THE UNIVERSITY HARLY KANSAN MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2007
SPORTS
7B
INTRAMURALS
Geochronic wins two floor hockey championships
BY JOE PREINER
jpreiner@kansan.com
Paul Kenward, Ottawa, Ontario, graduate student, comes out of the net to defend a shot from an Air Force ROTC player during the floor hockey match in the Student Recreation Fitness Center.
The championship weekend began Sunday afternoon at the Student Recreation Fitness Center for members of intramural floor hockey teams. After a month of games, only two teams remained in each of the tournament's divisions: men's greek, men's and co-recreational.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
The games began when Geochronic, the top-ranked team, and Air Force ROTC faced off in the co-recreational final. The game's intensity level was high from the moment the referee dropped the ball at middle court, but neither team could score early on. With 45 seconds remaining in the first period, Celina Suarez, San Antonio graduate student, put Geochronic up 1-0 when he slapped the ball past Air Force ROTC's goalie during a frantic scramble in front of the net.
Both teams battled for possession throughout the second period, and Geochronic notched three more goals to go ahead 4-0. Just before the second period ended, Air Force ROTC finally found the back of the net when a lob pass evaded goalie Paul Kenward, Ottawa, Ontario, graduate student.
Air Force ROTC scored early in the third period, but Geochronic still led 4-2 as the game neared its end. Despite taking numerous shots and maintaining possession for a good part of the final eight minutes, Air Force ROTC could not knock off the top-ranked team.
"Don't forget we have a game after this," Kenward said. "So don't tire yourselves out."
Geochronic, which fields a team in both the co-recreational and men's divisions, remained focused even after the game.
His team took his words to heart as it went to work against A.K.Psi just minutes later in the men's division final.
the championship game against Geochronic.
Chris Kavanaugh, Wichita senior, said he wasn't sure his team was worthy of playing in
"We were supposed to play the actual KU Club Hockey team before this," Kavanaugh said. "But they had to forfeit because they had an actual game. So that's probably the only reason we are here."
Geochronic affirmed Kavanaugh's uneasiness and outworked A.K.Psi in the first period, completely dominating the time of possession. But A.K.Psi kept the score tied at 0-0 until the end of the first period, thanks to several great saves by its goalie, Chris Saule, Overland Park senior.
"If we didn't have him, wed be losing by a lot," Kavanaugh said after Saule made a kick save on a breakaway just before the first buzzer.
The second and third periods played out differently. Ezra Kulczycki, Toronto graduate student and member of Geochronic,
showcased his talents both offensively and defensively. He scored a goal in each of the last two periods and secured the team's second championship victory of the day. Kenward, who was not tested much throughout the game, thanked Kulczycki after the second goal.
"I was going to ask for another goal," Kenward said. "But I didn't want to push it."
A. K.Psi tried valiantly to get back in the game but wasn't able to break through to Geochronic's defense. Kulczycki's teammates joked with him about his M.V.P. performance as the team received another championship shirt.
The final game took place minutes later. Beta A1 and Pi Kappa Alpha took over the action in the men's greek division final.
Both teams had difficulty maintaining control of the ball, and neither team could create much offensively in the first period. Beta A1's Lake Wooten,
Mission Hills senior, scored a goal with just 25 seconds left in the period.
The players' intensity increased in the second period. Each team scored a goal, and Beta A1 ended the period ahead 2-1.
The last period was destined to be a battle, with neither team wanting to go quietly into the rest of its Sunday night. Moments after the third period started, Pi Kappa Alpha notched a goal, sneaking the ball by the opposing goalie's right leg. Just 30 seconds later, Pi Kappa Alpha took a 3-2 lead when a near-miraculous turnaround shot found its way into the net.
Beta Al then tied the game at 3-3 during a mad scramble in front of Pi Kappa Alpha's net with four minutes remaining. Overtime seemed very likely as the teams remained tied with only a few minutes left.
Era Kulczycki, left, Toronto graduate student, and Geoff Barnes, New York freshman, struggle for control of the ball during Sunday's game. Geochronic defeated Air Force ROTC 4-2 for the co-recreational championship.
Then, with just more than two minutes left, Wootton scored his
Jon Goering/KANSAN
second goal of the game, finding a space between the goalie's leg and the near post. The go-ahead goal energized the team, and Beta A1 held off Pi Kappa Alpha players for the victory.
The winning teams walked away with their championship prizes and intramural bragging rights.
Edited by Chris Beattie
CLUB SPORTS Missouri defeats KU men's club soccer team in finals
The KU men's club soccer team competed in the National Club Soccer Championship in Pensacola, Fla. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The team made it all the way to
National club soccer championship
the finals to face Missouri, where KU lost in the end on penalty kicks even though it never trailed for the entire tournament.
"This is the second year in a row we lost in the final," Sean Strull, Garland, Texas, senior, said. "It's a tough pill to swallow, especially in a penalty shootout, but the team played great and it's fortunate
Group play:
Group play:
Kansas 1-0 Central Florida
Kansas 1-0 Iowa State
Kansas 3-1 Connecticut
Quarterfinals Kansa 2-0 Florida
Semifinals Kansas 2-1 James Madison
Finals
Missouri 1-1 Kansas (Missouri wins 4-2 on penalty kicks)
Corey Marimam, Wichita senior Alex Cohen, Birmingham, Ala., senior
Finals
All tournament players:
Casey Aull, Libertyville, III., senior.
Goal scorers:
Darin Amsberry, Littleton, Colo. senior
— 3 goals (Oowa State, Central Florida, Florida)
Addison Stonestreet, Overland Park sophomore
— 4 goals (James Madison, Florida, Connecticut twice)
Nick Allen, Boulder, Colo., Junior
— 2 goals (UConn and Florida)
KU began the tournament, which featured 16 teams, in a group with Central Florida, Iowa State and Connecticut, where the teams played a round robin with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals. KU defeated Central Florida 1-0, Iowa State 1-0 and Connecticut 3-1. The team didn't allow a goal, with the only score against Kansas coming from an own goal.
we couldn't win."
In the quarterfinals, KU shut out Florida 2-0. Wichita senior Kyle Glick said an early goal by Darin Amsberry, Littleton, Colo., senior, was a huge spark for the team. The ball was a screamer from outside the 18-yard penalty box. It started toward the near post, then curled all the way into the side netting of the far post.
"I was sitting on the bench, and as soon as he hit it, everyone got up and were silent," Glick said. "Then the ball went in, and Darin turned around and started running with his shirt over his head. He runs faster after he scores than in the game."
Amsberry had three tournament goals, all from outside the penalty
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In the semifinals, KU defeated James Madison 2-1 for a chance to play Missouri in the club soccer version of the Border Showdown. Missouri started things off with an own goal, but was able to recover and tie the game. The Tigers won after overtime and a 1-1 draw, in penalty kicks 4-2.
"When we get early goals like that, it crushes the other team." Glick said. "It was a huge springboard for the rest of the tournament."
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