Month: October 2014

Sporting KC visits Costa Rica tonight for CONCACAF match

Sporting Kansas City concludes the 2014-2015 CONCACAF Champions League group stage Thursday night in Costa Rica against Deportivo Saprissa.

The defending MLS Cup champions will advance to the knockout stage with a win or draw. Sporting KC can also advance with a one-goal loss or a two-goal loss as long as Sporting KC scores two or more goals.

Thursday’s match will kick off at 9 p.m. and will be broadcast on FOX Soccer Plus.

Sporting KC is currently in first place in CCL Group 2 with seven points through three games. Saprissa is in second place in the group with four points and Nicaraguan side Real Esteli rounds out the group with two points after four matches.

Sporting KC opened the group stage in Nicaragua marking the second consecutive year the club played Real Esteli at Estadio Independencia to begin the tournament. The match ended in a 1-1 draw on Aug. 19. Sporting KC then earned back-to-back victories at Sporting Park, a 3-1 win over Saprissa on Sept. 18 and a 3-0 result over Real Esteli on Sept. 23.

Sporting KC is the only MLS team making a second consecutive appearance in the CCL and is unbeaten in the group stage over the past two years (4-0-3).

Winger Antonio Dovale has scored a goal or tallied an assist for Sporting KC in all three CCL matches this year. Dovale is second on the club’s scoring chart with three goals in international competition, one behind Chris Brown. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Eric Kronberg has five shutouts in seven CCL appearances. His five clean sheets in competitive international matches are a club record.

Sporting KC All-Star and World Cup veteran Graham Zusi will not be available on Thursday as he serves his mandatory one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation. Saprissa defender Jordan Smith is also unavailable after receiving two cautions in his team’s first three group stage matches.

Sporting KC defenders Matt Besler, Aurelien Collin, Igor Juliao and Seth Sinovic and midfielder Paulo Nagamura are all on yellow card warning and would be suspended for a potential quarterfinal first leg match if they pick up another caution Thursday night.

The CONCACAF Champions League features the top club from across North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The winner of the tournament earns a berth in the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup. The tournament started in 1962 and was originally called the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup before switching to the current format in 2008 (and now called the CONCACAF Champions League).

Sporting KC finished atop Group 2 standdings in the 2013-2014 edition of the tournament with a 2-0-2 record before falling 5-2 on aggregate in the quarterfinals to reigning champions Cruz Azul.

Fans may follow the match online at SportingKC.com/GameOn or via Twitter @SKCGameday.
-Story from Sporting KC

KCK student participates in documentary about first-generation college students

An area student recently participated in a documentary about first-generation college students from across Kansas.

Kristofer Bailey, junior in secondary education-social studies, Kansas City, Kan., and a graduate of Sumner Academy of Arts and Science was part of a documentary by the Kansas State University College of Education.

The premiere of the documentary will be at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at the K-State Union.

The documentary has caught the attention of the White House, according to a K-State news release.

First lady Michelle Obama commented on the trailer for “A Walk in My Shoes: First Generation College Students” in her initial post as a guest curator for Upworthy.com. The documentary addresses the struggles and triumphs many first-generation college students face — an issue Obama is confronting through her Reach Higher initiative that encourages students to pursue higher education. Her blog post discusses some of her initial challenges as a first-generation college student. To view the documentary’s trailer, go to http://bit.ly/1sZ2ak2, and to read the blog post, go to http://bit.ly/1okEqQu.

For those unable to attend the campus premiere, the documentary also will be streamed live at http://coe.k-state.edu/a-walk-in-my-shoes/.

Donnelly College names new vice president

Sydney Beeler
Sydney Beeler

Sydney Beeler will be Donnelly College’s new vice president of enrollment management and student affairs, according to a news release from the college.

She joins Donnelly’s staff after serving as director of student success at Metropolitan Community College for two years.

Beeler completed both her Bachelor of Arts in pre-health, psychology, and her Master of Arts in urban leadership and policy studies-higher education, at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

During and after this time, she held a variety of positions at the institution, including coordinating the Center for Academic Development’s Coaching Program and holding a management position in the Office of Admissions.

Currently, Beeler is working toward her doctorate in education leadership and policy studies in higher education at the University of Kansas, which she expects to complete in 2016. She will join Donnelly in early November.

“I really believe that at this point in our history, Donnelly’s mission is as important as it ever has been,” Beeler said. “Providing access to education is a transformative undertaking for any community. I am so honored to have the opportunity to serve this community, impact these students and help Donnelly College fulfill its mission.

“I believe that through transparent communication and collaboration, the Donnelly team can work together to provide multiple solutions to any challenge,” she said. “It is about utilizing the strengths that each member brings to the team.”

Donnelly President Monsignor Stuart Swetland offered his welcome to the new VP.

“With Sydney’s background, Donnelly is in good hands to continue our growth in enrollment and student services,” he said. “I am very pleased she chose to further her career at Donnelly College, and I look forward to having her on campus soon.”

Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of College Amy Neufeld echoed Swetland’s enthusiasm.

“Sydney will bring great energy to Donnelly that will help sharpen our focus on students’ needs, from what they need to know during the college search process to what experiences will help them grow as citizens of our world,” she said.

– Story from Donnelly College