Month: January 2017

Sporting KC team leaves for spring training in Arizona

Sporting Kansas City will arrive in Tucson, Ariz., this afternoon to kick off the club’s 2017 preseason.

Players and coaches are set to begin preparations for the 2017 MLS campaign at Kino Sports Complex in Arizona, with the first leg of preseason training running through Feb. 7.

Sporting Kansas City will train at 11 a.m. Central time Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Kino Sports Complex (2500 E Ajo Way, Tucson, Ariz.).

Starting Friday at 10 a.m., Sporting Kansas City season ticket members will have access to an exclusive pre-sale for the club’s first 10 MLS home matches at Children’s Mercy Park on seatgeek.com. If you are going to get tickets from SeatGeek then you can look on PromoCodeWatch.com to see the latest deals and discounts for SeatGeek. Single-game tickets to those matches will be available to the public beginning Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 10 a.m. on seatgeek.com. For more ticket information, call 888-4KC-GOAL.

Sporting Kansas City’s Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi have joined the U.S. Men’s National Team for January Camp in Carson, Calif. As part of the annual training camp, the U.S. MNT will face Serbia on Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

The international friendly will kick off at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN2 and UniMas, serving as the Americans’ first match of 2017 and the first game under recently appointed head coach Bruce Arena. The U.S. MNT is preparing for a year highlighted by the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup in July and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, which will run periodically from March through October.

Away ticket requests are now open for Sporting Kansas City’s 2017 curtain raiser at D.C. United on March 4. Fans can visit http://www.sportingkc.com/awaytickets/2017/march4 to submit their ticket requests before the deadline on Friday, Feb. 17. Before submitting requests, supporters are encouraged to review the Away Ticket policies, FAQs and Sporting KC’s 2017 MLS schedule.
– Story from Sporting KC

Late 3-point goals let KCKCC women hold off Brown Mackie

With perfect form, Millie Shade launched one of her four 3-point goals in a 20-point performance that led Kansas City Kansas Community College to a 76-68 win over Brown Mackie Wednesday. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s women built a 20-point lead against Brown Mackie Saturday, then had to resort to some long-range bombing to hold on for a 76-68 win.

Twice the Lady Larks closed the gap to three points and it took a rain of four three-point baskets for the Blue Devils to run their Region VI mark to 2-0 and overall record to 13-5.

It was a much-needed win because the No. 4 team nationally in NJCAA Division II is dead ahead as the Blue Devils go to Highland Wednesday. Beaten only by Division I Iowa Western, the high-flying Scotties are 17-1. The women tip off at 5:30 p.m., the men at 7:30 p.m. and both games will be streamed on the Highland website.

Trailing 41-26 at halftime and 54-45 after three quarters, Brown Mackie made a torrid run on the Blue Devils despite a squad of just six players. Millie Shade kept KCKCC’s lead at 57-52 with a 3-pointer with seven minutes left before the Blue Devils regained control. Aerial Holiday and Kayla Horn hit back-to-back threes, Shade and Horn added layups and Brie Tauai closed out a 13-2 run with another trey for a 70-57 lead with three minutes to go.

Playing in only her third game back after coming off the injury list, Shade led the Blue Devils with 20 points including four 3-pointers. She also led in steals with four. Brie Tauai returned to action for the first time in 2017, scoring 11 points and grabbing four rebounds; Kayla Horn had 11 points and led in rebounds with seven and assists with four; and Holiday had 11 points including three treys.

“We’re happy to be 2-0 in Region play, especially at the end of a week in which we played four games in six days,” said KCKCC coach Joe McKinstry. “It was also nice to have everyone available; we are finally getting close to being completely healthy.”

However, the Blue Devils had to overcome 20 turnovers and just 36.8 percent shooting. While the run of four 3-point goals were decisive, they were just 10-of-34 from distance (29.4 percent).

“We are still trying to figure out how to play a complete game,” McKinstry said. “We stretched our lead to 20 points and then let most of it get away. So we need to be able to stay disciplined on both ends of the floor and not worry about the scoreboard. But that’s a very feisty Brown Mackie team so we’re very happy to walk away with a victory.”

Injury-accident reported on I-635 near K-32

An injury-accident was reported at 7 p.m. Jan. 22 on I-635 northbound near K-32 in Kansas City, Kan., according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

A 2005 Ford F-150 truck was traveling at a high rate of speed on I-635 northbound and rear-ended a Chevy Aveo, according to the trooper’s report.

Then the F-150 truck drove off without stopping, the trooper’s report stated. The trooper’s report stated that the license plate of the truck was Kansas 386JNT.

The driver of the Chevy Aveo, a 50-year-old woman from Kansas City, Kan., was injured and taken to a hospital, the report stated.

A 16-year-old Kansas City, Kan., girl also was injured and taken to a hospital, according to the trooper’s report.

A 36-year-old Kansas City, Kan., man and a 46-year-old Kansas City, Kan., man who were passengers in the Aveo were not injured, the report stated.