Category: Sports

Sporting KC plays host to New England in nationally televised match

Sporting KC resumes MLS competition on Friday night against the New England Revolution after back-to-back victories in the CONCACAF Champions League.

The crucial Eastern Conference match will kickoff at 7 p.m. at Sporting Park, Kansas City Kan. The match will be on NBCSN. Supporters can listen to the match locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB or on La Gran D 1340 AM.

A limited number of tickets may remain and may be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or at the Sporitng Park box offices on game day.

Sporting KC has won its last three matches in all competition, scoring 10 goals and conceding only once in that span. Most recently, Sporting KC moved into first place in Group 2 of the CCL after securing a 3-0 victory over Nicaraguan side Real Esteli FC on Tuesday. Claudio Bieler scored his first brace of the 2014 season and Sal Zizzo finished an Antonio Dovale corner kick to secure three points for the home side.

The New England Revolution dropped a 1-0 result in its last outing against the Columbus Crew, snapping a five-game winning streak in MLS competition that included a 3-1 victory against Sporting KC on Sept. 3.

New England is unbeaten against Sporting KC in 2014 with two victories at Gillette Stadium, but is winless in its last eight games in Kansas City dating back to 2008 (0-6-2) and has been shut out in each of its last three regular season matches at Sporting Park. A Sporting KC victory on Friday will move the reigning MLS Champions atop the Eastern Conference, while a victory for the Revolution would see the visitors draw even with Sporting KC in the standings.

Friday’s match between the second (Sporting KC) and third (New England) place teams in the Eastern Conference features several familiar faces. The New England Revolution boasts former Kansas City striker Teal Bunbury, who returns to Sporting Park for the first time since being traded to the Revolution during the off season. Bunbury has scored for the Revolution in both matches against Sporting KC this season.

The Revolution also features U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Jermain Jones, who joined the club as a designated player in August. Additionally, Sporting Kansas City defender Seth Sinovic and midfielder Benny Feilhaber began their MLS careers playing for New England.

Sporting KC will be without Lawrence Olum, who will be serving his mandatory one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation. Jacob Peterson (hamstring) and Aurelien Collin (ankle) remain questionable for Sporting Kansas City due to injury. Revolution defender A.J. Soares (calf) — who has only missed one MLS match all season — is also listed as questionable for Friday.

Fans are encourgaed to arrive early to Sporting Park for Friday’s rematch of the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals. The first 10,000 guests will receive a Sporting Kansas City tote bag courtesy of match sponsor UMKC.

All in-game updates are available at SportingKC.com/GameOn or via Twitter by following @SKCGameday.
– Story from Sporting KC

No. 5 KCKCC nips No. 4 JCCC in 19-17 fifth game thriller

While Blair Russell (7) was mobbed for her game-winning kill by teammates, from left, Kimberly Martinez, Andrea Aparicio, Junelie Irizarry, Peyton Pender and Lily Thornberg, foreground, fans also celebrated KCKCC’s 19-17 win over No. 4 JCCC Wednesday. (KCKCC photo by Rodney Christensen)
While Blair Russell (7) was mobbed for her game-winning kill by teammates, from left, Kimberly Martinez, Andrea Aparicio, Junelie Irizarry, Peyton Pender and Lily Thornberg, foreground, fans also celebrated KCKCC’s 19-17 win over No. 4 JCCC Wednesday. (KCKCC photo by Rodney Christensen)

by Alan Hoskins

Billed as a Jayhawk Conference volleyball classic, the showdown between No. 4 ranked Johnson County and No. 5 Kansas City Kansas Community College was even better than advertised.

Battling back from four consecutive match points, coach Mary Bruno’s Lady Blue Devils rallied for a 19-17 in the fifth and deciding match played before a boisterous crowd of 200 in the KCKCC Field House Wednesday night.

The win boosted KCKCC’s overall record to 16-3 and Jayhawk mark to 3-0 heading into home games against Southeast Nebraska Friday at 6 p.m. and Monday against Jayhawk rival Highland at 6:30 p.m. before another big conference showdown at Cowley County (5-0) on Wednesday. JCCC, meanwhile, fell to 12-5 and 3-1.

Calling it the biggest kill of her career, sophomore co-captain Blair Russell slammed home the decisive 19th point before being mobbed by jubilant Blue Devil teammates.

“I’m so happy; it was so exciting,” said Russell, a 5-10 outside hitter from Marysville, Kan.

The win was made even more gratifying by the Lady Blue Devils refusal to fold under adverse situations. Deadlocked 13 times, neither team had led by more than two points in the decisive fifth set but JCCC was twice within a point of winning with a 14-12 lead on a kill by Kayla Dewey.

However, a block by Kailee Dudley and a service ace by Russell got the Blue Devils even at 14-14. Two more times JCCC took the lead at 15-14 and 16-15 but each time the Blue Devils battled back to even and then went ahead 17-16 before absorbing what could have been a devastating knockout blow.

Called for serving out of rotation, the Blue Devils were penalized a point that made it 17-17.

“I think we got caught up in the emotion of everything,” Bruno said. But instead of folding, the Blue Devils took the next two points capped by Russell’s game-winner.
“They didn’t fold under adversity,” Bruno said. “Johnson County is a great team and it was really a hard fought game with a lot of pressure. The Blue Crew and the fans were fantastic; a huge factor in our being able to win.”

KCKCC led all the way in taking a 25-22 opening win but fell behind 13-5 in the second, rallied to within a point before the Lady Cavaliers pulled away for a 25-18 decision. The Blue Devils again took early leads of 13-8 and 18-11 in the third set before hanging on for a 25-21 win but couldn’t prevent JCCC from a 25-19 fourth game win.

Depth was critical in the win. In addition to Russell and Dudley, the Blue Devils got solid frontline help from sophomores Lily Thornberg, Jasdel Gonzalez, Junelie Irizarry, Peyton Pender and freshman Allyssa Lutgen and great defense and sets from sophomores Lily Cullers, Andrea Aparicio, Thornberg and freshman Kimberly Martinez.

Alan Hoskins is the sports information director at KCKCC.

Jasdel Gonzalez delivered the game-winning kill in KCKCC’s 25-22 first game win over Johnson County that set up the Lady Blue Devils’ 3-2 win Wednesday. (KCKCC photo by Rodney Christensen)
Jasdel Gonzalez delivered the game-winning kill in KCKCC’s 25-22 first game win over Johnson County that set up the Lady Blue Devils’ 3-2 win Wednesday. (KCKCC photo by Rodney Christensen)

Sophomore co-captain Blair Russell (7) got a No. 1 salute from co-captain Lily Thornberg, foreground, while being mobbed by teammates Andrea Aparacio (5), Junelie Irizarry (15) and Peyton Pender after her kill gave KCKCC a 19-17 win over Johnson County Wednesday. (KCKCC photo by Rodney Christensen)
Sophomore co-captain Blair Russell (7) got a No. 1 salute from co-captain Lily Thornberg, foreground, while being mobbed by teammates Andrea Aparacio (5), Junelie Irizarry (15) and Peyton Pender after her kill gave KCKCC a 19-17 win over Johnson County Wednesday. (KCKCC photo by Rodney Christensen)

KCKCC student Bruce Ortiz was head over heels in celebrating the No. 5 ranked Blue Devils 19-17 win over Johnson County in the decisive fifth set Wednesday. (KCKCC Photo by Rodney Christensen)
KCKCC student Bruce Ortiz was head over heels in celebrating the No. 5 ranked Blue Devils 19-17 win over Johnson County in the decisive fifth set Wednesday. (KCKCC Photo by Rodney Christensen)