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Show Monday, October 16,2006 THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE The one that got away Tony Pizza The Daily Utah Chronicle KIM PETERSON/77»e£toi/r Utah Chwmclt Kathryn Loveil digs the ball in the Utes' 3-0 victory against UVSC on Oct. 10. The Utes rallied to beat Wyoming 3-2 on Saturday, extending their win streak to 15 games. Utes rally to buck Cowgirls Real Salt Lake had hopes that its season finale against Chivas USA would be its chance to clinch the first playoff spot hi the franchise's brief existence. Instead, an RSL team with little to play for settled for a 1-1 draw. The team found out before Sunday*s game even started that it wouldn't matter either way. RSL's season did not end, however, without a heroic effort from the Houston Dynamo first. With RSL's season slowly dying away before its eyes, Houston did the best it could at playing the part of a paramedic. For more times in a 90-minute span than any RSL player would care to count, it looked as if Houston was going to actually resuscitate RSL's season. In the end, Colorado was able to clinch the West's final playoff spot with a 3-3 draw against Houston—but RSL's chances lasted even until the final minutes. Houston took leads in the first, 43rd and 73rd minutes, but ask any person associated with Real Salt Lake and he or she will point to the three times one of the best players in MLS, Dwayne De Rosario, came dangerously close to stretching Houston's lead to even greater margins. Nine times out of 10, De Rosario does not miss two of his open looks Saturday night. Unfortunately for RSL, all De Rosario's shots did was scare the far post as much as any soccer ball has ever frightened a soccer goal before. To the Rapids' credit, they never let * their deficit swell greater than one goal, *. Every time Houston scored, Colorado ^ answered. Although Colorado's final two goals were far from spectacular-^ with one coming on an own goal and the other coming off a weird pin-balling fie?quence of headers—the ball only needs to cross the goal line, which it did eve^ry time Houston went on top. Colorado's goal in the 88th minute from midfielder^ Jacob Peterson allowed the Rapids catch Houston for the last, and mos£*g important, time. With the tie, Colorado;?/* ensured itself of nothing less than a tlfr^ with RSL; and because Colorado vranty the season series between the two teams/*.£•.; the Rapids earned the tiebreaker and playoff spot for the fifth year in a row. It is possible that RSL will have a hdtfl'5 time forgetting all the chances it gave tijg; late in the season. As it turns out, a win, ;c^ in any of its last games before the Chivas .f;i match would have put RSUs destiny in.*;its own hands. That would be the pes-;'-*i simistic way of thinking about the sea- :.yi son. The optimistic way would be for ^ RSL to know that it was able to turn its. ^' season around and make it down to the *;"[ last game of the season with a shot at the, * \ playoffs, a scenario that didn't look pos- ,A sible at the midpoint of the season. -:.:; In the offseason, it will likely take a-.|LJ dose of both optimistic and pessimistic • brands of medicine before RSL is able. ' to put 2006 behind itself and eventually • adopt a popular sentiment: Wait till nest;-; p : year. : tpizza@chronicle.utah.edu -i jumping out to an 8-4 lead. It wasn't just one person that The Utes responded, though, stepped up. Everyone on the showing their perseverance team was responsible for the Webster defines persever- once again as they tied the victory." The Utah offense struggled ance as "steady or continued game at 13, then took a fouraction or belief despite diffi- point lead later in the game, to find a rhythm throughout culties or setbacks." The No. 20-16. Utah protected that the-contest, hitting a season[2 U volleyball team fit that four-point lead for the rest low .189 in the match. But description to a T last week- of the bout and sealed the the defense picked up the end, overcoming a 2-0 deficit game—officially tying the slack, holding the Cowgirls to tally a come-from-behind match at two games apiece— to a mere .155. on yet another Robison kill. win over Wyoming. "Our offense was sluggish The fifth and final game of tonight so we had to step up The five-game