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Ogden Standard
Examiner
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Thursday August 7, 2008 Sports 1B
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Despite disappointments, Outlaws made strides in ’08
By JUSTIN JOHNSON Standard-Examiner staff
jjohnson@standard.net
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OGDEN — Looking back at the recently completed
Premier Development League season, Ogden Outlaws coach Mike Hickman Sr. has mixed
emotions.
“What we accomplished on the fi eld, especially in
terms of wins and losses, I found a little disappointing,” Hickman said. “We had
a goal to do better than that, to give ourselves a shot to go to the playoffs this
year and we didn’t achieve that.”
Off the field, however, Hickman felt good with the
strides made by his still-growing franchise.
“On the business side of things, I felt better,” he
said. “We finished the season strong, our sponsorships were stronger, our attendance
was stronger, so I was pleased with that.”
Ogden captured a dominant 3-0 victory over Spokane
in its season opener and an impressive 1-0 win over Northwest Division champion
Vancouver in its season capstone, but the stretch in between was just to inconsistent
for the Outlaws to achieve their lofty goals for the 2008 season.
“We were a young team, we had several players that
were fresh out of high school and several others that are just a year out of high
school,” Hickman said. “When you are that young, you expect some inconsistency.
We needed to find a way to play more consistent for longer stretches.”
After opening the season 1-0-1 at home, Ogden had
its roughest road trip of the season losing 5-0 to Tacoma and 2-1 to Yakima to close
out May with a 1-2-1 record.
Ogden bounced back two weeks later to move to 2-2-2
and then had a chance to make serious movement up the divisional table, but a disastrous
1-2 record in a three-game homestand, followed by two more 1-0 road losses during
a trip to Canada all but sunk Ogden’s hopes for achieving a playoff berth in 2008.
“Now that these players have some time on the field
and in the system and get ready to continue their college careers, they realize
the dedication it takes,” Hickman said. “You have to have that same competitive
drive every time you cross the line, be it for a practice, a scrimmage game or a
real game. There were times this season where that competitive drive was lacking
a little bit.”
Following the return from Canada, the Outlaws stepped
out of the PDL to play Real Salt Lake’s reserve’s squad in a friendly in Ogden,
and then returned to the field in early July to go 3-3 over their final six matches,
including a pair of impressive victories in the final weekend.
Ogden finished 2008 at 6-8-2 overall.
“The sponsors and fans we had are a huge part of putting
this together,” Hickman said. “Now that the season is over I hope to be able to
go visit with our sponsors and get some feedback.
“I really can’t say enough to thank the people that
helped us this year,” Hickman added. “It takes a lot of work to arrange everything
and it couldn’t be done if I had to do it myself. I really want to thank those that
volunteered their time and energy to help us succeed.”
Hickman also said that with some good feedback from
fans and the soccer community, he hopes to continue the franchise’s solid growth
in 2009.
“Each year we’ve learned a little more and become
more comfortable with what we’re doing,” ickman said. “Now we have to continue to
build upon what we’ve done to make it better.”
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Friday July 25, 2008 Sports 4E
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Pair of Outlaws earn honors
Standard Examiner staff
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TAMPA, Fla. — United Soccer Leagues announced
Wednesday the Premier Development League team of the week for the 14th week of USL
competition, highlighting Tacoma Tide forward Spencer Schomaker for his three goal,
two assist performance against the Yakima Reds on Saturday.
The Ogden Outlaws had two players named to the weekly
team: forward/midfielder Kenan Powell, a Roy native, and forward Kyle Christensen,
a former Layton High School star.
Powell had two goals, including the game-winner in
a 5-2 victory over Abbotsford on Friday night.
Christensen had a goal and three assists in the victory
over the Mariners. He also recorded the game-winner — a 35-yard free kick — in a
1-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency on Saturday
Schomaker’s eight-point night gave Tacoma, a Northwest
Division rival of Ogden, a share of the division title and a top seed in this weekend’s
Western Conference playoffs.
