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Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK)

April 22, 2000, Saturday CITY EDITION

SECTION: SPORTS;

LENGTH: 421 words

HEADLINE: Sky Sox rally past RedHawks

BYLINE: Bob Schaller

BODY:

After singing "take me out to the ball game" after the top half

of the seventh inning and the Sky Sox down five runs, many home

fans changed their tune and headed for the exit.

However, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox started a whole new ball

game with nine runs in two innings - scoring five runs in the

seventh and four more in the eighth - to rally past Oklahoma

12-8 in front of 2,703 Friday night.

The Sky Sox won with no home runs and just two extra-base hits.

But Colorado Springs did use the bunt and two sacrifice flies to

score runs.

"We came back without the 'Sky Sox Stadium home run,' and that

means we played good baseball," said Colorado Springs manager Chris

Cron. "We got behind, but we came back and kept putting the ball in

play. Yes, Oklahoma made some mistakes. But we did what we had to

in order to take care of those mistakes. Tonight it was the little

things that won the game for us. Plus the good pitching."

Aaron Small came in after the RedHawks chased Rigo Beltran, who

gave up nine hits and eight runs - five earned - in 5 innings,

including a pair of walks and three strikeouts. Small picked up the

win with 2 innings of relief, allowing three hits and no runs.

"You're talking to the wrong guy after a game like this - the

offense won it," said Small. "The offense was unbelievable, and

that's what brought us back from 8-3. But as far as going out there

down five runs or whatever, it doesn't really affect me - you can't

let it. I have to go out and not think about the score or anything

else. And the way our defense played tonight, that was also a big

key for us winning."

David Lee pitched a strong ninth inning to close it out,

allowing no hits and striking out three, allowing one walk. Carlos

Mendoza went 3-for-4, scored three runs and knocked in two runs for

the Sky Sox. John Cotton was just 1-for-4, but he knocked in three

runs and scored another.

"We realize that these games go nine innings, and the key for us

is to play all nine innings," said Mendoza. "It's important to win

games like this."

Phil Hiatt had three hits in five at-bats and scored three runs.

The Sky Sox were dealt another blow - in addition to the early

deficit - when Bubba Carpenter had to leave early in the game with

a pulled muscle in his rib cage after a check swing.

So Cron had to make three switches, including moving Juan Sosa

to center field. Sosa had two hits in six at-bats.Angel Echevarria

had a big game, with two hits.

LOAD-DATE: April 25, 2000

March 8, 2005

SECTION: Sports News

LENGTH: 511 words

HEADLINE: SPORTS: Senior makes points with passes, rebounds and leadership

BYLINE: By BOB SCHALLER, The Gazette

DATELINE: COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.

BODY:

Mason Boggs was running the floor, taking advantage of a fast break operating in high gear for undefeated Evangelical Christian Academy.

The 6-foot-1 senior received a pass on his way to the basket and converted an easy layup. And then another.

"John LaCerte and Brock Hodgson were dishing the ball down low for me," Boggs said with a smile. "I barely had to work for some of those points."

The points came easy as Boggs finished with a game-high 37 in a 91-77 victory against Fowler in the Class 2A regional final.

A majority of the baskets came from close range, not standard fare for one of the best shooters in the state.

"We were fast-breaking really well, and just crashing the boards," Boggs said. "It seemed like I was having a good night."

His night included six rebounds, four of them on offense.

"He's such an unselfish player," ECA coach Dennis Bruns said. "He's never stopped working hard. He's tireless out there for his teammates even though the numbers aren't what they were compared to last year."

Boggs isn't averaging 20-plus points this season, but mainly because of a balanced attack for ECA - six players are averaging in double figures.

"With that many scorers, Mason has been patient," Bruns said. "He's picked it up in other areas, though, which has led to a lot of points, maybe for other players, but still those are points for us. And Mason knows that."

Finding a way to contribute hasn't been an issue for Boggs, who is averaging 6.5 assists, five rebounds and 4.5 steals per game.

"We can all pass, shoot and rebound, and everyone can score," Boggs said. "This has really helped me develop as a player. Part of being a good player is realizing when someone is hot, you get them the ball, and I don't have to shoot as much as I did last year."

And it's not like Boggs isn't scoring - he is averaging 18 points per game.

Saturday's performance was a reminder of what Boggs is capable of and a reason why he is a nominee for the McDonald's All-American Team.

"A game like that, it does get your confidence up a little bit," Boggs said. "Fowler was leaving the drive wide open. So I thought I might as well take the easy shots since I couldn't get a look from the outside. I did need a night like this though, because I really hadn't had a standout game like that this year."

Boggs was a key player last season on a senior-dominated team that won the state championship. The players around him have changed, but the goal remains the same.

"Losing seven seniors changed this team," he said. "I would love to win state this year. That would be such an accomplishment. It would open their eyes to ECA even more. As long as the scoreboard has an ECA win on it, the other numbers really don't matter."

The only number that matters to Boggs is three - the wins needed to win another state championship.

ECA (23-0) will play Holyoke (16-7) Thursday in the Class 2A state quarterfinals at the Pueblo Events Center.

On the Net:

Colorado High School Activities Association: http://www.chsaa.org

GRAPHIC: AP Photos pursuing

LOAD-DATE: March 9, 2005

November 17, 2004

SECTION: Sports News

LENGTH: 602 words

HEADLINE: SPORTS: CC swimmer dives headfirst into life

BYLINE: By BOB SCHALLER, The Gazette

DATELINE: COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.

BODY:

Ruth Smith's eyes are heavy as she forces a smile. She could be tired from an exhausting workout for the Colorado College women's swimming team, where as an individual medley competitor she swims all four strokes - breaststroke, backstroke, freestyle and butterfly.

Rather, as a deaf student-athlete, she had spent three hours lip-reading in class that morning.

"That," she said with a dimpled smile, "can really wear me out. But in a good way."

Born prematurely, her hearing loss was caused by a medicine transmitted through her mother's breast milk. She can hear only the lowest-pitched noises. No one figured out she was deaf until she was almost 4. Her intellectual development masked the disability.

A native of Alexandria, Va., Smith decided, along with her parents, to be "mainstreamed" in school - and in everything else - so she learned to read lips. She learned to speak flawlessly after extensive work with a speech therapist.

A standout in her younger days - she was within a second of the USA Swimming Junior National qualifying time as a 14-year-old - she decided to stop swimming as a sophomore in high school.

"The competitive part of it ... I was just too competitive and needed a break," she said.

She focused on other sports. She was a standout lacrosse and soccer player in high school, and even played lacrosse briefly at Colorado College.

During her senior year of high school, an academic adviser told her about CC's block program, which involves one class at a time over about a three-week period.

"I liked the idea of only focusing on one class at a time and having to lip-read only one professor," said Smith, a senior. "By then I had realized I wanted to get off the East Coast and see more of the country. I was also interested in hiking and exploring the Rockies during the block breaks as well as participating in other activities with my friends."

She immediately fell in love with CC. She resumed swimming, the break only reinforcing her zeal for the sport. She began training with renewed passion. After winning the 400 IM at the Liberal Arts Invitational Championships this spring, she has her sights set on qualifying for Division III NCAAs this season.

She says friendships with her teammates make swimming especially enjoyable. The only impediment her deafness causes is at the start of races: Since she can't hear the horn, she has to go off the starting light, which can cost her precious fractions of a second. But she's working on her starts. Her coach, Brian Pearson, said he can't imagine a harder worker.

"She doesn't want to let it (being deaf) get her down or anything like that," Pearson said. "She's worked so hard to assimilate herself into the hearing community. She's just a really great kid."

