Month: March 2018

Sporting KC travels to Chicago area for Saturday match

A regional rivalry resumes Saturday afternoon when Sporting Kansas City (0-1-0, 0 points) visits the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois.

The interconference matchup will kick off at 5 p.m., airing live on FOX Sports Kansas City, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, ESPN 94.5 FM (English) and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM (Spanish).

In addition, the Bud Light Pregame Show is slated for 4:30 p.m. on FOX Sports Kansas City Plus, while The Final Whistle Postgame Show will air immediately after the match on 94.5 FM. Supporters can also catch Saturday’s action via the FOX Sports GO app and Sporting KC Uphoria, which will provide live updates throughout the game.

Sporting KC is looking to bounce back from its third home-opening defeat in the club’s 23-year history, suffered at the hands of New York City FC last Sunday at Children’s Mercy Park.

The 2-0 setback marked just the second time since the start of 2017 that manager Peter Vermes’ men have conceded twice on home soil, previously doing so in a 3-2 victory over Chicago last July.

However, the visitors will be boosted by the presence of 350 traveling supporters set to ascend on Toyota Park for the team’s first road test of 2018.

Saturday serves as the season-opening fixture for the Chicago Fire, who topped Tulsa Roughnecks FC 2-1 in their final preseason tune-up last Saturday.

Under the guidance of head coach Veljko Paunovic, Chicago was the most improved MLS team in 27, finishing third in the Eastern Conference with a 16-11-7 record (55 points) and advancing to the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2012.

The Fire were particularly strong in the friendly confines of Toyota Park, going 12-2-3 with a plus-27 goal differential.

A pair of European veterans lead Chicago into the new season, namely 2017 MLS Golden Boot winner Nemanja Nikolic and German World Cup champion Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The 30-year-old Nikolic led MLS with 24 regular-season goals last year, including a remarkable 19 strikes in 17 home games. Schweinsteiger fortified the midfield alongside Dax McCarty, giving the Fire a formidable spine to complement a prolific offense that amassed 61 regular-season goals.

Three Sporting KC newcomers made their MLS debuts with starts last Sunday. Chilean midfielder Felipe Gutierrez led all MLS players in Week 1 with 13 duels won and seven tackles won, Scottish winger Johnny Russell led the team with five shots, and Frenchman Yohan Croizet finished with a game-high four chances created.

Newly acquired forward Khiry Shelton missed Sunday’s contest with a leg bruise, but the 24-year-old is in contention to feature in Vermes’ lineup on Saturday.

The sides most recently met in July 2017 at Children’s Mercy Park as Sporting KC used a goal and an assist from forward Daniel Salloi to claim an exciting 3-2 win. The triumph extended Sporting KC’s home unbeaten run against Chicago to six matches and ultimately helped propel the club to its seventh consecutive playoff appearance.

Sporting KC’s ventures to Chicago have been less fruitful over the years. The team has a 4-18-2 regular season road record against the Fire, including one-goal defeats in each of the last three fixtures. Chicago holds a 26-15-11 edge in the regular season series, but Kansas City retains bragging rights with head-to-head victories in the 2000 MLS Cup and 2004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final.

On Saturday, if Sporting KC captain Matt Besler plays at least 79 minutes he would become the third Sporting KC player to log 20,000 career minutes for the club in the regular season. Besler, a native of Overland Park, Kansas, would become the eighth active MLS player to log 20,000 minutes for the same team if he plays at least 79 minutes Saturday.

– Information from Sporting KC

Late runs let JCCC complete softball sweep of KCKCC

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Scoring a pair of runs in the final two innings, Johnson County swept Kansas City Kansas Community College in opening Jayhawk Conference softball play Thursday.

After an 11-1 win in the opener, the Lady Cavaliers broke a 1-1 deadlock in the sixth inning of a 3-1 win in the nightcap.

The loss dropped KCKCC to 5-3 while JCCC evened its record at 5-5. The Cavaliers were ranked No. 5 in the preseason rankings but dropped out after losing three in a row in the Dallas area and being swept by No. 5 ranked Kirkwood.

Unfortunately, the road doesn’t get any easier for KCKCC. The Blue Devils play at No. 3 Highland (10-1) Tuesday and after a home twin bill with North Dakota State Wednesday at 1 p.m., KCKCC goes to No. 9 ranked Cowley (10-7) on Friday.

The Blue Devils outhit the Cavaliers 8-5 in the 3-1 second game loss but left seven runners on base.

Freshman Katelyn Kittrell of Lansing scattered the five hits while allowing just two earned runs and walking two.

Freshmen Kali Jacobson of Basehor-Linwood and Kaylee Arnzen each had two hits and Natalie Cowan, Jadyn Lindgren, Jennifer Mullins and Shannon Brown one each for KCKCC.

Johnson County took a 1-0 lead in the third on a single and two fly balls but the Blue Devils immediately tied it the bottom of the inning on a triple by Jacobson and a double by Mullins.

JCCC broke the 1-1 tie the sixth on a single, double and squeeze bunt and added an insurance run in the seventh on an error and sacrifice fly.

A home run by freshman Kaylee Arnzen of Pampa, Texas, was the lone bright spot for KCKCC in the 11-1 opener. The Blue Devils were limited to five hits including two each by Arnzen and Basehor-Linwood sophomore Natalie Cowan.

