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Show StatesmanSports USU wins national title Friday, Oct. 9, 2009 Page 9 By TIM OLSEN sports editor The phrase National Champions and Utah State University don’t often find themselves in the same sentence, but in midSeptember, that’s exactly what happened. Often a hot topic around campus, USU’s athletic department recently garnered some national recognition, as it was awarded the National Championship Award for Excellence in Management. “I had a chance to visit with our former faculty senate president, and he told me that reading that really, in his mind as a faculty member, sort of puts to rest the notion of not being efficient in how we use our money,” said USU Athletic Director Scott Barnes. “Certainly there are always those conversations; athletics at a I-A level is an expensive business. I think this simply is a statement to say look, here is a group that’s studied this and a third party that is confirming we’re doing a great job with the resources we have.” The award was established to answer the question: Which is the most economically efficient athletic department in the Football Bowl Subdivision? Using a simple scoring system, the Laboratory for the Study of Intercollegiate Athletics (LSIA) at Texas A&M University came up with the answer. Athletic departments were awarded points based on the number of national and conference championships their teams won, and the money used to reach those goals. The results showed USU to be the clear-cut winner, followed by Kent State University in second. Louisiana Tech, Akron and BYU rounded out the top five, and the University of Utah came in sixth to give the state of Utah three of the top six programs in the study. “When you think about this award and it’s based really on two things : the number of championships and how much money is spent to win those championships. Coming off the referendum and as we talk to donors and students, this resonates very well with them,” Barnes said. The referendum Barnes is referring to was the recent student vote during the spring 2009 semester to increase athletic fees by $65 per semester – a vote that was met with some criticism and much debate. “We’re real proud with what our student athletes and coaches have done with the dollars they receive,” he said. “I think that this is a great example of return on investment for students who voted for the (athletic fee increase) referendum.” The final results of the study also showed that larger universities may not be using their resources as efficiently as possible. Not a single school in the current BCS conferences cracked the top 10. Oregon was the top school out of that group, coming in at No. 11. All told, only eight schools out of the top 25 belonged to a BCS conference. Barnes was quick to praise increased alumni fundraising efforts, donor drives and the increased student fees that had led to USU’s biggest increase of revenue ever, which has allowed the different teams to be competitive. He also praised the individual coaches and players, as well as the athletic department staff, for stretching the money as far as it will go. – t.olsen@aggiemail.usu.edu Athletic director Scott Barnes, (left), poses with the trophy Utah State won for having the nation’s most efficient athletic department. Also pictured is Shane Hudson, Ph.D. clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M’s division of sports management. photo courtesy of Kara Fisher Wings top ‘Hawks in Western Conference Finals rematch NHL ROUNDUP (AP) – Senators 3, Isles 2 (OT) Mike Fisher scored 32 seconds into overtime to give Ottawa a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night. Fisher broke down the left side and put the first shot of the extra period past Martin Biron as the Senators won their home opener. John Tavares, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NHL draft, recorded his third point in two games with the Islanders. The 19-year-old center assisted on Matt Moulson’s power-play goal 5:29 into the third which drew New York even at 2. Pascal Leclaire made 23 saves in his third straight start for Ottawa. Biron, in his first Islanders start, stopped 25 shots. within a win of repeating as NHL champions, losing to Pittsburgh in Game 7. Devils 4, Lightning 3 (SO) Travis Zajac scored with 1 second left in regulation, and New Jersey went on to the shootout victory. Zajac forced overtime when he scored from the low slot to tie it at 3. Zach Parise and Jamie Langenbrunner scored in the shootout, won by New Jersey and goalie Martin Brodeur 2-0. The Devils (1-2) got regulation goals from Parise and Jay Pandolfo and became the last Eastern Conference team to earn a point in the standings this season. Steven Stamkos had two goals, and Todd Fedoruk scored in the third period for Tampa Bay. Penguins 5, Flyers 4 Thrashers 4, Blues 2 Bill Guerin and Alex Goligoski scored Ilya Kovalchuk had his second two-goal midway through the second period to help game of the season, scoring the go-ahead Pittsburgh hand Philadelphia its first loss tally in the first period and adding an of the season. empty-netter for Atlanta to spoil St. Louis’ Evgeni Malkin, who also had an assist, home opener. Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy also scored Keith Tkachuk had a goal and an assist for the Penguins, who were coming off and topped 400 points with the Blues. their first loss of the season, 3-0 to Phoenix DETROIT RED WINGS goalie Chris Osgood stops a shot by Chicago Blackhawks’ John Madden during the third The Thrashers prevailed despite getperiod of an NHL game in Detroit Thursday. Detroit won 3-2. AP photo on Wednesday. ting outshot 31-22. Danny Briere and Jeff Carter both scored Roman Polak scored on a slap shot since a season-opening loss at Stanley Cup Sabres 2, Coyotes 1 twice for the Flyers, who missed a chance to from the point with 2:44 to go, cutting the champion Pittsburgh. Thomas Vanek snapped a late third-period start the season 4-0 for the first time since 1995- tie, and Ryan Miller made 23 saves for Buffalo. Thrashers’ lead to a goal. Ryan Callahan and Ales Kotalik scored 96. The Blues had won their three previous home Clarke MacArthur added a goal and assist for for the Rangers on consecutive shots midway Marc-Andre Fleury had 30 saves to improve openers. the Sabres, who rebounded from a season-open- through the second period. his record to 3-0. Ray Emery, who lost for the ing overtime loss to Montreal. first time, made 20 saves. Predators 3, Avalanche 2 Red Wings 3, Blackhawks 2 Matthew Lombardi scored for the Coyotes, Patric Hornqvist scored twice 2:17 apart Kris Draper and Johan Franzen scored 1:34 and Jason LaBarbera made 37 saves in the loss. Ducks 6, Bruins 1 in the third period for Nashville in its home Vanek scored from the slot on the power play apart late in the second period to put Detroit Teemu Selanne scored two goals 82 seconds opener. ahead and Chris Osgood made 31 saves in a with 3:53 to go, one-timing MacArthur’s pass apart in the second period, and Corey Perry had from underneath the goal line. Hornqvist’s first two goals of the season rematch of Western Conference finalists. two goals and an assist to lead Anaheim to its came after officials ruled no goal for Nashville Detroit came from behind to win its home first victory of the season. midway through the third on a shot that was opener after blowing two two-goal leads in Rangers 4, Capitals 3 On the night the Red Sox and Angels opened trickling toward the line when Jason Arnott’s losses to St. Louis in Sweden. Marian Gaborik scored two goals about 2½ their baseball playoff series in Anaheim, this skate pushed it across. Patrick Sharp’s goal early in the second minutes apart in the third period for New York, one went to the Californians. Arnott finished with a goal and an assist, and and Henrik Lundqvist held Alex Ovechkin with- period gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead. Nicklas Bobby Ryan and Evgeny Artyukhin scored Ryan Suter had two assists in helping Nashville Lidstrom tied it midway through the period on out a point. for the Ducks, and Jonas Hiller stopped 33 win its third straight home opener. a shot that caromed off Chicago’s John Madden Washington led 3-2 in the third period after shots. James Wisniewski and Scott Niedermayer consecutive goals by Nicklas Backstrom, before Marek Svatos and Kyle Quincey scored and past goalie Cristobal Huet. had two assists each. power-play goals for Colorado. The Avalanche Kris Versteeg pulled the Blackhawks within Gaborik tied the game at the 8:09 mark. He then Tim Thomas, the reigning Vezina Trophy started a seven-game trip, the franchise’s longest a goal midway through the second period, but put New York ahead at 10:42 on the power play. winner, made 24 saves for Boston. since moving to Denver in 1995. They missed they couldn’t get another shot past Osgood. Ovechkin entered Thursday with five goals Marco Sturm gave Boston the lead with 3:27 their first 3-0 start since leaving Quebec. Huet made 21 saves. and four assists, but the two-time NHL MVP left. The Red Wings eliminated Chicago from the was kept in check by Lundqvist. playoffs last season in five games, then came New York has won three consecutive games |