Ogden wrapped up its PDL season with a win over Vancouver
but will take to the pitch one last time on Saturday night, when they face Utah
United at 6 p.m. at Skyline High School.
Utah United is putting together a team this summer
with hopes of joining the PDL next summer
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Saturday July 19, 2008 Sports 3C
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Outlaws rev up the offense
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By JUSTIN JOHNSON Standard-Examiner staff
jjohnson@standard.net
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OGDEN — Scoring goals in the first half hasn’t
been all that easy for the Ogden Outlaws this season. The
rewards of such goals were shown in crystal clear detail on Friday night. Gabb
y O k i t o scored in the seventh minute to give Ogden a n e a r l y lead, and then
after surrendering two, the Outlaws rallied for a 5-2 victory over Abbotsford in
PDL act i o n a t Ogden High School. “That first
goal early was big,” said defender Kenan Powell, who scored two goals —
including the second-half match-winner. “Coming back and getting that goal
at the end of the first half to tie it up again was important. It gave us a boost
of confidence and we were able to carry that into the second half.” Kyle
Christensen score one and dished off two assists in Ogden’s victory, with
Jesse Kupfer accounting for the other strike. “First
10 minutes we came out flying and did some great things,” Ogden coach Mike
Hickman Sr. said. “Then we kind of got sloppy. We came back out in the second
half flying again. It was good to see. That’s the type of soccer that we’ve
been capable of playing all year.” After Abbotsford
took a 2-1 lead, Powell knotted the match at 2-2 on a powerful header in the 42nd
minute. Powell scored again in the 58th minute to put the Outlaws ahead 3-2, with
Christensen dishing off to Kupfer a few minutes later for a 4-2 advantage. Christensen,
who had a fantastic match created several quality opportunities for himself and
his teammates before rounding out the scoring with a 70th minute strike. Ogden
wraps up its 2008 season tonight against Vancouver Whitecaps Residency.
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Friday July 18, 2008 Sports 6E
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SPORTS BRIEFS
Outlaws host pair of home PDL matches
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OGDEN — The Ogden Outlaws will close out their season this weekend with home
league matches at Ogden High School. The Outlaws, who have lost five of their last
six PDL games — four by a single g o a l — will host Abbotsford tonight
at 7 p.m. Saturday, Ogden hosts leagueleading Vancouver at 7 p.m. in its league
finale. The Outlaws (4-8-2) have scheduled an exhibition match with the Utah United
on July 26 at Skyline High School.
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Sunday July 13th 2008 Sports 3C
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BYU gets late win vs Ogden
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By JUSTIN JOHNSON Standard-Examiner staff
jjohnson@standard.net
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OGDEN — The stage was set, the music was cued.
Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the Cougars this wasn’t their party.
Despite playing in front of the largest regular-season crowd in franchise history,
the Ogden Outlaws came up short against their in-state rivals.
BYU midfielder Aaron Gabbart edged around the Ogden
defense and delivered a lighting strike goal in the 89th minute of play to lift
the Cougars to the road win over the Outlaws.
“We talked during practice this week and again
before the game and again at halftime about the importance of bodying up and playing
physical,” Ogden coach Mike Hickman Sr. said. “We didn’t do it
when it counted. When it looks like they are going to break through, you need to
play it physical to prevent it and that’s exactly where that goal came from.”
For Ogden it was a disappointing ending to a quality
effort.
The Outlaws controlled much of the play in the first
half, punching a shot into the goal in the second minute of play.
That shot was called back because a player was offside,
but Ogden continued to harass BYU’s defense.
“It’s just disappointing because I know
these guys are better soccer players than this,” Hickman said.
The teams went into the locker room tied at 0-0.
All four matchups between the two teams this season
have had scoreless first halves.
Ogden nearly took the lead in the 55th minute on a
shot from forward Kyle Christensen.
Christensen’s shot was directly on target deep
in the upper corner of the goal and only a fantastic one-handed save by BYU’s
goalkeeper prevented the score.