Smith also took a break last year and went to Italy, which she "absolutely loved." Now she's back hard at work in the classroom and pool. She's majoring in English with a film specialty, which she says works well with her love for visual images, particularly her favorite hobby of photography.

"I'm the most visual person you could imagine," she says. "Of course I 'hear' with my eyes."

Swimming has also helped her.

"The water has always brought me such a sense of peace," she said thoughtfully, her blue eyes sparkling. "It's given me a sense of confidence, and a sense of belonging. I'm so happy to be out on my own. No matter who you are, or what challenges you face, you really can do anything you want if you're willing to work hard for it."

On the Net:

Colorado College: http://www.coloradocollege.edu/index.asp

GRAPHIC: AP Photo COCOL701

January 21, 2002, Monday

SECTION: SPORTS;Pg. D-9

LENGTH: 433 words

HEADLINE: Martinson in better mood as Koenig sparks inspired Gulls

BYLINE: Bob Schaller; SPECIAL TO THE UNION-TRIBUNE

BODY:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- This time, it seemed easier. Easier to breathe, easier to score, and easier for the Gulls to sleep last night after polishing off Colorado 3-1 at the World Arena yesterday in front of 4,412.

"I don't know if it was the extra day, or just getting used to the thin air," said Gulls defenseman Samy Nasreddine, who had a goal and two assists. "But we were able to breathe easier, and we were juiced the entire game. Plus, Coach (Steve) Martinson was in a much better mood today after the game."

San Diego's Trevor Koenig was again outstanding in goal, stopping 39 of the 40 shots he faced, including a breakaway late in the second period by Colorado's Zac Boyer.

"Usually, you see a hole and you shoot at that," Boyer said. "Koenig gave me nothing -- not a single hole. I went to fake and still, nothing."

The win for the Gulls (28-10-2) came one day after they lost 6-2 to the Gold Kings (21-14-5), after which Martinson promised changes. But his team responded yesterday.

His first line of Mark Woolf, John Spoltore and Dennis Purdie was on the ice for all three goals. And Nasreddine cashed in on every chance he had.

"This is exactly what I wanted to see from these guys," Martinson said. "We know that if Trevor keeps them to one or two goals, and Woolf's line gets two or three, we're going to be fine. Samy had a big day. But he's also leading the league in plus-minus, so he is a top defenseman. Still, it's good to see him put every scoring chance home out there. That gave us a boost."

The clincher came with 3:10 left in the game when Spoltore got the puck off a face-off and fed it to Nasreddine as Nasreddine charged into Colorado's zone. He went in and put a wrist shot into the net, pushing San Diego's lead to 3-1.

Unlike Saturday's game, which included more than two hours of penalty minutes, this one was relatively clean, with each team having only four power-play chances, and not converting a single time. San Diego did score a short-handed goal in the second period.

Colorado goalie Kirk Daubenspeck was good, stopping 21 of 24 shots, but Koenig was all that, and more.

"Every night, Trevor gives us a chance, no matter what happens," Nasreddine said. "He picked us up again today."

San Diego got on the board first when Nasreddine fed Spoltore with a perfect cross-ice pass going into the Gold Kings' zone.

San Diego took the lead in the second period. Again, Nasreddine set up the goal -- and with the Gulls short-handed. Nasreddine fed Woolf, who scored to make it 2-1 just over seven minutes into the second.

LOAD-DATE: January 23, 2002

January 20, 2002, Sunday

SECTION: SPORTS;Pg. C-13

LENGTH: 593 words

HEADLINE: Miffed Martinson rips Gulls, promises changes

BYLINE: Bob Schaller; SPECIAL TO THE UNION-TRIBUNE

BODY:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Good thing snow is forecast for the Rocky Mountain region tonight because Gulls coach Steve Martinson was red-hot after watching his team give up four third-period goals in a 6-2 loss to the Colorado Gold Kings yesterday at the World Arena.

San Diego still leads its division and is only one win away from Idaho for the best record in the WCHL.

Martinson sounded like his team was a reclamation project, though, after the loss, and showed no signs of cooling off after dressing down his team in the locker room afterward.

"Changes -- I can promise you there will be some changes," Martinson said. "Players are taking advantage of the fact that we are missing a few guys, so that's their excuse for doing dumb things. Right now we are not playing the kind of hockey we need to be playing. There is too much 'Me, myself and I' on our team. There are some guys who will be out of the lineup."

Martinson was in the locker room for 15 minutes after the game addressing his team.

"He has every right to be angry," said forward Mark Woolf, who scored a goal yesterday. "First of all, he calls the shots. Second of all, we had it 2-2 after the second period, just the way we like it. Then, we wet the bed in the third period.

"We might have some guys out, but we still have some quality depth. Guys just aren't stepping forward. Whenever this team doesn't get two points (for a win), it's disappointing. Frustrating is the word now for us, because we aren't playing with the consistency we need."

Colorado (21-13-5) and San Diego (27-10-2) play today at 3 p.m. (PST).

The Gold Kings took a 2-0 lead after a first-period goal by Aaron Boh and a second-period goal by Dewayne Blais.

But San Diego answered with two goals of its own before the second period ended. First, Woolf banged in a forehand rebound on a wrist shot by Taj Nelson on a power play.

"Taj had a good game," Woolf said. "I think with all the traffic in front of the net, I was just able to get a stick on it and get it in the net."

The second goal was scored by Joe Bianchi, with Nelson again getting an assist. That left the game tied.

The third period featured tight checking, broken only when Mike Garrow and Tom Perry scored goals for Colorado just over two minutes apart.

Martinson pointed to a pair of penalties as the major causes for the loss. In the first period, down 1-0, San Diego had a power play. But wing Chris Albert took what Martinson dubbed a "dumb" roughing penalty with the Gulls a man up.

Dumb was elevated to dumber when Albert threw his stick and got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which in turn led to a 10-minute misconduct.

When that wasn't enough, Albert complained to the referee and landed a game misconduct.

"That's called putting yourself in front of the team," Martinson said, shaking his head.

With 2:10 left in the game and the Gulls down two goals, San Diego went on a power play. But just 43 seconds into it, Kyle Reeves committed what Martinson called "a very stupid" holding penalty. The Gold Kings added two goals after that.

"We have veteran players putting themselves before the team," Martinson said. "That's not going to cut it. It was a close game until the last part of the third period. I'm just not very happy right now."

Colorado goalie Kirk Daubenspeck stopped 36 of the 38 shots he faced while San Diego's Trevor Koenig faced 31 shots, stopping 25.

But when the Gulls most needed the offense -- the third period -- they had only six shots, compared to 13 for Colorado.

LOAD-DATE: January 22, 2002

May 2, 2001

SECTION: Sports News

LENGTH: 702 words

HEADLINE: Marketers try to attract wider audience to Sky Sox games

BYLINE: By BOB SCHALLER, The Gazette

DATELINE: COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.

BODY:

Don't be in a hurry coming or going, pay attention and plan properly.

Those three things can help make a trip to a game at Sky Sox Stadium as enjoyable and stress-free as possible, according to Sky Sox officials.

The Sky Sox, who are the Triple-A affiliate in the Pacific Coast League for the Colorado Rockies, opened their home season recently on the northeast side of Colorado Springs.

The promotions - like the team - change every year and this season they have evolved into something that is more thematic.

"We decided to do something extremely consistent and specific," said Rai Henniger, vice president for marketing. "So there really is something for everyone every game."

