HOT SPOT The Kansas women's soccer team visits Stillwater, Okla., this weekend. Maybe you should, too. PAGE 3B
SPORTS
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13,2004
Good timing: team gets a break
www.kansan.com
BY RYAN COLAIANNI
rolaianini@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
All Kansas students get a break from classes this week, but the Kansas football team also gets a break from games with a bve weekend.
Coming off the team's biggest victory of the season, coach Mark Mangino said the bve could not have come at a better time.
"We have played six games, hard-fought games," Mangino said. "This week will give us an opportunity to heal up some bumps and bruises that we have."
Some of those players who will be able to heal are cornerbacks Theo Baines and Charles Gordon. Both cornerbacks came out of Saturday's contest against Kansas State. Gordon returned to the game later, but Baines did not.
Saturday was the Jayhawks' fourth straight contest that was decided by six points or less.
points of note.
Mangino said the week off would not be used to lengthen celebration time after Saturday's 31-28 victory.
"We have about 12 to 15 hours to enjoy the victory and then we get ready for the next one, so we don't celebrate too long." Mangino said.
Kansan File Photo
Junior defensive tackle Tim Allen attempts to wrap up Kansas State quarterback Allen Webb during last Saturday's game.
The bye week will also give Mangino an opportunity to evaluate the quarterback position. Junior Jason Swanson replaced starter Adam Barmann in the fourth quarter and led the Jayhawks to victory.
"I want to be able to meet with the players," Mangino said. "I want to see how both quarterbacks react to Saturday out on the practice field this week."
Kansas' last practice this week will be on Thursday.
"Many of our kids on Thursday after practice will be able to go home or go home with a friend who lives locally for a couple days," Mangino said. "I think they will get a chance to relax and I am sure they are looking forward to that."
The extra week of practice will enable the Jayhawks to prepare for Oklahoma, which is ranked second nationally.
Mangino said. The coaching staff will also look back on the first six games to see what adjustments should be made for the home stretch.
which is rather specific. "It doesn't hurt to have a day or two to practice to get ready for Oklahoma," Mangino said.
stretch.
"I want to study our team, see what we can improve, maybe see what we can do to get better in some areas that we have not been as productive as we have liked," Mangino said.
Edited by Rupal Gor
Pass complete, unfortunately
Joshua Kendall/KANSAN
(Top) Bryce Benton, Overland Park freshman, throws a football at a friend's dorm window yesterday at Oliver Hall. The football not only got his friend's attention but it broke out his window.
Joshua Kendall/KANSAN
(Left) Oliver residents wave out of their fifth story window after their neighbor, Benton, shattered their window with a football from outside.
Two Oklahoma await soccer team
Kansan File Photo
KU forward Rachel Gilfillan attempts to elude Colorado's Ellen Falender during the second half of the Jayhawks' Sept. 26 contest with the Buffalooes. Kansas went on to win, 2-1.
BY AUSTIN CASTER acaster@kansan.com KANSIAN STAFF WRITER
The No. 9 Kansas women's soccer team will hit the road for the second straight weekend, as it plays at Oklahoma State on Friday and Oklahoma on Sunday riding a fourgame winsnine streak while sitting in second place in the Big 12 Conference.
"This weekend's games are going to be tough," said coach Mark Francis. "Any road game in conference is tough. You have to show up ready to play. Oklahoma State is on a roll right now and Oklahoma doesn't allow many goals. It is going to be hard."
Although Kansas (12-2, 4-1) has experienced more success than the Oklahoma schools, it is looking at both games as a challenge.
Oklahoma State (2-2-1 in conference play) is coming off a weekend when it
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Explore the nightlife of Stillwater, Okla., on page 3B
tied Baylor and defeated Texas Tech. Oklahoma (2-3 in conference play) has won two straight games with tough defense. The Sooners have not allowed more than two goals in a game this season.
Kansas proved last weekend it could win a conference game on the road by defeating Missouri 3-1 last Friday. After recording three or more goals in each of its past three games, the team also showed that it can finish scoring opportunities, something that Francis has been stressing in practice all year.
Francis said the team is now focusing on bringing what they've learned all together.
just fine tuning some things," Francis said. "There are just little things here and there we aren't doing so well."
The soccer team has had plenty of time to prepare for Cowboys and Sooners because it didn't have a Sunday game last weekend.
That extra time off has given some of the players a chance to recover from iniurv.
"I think the week off has helped us because it has given us a little break and we have gotten healthy," said sophomore defender Holly Gault.
gather.
"At this point in the season we are — Edited by Steve Schmidt
The Jayhawks will also get a boost from fall break. After this weekend's games, the players will not have to catch up in classes, making it easier on them to prepare for next Friday's showdown with first-place No. 6 Texas A&M (7-0, 12-5) in College Station, Texas.
ALISSA BAUER
abauer@kansan.com
Red Sox won't ice Yankees
What a sad fate to be anything other than a Yankees fan when October rolls around. Whether you love them or hate them, the Yankees' have a supernatural ability to win games in the postseason.
Since the World Series began in 1903,
the Yankees have won the title 26 times.
After the Yankees advanced to the American League Championship Series, the uproar of Yankee-haters got louder. It only makes sense that the campus that hosted an upset of its own against Kansas State on Saturday is pulling for another one in Major League Baseball. But it won't happen.
Most Yankee-haters chalk up the club's amazing accomplishments to money. Those of us that love them know better. These guys have the talent, the heart and the magic that allows them to excel year after year.
Money comes into play, but every team has to buy a player for him to play for the organization.
Gary Sheffield and Alex Rodriguez were not cheap additions to this year's team, but both were more than willing to join a team with winning ways.
The Yankees get outstanding players not just because of money, but because players believe that the Yankees are America's team.
Team captain Derek Jeter has said,
"All I ever wanted to be was a Yankee."
Players like Jeter know that they're not the best until they play for the best.
The difference is that the Bronx Bombers just won't die. There is a mysterious aura of untouchable magic that lifts the Yanks to insane comebacks.
Losses occur for the Yankees the same as they do for any other team, just as it did in game one versus the Minnesota Twins on Oct. 5.
From Bucky Dent's rallying homer in 1978 to Aaron Boone's 11th-inning walk-off blast last season, the Yankees could never be counted out.
Upsets disguised as Marlins, Angels and Diamondbacks keep the Yankees grounded. The Florida Marlins won it all last year with a payroll roughly one-third of the Yankees. Talent and heart win championships, period.
Since 1996, 32 of their 69 postseason wins have come backs.
Yankee-haters be prepared. The Boston Red Sox may look better on paper this year, and the St. Louis Cardinals dominated the entire regular season, but I predict yet another heartbreaking year for both clubs.
Baseball is a great game. Without the underdogs knocking off the elite once in a while, this game would get boring.
I believe in the game and acknowledge the idea that I may be wrong about the Yankees' chances this year. But I wouldn't bet against them.
The Twins' ace and American League Cy Young favorite Johan Santana threw two incredible starts against the Yankees in the Division Series, but the Twins could only manage one victory. Furthermore, the Yanks hit a pitiful 214 throughout the series with runners in scoring position, but still found a way.
Now they face the red-hot Red Sox and might be underdogs against monster hitters Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz and pitchers Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez.
New York's starting pitching is shaky; its ace closer is in another continent dealing with a family tragedy, and they're up against a cursed opponent. If it was anybody other than the Yankees, we'd already have them counted out.
But it's that Yankee magic that keeps fans loving — and hating — those boys in pintstripes, and it's why they will win their 27th championship this season.
Bauer is a Winfield junior in journalism
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