BYU and Ogden continued to trade quality chances,
but neither team would find the back of the net until Gabbart’s last-minute
strike.
Ogden wraps up its 2008 season at home next weekend
when they host the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency and Abbotsford Mariners at Ogden
High School on Friday and Saturday.
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Saturday July 12, 2008 Sports 2E
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Outlaws hope for big finish
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By JUSTIN JOHNSON Standard-Examiner staff
jjohnson@standard.net
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OGDEN — The postseason is now out of the picture
for the Ogden Outlaws, but coach Mike Hickman Sr. still has extremely high expectations
for the final three matches of the 2008 season.
“We’re playing for pride and we’re
playing for our fans,” Hickman said. “Hopefully people will come o u
t a n d w a t c h u s over these last three matches; we’re going to put on
our best effort. These last games are for our f a n s . We want people to come see
us and have a good time and want to come back again next year.”
Ogden kicks off its seasonending three-match homestand
tonight at 7 p.m. at Ogden High School, taking the field against instate rival BYU
for the fourth and final time.
“There isn’t a whole lot of extra motivation
needed when you are playing an instate rival,” Hickman said. “We’ve
played three great matches against them this year; they’ve been good, close,
hard-fought matches.”
Ogden is 4-7-2 and has a chance to finish the season
at .500 for the first time in the franchise’s three-year history. While it
might seem a fairly low accomplishment compared to the Outlaws’ seasonlong
goal of making it to the playoffs, it would still represent a continued progression
by the third-year club that has improved in wins and play quality each year.
“This is a great setting for soccer; it’s
not that far off from what happens at the higher professional levels,” Hickman
said. “That’s what we hope to show our fans over these last three matches.
We want to play good soccer; get things rolling and finish the year on a win streak
and use that to give us a push toward next year.”
The Cougars (6-5-2) are 2-1-0 vs. Ogden this year,
winning 2-0 in Ogden earlier this season. The Outlaws defeated the Cougars 2-1 last
Saturday, with BYU gaining a 2-1 win on Tuesday. Both of those
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Saturday July 9, 2008 Sports Page 3B
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Outlaws nipped by BYU
Standard Examiner Staff
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PROVO — Perhaps it would be better to just skip
the first half.
For the third time this season, the Ogden Outlaws
and BYU Cougars were tied in a scoreless draw at halftime.
BYU scored a 75th-minute goal to break a 1-1 tie and
capture a 2-1 victory over Ogden, its second win in three tries against the Outlaws
this season.
The Cougars scored in the 53rd minute, taking the
first goal of the match for the third time.
Ogden’s Kyle Christensen scored to equalize
in the 74th minute off an assist from Jesse Kupfer, leveling the scoreboard at 1-1.
"It was a nice sequence," Ogden coach Mike Hickman
Sr. said.
"Unfortunately, we let them get one right back."
The Cougars scored the game-winner just a minute later.
Ogden fell to 4-7-2 and is 1-2-0 against rival BYU,
with the final match of the seasonseries set for Saturday night at Ogden High School.
BYU improved to 6-5-2, but still remains eight points back in the race for the Northwest
Diviisions final playoff spot.
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Saturday July 5, 2008 Sports Page 5B
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Sport Shorts
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Outlaws turn tables on BYU
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PROVO-The Ogden Outlaws finally shook off their scoring
woes, and with them a long losing skid.
Trailing 1-0 in the second half, the Outlaws scored
twice in the second half to capture a 2-1 road victory over rival BYU at Haws Field
on Friday night.
"It was an awesome win," Ogden coach Mike Hickman
Sr. said. "We played awesome."
BYU scored the first goal in the 50th minute to take
the 1-0 advantage.
Ogden's Flynn Stewart-Frandsen scored the equalizer
off a set piece and then Matt Broadhead scored the eventual game winner.
Then Ogden improved to 4-6-2 on the year, but trails
Yakima by 11 points for the final Northwest Division playoff spot.