There is a theme for each day of the week such as Big Money Monday, $2 Tuesday - you get the idea - plus giveaways and contests sprinkled throughout the schedule.

Sky Sox Stadium also boasted baseball's first hot tub, something Henniger claims gave birth to the Arizona Diamondbacks' outfield swimming pool. The Sky Sox tub has made newscasts on ABC and NBC and was featured on a Japanese television show, "Where am I."

"Bill Veeck is my hero," Henniger said, referring to the longtime major league executive who will forever be known as the sport's P.T. Barnum. "All of the really good ideas start in the minors."

At 6,531 feet, Sky Sox Stadium is the highest-elevation ballpark in the nation.

"I used to bill it as the world's highest," Henniger says with a shrug. "But then I got a postcard from a guy in Mexico City, where their field is at 7,000 feet. So now, we're just the 'nation's highest."'

The Sky Sox have added several activities to appeal to a wider audience. On various days, there will be trade shows on the concourse, including ones for home improvement, a high-tech setup, health and fitness, and an outdoor-themed event.

The club also has added a picnic area in the parking lot, which will allow for better tailgating. Fans not bringing their own food will be able to buy barbecued and other food before games.

Hats from every minor-league team are available in the gift shop. An entire set of 160 caps goes for $2,718.40.

"We're really working hard to make Sky Sox Stadium a fun place, not just for baseball fans, but for everyone," said public relations director Gabe Ross.

Dan Karcher, the voice of the Sky Sox, is a bit biased but claims tuning in during the game - even while at the game - is a plus.

"The fans can get a lot of stuff on the radio that they won't get otherwise, in terms of information," Karcher said.

The best time to track down players for autographs is before the game, when the gates open (one hour before game time), which is usually when the team is finishing batting practice.

"That's a more relaxed time than after the game," Karcher said. "If the team loses - or if a guy has a bad night even if they win - he's probably not going to want to stop. But even if they lose, they'll in all likelihood be very gracious. Still, I'd recommend trying to get things signed before the game."

The level of baseball is, as indicated by the fact the team is at the top minor-league level, the next-best thing to the major leagues. The players are usually headed to the majors, and Ross said 75 percent to 80 percent of Triple-A players will have made it to the major leagues during their careers.

"When people do finally see a game, they say, 'Geez, the level of play is a lot better than I thought it would be,"' Ross said. "The difference between us and the major leagues is that we don't have the superstars. And people know our players' names better once they are gone, because they'll get that big exposure at the major-league level."

Some of the Rockies' top young players spent time with the Sky Sox, including Ben Petrick, who Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd says "should be ready to be a star" in the major leagues.

Pitcher John Thomson will likely be on the major-league squad after spending some rehab time in Colorado Springs, with the chance to be inserted into the Rockies starting rotation down the line. Colorado center fielder Juan Pierre played briefly for Colorado Springs before jumping to the Rockies last summer.

GRAPHIC: AP Photo COCOL701

LOAD-DATE: May 3, 2001

February 20, 2001, Tuesday

SECTION: SPORTS;Pg. D-6

LENGTH: 572 words

HEADLINE: It's a long road to victory for Aztecs

BYLINE: Bob Schaller; SPECIAL TO THE UNION TRIBUNE

BODY:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The last time San Diego State won a conference game on the road, Bill Clinton still had half a term left and the conference was the Western Athletic.

But that streak -- and several others -- ended last night at the Air Force Academy, as the Aztecs used a punishing defense to beat the Falcons 62-48 for their first-ever Mountain West Conference road win and second MWC win of the season.

"We teased everyone, including ourselves, when we were 10-3 in the preseason," SDSU coach Steve Fisher said. "But finally, we got one on the road."

The other MWC victory also came against Air Force (7-17, 2-8), in San Diego for the Aztecs (12-12, 2-9). Their last WAC win was against Hawaii on Feb. 4, 1998.

"The coaches did a good job of preparing us," said Aztecs' Myron Epps, who had six points and five rebounds. "We watched a lot of film and worked a lot in practice for this game."

The victory also ended a 12-game February losing streak dating back to Feb. 27, 1999 (a 76-72 win over San Jose State) and ended a six-game losing streak -- one that began after the last Air Force victory.

The Aztecs thus sweep Air Force after having been swept by the Falcons last season.

"We knew we had a height advantage inside," said SDSU forward Randy Holcomb. "We wanted to use that to our advantage."

The Aztecs did just that, banging the ball inside against the smaller Falcons. San Diego State had 31 rebounds, to just 17 for Air Force. Holcomb led the way, with game highs in points (18) and rebounds (eight).

Air Force never solved San Diego State's zone defense. The Falcons mustered just 20 points in the first half as the Aztecs recorded 30.

"We figured we had to play a full 35 seconds of defense on each one of their possessions," Epps said, "because Air Force is patient on offense. We just didn't give them anything."

It was more of the same in the second half. Though Air Force did cut the lead to six and five points, San Diego State had an answer every time.

While the Aztecs owned the inside game, they kicked it outside in the second half to stop Air Force's rallies. David Abramowitz hit 4-of-6 three-pointers, finishing with 14 points.

"This was the exact same game Air Force played at our place," Abramowitz said. "The outside shots opened up. I just thank God I hit them. They made (Air Force) stop their runs -- it really stopped the bleeding for us at that point."

San Diego State trailed 10-9 with 10:56 left in the first half. But the Aztecs took the lead 20 seconds later on a basket by Jim Roban, and never trailed again.

"We played good for 40 minutes," Epps said. "We knew we could run more on them too, and we did."

Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

The Gazette (Colorado Springs)

December 27, 2000, Wednesday

SECTION: SPORTS

LENGTH: 462 words

HEADLINE: Air Force heads to Utah State Tournament

BYLINE: By Bob Schaller

BODY:

This isn't the first time he's heard it.

And Lamoni Yazzie doesn't expect it to be the last time, either.

"Oh yeah, I hear it all the time - the last player picked, the one they think doesn't look like he can play," said Yazzie, a native of Tuba City, Ariz. "Other teams think that too, when they play us. But eventually, they all have to face me."

That's where the truth comes out. And so does Yazzie, a junior guard for the Air Force Academy men's basketball team. He leads the team in 3-point field goal percentage (.526, 20-for-38) and free-throw percentage (.857, 24-of-28). While he's averaging a fraction under 10 points a game, his points have been big.

In fact, as Yazzie goes, so go the Falcons. In Air Force's current two-game winning streak, Yazzie made 5-of-7 3-pointers in scoring 20 points against Central Connecticut, then had 13 points while shooting 4-of-8 from 3-point land in the win over the University of Denver.

Yazzie doesn't look flashy. He doesn't seem lightning fast or extraordinarily quick. But those looks, according to coach Joe Scott, are deceiving.

In fact, even Scott wasn't sure where Yazzie would fit in when Scott was hired after the end of last season.

But Yazzie quickly made his place.

"He has a nose for the ball," Scott said Tuesday evening before practice as Air Force gets ready to head to the Utah State Tournament, where the Falcons will face Cornell on Friday night. "He goes hard up the floor and back 100 percent of the time."

That's important, since Scott is 100-percent intensity himself all of the time.

But Yazzie had to adjust his game to fit Scott's style. Gone are the shots from anywhere on the floor. Instead, Yazzie has several alleys he prefers from beyond the arc. And in Scott's offense, the more open the shot, the better.

"When I got here, one of the things I noticed about Lamoni is there wasn't a shot he didn't like," Scott said with a smile.

Teammate Tom Bellairs agrees.

"Yaz wants the ball - he's a shooter," Bellairs said. "A shooter has to shoot."

