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Stanford vs. Oregon State Preview

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Stanford vs Oregon State Preview

Stanford (6-1,4-1 Pac-12) travels to Corvallis Oregon Saturday to take on the Oregon State Beavers (6-1,4-0 Pac-12. Game time will be at 7:30pm PT and will be televised on ESPN.

The Beavers are unranked but have won their last six games after being upset by Eastern Washington in the opening game of the year. The Beavers did something that the Cardinal couldn’t do and this was

beating Utah in Salt Lake City. The Beaver offense is led by quarterback Sean Mannion and Brandin Cooks. Both are both Northern California products. Mannion is from Pleasanton and Cooks is from Stockton. How dynamic are these two? Mannion leads the nation in passing yardage(2992) and touchdowns(29) while Cooks has made 76 receptions good for 1176 yards and twelve touchdowns.

Mannion’s completion percentage is 68.6 and the Beavers like to go deep. It has been noted that Oregon State’s pro-style system features the most productive downfield passing game in the conference.

The Beavers defense has improved since the opening day loss to Eastern Washington and the offensive line has improved greatly since that loss.

Oregon State’s coach,Mike Riley thinks Stanford’s secondary will be a challenge to his team’s passing game. Riley said “they are very athletic and tough. They really compete. It’s a good looking group of guys. They’re always well coached and sound in what they do. It’s the most athletic group on defense that we’ve seen so far and they’re very sound in what they do.”

Stanford coach David Shaw, when asked about slowing down Brandin Cooks, replied “ He’s everybody’s responsibility. There is no other way around it. Safeties,corners nickels all have to be aware he is. Coach Shaw noted that receiver Kodi Whitfield and tailback Barry Sanders will continue to share the punt return duties. Kevin Hogan will be at quarterback again and Tyler Gaffney will

be the Cardinal’s main running back. Gaffney had a terrific game against UCLA last week.

Cardinal Safety Jordan Richards was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after recording two interceptions against UCLA last week. There is a possibility that receiver Devon Cajuste may play against the Beavers on Saturday. Cajuste suffered a right knee injury last week. Kicker Jordan Williamson will be on the trip to Corvallis but it is not clear if he will play. If Williamson can’t play, Conrad Ukropina will again fill in. Ukropina was one for two on field goals against UCLA.

The game should be very close. Stanford needs to win as they face the high-flying Oregon Ducks on November 7th. Should Stanford lose, it would dim their chances for a Pac-12 championship. If the Beavers win, they will probably become a nationally ranked team. Stanford will be playing in a hostile environment again and they have their work cut out for them on Saturday.

Bulls Lose In Overtime to Steelheads 3-2

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By Kahlil Najar

BOISE, Idaho –

The San Francisco Bulls lost a tough one to the Idaho Steelheads, 3-2, in overtime. Chris Crane and Dale Mitchell scored for the Bulls, while Tyler Beskorowany stopped 39 shots in the loss.

Both teams were quiet through two periods and waited until the third period to get themselves on the board. In the third period Idaho got a power-play goal from William Rapuzzi at 1:25. The Bulls answered back with a power-play goal of their own when Chris Cane took a shot from the faceoff circle at 8:25. Less than 5 minutes later, Dale Mitchell scored on a one-timer from the slot and made it a 2-1 lead for the Bulls. On another power play and with an empty net, Anthony Nigro found the back of the net with only 18.6 seconds left on the clock. In overtime, Nigro was the hero again as he put the puck past Beskorowany to give the Steelheads the victory.

The Bulls head to Utah to take on the Grizzlies this Friday at 6:05pm.

Kings Play Tough 4th, Beat Warriors

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By Tony Renteria

Sacramento CA: The Sacramento Kings (3-2) continued a strong preseason by outscoring the Golden State Warriors (3-2) by twelve points in the fourth quarter for a dramatic 91-90 win at Sleep Train Arena.
The Kings coming off a loss up in Portland had strong guard play from Isaiah Thomas who came off the bench to lead the Kings in scoring with 21 points on 5 for 13 shooting. The strong inside presence of DeMarcus Cousins was limited by foul trouble. He finished the night on the bench with eleven points to go along with his six fouls.
Stephen Curry had 24 points and six assist while playing over 36 minutes in this second to last preseason game. David Lee played well for the Warriors but was not his usual high scoring self.
The Kings finish the preseason on Friday down at Staples Center as they take on the Los Angeles Clippers while the Warriors host the Portland Trailblazers tomorrow in Oakland.
Side note Assistant Coach Brendan Malone resigned from his sons coaching staff today.