Ogden will face BYU twice more next week, traveling
to Provo again on Tuesday for its final road match of the year at 7:30 p.m. The
Outlaws and Cougars will then face each other again on July 12 at Ogden High School.
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Friday July 4, 2008 Sports Page 3D
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Now healthy, Outlaws to face Cougars
Standard Examiner Staff
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PROVO — After playing seven games in two weeks,
the Ogden Outlaws finally gained a reprieve for the past 10 days.
Using the time off to get healthy and rest for the
stretch drive of the season, Ogden travels to face rival BYU in an Independence
Day special tonight at Haws Field in Provo.
Kickoff between the two Northwest Division rivals
is 7:30 p.m.
BYU defeated Ogden 2-0 in Ogden earlier this season
and currently sits in fourth place in the division standings with 17 points.
Ogden is tied with Cascade for sixth place with 11
points, but has three of its final four matches at home after tonight’s trip
to Provo.
The Outlaws will be without starting defender Russ
McCluskey, who was shown red in the Outlaws’ previous match against Abbotsford.
However, one player who is back with the team is forward Kyle Christensen.
Christensen, who was Ogden’s leading scorer
in 2007, had missed the previous five PDL matches.
Ogden has scored just two goals in the matches Christensen
missed, both coming in their last victory on June 15 in Spokane.
The teams will play again July 8 in Provo.
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June 25,2008 Sports 1B
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Play their hearts out
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Ogden squad battles pro reserves in soccer friendly
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By JUSTIN JOHNSON
Standard-Examiner staffjjohnson@standard.net
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OGDEN - For most of the Ogden Outlaws'players, Tuesday
night's friendly against Real Salt Lake was an exciting chance to play against professional
players in front of their friends and family.
For a handful of Ogden players, it was about something
more.
"I really tried to treat this game as a tryout,"Ogden
forward Kyle Christensen said. "My goal is to be the best player I can be, to be
a professional player. Any time you get a chance to play in front of a professional
team you have to take it; you have to hope that they notice you and keep an eye
on you." Heading into his senior year at Denver University this fall, the former
Layton High School star may have done just that, earning a brief postgame chat with
RSL assistant coach Brian Johnson following RSL's 1-0 victory over Ogden at St.
Joseph High School.
So much of the difference between the PDL and the
MLS is the speed of play, the time you have to catch the ball, trap it and make
a decision," Christensen said. "The tactics and stuff are more advanced, but it
all comes down to the speed of play in the game."
Christensen said he plans to focus on improving, casting
an eye toward the MLS draft after he finishes up his collegiate career.
Ogden coach Mike Hickman Sr. said he would be thrilled
to see any of his players move up.
I'd throw a party for them,"Hickman said. "When you
get a chance to play in front of a professional coach, assistant coach or general
manager, that is your tryout. Most players don't get that many chances, maybe once."
Hickman feels that there are several Outlaws players
that could continue up the U.S. Soccer ladder and become pro players.
The Premier Development League - where Ogden plays
- is the third division of the United Soccer Leagues and essentially the fourth
division of pro soccer in America, although the players do not receive money for
playing. The league is limited mostly to U-23 players. "We
welcome any opportunity to look for players, "Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis said.
"Playing a game like this against a team from the area gives us a chance to see
those players in action against our own."
Kreis also welcomed the opportunity to play the match
in hopes that it continues to build the RSL brand and brings new fans to the team.
"We have some players that don't see the field much
during a regular game, so this was a good chance for them to play against an opponent,"
Kreis said. "We hope that by playing in Ogden and Provo (vs. BYU) that we can get
fans in those communities to come to our games."
The matches lone goal came in the 33rd minute of action
when Kenny Cutler captured a ball sliding back door and powered it home. RSL, which
played its reserve squad, have numerous opportunities to extend its lead, but Ogden
also had a few chances of its own to equalize, with the best coming in the 80th
minute on a header attempt by midfielder Jesse Kupfer.
"It was a good match for us; it was nice to see a
good crowd,"Hickman said. "Hopefully they enjoyed themselves and will want to come
back."