Knowing this shooter would be restricted if he didn't adhere to Scott's chosen targets, Yazzie adjusted his game. Yazzie gets as many back-door layups as the big men on the Falcons' roster, testimony to his hard work on the floor.

"That's part of who I am," Yazzie said. "My grandparents were the first in my family to finish high school. And then my parents went to college - they were the first to do that. It's nice that I'm a cadet here.

"But if I didn't work hard all the time in school and on the court, I'd really be disrespecting what my family accomplished before me."

Visit GT Online, the World Wide Web site of The Gazette, at http://www.gazette.com

JOURNAL-CODE: GT

LOAD-DATE: December 27, 2000

The San Diego Union-Tribune

December 24, 2000, Sunday

SECTION: SPORTS;Pg. C-16

LENGTH: 286 words

HEADLINE: Gold Kings sweep road-weary Gulls

BYLINE: Bob Schaller; SPECIAL TO THE UNION-TRIBUNE

BODY:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Gulls' Mark Woolf winced as transparent tape was wrapped around his torso to secure an ice pack on his lower back.

But the pain was about more than that.

The Colorado Gold Kings (15-10-5) beat the Gulls 3-2 at the World Arena last night in front of 2,777 on Jason Knox's late power-play goal.

With the victory, the Gold Kings swept the three-game series with the Gulls.

San Diego (19-10-1) came in on a seven-game winning streak. The Gulls went home in disarray.

"We're still not getting it done," Woolf said.

Though it was Woolf getting the ice treatment, Gulls head coach Steve Martinson probably needed the cooling off more.

For the second night in a row, Martinson berated his team. However, this time he questioned the officiating, which gave Colorado two power plays in the third period. San Diego had one after that but was unable to capitalize.

"I'm thinking about making some changes," Martinson said. "There are some players here I'm tired of seeing. We had a stupid penalty (on Dan Gravelle) that led (to Knox's) goal. But the calls by the ref are so inconsistent, and you don't even know what is going to get a penalty called. Right before that, Gravelle was tripped, but that wasn't called."

Woolf agreed, and said an uncalled cross-check is what ailed his back.

"Definitely, the officiating is a joke in this league," Woolf said. "They don't protect the (WCHL's) top players, and it goes both ways -- for each team. That's why some of the better players won't come to this league."

Knox's goal came with just over four minutes to play. The puck went between the legs of San Diego goalie Cris Classen, and barely dribbled into the losers' net.

LOAD-DATE: December 26, 2000

December 23, 2000, Saturday

SECTION: SPORTS;Pg. D-3

LENGTH: 372 words

HEADLINE: Martinson miffed by Gulls' play

BYLINE: Bob Schaller; SPECIAL TO THE UNION-TRIBUNE

BODY:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Coach Steve Martinson leaned against a wall after his San Diego Gulls were pummeled 6-2 by Colorado last night in front of 3,875 fans at the World Arena.

At least he had a wall to support him, which was more than Martinson could say for several of his veteran players.

"We have some guys who are just not pulling their weight," Martinson said. "We have some of our veterans who are running out of time -- who just aren't getting it done."

San Diego started off strong when Brett Larson fed Petr Marek for a goal just 2:11 into the game. But from there, Colorado ran off six straight goals -- in a span of just nine minutes -- to take control of the game in terms of scoring.

However, in every other aspect, the game quickly soared out of control. More than an hour of penalty time was called in the first period alone.

"That's one of the problems of these three-game series," Martinson said in reference to the fighting. "That's the frustration of one team getting down by that much."

Colorado (14-10-5) and San Diego (19-9-1) play again tonight at 6:05 PST in the final of the three-game series. Colorado has won both games so far.

"When we were winning, I didn't really say anything, even though I knew there were some guys who were not producing," Martinson said. "Now, I am concerned. Very concerned."

Though San Diego picked several of the fights, especially later in the game, it didn't help rally the Gulls one bit.

The final goal of the game came from Gulls captain Mark Woolf on an assist from Jeff Petruic with just under four minutes left in the game.

Rookie Mark Gowan was again outstanding in goal for Colorado, turning back 33 shots. On the other hand, Martinson had to yank Cris Classen after he allowed goals on three of the first four shots he faced.

Trevor Koenig came in but allowed three more first-period goals.

Rhett Trombley set up Carl LeBlanc for Colorado's first goal three minutes into the game. R.J. Enga and Brian LaFleur added goals to push Colorado ahead 3-1.

"We had some odd-man rushes -- 3-on-2 and 2-on-1 -- and that gave us some good scoring chances," said Enga, who had two goals. "We were able to capitalize on those opportunities."

LOAD-DATE: December 25, 2000

December 21, 2000, Thursday

SECTION: SPORTS;Pg. D-3

LENGTH: 391 words

HEADLINE: 'Soft' goals prove hard on Gulls

BYLINE: Bob Schaller; SPECIAL TO THE UNION-TRIBUNE

BODY:

COLORADO SPRINGS -- What was supposed to be a turning point ended up being the lone high point.

After allowing just one goal during a five-minute major penalty in the first period, the Gulls were ready to go on the offensive. But they allowed two "soft" second-period goals and went on to lose 3-2 to the Colorado Gold Kings last night at the World Arena.

"We didn't have enough scoring chances," Gulls coach Steve Martinson said. "I think it just comes down to the simple fact that we didn't play that well."

The Gulls outshot Colorado 30-23 but managed just five shots in the first period and six in the second in falling behind 3-1.

"We let in two soft goals," Martinson said of the second-period scores. "We made mistakes and gave them two easy opportunities."

San Diego closed the gap to 3-2 on a 5-on-3 advantage with 9:23 left in the game when Mike Taylor banged in a rebound. Despite a late flurry against Colorado goalie Mark Gowan (28 saves), the Gulls couldn't get the tying goal.

"Gowan's really coming into his own," said teammate Greg Eisler, who had a goal and an assist. "He's had enough minutes and enough games that he's really coming on strong and establishing himself."

The Gulls scored first, with just over seven minutes left in the first period. Jeff Petruic looked to steer the Gulls into Colorado's end with a two-on-one. The break seemed to fall apart when the puck got caught in Petruic's skates, but Petruic kicked it up to his stick and, despite not having a great angle, beat Gowan with a wrist shot.

Late in the period the Gold Kings nearly let a golden opportunity slip away as San Diego killed off the first four minutes of Dan Gravelle's five-minute major for boarding. But with 22 seconds left in the period, Jim Twombley was set up by the Gold Kings' other new edition, Kelly Selix. Eisler also assisted on the power-play goal, which tied the score 1-1.

Colorado went up 2-1 with a short-handed goal. Steve Vandal stole the puck deep in the San Diego zone and brought it out front, feeding it to Eisler, who beat Trevor Koenig with a one-timer with 16:19 left in the second period.

Just more than two minutes later, Tom Perry took a feed from Craig Lyons to set up a one-on-one, and Perry shot between Koenig's legs to push Colorado's lead to 3-1 with 14:02 remaining in the second.

LOAD-DATE: December 23, 2000

The Gazette (Colorado Springs)

December 17, 2000, Sunday

SECTION: SPORTS

LENGTH: 442 words

HEADLINE: Josh Wallace the center of attention on the court and diamond

BYLINE: By Bob Schaller

BODY:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. _ Josh Wallace hopes to break a lot of records at the Air Force Academy, and win a lot of games.

Wallace already broke one record - at 6-foot-9, he's the tallest player ever on the roster for the Air Force men's basketball team. He's not setting the world on fire as of yet, but he does give the Falcons a legitimate center - not the 6-4 or 6-5 players who are usually outmanned against opposing teams' 6-foot-10 centers.

