6B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
23022000
Record aside, team ready for Big 12
'Hawks welcome home field advantage after steady slew of road games
BY KELLE ROBINNET
krobinet@kansan.com
KANSAAN SPORTSWINTER
The real season begins tomorrow for the No. 8 Kansas women's soccer team as it hosts Nebraska in the Big 12 opener for both schools.
KU finished its nonconference schedule with an 8-1 record, but the team knows this won't impress anyone once conference play begins.
"There is a little more at stake on the conference games," said coach Mark Francis. "They just mean that much more."
Getting out of the gate with a victory will be important for the Jayhawks, because in a conference as strong as the Big 12, home losses are difficult to get past.
Especially when KU has a closing schedule with road games against the likes of Missouri,
FRANCIS
Oklahoma State,
Oklahoma,
Texas A&M
and Texas.
"It will be nice to get two quality teams like Nebraska and Colorado at home to start the con-
terence season," Francis said. "It's a big advantage playing at home and we need to make the most of that advantage."
t's a big advantage playing at home and we
The home games will be a welcome change for KU. The team has played six of its nine games on the road this season, and will finally get a break in the next two weeks when it hosts matches against Nebraska, Colorado, Texas Tech and Baylor.
The month of traveling didn't seem to take a toll on the team, as it lost only one game. But the
need to make the most of that advantage."
Mark Francis Soccer coach
players couldn't be happier starting the conference season with home games.
"It will be good to have home field advantage this weekend," said senior midfielder Amy Geha. "It feels like we've been on the road this whole season."
The time at home will give the players a chance to catch up in their classes and allow the team more time to prepare for its conference foes.
Getting ready for a conference game is different than preparing
for a nonconference game, because the two teams are familiar with each other and can spend more time practicing on the field than studying scouting reports.
"The style that each team plays doesn't normally change, so we will be familiar with that," Francis said. "It's not like some nonconference games where you really have to do your homework."
One of the main areas of focus in practice this week has been on improving the teams finishing ability, Francis said. It's an area Francis wants to see the team perform better at in conference play.
"I think our finishing could be better," he said. "Obviously our forwards have done enough for us to win eight games, but we need to be more consistent."
— Edited by Marissa Stephenson
WNBA Shock need win to advance
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — The Detroit Shock's bid for a second straight WNBA championship is looking anything but easy. Without leading scorer Swin Cash, and the team needed a win on the last day of the regular season to grab the final playoff berth.
Under coach Bill Laimbeer, the Shock engineered a worst-to-first turnaround a year ago, going from the fewest wins to a league-best 25-9 record en route to its first title.
The team went back to struggling this season, only winding up 17-17 by closing with three straight victories.
Detroit hosts the New York Liberty in Game 1 as the postseason starts tomorrow night. Los Angeles is at Sacramento in that night's other game, while the other series begin Saturday:
Connecticut at Washington, and Seattle at Minnesota.
The Shock's Cash is sidelined for all of the playoffs with a torn ligament in her left knee.
Sixth in the league in scoring average at 16.4 points, she averaged 6.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 32 games before hurting her knee at Phoenix on Sept. 11.
"We have a significant injury. However, we have other great players," Laimberve said. "You look at the Eastern Conference, and our interior post play, we think, is the best, with Cheryl Ford, Ruth Riley and Barbara Farris. That's going to be our strength."
Indeed, the Shock still have three double-digit scorers in Riley — Cash's U.S. Olympic teammate and last year's Finals MVP — and All-Stars Ford and Deanna Nolan.
'Fall Ball' schedule helps softball prepare for next season
BY MATT WILSON
mwilson@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWIMMER
The Kansas softball team has released its fall schedule, which features two tournaments in the month of October.
The 2004 Jayhawk Fall Classic will take place Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 2 and 3.
This tune-up at Arrocha Ballpark will include Kansas, Washburn and Emporia State out of Division II's Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and Johnson County Community College. Kansas will face Washburn and Emporia State on Oct. 2 and play JCCC Oct. 3.
The teams will then be seeded, and the top two will play for the championship.
The slate will continue the next weekend at the University
of Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb.
Kansas,
Nebraska,
Colorado
State and
Nebraska-
Omaha will all
play in the
tournament.
Kansas will
take on
BUNGE
Colorado State and Nebraska-Omaha on both days, Oct. 9 and 10. The Jayhawks will not face Nebraska.
"We're not looking at these games as if we have to win them, but rather to see how the pieces fit together," said
For the Kansas coaching staff, the "Fall Ball" games as an opportunity for the players to gain some experience and to tinker before the real season kicks off in the spring.
"We're not looking at these
games as if we have to win them, but rather to see how the pieces fit together. It is a good opportunity to see what the freshmen are capable of."
Tracy Bunge Softball coach
Kansas coach Tracy Bunge. "It is a good opportunity to see what the freshmen are capable of."
"Fall helps me get my swing comfortable and get to know the
The players' attitudes are much the same.
new players," junior infielder Destiny Frankenstein said. "It gives us all a chance to come together as a team."
Despite the fact that these games don't count toward the record, the players will have a lot riding on them and need them to prepare for the 2005 campaign.
"It gives some people a chance to fill some starting positions," Bunge said. "Practice is great, but getting out there and playing at game speed is something that will help us out greatly."
Frankenstein said the team is also looking forward to showing everyone early on what they are capable of.
"We look awesome already, and were working together to go far when spring comes," she said.
Admission to the Fall Classic is free. Arrocha Ballpark is
SOFTBALL
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME
Oct. 2 Washburn Lawrence (Jayhawk Fall Classic) 2 p.m.
Oct. 2 Emporia State Lawrence (Jayhawk Fall Classic) 4 p.m.
Oct. 3 Johnson Lawrence noon
County CC (Jayhawk Fall Classic)
Oct. 3 TBA Lawrence 2 p.m.
Colorado St. Lincoln, Neb. 10 a.m.
Nebraska-Omaha Lincoln, Neb. 3 p.m.
Nebraska-Omaha Lincoln, Neb. 12:30 p.m.
Colorado St. Lincoln, Neb.
(Big Red Fall Classic)
Oct. 10 Lincoln, Neb.
(Nebraska-Omaha Lincoln, Neb. TBA
(Nebraska-Omaha Lincoln, Neb.
Source: www.kuathletics.com
located between the football off of Naismith Drive practice fields and Super Target Field behind Hogglund Ballpark Edited by Jon Ralston
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