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Show 8 Friday, September 28,2007 SPORTS www.dailyutahchronicle.com Dig record in 'Danger' Tony Pizza SPORTS EDITOR CAMERON STRICKLAND/fArDcily Wdb Cfc.-e.Wf Whitney Webb sends an attack in the Utes'win Tuesday against Weber State. The Utes face Air Force tonight on the road. When Beth Launiere sensed .that her team lacked confidence after the string of tough losses the Utes experienced during their pre-conference schedule, she didn't go reaching for a shipment of Eric Blumenthal self-help books. She didn't reach for the number of the nearest sports psychologist, either. Instead, the head coach of the U volleyball team prescribed the best medicine she could think of: a win over a good team in a tight match. The Utes followed the "doctor's" orders fastidiously, and came out with a big win in a hotly contested match against MWC-powerhouse Colorado State to give their immune sys- tems—and their psyches—a much-needed boost. "I think that was the biggest thing," Launiere said. "It showed that we could win close games, and we actually came from behind in all of them. We just were not going to lose that match, we weren't going to be denied." But the win against Colorado State would have meant nothing if the Utes didn't use it as a stepping stone to thrust themselves to another level, which is something the volleyball team addressed directly after their first conference win. "The No. i thing we talked about in the locker room-is that we've got to use (the win) to propel us," Launiere said. Initial results indicate the Utes have done just that. Against Weber State- Sept. 28,2007 • Colorado Springs, Colo. • 7:00 p.m. Utah Utes W§)o ) Air Force Falcons <7-9)(0-3) Falcon notes: Ute notes: Utah pkked up iis second- consecutive win against Ait Force hasn'l had loo much action in the way of Weber State on Tuesday. Offensively, the Utes have wins thii season. The Falcons tave lost five of theit been led by Kat Haynie, The junior averages 3.71 last seven matches, with the latent toming at [he kills per game and ha; notched 17 acei. Connie funds of TCU, 3-0. They ate led offemively by Oangeificld is on the verge of taking over as the Nichole Stilwell and Michelle H^rrino'on, who all-timedigs leader in Ute history,Ttie Junior needs average 2.09 and 1.58 kills per game, respectively. just 40 digs to take over Brenda Barton-Whicker for Defensively, [ibero Katie BatthclJer leads the learn first place all-lime. with 3.14 digs pet game. Food for thought. Utah hami evw lo« to Air Force and goes into the match tonight with a 184) rrcwdThe Uiei and Falcons arc currently eighth and ninih In ihe Mountain W B I Conference. "I think we've finally really settled into our lineup and we're starting to execute," Launiere said. "I feel good about it." Another thing Launiere feels which nearly shocked top-25 BYU a week earlier—the Utes put together their best offensive numbers of the season and swept a team for the first time in 2007—something the Utes did a total of 20 times last year. RSL looks to keep hopes alive See STREAK Page 10 TONY PIZZA Jon Gilbert STAFF WRITER Although Real Salt Lake enters Saturday's match with the New York Red Bulls clawing for a spot in the playoffs, the RSL players might be fighting for their jobs. Head coach Jason Kreis has made it clear that the end of this season will help frame the club he produces for next year's campaign. "We are going to use all the last games to give several players auditions," Kreis said. 'All the players are on audition for me in every game and every training session and reserve game." Kreis plans on upgrading the overall level of play by his club. New acquisitions as well as familiar standbys have shown flashes of skill during competition. "I think we have felt for a very long time that we are getting to be a deep squad," Kreis said. One player that has contributed limitedly, but has impressed of late is forward Kyle Brown. Brown has scored two goals in 286 minutes of play. Considering goals per minute, Brown is the most explosive player on Real's roster. "He's started to come into some form," Kreis said. "We've noticed that in the trainings and in the reserve games." Brown recently showed his worth by scoring the game-winning strike in a 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids on Sept. 23. The last time Real Salt Lake visited the New York Red Bulls on Aug. 26, 2006, the team left with its worst defeat in its threeyear existence. The 6-0 defeat included a hat trick by Edson Buddie in fewer than 20 minutes as well as a one goal-two assist performance by John Wolyniec. The game was scoreless at the intermission but things quickly got out of control for Real in the second half. The good news for RSL is that the venue is about the only thing that has stayed the same. Nine players that suited up for Real in the blowout are