THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009
SPORTS
5B
SOCCER
Home field advantage proves true
BY JOEL PETTERSON
jpetterson@kansan.com
There's a popular maxim in sports that claims, "It's better to be lucky than good."
Senior forward Monica Dolinsky battles with a South Dakota defender during the Jayhawk invitational on Sept. 20. Teams in the Big 12 have a combined home winning percentage of .718.
But for Big 12 soccer teams this year, a more accurate theme might be, "It's better to be at home than good."
Home-field advantage has become a huge factor in the conference this year.
Big 12 teams have a combined record of 51-12-8 at home — a staggering .718 winning percentage. In away games, their record is 17-28-14, a percentage of .288.
Kansas is no exception to this trend. The team is 4-0 at home but 2-3-1 in away games, including an 0-3 start to conference play, all of which were played away.
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
The Jayhawks completed a fourgame road streak and now return home for two games this weekend against Texas Tech and Colorado.
"The difference between us winning a game or A&M winning or Texas winning isn't going to be some huge, insurmountable difference," coach Mark Francis said. "It's going to be little
things, and playing at home is one of those little things."
For the remainder of this season, home games will be crucial
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for Kansas.
Five of their seven remaining conference games will be played in Lawrence, and with the team's early conference losses, winning at home will be absolutely necessary to achieve the team's goals.
"The biggest thing is just trying to represent our school at home."
"We kind of put ourselves in a situation where we don't really have a choice," Francis said. "If we're going to have any chance of winning the conference or going to the NCAA tournament, we've got to win our home games."
Although a wide range of factors contribute to home field advantage, Kansas players say traveling has the biggest effect.
On weekends with away games,
the team leaves early Thursday
ESTELLE JOHNSON
Senior defender
morning, plays Friday evening, travels again on Saturday, plays on Sunday, and then returns home Sunday evening.
"It wears you out, especially when you go a couple weeks in a row like we just did," senior defender Estelle Johnson said.
"I'll like you don't even have time to breathe or sleep."
The combined effects of traveling all day, doing schoolwork on
the road, and being in an unfamiliar environment eventually affect the team's on-field performance.
"They're just tired. The travel wears you out," Francis said. "It just takes a toll eventually."
However, it isn't just the travel that is giving home teams an edge. Players said having games in a familiar environment in front of a home crowd also gave them extra motivation on the field.
Kansas has also experienced some harsh treatment at away games, especially within the Big
12. Johnson said Oklahoma State fans are the most hostile in the conference.
"They do their research on us and say things about our parents and stuff," Johnson said.
While the different environment can be disorienting, freshman midfielder Shelby Williamson said jeers from the crowd also provide extra motivation for her.
"I like it, because it makes me play better and kind of shuts them up," Williamson said.
Fortunately for the team, the
majority of its remaining games will be played on its home field in front of its own fans. Johnson said the positive home crowd provides extra motivation.
"Coach always gets us riled up, like this is our turf and no one comes and wins on our turf," she said. "The biggest thing is just trying to represent our school at home."
MLB
Edited by Abby Olcese
After 12 innings, Twins win AL Central
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MINNEPOLIS — Baseball's only real pennant race needed an extra game and extra innings to finish off a thriller that got better with every pitch.
Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird tags out Minnesota Twins *Alex Castilla* during the 10th inning in Minneapolis, during a teebreak to decide the American League Central team. The Tigers are only one of three teams since 1910 to have baked a three-team lead with four games, **betted**.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Alexi Casilla singled home the winning run with one out in the 12th and the Minnesota Twins rallied past Detroit 6-5 in the AL Central tiebreaker Tuesday night, completing a colossal collapse for the Tigers.
"This is the most unbelievable game I've ever played or seen," Twins shortstop Orlando Cabrera said.
As Carlos Gomez streaked home from second with the winning run — well ahead of a late throw from right field — Homer Hankies spiraled around the Metrodome. The Twins celebrated and scrambled — they had 21 hours to get ready for Game 1 of the AL playoffs at Yankee Stadium against New York ace CC Sabatia.
The Tigers became the first team in major league history to blow a three-game lead with four games left. The Twins overcame a seven-game gap in the final month, went 17-4 to pull even on the final weekend and won their fifth division title in eight years.
Both team had their chances to end it earlier, and each club scored in the 10th. Casilla was thrown out at the plate to end that inning by left fielder Ryan Raburn after tagging up.
Detroit thought it had taken the lead in the 12th. But with the bases loaded, the plate umpire Randy Marsh
ruled that Brandon Inge was not hit by a pitch by Bobby Keppel. The replay appeared to show the pitch grazing Inge's billowing uniform.
It was the first AL tiebreaker to go to extra innings, and made up for Minnesota's disappointment last October when it lost 1-0 in Chicago to the White Sox in an AL Central tiebreaker.
Had the Twins lost, it would've been the final baseball game at the Metrodome. Instead, the Twins get the Yankees — New York was 7-0 against Minnesota this season.
"We're not going to have to face questions like 'Can you beat them?' like we've had to answer during
A day after Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers at the Dome — "Monday Night Football" is what delayed this tiebreaker for a day — the Twins pulled off a Tuesday Night Stummer.
the course of the year," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Once the playoffs start though, it's a new series and we know the importance of each game. You can pretty much throw everything else out the window."
Tigers reliever Fernando Rodney (2-5) worked his longest appearance of the season, getting the last two outs of the ninth. He gave up
a single to Gomez to start the 12th, and the speedy center fielder — who came in for defense late in the game — moved up on a groundout. He came racing around for the winning run when Casilla's single made it through the right side of the infield.
The Twins rushed out of the dugout in celebration even before Gomez reached the plate. Their comeback from a huge gap with 20 to play was complete.
According to sports researcher STATS LLC, only three teams since 1901 have blown a three-game lead in the standings with four games left.
WOMEN'S GOLF Jayhawks place in top 10 at rival invitational
For the second straight week, the Kansas Jayhawks played in a major rival's golf tournament. Last week the Jayhawks played in Kansas State's tournament and this week the host school was Missouri. This time, the Jayhawks grabbed another top ten finish as they secured tenth place on Tuesday afternoon in Columbia, Mo., with a score of 935.
Wisconsin shot a three round total of 908, getting first place in the tournament. Missouri took third, with a recorded a score of 913.
Kansas' top scorer was Emily Powers, Quincy, III., senior, who placed in tie for 24th individually with a total of 231 strokes for the three round tournament. Behind Powers were Meghan Gockel, Dallas senior and Grace Thiry, Victoria, Australia who both shot a three round total of 235 to finish tied for 38th place.
Meghna Bal, New Delhi, India, junior shot a 74 in the final round, which was the top score for Kansas throughout the three rounds.
Next week, Kansas will make a long trip to Las Cruces, N.M., to compete in the Price's Give 'Em Few Invitational Oct. 12-14.
TOP 10 MYTHS
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