JCCC scored its runs in bunches, three in the first and four in the third and seventh. Sophomore Shannon Greene took the loss, allowing 15 hits and 10 earned runs. She struck out five, walked one.

Downtown KCK YMCA closed

The downtown Kansas City, Kansas, YMCA building at 8th and Armstrong has closed. (File photo by Mary Rupert)

The Downtown Kansas City, Kansas, YMCA building at 8th and Armstrong Avenue was closed Friday, according to YMCA and Unified Government officials.

A news release from the UG stated that the downtown YMCA was closed for safety reasons after an inspection by structural engineers determined the aging building was no longer safe.

YMCA spokeswoman Paula Oxler said that the YMCA building at 8th and Armstrong had a variety of issues. It was a 105-year-old building that over the years has deteriorated, she said.

Oxler said this will be a permanent closing for the Kansas City, Kansas, YMCA building at 8th and Armstrong.

Additionally, the building was opened with two floors of dormitories, and those dormitories closed in 2000, Oxler said.

“The building in general has been out of date for what we’ve been using it for,” Oxler said. “Based on the structural engineering report, it’s not safe, and it was recommended to exit the entire building.”

Oxler said the YMCA is still committed to working with the UG on building a new downtown Kansas City, Kansas, YMCA. A combined grocery store-YMCA project, the Downtown Healthy Campus, was put on hold recently in order to focus more efforts on finding a grocery store operator.

At the Feb. 9 UG meeting, the UG decided to put the Healthy Campus project design process on “pause” while it searches for a grocery store operator, which it did not yet have. (See https://wyandotteonline.com/ug-to-make-a-renewed-effort-to-lock-in-a-grocery-store-for-downtown-kck/)

The UG is to come back within 90 days with a progress report on finding a grocer. It was not a vote to end the Healthy Campus project, however. At that meeting, YMCA officials repeated their desire to build a new downtown Kansas City, Kansas, YMCA and to work together on a combined YMCA and grocery store development.

At the recent UG meeting, YMCA patrons including Judge Kate Lynch who used the downtown YMCA appeared in support of the Healthy Campus project.

Oxler said the users of the downtown KCK YMCA will be able to use other YMCA facilities in the metropolitan area, and many have already been doing so. There are 753 members of the downtown KCK YMCA. In Wyandotte County, the YMCA also has facilities at 8601 Parallel Parkway and in Bonner Springs. In addition, the YMCA has facilities in North Kansas City, on Quality Hill in Kansas City, Missouri, and in Platte County.

The YMCA will try to find spaces in downtown KCK to offer some programs while it continues to work toward building a new facility, according to the YMCA statement. In addition, there will be an effort to place those persons who worked at the downtown YMCA at other YMCAs.

The UG spokesman who sent out a news release on the YMCA closing did not return a phone call from the Wyandotte Daily Friday afternoon for confirmation and further comment.

The YMCA statement on the facility closing:

The 8th Street Family YMCA has served downtown Kansas City, Kansas, for 105 years. On a recent routine walk through of the building, we discovered signs of deterioration. We consulted with a structural engineer. Based on the structural engineer’s report, we must exit the entire building structure. Out of concern for the safety of our associates, members and the community, we have closed the facility.

We are sad to close this facility that has served our community for so long, but we must do so for the safety of our members, associates and everyone we serve. The 8th Street Y is so much more than just a building. It’s a community of Y supporters, volunteers and associates. We intend to find spaces in downtown KCK to offer some programs while we continue to work toward building a new Y.

The 8th Street Family YMCA had 753 memberships, 3 full-time associates and 30 part-time associates.

Memberships have always included access to all YMCA of Greater Kansas City locations, and members may begin using any of our Ys immediately.

Nearby locations include:
• Providence YMCA/Ball Family Center, 8601 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, KS
• North Kansas City YMCA, 1999 Iron Street, North Kansas City, MO, 64116
• Quality Hill YMCA, 1051 Washington, Kansas City, MO 64105
• Platte County Community Center South, 8875 Clark Avenue, Parkville, MO 64152
We are working to place affected associates in other roles within the YMCA of Greater Kansas City.

We were able to prolong the life of the 8th Street Family YMCA building longer than expected, thanks to the support of our partner, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas.

We remain committed to continuing to work with the UG to build a new Y as part of a Healthy Living Campus in downtown Kansas City, Kan., and will share progress updates as they are available.

The UG’s news release on the downtown YMCA closing:

The YMCA facility in downtown KCK has been closed for safety reasons. An inspection by structural engineers determined the aging building is no longer safe for patrons according to YMCA President David Byrd.

“We commend YMCA leadership for making the safety of their members their top priority,” said Mayor David Alvey. “At the same we appreciate how difficult this decision was for them, given their passion to continue serving their members with quality facilities and programming.”

The YMCA announced in 2013 that it would close the downtown KCK branch due to declining membership and the deteriorating condition of the building. However, with temporary financial support from the Unified Government and increased efforts to increase membership, the facility remained open.

YMCA President David Byrd has led an effort to raise funds from the civic community for a new, state-of-the-art YMCA for downtown KCK.

“The Unified Government continues to collaborate with the efforts of the YMCA to bring such a facility to our downtown neighborhoods,” Mayor Alvey said.