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Show /port/ A8 MONDAY«APRIL3 -2006 Softball mixes with Ivy League HEARTS Morgan Vance Sports Editor WhrtrK'v Woodward,-N'>t>'Nf".vs Another close but disappointing loss for the the I Whitney Woodward Sports Writer Kicker Steve Videtich's missed field goal with ten seconds left derailed an explosive fourth quarter by the Blaze defense, pinning Utah with its second straight loss, this one a heartbreaker, losing 49-47 to Las Vegas. With several key players out due to injury, including starting quarterback Joe Germaine, Utah coach Danny White still maintains his preseason comments about the team goal of making the playoffs. We really felt like we came with a lot of energy tonight," said White. "In the end, they made plays and we didn't." Back-up quarterback Jason Gesser made his second start of the season and his first at home for the Blaze. The Washington State alum played a much better game than his previous start over Grand Rapids where he threw rive interceptions. Against Vegas. Gesser threw for six touchdowns, 309 yards and completed 25-35 pass attempts with no interceptions in the loss. "Jason showed tonight that he is capable of leading this team." said White. Utah's Tom Pace started the offensive output with an 8-yard TD catch. The Gladiators tied the score on a Jason Fife 11-yard TD pass to Marcus Nash. On the ensuing drive, Gesser fumbled after he was hit by Las Vegas OL/DL Alonzo Spellman. However, newly acquired Blaze OL/DL Aaron Hamilton recovered a Desperado fumble on the very next play leading to another Gesser TD. this one to Justin Skaggs, lifting Utah into a 14-7 advantage. In the second quarter, the Gladiators tied the score at 14 with a two-yard end-around ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ score to Joe Douglass, and Vegas took the lead after recovering a Siaha Burley fumble on Utah's 3-yard line. Gesser's second TD pass to Pace then evened the score at 21. The Gladiators have been excellent this season in the third quarter, and that proved to be true again against Utah, outscoring them 21-12 in the quarter. It began with a 5-yard rushing TD by FB Marlon Jackson, his second of the game to put the Gladiators ahead 28-21. A surprisingly quiet Burley in the first half finally woke up, catching a season long 41-yard TD launch from Gesser, and Burley continued his streak of scoring a TD in every game so far this season. To start the fourth, the 6*0 receiver out of Central Florida ignited The Blaze by hauling in his second TD catch of the evening, but the Gladiators responded with another score of their own to bring their lead up to nine. Justin Taplin, with just four minutes remaining, scored to bring the Blaze within two, and Utah's defense later came up big on a fourth and goal by stopping Vegas's offense with less than a minute left in regulation. This gave Gesser the opportunity of marching down field with a final chance to steal the win, and Utah made it all the way to the Gladiator 19-yard line before leaving a routine field goal for place kicker Steve Viditech that never had a chance. Before the block, Utah had a couple golden opportunities to score the other way, but the 14,472 in attendance at the Delta Center watched Gesser twice miss Burley in the endzone, one of those wide open. "I'm probably not going to sleep the next few nights, just thinking about that pass," said Gesser after the game. The loss marks the Blaze's third of the year by less than four points. "Everyone is getting tired of losing by two, three or four points at home," said Viditech. "It's getting old." In the loss, Burley caught six passes for 104 yards to go along with the two scores. He also racked up 158 all-purpose yards and currently leads the AFL in receiving yards with 1,090. Utah Valley Lacrosse nets Montana Ben Webster Sports Writer UVSC overcame a sluggish first half and dominated the second against the fourthranked Montana Grizzlies, winning 17-12 to earn their third straight win. The 5th ranked Wolverines blew past the Grizz, outscoring them 12-4 in the second half. "At halftime we said we need to play without the mistakes, because a majority of their goals came off of our mistakes and unsettled positions," said UV coach Kevin Perkins. Down 8-5 after a slow offensive first half, UVSC came storming back after the break. With 11:14 left in the third quarter, UVSC midfielder Walker Bateman came from behind Montana goalie Dave Crosby as Crosby attempted to clear the ball. Bateman knocked the ball out of Crosby's stick, picked it up, and fired on the empty net to ignite an offensive onslaught for the Wolverines. A few seconds later, UV freshman Cam Peterson found the ball at midfield, drove towards the net and found fellow freshman Ryan Montana 8-1 in the third. Cantwell for his only goal • "It was a big third quarter," of the game. Returning All- said Perkins. "The defense American James Simmons really stepped up and our added one of his six goals, guys played how they know and UVSC's third in under a how to play." minute to finally tie the game Montana pulled to within at eight. two (13-11) with two early "James came back for us goals in the fourth, but that this year, and he had a stellar would be as close as they'd game," Perkins said about his get, the Wolverines answermidfielder. ing with four straight scores. In the game's first few minMontana finally ended a six-goal UVSC run when utes, Montana was all over sophomore attacker Zander the Wolverines by notching Ault scored the Grizzly's lone the first four goals of the congoal in the quarter with 4:57 test. remaining. UVSC outscored But in UVSC's comeback • •.<'•*>";•' effort, Bateman garnered six assists to go along with three goals, and he's now listed second among Division B scorers by averaging five points a game. "This was probably the biggest game of our season," concluded Perkins. In another home contest two days later, UVSC also topped Linfield 13-6 to improve to 5-2 on the year. In their first home doubleheader since hosting Albertson College 39 days prior, UVSC softball split a twin bill with Harvard. And the : opener was a thriller. With the score tied at two apiece in the eighth. Kaeleigh Forsyth knocked in the game winner with an RBI single to right. "I'm happy with the win," said UV coach Todd Fairbourne. "What was even nicer was that someone below the top of the order came through for us. For us to score and keep pace, the bottom half of the order has to do something." And they did just that against the Crimson with six of Utah Valley's eight hits coming from hitters in the five through nine slots. Pitcher Jackie Roberts had two of those hits. The junior form Ogden also struck out five to record the complete game win and her fifth win of the year. After Harvard jumped out with a 1-0 lead in the third, the Wolverines rallied in the bottom half of the same inning. Chris Jimenez singled and was able to later make her way over to third base. She then scored after Heidi Boyer reached base on an error. Roberts then helped herself out offensively by scoring Boyer with a single, lifting Utah Valley into a 2-1 advantage. Harvard tied the game in the sixth and had a chance to take the lead for good with runners on second and third; but with two outs, shortstop Rachel Hartgrove saved the game for Utah Valley after making a spectacular, diving, over the shoulder grab to end the inning. After UVSC failed to score in the seventh, the game carried over into extra innings. And with one out in the bottom of the eighth is when the bottom half of the Wolverine's order stepped up. Kaylie Neal started things off with a single after beating out a close throw from Crimson shortstop Lauren Brown. That was followed up with another single from third baseman Laurin Eppich, before the next batter Forsyth finally won the game with one swing of the bat, propelling Utah Valley to their seventh win of the season. The second contest was an entirely different story. Harvard ripped off the first six runs of the game through three and a half innings and won 6-4. FREE Sign-Up Deals Now! • • > - • ! 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