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Ogden Outlaws’ Gabriel Okito takes control of the ball from RSL’s David
Horst Tuesday at St. Joseph High School in Ogden.
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Go to www. standard.net for an audio slideshow of Tuesday’s game between the
Ogden Outlaws and the RSL reserves.
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DREW GODLESKI Standard-Examiner
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Tuesday June 24, 2008 Sports 2B
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Outlaws welcome RSL into Ogden
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Standard-Examiner staff
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OGDEN - Top of Utah soccer fans get a treat tonight
when the Ogden Outlaws host Real Salt Lake in a friendly match between the PDL and
MLS sides.
Match time is 6:30 p.m. at St. Joseph High School's
Lew Joseph Memorial Field.
Similar to last season's meeting between the two teams,
RSL is expected to start the core of its roster before turning the second half over
to its reserves.
RSL defeated Ogden 2-0 last season, scoring a goal
in each half. The Outlaws are coming off consecutive PDL setbacks in Canada last
weekend. RSL is in the midst of a five-match unbeaten streak in MLS play, including
a 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Tickets may be purchased at the gate. Adult tickets
are $8, Youth tickets (17 & under) are $5. Bleacher seating is limited, so the teams
recommends bringing a blanket or chair to sit on.
The Outlaws' two-pronged trip into Canada proved to
be a disappointing one this past weekend.
Ogden came up on the short end of a 1-0 scoreboard
twice as its losing skid increased to three straight matches.
On Friday against the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency,
Ogden surrendered a first-half goal and couldn';t find the equalizer in the second
half.
On Saturday night, the Outlaws traveled west to Abbotsford
to face the Mariners, also coming up one short.
After a scoreless first half, Abbotsford scored in
the 62nd minute of play. The Outlaws were shown four cautions and defender Russell
McCluskey was sent off in the 80th minute after receiving a second caution.
Ogden dropped to 3-6-2 on the season and will return
to PDL action on July 4 at rival BYU in Provo.
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Wednesday June 18, 2008 Sports 1C
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Outlaws still missing on offense
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By JUSTIN JOHNSON
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Standard-Examiner staff jjohnson@standard.net
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OGDEN — Without a doubt, it was not the result
the Ogden Outlaws were hoping for. BYU’s Brett
Jensen scored in the 63rd minute and Scott Heaton added a goal in stoppage time
to lift the Cougars to a 2-0 Premier Development League victory on Tuesday night
at Ogden High School.
The loss dropped Ogden to 3-4-2 on the year and into
fifth place in the PDL’s Northwest Division, putting the Outlaws hopes of
earning a playoff bid on life-support.
Ogden dominated BYU in the opening half-hour of the
match and could have easily taken a two-goal lead in the opening eight minutes after
tremendous scoring chances from striker Kenan Pow- ell and midfielder Joe Hickman.
Powell beat the BYU defense to the outside, but his
shot sliced wide left in the 6th minute. Hickman’s chance came off a fantastic
feed from Max Malmquist, with the ball just sliding outside the post on Hickman’s
attempt to knock it in on the far post.
"It was disappointing not scoring in the first half,
but we still went into half time at zeros, so we felt good about that,” Ogden
coach Mike Hickman Sr. said. “We thought we could get that rhythm going again.
Everything successful we did in the first half, we didn’t do in the second
half. We didn’t pass as well and we didn’t really generate anything
dangerous."
BYU started to generate more and gain confidence in
the final 15 minutes of the first half and clearly went into the locker room with
confidence.
The Cougars created several quality attacks to open
the second stanza, with Jensen delivering the go-ahead goal after an initial shot
was blocked by the Outlaws defense and the ball trickled to him about 10 years out.
Jensen’s blast snaked just inside the post as Ogden’s goalkeeper dove
to close the gap.
Having just come from behind a few days earlier in
a win over Yakima, Ogden tried to counter the goal and earn the equalizer, but those
hopes were dashed in the 74th minute when midfielder Jesse Kupfer was shown a questionable
second yellow card after being knocked to the ground in the box on an attack. The
resulting send off forced Ogden to play with 10 men for the remainder of the match.
