OCR Text |
Show Page 7 StatesmanSports Monday, Sept. 22, 2008 49ers hand Ags first home loss of season By SETH R. HAWKINS web editor SOPHOMORE FORWARD LAUREN HANSEN (17) fights for the ball during Sunday's match against Long Beach. The Aggies fell at home, 3-0. D£BRA HAWKINS photo Three has been a lucky number for the Long Beach State soccer team. They beat Harvard and BYU 3-0, tied Oregon 3-3 and Sunday afternoon the 49ers added to their lucky number stigma by blanking the Aggies 3-0, handing USU its first home loss of the season. Though the Aggies fell 3-0, the game was closer than the score indicates. "I think our team matched their intensity, I thought our team matched their emotion," USU head coach Heather Cairns said. "We came out here and we fought until that last 10 minutes." It wasn't until the last 15 minutes of the match that the 49ers scored, bat once they started, they didn't stop, scoring their final goal with three seconds left on the clock. Though Long Beach State made an aggressive finish, early on, it was either team's game for the taking. At halftime, neither team had scored and the Aggies had a slight edge in shooting with a 2-1 advantage. Until Sunday, the 49ers averaged seven goals in the first half and more than 12 per game. "Going into halftime our back line was feeling great, our team was feeling great," said senior defender Alyssa Lowry, who led the backline in holding off the onslaught of Long Beach State attacks. "We had great team defense. We were working really well together in the first half." As well as the Aggies played in the first half, the 49ers made the necessary adjustments in the second half to control the ball and keep steady pressure on the Aggies, and USU didn't, Lowry said. "You could definitely tell that they talked at halftime and changed a few things," Lowry said. "They were a little more longer balls, direct balls, behind our back line. We just didn't adjust to that, putting it on the floor and denying their service on the long balls." Long Beach State's first goal came in the 75th minute when Kim Silos sized up Aggie goalkeeper Ali Griffin and fired a hard shot to the right corner of the net from seven yards out. Seven minutes later. Long Beach State benefited from a high bounce from Nicole Hubbard that slipped behind the back line and allowed for a quick header by Lindsay Bullock, who scored her fifth goal of the season. With fewer than 10 minutes remaining in the game, the Aggies struggled to prevent the time-killing play of Long Beach State and Cairns said, "I thought our team just gave up - that's not acceptable." As the clock wound down to 0, LBSU's Kristen Kiefer kicked a final shot that trickled into the right side of the net to add insult to injury to the Aggies. "Here's the thing, I thought when it was 2-0, even though we were losing at that point, I thought we still played a great game." Cairns said. "It was a back and forth game and I thought the difference was they finished their opportunities and we didn't. "As a coach, I cannot complain about that because the team is doing everything you ask and sometimes you need a little bit of luck to score. But it's that third goal that is really upsetting." Even though the defeat marked the first home loss of the season, Cairns said this game could have an upside if her team can fix the breakdown that allowed the final goal in the waning seconds of the match. "We need to get it straightened out before conference so if this doesn't happen to us again the rest of the year, this loss will be worth it," Cairns said. With the loss, the Aggies fell to 4-5-1 on the season, while the 49ers improved to 5-2-2. -seth.h@aggiemail.usu.edu Club baseball defeats rivals By JARED ROMERO staff writer Not only was the weekend good for the Aggie football team, but the USU baseball team picked up it's first series win of the season as they won two games against rival Weber State at Morgan High School on Saturday afternoon. In the first game of the double-header the Aggies were led by the stellar pitching of Zach Gunn. Gunn threw his first complete game of the season and managed to win a nailbiter 3-2. He gave up 6 hits with 4 strikeouts and was solid throughout. The game started off with a quick run in the first inning for Weber State, then there were no runs until the sixth inning when the Aggies finally connected with aA two-run double by Gavin Johnson to take the lead, 2-1. Gregg Palmer came up with an insurance run in the seventh to put the Ags up 3-1. Weber State came up with another run in the next inning, but then Gunn (1-0) shut the Wildcats down and sealed the deal. In the final game of the double-header, the Aggies had another great pitching performance. This time led by Casey Jorgensen, the Aggies sailed to an 8-0 win. This was Jorgensens second start of the season, and his second complete game shutout of the season. He recorded 8 strikeouts and allowed six hits. Jorgensen (2-0) is already at an astounding 18 strikeouts