no longer playing for the team. Most notably, Jay Nolly has been replaced in goal by Nick See RSL Page 10 Faux Sox fans are sellouts I believe in curses. And yes, I am a Boston Red Sox fan. I guess it could be said that those two things go together like love and marriage. Or a horse and carriage if you want to get really cheesy. I'm so superstitious about writing about the Red Sox, that I wouldn't even write a column about Eric Gagne last week and how he made my life—and I'm sure the lives of the general population of the New England states—a living hell over the past few months. I even had the title picked out: Blame Canada. So while I'm breaking my own rules to write a Red Sox column, I figure I'm pretty safe because I'm not making any predictions and I'm really not going to be talking about my beloved team. I want to talk about the wannabees of Red Sox Nation that will be multiplying like fruit flies come October, but will unfortunately stick around for a lot longer than the end of the season. Now, it might sound a bit hypocritical that a column about bandwagon Red Sox fans is coming from a guy that has lived in Salt Lake City most of his life, and has been a Red Sox fan for less than a decade. For me, the fiber of being a Red Sox fan has never depended on how long one has been a Red Sox fan. It only matters what kind of Red Sox fan that person really is. The core of the matter is, I don't want the Red Sox to become the Yankees, and I know how blurred the dividing line has become. Before October 2004, I could bump into someone sporting a Red Sox cap and know I'd have something in common with that person if we were ever trapped on a bus or forced to give each other CPR. Now, I can't trust the Boston "B," In fact, I'm starting to trust Yankee fans more. At least with a fan adorned in Evil Empire paraphernalia, you know you're going to get a dirty look and a snide remark almost all the time. Half the people Yura Movsisyan fights for the ball Saturday in RSL's win over Colorado Rapids. RSL travels to New York to face the Red Bulls tonight. See PIZZA Page 10 Soccer prepares for battle on the beach Utes look to continue scoring trend in Malibu, Calif, this weekend Natalie Dicou STAFF WRITER The U women's soccer team has proven over the last few weeks that it's hard to beat at home. The Utes are 4-0 at Ute Field but have struggled a bit on the road, where Utah is 1-2-1. The Utes will try to prove that they're a tough team with or without the comforts of home today, when they face Pepperdine (1-4-2) in Malibu, Calif. The Waves' record might not be impressive, but they've played three ranked teams and recently tied with then-No. 6 UCLA in a 1-1 draw. "(Pepperdine) is a fun team to play against," coach Rich Manning said. Although some teams are overly physical or have extremely tall players who camp out in front of the goal and score headers, "(the Waves) just like to come out and play," Manning said. Both Utah and Pepperdine started off the season slower than they would have liked. The Utes kicked off the season with a record of 1-2-1, though being on the road for their first four matches contributed to their so-so results. Pepperdine fared worse than the Utes in the early going. The Waves were shut out in the first five games and couldn't find the •back of the net until they broke through with a three-goal effort against Denver. In total, the Waves have tallied four goals in the season. Utah has been much more prolific. The Utes' goal count is at 18, eight games into Friday's matchup. Nine of those goals were scored by Ute forward Adele Letro, who leads the Mountain West Conference in scoring and is ranked fifth nationally in that category. Letro is averaging 1.13 goals per match, and Pepperdine as a whole averages only 0.57. Still, no game is a gimme for the relatively inexperienced Utah team, which lost seven starters last year. Pepperdine is a solid program that has appeared in five out of the last six NCAA tournaments. Prior to the Utes' recent fourgame homestand, Manning made a key switch in the Utes' scheme. Manning moved senior midfielder Kiley Jones, a second-team allMWC selection in 2006, to the back line, where the Utes were lacking in experience. Senior Melissa Crespo was moved to center-midfield in her place. The Utes are undefeated since the personnel switch-up. Manning would like to see more consistency out of his players. "There's stretches of 10 to 15 minutes of each half where I'm pleased," Manning said. The coach would like to see those stretches extended, he said. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. The Utes return home for a Sunday match against Boise State at 1 p.m. n.dicou@ chronicle.utah.edu Kiley Jones anticipates her opponent's moves Saturday in the Utes' victory against Washington. The Utes face Pepperdine tonight in hopes of building onto their four-game win streak. |