"I think the fact that I'm starting him says just about all that needs to be said," said coach Joe Scott. "I don't usually start freshmen. But Josh is different. As he gets more aggressive and comfortable, he'll be a good one for us. Right now, we're asking him to do things he's never had to do at center - getting the ball thrown to him (outside), and other things. He'll get used to it."

And like his idol - 6-10 Cy Young winner Randy Johnson - Wallace is a pitcher, and hopes to step in for the baseball team in the spring.

Wallace has a fastball that has been clocked in the low 90s. Last year, his arm took a break at the Air Force Prep School. Since the Prep School has no baseball team, Wallace's arm - used frequently during his high school pitching career - was able to basically take a year off of a competitive baseball.

While he missed competing, he knows his arm was able to heal from all the innings he threw in high school, theoretically making him even more ready to pitch in 2001.

Though he could well have a shot at pro baseball, Wallace says up front he will honor his commitment to the Air Force. That, in effect, means he plans on staying four years at the Academy before entering the regular Air Force.

"I came here to get my degree," Wallace said. "That's what it's all about. There's nothing more important than that. To play professionally in baseball would be great, but it won't come at the expense of a degree from here."

Besides, he has yet to throw his first pitch in college.

"If I pick up some velocity and work on my control, maybe someday I could think about the pros," Wallace said. "But it's just way too early."

The native of Casa Grande, Ariz., is still getting used to Colorado Springs' weather. He's not a big fan of either the snow or cold, and claims the only thing cool he'd be worried about in Arizona this - or any - time of year is the next soda coming out of the refrigerator.

"I'm used to wearing shorts all the time," Wallace says with a smile, "and I don't just mean on the basketball court."

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JOURNAL-CODE: GT

LOAD-DATE: December 17, 2000

The Gazette (Colorado Springs)

December 17, 2000, Sunday

SECTION: SPORTS

LENGTH: 605 words

HEADLINE: Air Force remains hopeful among the bleakness

BYLINE: By Bob Schaller

BODY:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. _ She's been in the NCAA Tournament as a player and coach, most recently as an assistant with Vanderbilt, which reached the final 16 of last year's tournament.

And Robyne Bostick is in not one, but two halls of fame, one for Philadelphia, and the other at her alma mater of St. Joseph's University.

She's also played professionally in Europe, logging time with the Walferdange team in Luxembourg.

But Bostick has gone from the national stage, to the international arena of women's basketball, to where she is now: basketball purgatory.

Bostick is an assistant women's basketball coach at the Air Force Academy, a program that has struggled to win a handful of games each season since moving to Division I in 1996. Air Force is 20-94 in a little more than four seasons, including this year's 2-6 mark.

"I thought this would be a great opportunity to move up to coach and recruit in a different part of the country," Bostick said. "At Vanderbilt the program was pretty well established. Coming here, it was a good chance to try and build something and have more input and put a mark on the program."

For someone who has known nothing but success in her career, Bostick remains hopeful, despite the bleak short-term outlook for the Falcons. Considering the difficulty of its schedule, Air Force may struggle to win five games.

"The Mountain West is a competitive conference," Bostick said. "It's definitely not on the same level of the SEC (Southeastern Conference), but this is just a matter of getting our team to compete at a higher level. We want to get to .500. And we hope to be more competitive in the conference. Then, it's the next step."

That's a lot of steps for a program that has had its feet planted firmly in the cellar. But don't try and sell Bostick on that logic.

"I think it can happen," Bostick said. "We don't want to be content being at the bottom of the conference. It might take a year or two, but we want to be competitive."

Bostick also doesn't buy into blaming the program's lack of of success on the Academy's rigid and lofty academic standards.

"We have the same kind of academic standards that Vanderbilt, Stanford and Notre Dame have," Bostick said. "We all recruit kids who set high goals for themselves. We have good upperclass leadership and some good players. But our freshman class this year is the real beginning of that in terms of the turnaround process and having the basketball background we need."

If the Falcons are to move to the next level, Bostick knows the very culture within and surrounding the team will have to change.

"A lot of it is the mentality, because the Air Force Academy women's basketball program hasn't won at this level," Bostick said. "We have to change the way the kids think. We have to be competitive. And then we have to have the confidence to win those close games."

Air Force head coach Sue Darling is hoping that Bostick is able to instill some of that confidence and attitude and optimism to her team.

"She has truly been an asset to our program," Darling said. "She was an outstanding player, and has brought to our program knowledge of how to play the game. It is good for our players to be coached by her because she was such a good player.

"It is one thing to be a great player, but great players don't always make great coaches. Robyne has made the transition through her experience and ability to teach the game. She is a perfect fit for the Academy."

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JOURNAL-CODE: GT

LOAD-DATE: December 17, 2000

Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

The Gazette (Colorado Springs)

October 23, 2000, Monday

SECTION: SPORTS

KR-ACC-NO: K6870

LENGTH: 464 words

HEADLINE: California becoming warmbed for college hockey talent

BYLINE: By Bob Schaller

BODY:

Not long ago, the mere thought of it would have been blasphemous to hockey purists, those who believe the game exists only in areas cold enough to freeze lakes and ponds.

Yet it's almost commonplace to see "CA" on major college hockey rosters now, and it doesn't stand for "Calgary."

Southern California, in particular, has become a breeding ground for Junior A and major-college talent. One needs look no further than the Colorado College roster, which includes California products Noah Clarke, Alex Kim, Chris Hartsburg and Justin Morrison.

"It used to be that if you were from Southern California, you had one strike against you before you opened your mouth," said Clarke, a sophomore from LaVerne, Calif., who had several strikes of his own - a goal and three assists - in last weekend's season-opening series sweep of Minnesota State, Mankato.

Clarke was the team's leading point scorer last season.

"It's kind of cool to see California kids all over the place playing hockey now," Clarke said. "There are kids everywhere playing it out there. Plus, roller hockey is just huge on the West Coast, and that brings kids to ice hockey, too."

Both Clarke and CC junior transfer Alex Kim, who scored twice in CC's 2-1 exhibition win over the University of Calgary, credit the blockbuster trade that brought Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles from five-time Stanley Cup winner Edmonton a decade ago with bringing hockey into the collective consciousness of children and parents alike.

"There are a lot of good athletes in Southern California," said Kim, who had three assists in last weekend's two games. "There are also a lot of sports. But once Gretzky was traded to the Kings, that was it - that was the start of hockey taking off."

The move also paid off in terms of logistics and facilities. Clarke remembers growing up with only "10 rinks that I knew of in the entire state."

"Some of the business people out there figured out that ice rinks are pretty good money-makers if you do it right," Clarke said.

Now, added Kim, "there are 30 within a small radius of where I'm from."

Teams from Southern California won the most recent national championship in Pee Wee AAA and also won the Quebec Major Tournament in Canada, thus making the point in hockey's native land that Southern California will be a player - producing players - for years to come.

"Noah and I played for those teams, and that was our goal, to win those tournaments," said Kim, a Fullerton native. "But we didn't have the firepower back then like they do now. We had a few guys who were really good, but that was it. Now, the entire roster is that good."

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JOURNAL-CODE: GT

LOAD-DATE: October 23, 2000

The Gazette (Colorado Springs)

October 9, 2000, Monday

SECTION: SPORTS

KR-ACC-NO: K1621

LENGTH: 446 words

HEADLINE: Falcons defeat Calgary, 4-2

BYLINE: By Bob Schaller

BODY:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. _ Frank Serratore didn't see as much as he wanted to 30 minutes into his Air Force Falcons' exhibition game with the University of Calgary on Sunday night at the Cadet Field House.