in the very young season. USU's Brad Singer played well connecting on his first home run of the season and finished with two RBIs, while four other players had at least one RBI. The first game of the series on Friday featured numerous errors by the Aggies, as Weber State went on to win 7-4. The loss went to pitcher Ryan Doyle (0-2). The Aggies are now 3-3 on the season, and return home to play next Saturday against the College of Eastern Utah. USU'S BROC NAEGLE prepares to field a hit from a Weber State batter. The Aggies won this weekend's series against their bitter rivals, two games to one. They return to action next week against the College of Eastern Utah. CODY GOCHNOUR photo -jare.ro@aggianail.usu.edu Rush: Turbin becomes first Aggie to pass century mark in two years ggies tame Wildcats [1 continuedfrompage 6 O continued from page 5 Mitchell for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Three minutes into the fourth quarter came the nailin-the-Idaho-coffin run from Marsh. He took a pitch from Borel 41 yards down the sideline for a touchdown and a 35-17 lead. "We worked on the play all week with Diondre running the option play and getting it to the edge," Guy said. "Coach Dickey talked to him at halftime and said we are going to go back to it when we get in it and get it kicked. Just get the ball to the edge, make the guy take you, kick it to the edge and Curtis will out-run them, which is exactly what he did right after the turnover. I felt like it was that moment that we took total control of the football game." The running game was an obvious complement to Cool: A Wildcat territory, was just as rewarding with the Aggies winning 62. Team manager John Eccles said the team played great. the passing game, giving "The team is in a high tempo," he said. "They played with a real the Aggies the balance they purpose and sense of urgency." have been seeking. The team Eccles said the team started out flat again, but then they got into passed for 224 yards (Borel the rhythm much more quickly than they had the night before. 191, Setzer 33). "The atmosphere was pretty much the same as Friday night, "I think we have the ability pretty scrappy, but we played a lot better Saturday night than we to rush and balance things did Friday," Arsenault said. out," Guy said- "The teams Saturday night's players were the same as Friday night, excludthat can be balanced win a lot ing goalie Greg Finatti, who was out with an injury. Instead, Dan of football games. We don't Cornelius was in the net and had 23 saves on 25 shots. Michael want to be a running team, Daugilus was again glorified for his fearless hitting tactics, and was we don't want to be a passing said to be crushing people out on the ice. team - we want to be bal"The lines are really starting to click and fit with each other niceanced." ly, and there are better puck movements on the ice," Eccles said The next opportunity to do Eccles also had some good things to say about Arsenault. so will be Oct. 3 against No. "He has really set the example out there on the ice, checking 14 BYU - a game Guy said behind his shoulder and blocking shots. He is a real team leader," will be "a great challenge." he said. But until then, the Aggies Eccles also added that he was really pleased with the camaraderie are No. 1 in the Western in the locker room, and how the new players are gelling with each Athletic Conference standother. ings. "We're still a little ways away from reaching our full potential, but "We've got two weeks we we're right on track," he said. can sit at the top," Guy said. The Aggies compete with UVU Friday in Orem and BYU Saturday -samuel.hislop@aggiemail. at the George S. Eccles ice sheet. Both games begin at 7 p.m. usu.edu "They will be a couple of good games, but we are definitely ready SOPHOMORE QB DIONDRE BOREL (12) rushes for a 33for both," Arsenault said about next weeks games. yard score during the second quarter Saturday. PATRICK ODEN photo -jodi. burlon@aggiemail. usu.edu uth is ntv, re/ysf/npl Come play Northern Utah's \ Best-Kept Secret, -Oicur Wilde 18 Championship Holes Driving Range Practice Putting & Chipping Greens Inzer Prize for D i, ft* 2005 Tony Award fottiest Play, i Drama Desk AwHrt for B u t Naw (lay, the 2005 LuciHa Lortal Award for, l , and the 2005 New Yorit > Critics' Circle Bast Play. Bfacfe oaeelc __. p $9*4 $13; Free toliSU Studrfnts Tb children under 13 CCSA Box Office 435-797-8022 FKJfl3oxoffice.usu.edu Caine School of the Arts Department of Theatre Arts GOLF September 25-27,2008 . ... . October 1-4,2008 7;30jun. Caine Lyric ThrtVo C O U R S E 550 East 100 North Smithfield,Utah 435-563-6825 Fall USU Student Special: 9 Holes of Golf, Sunday-Friday $10, must show current USU ID. fora B>abtj? You can be eligible to receive cash upon delivery of your baby. In addition to other insurance coverage. «+. £. JuIlO V e r g a r a - Protecting Wliat Matters Most (435)787-1122 4P Financial Services 55 N Main. St. Suite ?U5 Ldgan, Utah 84321 |