Let Timmy throw smoke; Giant pitcher signs 2 yr $35 M deal

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That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

SAN FRANCISCO–Speculation at the end of last season was that Giants ace pitcher Tim Lincecum was going to leave the Giants and shop other markets like his hometown Seattle and sign with the Mariners. Tuesday Lincecum signed a two year deal worth $35 million that runs through the 2015 season with the Giants.

Lincecum 29 reflected about all the things he went through as a Giant and that pretty much was the deal breaker, “I’ve been one of the most fortunate pitchers in this organization just to be part of many things, it was pretty special just to be in that kind of situation today, you kind of really see what’s going on and the emotions that are tied with it, I’m trying to figure out how to handle it” said Lincecum.

Lincecum is a twice winner of the National League Cy Young Award for two years straight in 2008 and 2009, Lincecum despite his struggles from last season finished at 10-14 was well sought after by the club and wanted to stay in San Francisco he was in awe of playing with former teammates, pitcher Randy Johnson and outfielder Barry Bonds, and current star teammates Pablo “the Panda” Sandoval and Buster Posey. He said with those memories and two World’s Championships from 2010 and 2012 it was very hard to walk away from San Francisco.

2013 World Series: The St.Louis Cardinals are in Boston for game one of the World Series, Adam Wainwright (21-10) starts for St.Louis and Jon Lester gets the call for the Sox (17-9) on Wednesday night. This is the fourth time in franchise history that these two teams match up in the World Series since 1946, 1967, 2004 and here we are again.

These are two great franchises St.Louis has won 11 World Series titles only second to the New York Yankees who have won more and this will be one interesting series and I can predict that this one will go a long way six to seven games and I don’t really have any winner in this one that both teams are so evenly matched that I really don’t have a choice in this fight.

Although I worked with in the American League with the Oakland A’s in radio and the Angels in Anaheim for TV it’s just hard to pick a winner both teams can win it’s not going to be a zero-zero match there’s going to be loser and a winner but their both winners, they already have rings already people forget when you make it to the World Series you already have a ring.

Looking back on Jimmy Leyland: Leyland was a class act and I’m glad that he retired and he’s leaving the Detroit Tigers and in a way I feel for him and I watched him in his press conference the other day some reporter asked Leyland “why did your team lose?” Come on this guy has been around 50 years in baseball here’s a 22 year old kid asking why did your team lose, it’s because the other team played better it’s baseball.

So it’s getting to him, he’s 69 let him enjoy life outside the media and the game and from baseball travel and wearing the uniform each day and answering these stupid questions and he deserves it and he could be a Hall of Famer. He won a World Series with the Marlins in 1997, he won a bunch of pennants, he’s well regarded with over 1700 wins, he’s managed for four teams, the Pirates, the Marlins, the Rockies, and now the Tigers.

So I’m glad he retired and I wish him nothing but the best he’s a classy old school manager. I can appreciate what he does and the traveling is overrated you go out many times to a town like Cincinnati in the summer it’s 100 degrees outside there’s nothing to do you stay in your room with your shirt off and the A/C on. It’s overrated and he already had a great career I congratulate him and I exactly understand what he is saying and wish him nothing but the best in retirement.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for the A’s, TV Spanish voice for Angels baseball and does News and Commentary each week for Sportstalk Radio

San Francisco Bulls add 6’8″ Riley Emerson to lineup

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Guess which one Riley is..
Guess which one Riley is..

By Kahlil Najar

SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Bulls announced today the signing of forward Riley Emmerson. At 6-foot, 8-inches, he becomes the tallest player in Bulls history. The Vancouver, British Columbia native spent last season with the Missouri Mavericks of the Central Hockey League. There, he ranked second on the team with 95 penalty minutes in 55 games, adding five goals and an assist.

“Riley adds a whole new dimension to this team” said SF Bulls President and Head Coach Pat Curcio. “At 6-8, he can use his size in front of the net effectively and will be a physical force on the ice.”

Emmerson was drafted in 2005 by the Minnesota Wild and since then he has been a bit of journeyman playing in the ECHL three times, the AHL twice and the WHL and CHL each for one season.

Check out some highlights from his 2012 season with Toledo Walleyes.

(Bonus points for the fan in the stands with the Dino Cicarelli Minnesota North Stars jersey!)

Cal heading to Washington

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By George Devine, Sr.

After a 49-17 loss to Oregon State at Memorial Stadium on October 19, Cal heads to Seattle to play Washington at 8:00 p.m. PDT on Saturday, October 26. The Bears are hurting to the extent that they cannot run a nickel defense due to a multiplicity of injuries. The defense was already becoming known as a weak one, by way of contrast to Sonny Dykes’ “Bear Raid” headed by Jared Goff. But now Goff’s position as quarterback is seen as doubtful and Kevin Kline — who came off the bench against the Beavers — may get the next Saturday’s start.