And for the final 30 minutes, Calgary coach Tim Bothwell saw more than he ever wanted to. Air Force, down two after a pair of Calgary goals just 1:04 apart less than halfway through the second period, came back to score four unanswered goals to claim a 4-2 win.

"We've got some fabulous people on this team," Serratore said. "To get down 2-0 and then come right back says a lot about their character."

This much is obvious to Serratore: This is his most talented team, from top to bottom. The defense is much improved. He finally has four lines _ in fact, all four scored Sunday night.

"That's a good sign," said Air Force senior Billy O'Reilly. "Having four lines like this _ it's better than it's ever been since I got here. These young guys are bringing a lot of ability and emotion."

And Air Force's goaltending will be a strong point again, with a standout starter and backups available.

The few seniors who play are key _ forwards Scott Bradley and O'Reilly, and goalie Marc Kielkucki. Those are the final players not recruited during Serratore's tenure, which enters its fourth year.

But those players did contribute and _ in a twist of irony _ each class was represented well in the win, with a freshman, two juniors and a senior scoring, and sophomores accounting for two assists. The goaltending was solid, with Kielkucki giving up the two second-period goals before yielding in the third period to freshman standout Mike Polidor, who was flawless in his shutout period, turning back nine shots, including two point-blank attempts and a breakaway.

Junior Brian Rodgers scored the first goal for Air Force on a high wrist shot after sophomore Scott Zwiers won the faceoff and classmate Andy Berg pushed the puck to Rodgers.

"That was a missile," Serratore said of Rodgers' shot.

Junior Brian Gornick, the Anaheim Ducks draftee who opted for the Air Force over the NHL, scored the second goal just 1:23 later on a feed by freshman Shane Saum, who perfectly executed a two-on-one to Gornick, who then used a backhand to draw the score even.

Freshman Anthony Masotto scored the third goal, with his classmate, Spanky Leonard, winning the faceoff to set up Masotto.

"It was good to get the first one out of the way," Masotto said

The final goal was by senior O'Reilly, an empty-netter with 42 seconds left.

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JOURNAL-CODE: GT

LOAD-DATE: October 9, 2000

The Gazette (Colorado Springs)

May 22, 2000, Monday

SECTION: SPORTS

LENGTH: 416 words

HEADLINE: Ricky Hendrick's sixth spot a triumph

BYLINE: By Bob Schaller

BODY:

As Ricky Hendrick closed in on the bumper of defending NASCAR Craftsman truck series champion Jack Sprague, he heard a familiar voice.

"Do not, do not bump Jack," Rick Hendrick told his son over the headset.

"If I can, I'm gonna pass him," Ricky radioed back, creeping up to Sprague's bumper.

"I am your owner," said Rick, who also owns Sprague's truck, "so you will not hit Jack."

An hour later, Rick, back from beating cancer, smiled broadly as he watched Ricky get out of his truck after finishing sixth in the Grainger.com 200 Sunday at Pikes Peak International Raceway.

The older Hendrick said the recent death of Adam Petty made him question his decision to invite his son into the racing industry.

"It's been hard since Adam died - he and Ricky raced in the Legends (series) in Charlotte when they were 15 years old," Rick said. "I don't know how racing families handle this. I wondered if Ricky might not want to get into the automobile industry in another capacity.

"It's just so hard for me to think of him as a racer, and not as my son."

That's not the case for anyone else. The younger Hendrick already has begun earning his stripes in the Busch Grand National Series, finishing fifth in the BellSouth Mobility 320 at Nashville last month. Sunday at PPIR, Hendrick would have had a shot to win, if a late caution flag had tightened the field.

"He did a great job today - at least he didn't pass me," said Sprague, who finished fourth, two places ahead of his teammate. "There's a lot of talent there."

After watching Hendrick Motorsports' Winston cup drivers - Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte and Jerry Nadeau - compete in The Winston on Saturday, Rick flew from Charlotte to Colorado Springs in his private plane to see his son race.

"It's easier for me to talk to Jeff Gordon on the headset than to talk to Ricky," Rick said. "It's a whole different game when it involves your own son."

Yet the early results are very Gordonesque for the younger Hendrick.

"I'm establishing myself as a race car driver, not just as Rick Hendrick's son," Ricky said. "But I'll tell you this much: I sure am proud of my dad. A year or so ago, he'd be on his feet for three hours and then he'd be down the rest of the day from the cancer. Now, he's just going everywhere."

So is Ricky. Except those places his dad tells him not to go.

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JOURNAL-CODE: GT

LOAD-DATE: May 22, 2000

The San Diego Union-Tribune

February 25, 2000, Friday

SECTION: SPORTS;Pg. D-6

LENGTH: 499 words

HEADLINE: Air Force overpowers 0-11 SDSU

BYLINE: Bob Schaller; SPECIAL TO THE UNION-TRIBUNE

BODY:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- San Diego State's search for its first conference win took a turn through the Rockies -- but didn't reach fruition -- as the Aztecs were shut down last night by Air Force 63-55.

"I've never lost this many, for this long, in my life," said Myron Epps, who led the Aztecs with 18 points and nine rebounds. "We are a better team than our record shows. But I can't explain how emotionally tough this has been on us. It has been very hard."

San Diego remains winless at 0-11 in the Mountain West Conference and stands at 5-19 overall. The win gives Air Force (8-16, 4-7) its first conference sweep since 1995 and head coach Reggie Minton his 150th win at the Academy. The Aztecs head tomorrow to New Mexico.

"We played as well as we could defensively," said SDSU head coach Steve Fisher.

"When you get in a streak like this, you just have to roll up your sleeves and not feel sorry for yourself. I think our guys haven't fallen into that trap. We did put in a good effort tonight. Both teams battled."

Marcelo Correa had 14 points and nine rebounds for San Diego State. No other Aztec was in double figures.

"Some of us were tired for a little bit, but it was more that we let down mentally," Correa said. "Air Force doesn't have the best players around, but they hustle, they're physical and they're pretty strong."

Air Force had 14 offensive rebounds -- nine of which came in the second half as the Falcons pushed off several San Diego State rallies.

"Certainly the offensive rebounds were a key late in the game," Minton said. "We talked before the game that (the Aztecs) were hungry for their first conference win coming in here -- yes, we were cognizant of that. But our seniors responded."

Air Force had four players in double figures, led by Jarvis Croff's 14 points. Seniors Tyron Wright and Lawrence Yazzie had 12 points apiece. Freshman Tom Bellairs had 15 rebounds and 11 points.

"We thought we could get that first conference win tonight," Correa said. "We should have had the win."

San Diego State led by as many as eight in the first half, but Air Force outscored the Aztecs 15-5 over the final 10 minutes to lead 24-22 at halftime.

"We should have been building on the lead," Correa said. "Instead we were playing from behind in the second half."

The Aztecs were within two at 45-43 with 7:12 left, but Air Force pulled ahead by nine, 51-42, as SDSU committed two turnovers in a row. The Aztecs finished with 19 turnovers compared to 14 for Air Force.

"We had our chances," Fisher said. "But we missed four-of-five free throws at one point.

"Correa missed a dunk and was fouled and missed both free throws. So instead of getting a three-point play out of it or at least the two free throws, we got nothing. Those kinds of things add up."

San Diego State shot 45.8 percent from the field for the game and just 57.1 percent from the free throw line (8-of-14). Air Force shot 72.2 percent from the line (11-of-16).