thriller exends Utah's winning streak the day saw the Utes jump our defense, and we did that. o a school-record 15 consec- out to a 6-1 lead behind Our defense helped us find a tive matches and has the strong defense, blocking four way to win tonight," Launi-. tes at the top of the Moun- balls early. Wyoming worked ere said. The Utes' come-from-beain West with a perfect 8-0 its way back into the contest with a solid offensive attack, hind victory preserves the onference record. "Wyoming played a great closing the gap to 8-7 before win streak that began on match against us tonight," the Utes ran away with the Sept. 2 when they lost to U head coach Beth Launiere match, scoring seven of the then-No. 14 USC, 3-1. Utah said. "We had to lay it on the last nine points to win the will continue on its quest to the Mountain West champi'line and give it all we had game 15-9. %o get the win. I'm proud of ''This was our first five- onship this week when the ow the team responded to game match of the year, and team hosts conference foes to come back and win it on San Diego State and UNLV eing down two games." THE ASSOCIATED PRBSS -£ : The Utes did respond; es- the road is pretty special," at Crimson Court. ecially on defense, where Launiere' said. "Tonight's c.brunner@ RSL's Jafet Soto drives a goal past Chivas USA's Brent Whitfleld during Sunday's match. ;:•-•,£ they recorded 27 total team win was a great team effort. chronicle.utah.edu slocks and an eye-popping [08. digs. Middle-blocker Emillie Toone led the defense at the net with a season-high 14 blocks, while Lori Baird pitched in 13 re,?**# jections of her own. Baird MERCURY LINCOLN and Toone were two of five purchase program Utah players to tally doublewww.fordcollegehq.com doubles on the evening. Outside-hitter Kate Robison led the way on offense, tallying 17 kills to go along with her 18 digs. Airial Salvo »./• JT countered Robison's attack jfrom the other side, picking *~~tffk up 14 kills and 19 digs. Whitney Webb led the earn from the back row, VkdkM etting 26 digs to pace the % * \ tes. The junior outside.!••> - \vy' itter also hammered down 6 kills in the winning effort and was one block away prom recording the coveted 2007 Mercury Mariner triple-double. Utah battled its way through the first game, tradng leads and kills before Wyoming put together an 82 run to open up a six-point ead (22-16). Utah closed the ;ap later in the contest with 1 six-point run of its own before the. Cowgirls pulled away, winning 30-27. Wyoming held a threepoint advantage early in the \\ econd game (8-5) before f^rfi :he.Utes found their heads, tying the game at nine on Toone kill. The Cowgirls : ought back with some runs, ?ut the Utes never allowed them too much breathing room and tied the game once again at 26. Aided by a pair af Utah hitting errors, the (Cowgirls pulled away from there, winning 30-28. The Utes made a stateSpecial offer for college and trade school students, ment early in the third game, jumping out to an 11-2 lead recent grads and graduate students behind a slew of Kate Robison kills. They expanded Certain purchase and eligibility restrictions apply. that lead to 14 later in the game on one of three ConVisit www.fordcollegehq.com for official Program rules. Or, see your local Ford or Lincoln Mercury Dealer. nie Dangerfield aces, taking a 23-9 lead. Utah had no Available only on participating carriers. Standard messaging rates apply. Other charges may apply. For Help, text HELP to 237483. To end, text STOP to 237483. jtrouble closing the game NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Open to legal residents of the U.S. who are 18 or older at time of entry and who as of 9/5/06 are enrolled jfrom there, winning 30-20 (or have graduated after 5/1/04) in/from a nationally accredited college/university, junior college, community college or trade school. Game ends 1/2/07. on a.Robisonkill. See Official Rules and entry restriction*; ui www.Fordcollegehq.com/2DRiVE. 1 The Cowgirls bounced jack early in game four, Cody Brunner The Daily Utah Chronicle college student ;PM. m i Text MARINER to 2DRIVE (237483) for a chance to win: ^5 I A 6 0 GB iPod with adapter T A $ 2 5 iTunes Music Card CD O U U bonus t A ringtone brought to you exclusively by Ford and mtvU featuring Matchbook Romance's "Monsters" |