years at SUU. Team Analysis Up front, will SUU lean its forwards, heavily on beginning with First-Teamember Phillips along with Johnson, junior Shaley Ipson, and junior Erica Berlin w'ho combined for 49 of SUUs 72 goals in 2006. m See SOCCER, Page 8 MATTHEW SUU cross-countr- of the ds 8-- FOR THE JOURNAL cross-countr- UNIVERSITY JOURNAL practice at Eccles Coliseum. 2 $UU ERIC POOLE mens MONTGOMERY coach Eric Houle instructs members y team during an Aug. 23 and defense stiengths, he said. The Gi 17 lies greatest strength is following through on their plays. Mai shall said dbellsuujournal.com They are leally good at executing their plays, he said. The SUU football team will start its season with an away The strong points are hustling, the teams excitement and game Saturday against the Montana Grizzlies, who had a perfect also the teams chemistry, Meier said. 12-0 and overall. conference maik We also have returning team members eight of len.se and eight Despite the Grizzlies success, the chances of winning arc defense players so we have some good experience," he positive, Wes Meier, SUU football coach, said. said. "The guys have w'orked hard and we've got a shot, he said. Marshall said he considers the team's strong points aie the running backs. They woiked hard through camp and the team is excited. Wes Mai shall, senior quarterback, said the game should They are doing really well. he said. Meier said he is confident about the team this season. go well. I think we We aie doing really well, he said. We are motivated aie going to surprise them, he said. and are very excited to play. Dining the summer, the team had a football camp, which Meier said went well. SUU is also working on improving their weaknesses. It is not Marshall said. typical for a team to come every day and be as motivated as them during the camp, he said. Our biggest problem is the big play; we need to The whole team was excited and motivated during the FOOTBALL improve on that, he said. Meier said his biggest concern is depth in case a stai ter camp, Meier said. We never had a bad practice, he said. becomes injured and cannot be replaced. It really is just mostly depth of not having a lot of bodies being Marshall said he agrees about the success of the camp. It went really well; we had a lot of players come back, Marshall able to come in if someone is injured, he said. will be playing a much tougher schedule, This season, the said of summer camp. Meier said. To prepare for the game, Marshall said he has been reviewing a week are we team thats Every videos, aside from what the team is alieady doing as a whole. plaving I have been See a lot films find to of OPENER, their weaknesses PageS watching trying By DANA BELL Junior kicker Steve Pulver punts the ball out of sophomore receiver Brandon Godfreys hand during Tuesdays practice at the practice field. y begin tough season T-Bir- f poll has SUU ranked fourth in position to lock up the final |