Month: December 2014

Dwyer signs contract extension with Sporting KC

Dom Dwyer
Dom Dwyer

Sporting Kansas City announced on Wednesday that forward Dom Dwyer has signed a contract extension with the club.

“I am ecstatic to commit my future to Kansas City,” Dwyer said. “I want to thank the coaches and ownership for having faith in me. Also, a special thanks to the fans for all of their continued support. I am excited to get going again. Last year was a starting point for what is to come in the future, which is scoring a lot more goals, driving to win championships and enjoying myself on and off the field in a city with supporters to which I have grown to love and embrace.”

“Dom’s new contract is well-deserved. I am very happy for him and for the club to have reached this deal,” Sporting Kansas City manager Peter Vermes said. “He has performed at a very high level on a consistent basis and this contract again shows a strong commitment to keeping players of his caliber in Kansas City.”

Dwyer’s breakout season in 2014 garnered Sporting Kansas City’s Offensive Player of the Year and co-Most Valuable Player awards, as well as MLS All-Star honors. The 24-year-old Englishman set the club’s single-season record with 22 goals, second most in MLS, and his 24 career goals in the regular season now rank ninth most in team history.

Dwyer also added goals in the CONCACAF Champions League and MLS Cup Playoffs for the second straight year, giving him 50 goals scored across all competitions since the start of 2013:
MLS Regular Season: 24 goals
MLS Cup Playoffs: 2 goals
CONCACAF Champions League: 2 goals
USL PRO Regular Season: 15 goals
USL PRO Playoffs: 4 goals
U.S. Open Cup: 3 goals

Dwyer was selected in the first round of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft as a Generation adidas member out of the University of South Florida.

After making three appearances across all competition during his rookie season, Dwyer scored 15 goals in 13 regular season games while on loan with USL PRO affiliate Orlando City SC in 2013 to set the league’s single-season scoring record at the time and claim All-League honors. He returned to the Lions for the USL PRO final, scoring four goals to earn championship MVP recognition.

His record-setting 2014 campaign placed Dwyer’s name on the Sporting Kansas City and Major League Soccer all-time charts in the following categories:
Single season (2014)
• Second in goals (22), game-winning goals (6) and multi-goal games (5) in MLS for 2014
• Six game-winning goals in 2014 were most in a season in Sporting KC history
• Seven penalty kick goals in 2014 were most in a season in Sporting KC history
• 0.67 goals per game in 2014 ranks second best in a season in Sporting KC history
Career
• 0.63 goals per 90 minutes average is highest all-time for a Sporting KC player and sixth-highest in MLS history*
• Highest goals per game average (0.48) in Sporting KC history*
• Second in penalty kick goals (7) in Sporting KC history
• Third in multi-goal games (5) in Sporting KC history
• Third in scoring percentage (17.0) in Sporting KC history*
*Among players with a minimum of 20 goals
– Story from Sporting KC

Gingerbread, sugar and spice, oh my!

Recipe column

by Chrishonda Brown
The winter holiday season is abundant with the iconic flavor (and aroma) of gingerbread. And though scholars may disagree on the actual history of making “bread” from ginger, the real holiday secret is the numerous therapeutic properties hidden inside the lowly ginger root.

While we know it to be aromatic, pungent and spicy, the warmth of ginger also promotes healthy sweating as a germ-fighting detox against colds, flus and infections. Ginger contains potent anti-inflammatory compounds, adding to its reputation as highly effective in alleviating arthritis and joint pain. And ginger offers natural relief for nausea and other stomach discomfort.

Despite the odd shape, fresh ginger is easy to peel with a paring knife. Simply chop or grate it for use in foods and drinks. The unpeeled portion will keep up to three weeks refrigerated or six months frozen. So spice up your season with plenty of heartwarming ginger. Your family will love it!

Chrishonda Brown holds a master of science degree in kinesiology. She is a guest columnist for Kansas State Research and Extension, Wyandotte County. For more recipes visit www.kidsacooking.org Like the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/KSREWyco and follow on Twitter @WyCoSnapEd.

Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
Makes: Six 1-cup servings
6 cups skim milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
Pour milk into saucepan. Do not turn on heat.
Add vanilla, sugar and spices. Stir until dissolved.
Turn on medium heat and slowly stir in chocolate chips.
Continue stirring slowly as the milk heats up and the chocolate chips melt. Keep the heat low enough to avoid boiling and stir constantly until the chips are completely melted and milk is heated through (about 5 minutes).
Carefully pour into mugs. Serve plain or with whipped cream or marshmallows.
Nutritional information for each serving: 173 calories, 4g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 8mg cholesterol, 22g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 21g sugars, 141mg sodium, 9g protein, 11% Vitamin A, 4% Vitamin C, 33% calcium, 2% iron.

Remaining Holiday Millionaire Raffle tickets down to the last 25,000

Fewer than 25,000 Kansas Lottery Holiday Millionaire Raffle tickets are left.

According to a lottery spokeswoman, the $20 lottery tickets will give purchasers a chance to win $1 million or another cash prize in the New Year’s Eve drawing.

A total of 175,000 tickets will be sold, and ticket sales will continue until the game is sold out, or until 2 a.m. Dec. 31, whichever comes first. The raffle has sold out in each of the past five years, and the lottery expects another sellout this year, the spokeswoman said.

The odds are 1 in 175,000, which is the best chance of any Kansas Lottery game to win $1 million, the spokeswoman said. In addition to the $1 million winning number, thousands of other numbers will be drawn Dec. 31 to win additional cash prizes including: 25 tickets will each win $5,000; 25 tickets will each win $1,000; and 2,500 tickets will each win $100.

The Holiday Millionaire Raffle grand prize drawing will be held at lottery headquarters in Topeka Wednesday, Dec. 31, with the $1 million winning number announced in a live broadcast at 11:56 a.m. on these television stations: Kansas First News (Topeka), KSHB 41 Action News (Kansas City) and KSN 3 (Wichita).

All winning numbers will be posted on www.kslottery.com shortly after noon on Dec. 31. Raffle tickets may also be checked at any Kansas Lottery retail location or by calling the Kansas Lottery at 785-296-5700.