LOAD-DATE: February 28, 2000

The San Diego Union-Tribune

February 24, 2000, Thursday

SECTION: SPORTS;Pg. D-9

LENGTH: 506 words

HEADLINE: Gulls' long streak comes to end

BYLINE: Bob Schaller; SPECIAL TO THE UNION-TRIBUNE

BODY:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Gulls captain Mike Taylor was slamming his equipment into his bag. Mark Woolf was talking to himself about what could have been. None of the Gulls was in a good mood after sleepwalking to a 6-5 loss to the Colorado Gold Kings at the World Arena last night, ending the Gulls' unbeaten streak in regulation play at 25 games.

"That was our worst-ever first period," Taylor said, shaking his head. "We came out really flat."

But it's just one game, right?

"This is the kind of organization that is supposed to win every game," Taylor said firmly. "We as players except that too, and when that doesn't happen we're not going to act like we're happy or content, because we're not."

San Diego (37-9-6) coach Steve Martinson took it a step further.

"You can't win with 13 or 14 guys trying and four or five guys not doing their job," Martinson said. "Four of their goals came against one of our lines. That won't happen again. I'll be keeping a special eye on the guys who did not show up tonight."

The Steve Dowhy trade that never seemed to pay off finally paid a huge dividend as Dowhy had a five-point night -- two goals and three assists for Colorado.

"I can't ask for anything better than that," said Dowhy, acquired from Bakersfield earlier this season. "Especially after the way they blew us out (6-1 on Tuesday night), this was important for a lot of reasons. We really needed this win."

The Gold Kings (28-22-3) were also boosted by defenseman Stephane Madore, who played two periods with a separated shoulder but added four assists, and newly acquired John Cirjak, who had a pair of goals and an assist in his debut.

"My stats don't matter. What does matter is that we got the win and ended that streak of theirs," Cirjak said. "But it does help to get me some confidence, and to feel that I fit in here."

Colorado raced to an early 3-1 lead. With each team down one skater, Colorado's Steve Dowhy broke free behind San Diego's defense near center ice. Dowhy took a pass from Stephane Madore, kicked it up to his stick and beat Sergei Naumov high to the glove side just over five minutes into the game. Cirjak, drafted in 1995 by the Colorado Avalanche, scored his first goal as a Gold King when Dowhy fed him a perfect pass on a two-on-one less than two minutes later. San Diego, wicked on the power play in Tuesday night's first period, came up with another power play goal. Brett Larson's shot from the point was saved by Frederic Beaubien but Taylor shoved the rebound into the net to draw the score to 2-1.

Colorado went back up by two goals when Dean Ewen, forced back to defense because of injuries, carried the puck into the zone and backhanded a shot into the near side of the net, pushing Colorado ahead 3-1 with 9:14 left in the first period.

San Diego answered with another power-play goal when Jamie Black batted in a rebound of Barry Potomski's shot from the point just 1:20 after Ewen's goal. That 3-2 Colorado lead stood at the end of the first period.

LOAD-DATE: February 26, 2000

The San Diego Union-Tribune

February 23, 2000, Wednesday

SECTION: SPORTS;Pg. D-7

LENGTH: 397 words

HEADLINE: Gulls power way past Gold Kings

BYLINE: Bob Schaller; SPECIAL TO THE UNION-TRIBUNE

BODY:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Gulls scored on all three of their first-period power plays and shut down the Colorado Gold Kings at the other end of the ice for a 6-1 victory last night at the World Arena.

"The power plays were the key for us," said San Diego coach Steve Martinson. "All we did in the third period was keep dumping the puck."

All four first-period penalties produced goals, including one for Colorado.

San Diego (37-8-6) started the scoring when Mark Stitt, who had broken free from a crowd in front of the net, banged in the rebound of a Steven Low shot during a power play five minutes into the game.

"You don't give a team that hasn't lost (in regulation) in 25 games three power-play chances in the first period and hope to win," said Gold Kings coach Kirk Tomlinson. "But those calls were marginal, in my opinion. And after they capitalized on all three of them, we never made a game of it. That game was over in the first five minutes."

The Gulls made it 2-0 when B.J. MacPherson knocked in his own rebound while standing uncontested in front of goalie Frederic Beaubien with 11:54 remaining in the first period.

The Gold Kings (27-22-3) answered on their first power play when Carl LeBlanc hit R.J. Enga with a pass as Enga skated into the San Diego zone. Enga's high, glove-side shot past goalie Sergei Naumov found the top corner to make it 2-1.

Another power play brought another goal for the Gulls. This time it was Low firing a shot from the point that was tipped into the air by a Gold Kings defender and past Beaubien.

San Diego led 3-1 after one period and outshot Colorado 14-8.

The streak of goals on power plays ended at four in the second period when the Gulls killed off a minor penalty.

The Gulls came up with their first even-strength goal when Mark Woolf banked a shot off the inside arm of Beaubien with 8:22 left in the second period to run the lead to 4-1.

"That goal was huge," Martinson said. "When you are up 3-1, the next goal for either team could set the tone for the rest of the game."

Less than two minutes later Woolf took a cross-ice pass from Mike Taylor and one-timed the puck into the open side of the net as Beaubien slid in vain across the crease, making the score 5-1 with 6:37 remaining in the second period.

Despite outshooting the Gulls 13-7 in the second period, Colorado was outscored 2-0.

GRAPHIC: 1 PIC; ASSOCIATED PRESS; Caught on tape: An ESPN television replay shows Marty McSorley hitting Donald Brashear from behind.

LOAD-DATE: February 25, 2000

20 of 22 DOCUMENTS

The Colorado Springs Gazette

October 25, 1999, Monday, BC cycle

SECTION: Sports News

LENGTH: 383 words

BYLINE: BOB SCHALLER

DATELINE: MONUMENT, Colo.

BODY:

Jared Scott runs. As the defending Class 4A boys state cross-country champion, he has done that very well.

But when he injured his right Achilles' before the season started, running was no longer an option. He didn't run away from the problem though, and because he didn't, both he and his Lewis-Palmer teammates are better off, according to coach Suzanne Kuehl.

"Jared was there the whole season to help the team," Kuehl said. "He was the best 'manager' I ever had. He was there at every corner, supporting his teammates."

The hardest part of being out was that Scott, a senior, saw his best season being taken away from him.

"I was in the best shape of my life," he said. "But there was absolutely nothing I could do about the injury. I figured, 'Why moan and groan about it - what good will that do?' If you are negative about it, that can bring you and everyone around you down. I figured I'd better look at it positively."

He did, and helped salvage the big Kent Denver meet early in the season.

"We didn't get notified that the meet had been moved up," Kuehl said. "We showed up about 10 minutes before the race was to start."

Scott moved quickly.

"He laid the jerseys on the ground and pinned on everyone's number - just took care of everything he could," Kuehl said.

"I didn't want my teammates to worry," Scott said. "I knew I had to help in any way I could. I tried to do whatever I could so they could just focus on getting warmed up and ready."

The team fared well that day, and did the entire season, in fact.

"I'm so proud of everyone," Scott said. "They all became so much better - they really picked it up. My teammates really supported me, too. And guys stepped up and took my place."

Scott also stepped it up. He came back in mid-October, in his first meet of the season, won the Metro League. But his goal was not necessarily to win.

"I just wanted to finish," Scott said with a smile. "I don't take anything for granted any longer."

He's also planning to run in college.

"I've still been recruited even though I was out," Scott said. "That makes me feel really good. This injury really helped me grow as a leader. This whole experience has shown me that I can overcome things - that when something is tough, you don't look back, you keep pushing forward."

