2B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13.2005
CORRECTION
- Yesterday's University Daily Kansan contained an error. In the article, "Conference offers no clear favorites," Dylan Meier was listed as having transferred from Kansas State to Pittsburgh State. Meier has not left the K-State team.
ATHLETICS CALENDAR
TODAY
- Tennis vs. Kansas State, 2 p.m., Robinson Courts
* Softball at Missouri, 6 p.m., Columbia, Mo.
* Baseball at Wichita State, 7 p.m., Wichita
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
- Basselbill vs. Baylor, 7.p.m., Hoghunt Ballpark
* Track at McKenna SAC Relays, all day, Walton, Calif.
- Baseball vs. Baylor, 6 p.m., Holgund Ballpark
- Rowing at Knecht Cup, all day, Camden, N.J.
- Softball vs. Baylor, 2 p.m., Arrocha Ballpark
- Tennis vs. Colorado, 11 p.m., Robinson Counts
- Track at Mt. SAC Relays, all day, Walnut, Calif.
- SUNDAY
- Baseball vs. Baylor, 1 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark
* Rowing at Knecht Cup, all day, Camden, N.J.
* Softball vs. Baylor, 1 p.m., Arrocha Ballpark
* Track at Mt. SAC Relays, all day, Walnut, Calif.
INTRAMURAL SCORES
MONDAY
ULTIMATE FRISBEE
Pearson def. Fiji 1            9-4
The Fighting Blunts def. SAE 1    10-6
HOCKEY
NHL talks likely to resume soon
NEW YORK—When NHL labor talks resume, a new plan will be discussed that attempts to blend elements from both sides' vision of how players will be paid.
BY IRA PODELL
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Negotiations will probably resume next week, during which a new, hybrid concept — which addresses the relationship between player costs and league revenues — will be brought to the table, a source close to the negotiations told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity yesterday.
The NHL has maintained that it prefers a link tying player costs to league revenues, while the union has mostly rejected that idea. This new, mixed plan would appear to incorporate elements from both concepts.
It was thought that talks would resume this week, but as of yesterday, there was still difficulty in scheduling a meeting, the source said. Next week's likely bargaining session would come at a busy time for the NHL, which already has a board of governors meeting planned for Wednesday.
The last bargaining session, held April 4 in Toronto, went better than others since the 2004-05 season was canceled in February. NHL chief legal officer Bill Daly said there was now a good understanding across the table of where the sides were and that he was hopeful there would be continued progress.
Last Thursday, commissioner Gary Bettman and union executive director Bob Goodenow had dinner with some general managers and players in Michigan, where the GMs convened for a meeting. Bettman and Goodenow tentatively planned to hold more official talks soon.
On March 17, the NHL made two proposals to the players' association — one containing a link between player costs and league revenues, and another without the relationship.
But the "de-linked" offer had a short shelf life, and the deadline for the union to accept that kind of deal expired last Friday.
It was the second time that type of offer was made to the players' association, and the second time the NHL pulled it off the table.
Exhibition season kicks into gear
SOCCER
Kansan file photo
BY MATT TORNOW
mtornow@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
After an offseason full of awards, the Jayhawk soccer team is back in action with spring exhibition games.
Caroline Smith, junior forward, fends off Erin Weldon, Iowa State senior defender, during a regular season game last fall. The soccer team is playing its spring exhibition season and won its first game 2-0 against Minnesota on April 2 at layhawk Soccer Complex. The next scheduled game is against Purdue on April 23 in Indianapolis.
The women kicked off the spring exhibition season with a 2-0 victory against the Minnesota Gophers Saturday at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex. Scoring the goals for the Jayhawks were freshman Afton Sauer and junior Kimberly Karfonta.
Sauer said it was a bit of a change to be able to play a whole game again instead of just practice.
"It was awesome to start playing a game," Sauer said. "It is so different to step out on the field and play a 90 minute game compared to practicing. I wish we would have done better but it was just fun getting out there and playing as a team again."
Freshman forward Emily Strinden agreed.
"It was really awesome to have come together and get a win after not playing anyone but ourselves for a long time," Strinden said. "We kind of started to get tired of just practicing with ourselves, and everyone was really excited to play a real game."
Junior forward Caroline Smith said it was nice to be able to compete against another team and to rejoin the other players again.
"It's definitely nice to get back on the field and compete against other teams," Smith said. "It's great that we all got to play on the same team because in spring practice we are always split up. The win is always nice but I think it showed us a lot of things to improve on."
Last year's Big 12 champion squad finished 11th in the country in RPI rankings, which was the best finish in school history. To improve on that this season, players took it upon themselves to train for the upcoming season. Sophomore defender Holly Gault said her offseason training started right after the end of last season.
"I was so ready to get back out and start training that I didn't take much time off." Gault said.
Sauer thinks she is in even better shape than she was last season as a result of personal training, and that she has become better at little things such as passing and getting touches.
The team has also been practicing to improve how it plays as a unit.
The Jayhawks lost seven seniors from last season, but hope to improve and advance further into the postseason this year. The team had its most impressive season last year, but was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the second round.
"
"Its definitely nice to get back on the field and compete against other teams."
Caroline Smith Junior forward
"As a team we have most of our defenders returning, however some changing positions," Gault said. "So we have mainly been working on putting people in situations that they haven't been in before so we can gain experience."
Strinden said the team has been practicing hard and has become more close-knit. She said she hopes this will help in the upcoming season.
The Jayhawks still have four more spring exhibition games. The team will next be in action April 23 when it takes on Purdue in Indianapolis. The Jayhawks will play the next day against Indiana in Bloomington, Ind.
The layhawks will play their final two spring exhibition games in Lawrence.
On April 28 they take on the Blue Valley Stars U-15 squad and May 5 against the KFCF U-15 team.
— Edited by Jesse Truesdale
Player down
AC Milan's Brazilian goalkeeper Dida receives first aid after fans threw an object onto the field that hit him during their Champions League quarterfinal second leg match at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, yesterday. AC Milan advanced to the Champions League semifinals after its match against city rival Inter Milan ended early because fans threw fireworks onto the field.
Luca Brunco/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MLB
Another setback plaques pitcher
ST.LOUIS — Bill Pulsipher was placed on the 15-day disabled list yesterday with a mild to moderate strained right hamstring, another hurdle for the St. Louis Cardinals' left-hander to clear after a four-year absence from the major leagues.
Pulsipher beat long odds to make the team despite injuring the right hamstring earlier in spring training and breaking his right big toe when it was struck by a line drive.
He's pitched in three games with St. Louis, allowing one run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings.
"It's pretty ridiculous," Pulsipher said. "The good thing is the arm's fine and the head's fine and I'm ready to pitch. It's just that the leg wants to act up right now."
The Cardinals recalled left- hander Carmen Cali from
Triple-A Memphis to fill Pulsipher's roster spot. Pulsipher said his leg was feeling better, but manager Tony La Russa said he didn't even ask him how he felt.
"We know if it comes up again, we can't wait for it to get well," La Russa said. "We can't pitch short, so it's better to back him off, let him get well."
The move was made a day after right-handed reliever Cal Eldred was admitted to a hospital with a relapse of upper respiratory symptoms. Eldred, 37, missed the first two games of the season but pitched twice during the team's weekend series with the Phillies.
The decision didn't prevent Pulsipher from playing catch yesterday before the Cardinals played the Cincinnati Reds.
The move to the DL has been backdated to Monday.
— R.B. Fallstrom/
The Associated Press
D
with
after
Dep
wou
syst
upc
bec
not
mon
WE
L
Fevu
hold
for
R
---