"We needed to get more than three points out of these
home matches, that part is disappointing,” coach Hickman said. “Now
making the playoffs is a long shot."
Ogden returns to the road this weekend, traveling
to Vancouver on Friday to face the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency — a farm
team for the USL Division I Whitecaps squad. On Saturday, they will face the Abbotsford
Mariners before ret Ogden returns to the road this
weekend, traveling to Vancouver on Friday to face the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency
— a farm team for the USL Division I Whitecaps squad. On Saturday, they will
face the Abbotsford Mariners before return home on Tuesday to face Real Salt Lake’s
reserve team at St. Joseph High School.
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Sunday June 15, 2008 Sports 4D
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Outlaws claw big victory
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Standard-Examiner staff jjohnson@standard.net
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OGDEN — Sometimes having the will to win is
just as important as getting the victory itself. Trailing 1-0 with less than 30
minutes remaining, the Ogden Outlaws picked themselves up off th e mat and captured
a 2-1 victory over Yakima in Premier Development League action on Saturday night
at Ogden High School.
"We knew this was one we had to get," said midfielder
Joseph Hickman. “As soon as we got the goal (to equalize), we picked it up
and finished out strong. This is a team that is ahead of us in the standings, so
we can’t afford to get further behind them."
Yakima outshot Ogden 19-8, but the shots on goal were even at three apiece.
"Yakima has players that aren’t afraid to shoot
the ball; they will shoot from all over the field, so we were prepared for that,"
Ogden coach Mike Hickman Sr. said.
Ogden (3-3-2, 11 points) controlled much of the opening
30 minutes of the match, but Yakima (5-3-1, 16 points) started to gain steam toward
the end of the first half.
The Reds gained the lead in the 62nd minute during
a countering sequence in which Junior Garcia slotted the ball in from 10 yards out.
The Outlaws answered the goal with its own in the 65th minute, when forward Andy
Cornia fired it home to level the match at 1-1.
With 15 minutes left and desperately in need of full
value from the match, Ogden shifted forward a defender into the attack.
The strategy paid off in the 80th minute when Joseph
Hickman scored.
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Saturday June 14, 2008 Sports 4C
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Search for scores
Discouraging home defeat for Outlaws
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By JUSTIN JOHNSON
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Standard-Examiner staff jjohnson@standard.net
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OGDEN — Everything the Outlaws gained a weekend
ago evaporated into the crisp summer air around Ogden High School on Friday night.
After gaining a crucial four points in road matches
last weekend, Ogden was unable to capitalize on its home field advantage against
league-leading Tacoma.
The Tide outshot, outhustled and were more organized
against the Outlaws, gaining their first road result of the season by a 1-0 count
at Ogden High School.
"(Tacoma) had more free service; they got the crosses
and were really able to move the ball where they wanted," said Ogden assistant Drew
Wilhelmsen, who was serving as coach with Mike Hickman Sr. missing the match after
being sent off during a win over Cascade last week. "They were able to get on the
outside and create long runs. That’s what we were supposed to do and we didn’t
do it."
Tacoma finished with a 13-7 shot advantage, including
a 6-3 lead in shots on goal, in extending its unbeaten streak to five matches and
gaining sole possession of the Northwest Division lead.
"There is a will to win and we need to find it," Wilhelmsen
said.
The opening half was fairly evenly played, with Tacoma
carry slightly more of the play with its organization.
Ogden narrowly missed gaining the lead in the 21st
minute after winning the ball and midfielder Matt Broadhead unleashed a power shot
from just inside the 18. The ball was inadvertently knocked out of danger by a Tide
defender who was moving across the goal at just the right time.
The lone goal of the match game in the 63rd minute
by Chase Tangey.
Tangey took the ball outside and was able to get a
left to right shot just inside the near post for the 1-0 lead.
Ogden gained more of the play over | |