LOAD-DATE: October 25, 1999

Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

The Gazette (Colorado Springs)

April 14, 1999, Wednesday

SECTION: SPORTS

LENGTH: 706 words

HEADLINE: Tire tests under way for McLaughlin at Pikes Peak International

BYLINE: By Bob Schaller

BODY:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. _ He might be known as "Magic Shoes" now, but Mike McLaughlin might soon be known as "the Mailman" _ the snow, sleet and wind couldn't slow the Busch Grand National driver's tire test at Pikes Peak International Raceway on Wednesday.

"Great track and tires _ I've got no complaints," said McLaughlin, who in addition to running his own Goulds Pumps Monte Carlo also tested teammate Todd Bodine's No.66 Phillips Chevy. "The day wasn't perfect by any means in terms of the weather. But the track's in good shape, and we're getting our work done."

In the Craftsman Truck series race at PPIR on May 15-16, the area favorite will likely again be Rick Carelli, the only Colorado-based NASCAR driver. Carelli picked up his first win in two years when he won at Mesa Marin in Bakersfield, Calif., last weekend. While there's no Colorado-based Busch Grand National driver, McLaughlin could be considered a local in some ways _ he's a big fan of the Colorado scenery.

Last summer, after the Busch race at PPIR, he headed out to see the sites.

"Went up to Royal Gorge and walked on the bridge, went to the top of Pikes Peak and then saw the Continental Divide," McLaughlin said. "We have so much to do as drivers and teams that we don't always take times to see the sights. Seeing this area like we did last summer was just incredible _ beauty you don't see other places. Wheree're should we go this year?"

A track official, not knowing if McLaughlin was serious, mentioned the Air Force Academy and Garden of the Gods.

Apparently, McLaughlin was serious.

"When you can," he said, "just give me the directions."

At Cicci-Welliver racing, McLaughlin and Bodine form arguably one of the top multi-car Busch Grand National teams ever, along with Tim Fedewa, who drives the No.36 Pontiac.

"Todd's been running well lately," McLaughlin said, "and Tim has had some rough luck, but he'll be coming back around quickly."

The third-place finisher in the Busch Grand National points standings last year behind champion Dale Earnhardt Jr., and second-place Matt Kenseth, McLaughlin is in fourth after falling into the short-track blues with a crash at Bristol, Tenn., last weekend.

Hit from behind by Phil Parsons as the two went on the brakes hard to avoid hitting a spinning Dave Blaney, McLaughlin suffered an injured right hand. But like most NASCAR drivers, he'll weather the pain and won't miss a race. The series goes from short-track Bristol to the superspeedway at Talladega after a week off. While the tracks could not be more different, in a way, the conditions are very similar.

"You see someone spin or tap the wall at a short track, and the ones who wreck are the ones who are slowing to miss hitting the cars that are having problems _ not the ones who caused the problem in the first place," McLaughlin said. "It's the close quarters that is a problem. But at the superspeedway, because of the restrictor plates, you still race in packs. So there are still close quarters, but the difference is we go a heck of lot faster at the superspeedways. But that's exciting _ the different tracks, the different challenges. The fans love it, and when we can give the fans something they love, we are all for that."

McLaughlin was actually supposed to be in sunny Talladega this week testing for Jeff Gordon's No. 24 Dupont Automotive Finishes Monte Carlo. But because the Goodyear test doesn't count against the few allotted tests for Busch drivers, the chance to test Goodyear's tires was too good to pass up.

McLaughlin will tackle Talladega next week without his crew chief. McLaughlin and Jay Smith parted ways earlier this week.

"Jay's a great racer and a good friend, and I know he'll be doing very well with another team, I'd suspect in the near future," McLaughlin said. "It was nothing personal. We just needed to make a few changes to run where we need to. We think we should be running for the championship, and doing things the way we had been doing them so far this season wasn't going to accomplish that. But I wish Jay well, and he'll land on his feet."

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LOAD-DATE: October 12, 1999

The Gazette (Colorado Springs)

November 28, 1998, Saturday

SECTION: SPORTS

LENGTH: 630 words

HEADLINE: Nebraska defeats Colorado

BYLINE: By Bob Schaller

BODY:

LINCOLN, Neb. _ Not long ago, it seemed as though the two heavyweights battled for the undisputed title, usually with national implications, and almost always with the conference hanging in the balance.

Friday, Nebraska and Colorado looked like two fighters well past their prime, swinging aimlessly and waiting for the other to fall, to win by default.

Little was on the line as Nebraska turned a late Colorado turnover into the game's winning points for a 16-14 victory at Memorial Stadium as the Huskers battled for second place in the North Division of the Big 12.

No.14 Nebraska (9-3, 5-3) is likely headed for the Holiday Bowl while Colorado (7-4, 4-4) is going to the Aloha Bowl.

"Obviously, we are disappointed with the outcome of the ballgame," Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel said. "Our kids gave everything they had - and deserved to win. Now, we have to make sure we get it together for the Aloha Bowl."

Nebraska beat CU for the seventh time in a row - after losing in 1990 and tying in 1991 - despite not scoring an offensive touchdown.

"That was frustrating," Nebraska coach Frank Solich said. "We were fortunate we were able to get it done despite the fact that we did not get some points on the board on some crucial drives."

For the game, Nebraska had 131 yards rushing (including minus-2 in the first quarter), and 254 yards of total offense compared to 246 yards for CU, 134 of which came through the air. CU quarterback Mike Moschetti was 12 of 18 for 132 yards with one interception. CU's Marlon Barnes was the leading rusher with 102 yards on 25 carries. Nebraska's Correll Buckhalter had 97 yards on 15 carries.

Nebraska returned an interception for a touchdown, and its final field goal - the winning points - came after forcing a fumble on a sack.

This was not a game that hinged on a big play. Rather, Friday it came down who would last take aim at their own foot, and miss.

"Certainly, there were mistakes on both sides," Solich said. "And some proved very costly. I'm relieved that we were able to get nine victories for this football team. They wanted that badly."

Colorado had no such problems killing its chances as time ran low. The Buffs could have started their final possession at the 20 if CU's Ben Kelly had not fielded a punt that appeared headed to the end zone. But he picked up the ball and was brought down at the 9. After six plays and 17 yards, CU surrendered the ball on downs to Nebraska, which ran out the final 1:41.

In the past it was Bill McCartney vs. Tom Osborne; Friday it was Solich vs. Neuheisel. In the past it was Heisman Trophy contender Tommie Frazier vs. Koy Detmer or future NFL starter Kordell Stewart; Friday, it was junior college transfer Moschetti vs. redshirt freshman Eric Crouch, who was fifth on the depth chart last year.

The Huskers scored just the one touchdown and received three field goals from Kris Brown. After Clint Finley's interception return, CU answered with an impressive drive, going 80 yards in 11 plays in just under 5 minutes to tie the score with 6:17 left in the first quarter. Brown added his first field goal in the second quarter and added another in the third quarter as Nebraska pulled ahead 13-7 with 11:29 left in the third.

But CU answered, with Moschetti driving the Buffs 80 yards in 13 plays, including a 15-yard run by Dwayne Cherrington to the Nebraska 35 on second and 3. Moschetti finished off the drive with a 15-yard TD pass to Andy Peeke and CU led, 14-13, with 2:11 left in the third. But Brown's field goal with 8:48 left, after the sack of Moschetti an ensuing fumbled, provided the final margin.

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JOURNAL-CODE: GT

LOAD-DATE: October 12, 1999