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Show Page II Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007 CLASS ADS GET Soccer: Twogame road trip H continued from page 10 half but have been outscored 15-8 this season. The disproportionate scoring in the halves is something Cairns said she is concerned with and said it comes down to competitiveness. "It's really about competing," she said. "It's having everybody be accountable, everybody having to defend, everybody having to attack, being able to play when you're a goal up, being able to play when you're a goal down. "We have struggled at times at putting 90 minutes together. I think that's really going to be the key, just weather the game, the ups and downs that are associated to the game. We really just need to weather, just put together 90 minutes and know that the game's not over after 45. So I think the mental cues combined with our fitness will pull us through." Keeping a sharp mental focus will be something the Aggies will need this weekend heading on their final road trip of the season this weekend with a 5-9 overall record and a 1-1 record in conference play. The first stop will be against Nevada, last season's tournament champion, on Friday at 8 p.m., after which the team will travel one state west to face Fresno State, Sunday at 3 p.m. The Bulldogs were the regular season champions last season. "Nevada and Fresno, it's a tough weekend because they were preseason ranked one and two and they're last year's regular season and tournament champions. So we know we're getting great competition, and this is one of the toughest weekends that we face," Cairns said. "We really have to go in with the idea that we're going to get some points this weekend, whether it's wins or ties. We need to steal some points from the home team. That's got to be our mentality. So we have to take it pretty seriously. It takes a little bit more to win on the road than it does in general. We just really have to know that they're two of the toughest opponents in conference and know that we're going to have to bring our best game." Bringing the best game will include making sure players rerfect rariner, TSC105 WWW.UTAHSTATESMAN.COM While you "stud?, well do your printing. 31 N. Main St. 753-1292 JTMILHEAD) ^.Professional Quality Printing ^.Business Forms /LThesis, dissertations ^Wedding invitations & Accessories sau are one p r i n T i n s 630 \ L i i n Nor 753-8875 USU JUNIOR FORWARD CANDICE CLARK (19) pushes the ball downfield Sunday vs. Boise State. USU plays at Nevada Friday at 8 p.m. and at Fresno State, Sunday at 3 p.m. DEBRA HAWKINS photo are healthy, "even if they're a little banged up," Cairns said. Senior forward Dana Peart, the leading scorer on the team, was injured early in the second half against Boise State and sat out the remainder of the game. She did not participate in practice on Tuesday, but Cairns said she did that to allow Peart a chance to rest and recover for the next game, and said she expects to play Peart this weekend. Sophomore forward Erin Salmon has played minimal minutes this season due to a torn meniscus in the knee that is taking time to heal. What time Salmon has played on the field has been valuable, as she has tallied one goal. Cairns.said she expects Salmon to play this weekend as well. USlTwill need all its offensive weapons against a Nevada team that matches up fairly even. Like the Aggfes, the Wolf Pack doesn't rely ofl-one player to lead the attacks having plenty of scoring threatsr;Nevada's leading scorer is Cristtjl Drummond, who, like Ptdft, has five goals and two assists on the season for 12 pointer Also with 12 points is Football: Welcoming the Pack 3 continued from page 10 \, Meet the Challenge Karen Zmirak, who boasts four goals and four assists. Five other players have scored for Nevada this season. Even with a full arsenal of scoring threats, the Wolf Pack come off a two-game losing streak to open Western Athletic Conference play, losing to Hawaii and San Jose State on the road. The Wolf Pack looks to benefit from home field advantage and turn things around. "They're one of the toughest teams at home," Cairns said. "There's a definite home field advantage in Reno. I think regardless of whether they come offlosses or wins, they're a tough team period, and we just have to take it as that. Certainly coming off two losses they're going to have a little bit more fire in the belly." Fresno State is 1-1 in conference play after dropping a close match to Hawaii on Sunday. . .-seth.h@aggiemail.usu.edu ..;-;.^_ Guaranteed Aviation •Tuition Assistance No Obligation 1 Starting Salaries from $40,000-$50,000 For more info contact: Capt. Brandon Knotts Officer Selection Officer United States Marine Corps toll free: (866) 607-5567 knottsbs@marines.usmc.mil Marines www.marineofficer.com The Few. The Prvnd. Hey Cinderella slit) into blatinum! *s ± JL usu io-ei VS.HEVADA(2-4) Television: KJZZ (Comcast Channel 14) WOLF PACK Saturday, Oct. 20, Romney Stadium, 1:05 p.m. USU notes • Freshman RB Curtis Marsh will be back from injury. • WR/KR Kevin Robinson is the nation's leader in all-purpose yards with 212.5 per game. • The Aggies have won only one of their past nine home games, and have lost (our straight. Nevada notes Junior LB Joshua Mauga leads the WAC and is lifth in the nation with 70 lackles. In the last two games, redshirtfreshman QB Jason Kaepernick has racked up 864 yards of total offense and 10 touchdowns. His firs! start was Sunday at Boise Si. Nevada Is eighth In the nation In yards per fame (529.7) and (4th in scoring (38 ppg). USU hasn't beat the Pack at home since (950. Offensively, the Aggies will have the services of redshirt-freshman Curtis Marsh for the first time since Sept. 15 at Oklahoma. POSSIBLE MOMENTUM LOSS WITH BYE? The Aggies had their best offensive scoring performance since 2003 in the 52-37 loss at Hawaii. All things considered, Guy isn't worried. "We played better, but I still think we needed a break," Guy said. "Just because we had played some tough games that we had a chance to win, but didn't win ... We won't lose momentum from that, and now we get Curtis Marsh back so we can put both him and Derrvin Speight in the backfield at the same time with Leon (Jackson), which I think creates a triple-threat for any three of those to run and create the play-pass off of that, or screens off of that with those guys or our wide receivers." WAC-ky DEFENSE Offense has certainly been the strong point of the WAC this season. This past weekend was full of proof of that: Aside from the Instant Classic on Sunday night, Hawaii barely got away from San Jose State with a 42-35 victory in overtime, and Fresno State beat Idaho, 37-24. Fresno won in Reno Oct. 6,49-41. The Pack beat Nicholls State, 52-17, on Sept. 15. Hawaii is averaging just over 52 points per game, while giving up 23. So, is the defense that bad, or is the offense that good? "I don't think they've lost their defense as much as we have a lot of offensive skill in this league," Guy said. MI just think that sometimes when you get in those games, it just goes back and forth and just starts happening like that where its big play after big play. ( "I don't know if I've ever seen an overtime played like that, where they score on three consecutive plays and four times in five plays." -samuelhislop@aggiemail.usu, edu .. Store Hours; Monday - Saturday 10:00-7:00 Where Utah Gets Engaged! 141 North Main • 752-7149 of the btotk at thv sign of tht iloch. |