Meanwhile the Huskies are mourning the loss of legendary coach and father figure Don James, and smarting after a 53-24 loss at Arizona State that left them 1-3 in conference and 4-3 overall. Quartrerback Keith Price suffered an injured right thumb in that game, but subsequent X-rays were negative. The Dawgs were no match for the ASU defense but are hoping to regroup and do better against Cal. Coach Steve Sarkisian is hoping for a more physical game against the Bears, whose weakened defense and suspect offensive line may give the home team some opportunities. Washington wound up with a negative 5 yards rushing against the Sun Devils and this is largely due to being sacked in the desert. Cal’s secondary is not likely to achieve anything near that.

After the showdown in Seattle, the remaining games for Cal are:

November 2: Arizona

November 9: USC (Joe Roth Game)

November 16: @ Colorado

November 23: @ Stanford

All of the above games’ kickoff times are to be determined.

Kings fall short in Portland

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

 

The purpose of pre-season games in the NBA is to learn the offensive and defensive systems plus evaluate how your talent fits into those systems. Winning is definitely a lower priority. In fact, a pre-season win is just icing on the cake.

On Sunday night in Portland, the Trail Blazers won the first half 53-44 after outscoring the Kings 30-19 in the first quarter. Sacramento won the second half 61-56. When you total up the points, the Kings lost to the Blazers 109-105. The Kings pre-season record fell to 3-2.

One important fact to know is forward DeMarcus Cousins did not play in the game. Following the theme of pre-season goals, he did not play in order to rest. The coaching staff knows that Cousins is starter and does not need to be evaluated.

Forward Patrick Patterson was the workhorse for the Kings in the contest. Patterson made 11 field goals, 3 – pointers, 2 free throws for his 27 points in 40:31 minutes of playing time.

Other Kings who scored in double digits were McLemore 23, Thomas 15, and Thornton 10. The Kings shot 41.2% (40-97) from the field including 11 3-pointers. The team shot 70.0% (14-20) from the free throw line.

The Kings posted 40 rebounds (13 OFF/27DEF), 24 assists, 10 steals while committing 7 turn-overs. The team committed 21 personal fouls.

The Sacramento coaching staff will no doubt be emphasizing two areas in practice on Monday. Shooting defense needs to improve. The Blazers shot 48.8% from the field in the game. Rebounding will be another area of the practice. The Blazers out rebounded the Kings 54-40.

Kings Notes: A MRI taken last Monday on Kings Forward Carl Landry revealed a tear in his left hip flexor muscle (rectus femoris). He injured the hip in a training camp practice. Surgery was performed last Tuesday in Philadelphia by Dr. William Meyers. The Kings will be without Landry for three to four months … The Kings next game will be a 7:00 PM tip-off on Wednesday versus the Golden State Warriors at Sleep Train Arena

Quakes draw Galaxy in thrilling Classico

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[San Jose Earthquakes]

In soccer 0-0 draws are usually uninspiring and boring.  This game was anything but that.  The San Jose Earthquakes playoff hopes hang on by a thread after drawing nil nil against arch rivals LA Galaxy at the Stub Hub Center.  There was not too much drama however, the quality of play between the two teams was valiant.  

Quakes created numerous good chances in the second and deserved to win the game.  Winger Shea Salinas made the majority of the runs in the second half, Steven Lenhart almost tapped the ball into the back of the net but Galaxy defender Kofi Opare made a great tackle and goalkeeper Jaime Penedo collected the ball.  

The Quakes continually applied pressure to the Galaxy backline and almost found the goal they desperately needed when Wondo nearly got his boot onto a cross but the ball escaped him.  In a packed house of 25, 418 the Galaxy dominated possession and created some fantastic sequences of play but lacked the final key to unlocking San Jose’s defense.  They relied solely on counter attacks to catch the Quakes off guard.  

It was the same story in the first half; the Galaxy enjoyed the majority of possession however it was the Earthquakes who had the better chances to score goals.  Both Steven Lenhart and Chris Wondolowski forced fantastic saves out of Jaime Penedo who had about 5 saves to make in the first half alone.  Wheres Jon Busch had very little to worry about.  

Although the playoff picture looks practically impossible now the Earthquakes aren’t mathematically out of the playoffs.  They require the Colorado rapids to lose and must win their final match of the season against already eliminated FC Dallas.  However, Colorado’s vast superior goal difference makes the takes almost improbable.

Aces Shut the Bulls Down 5-0

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By Mary Walsh

ANCHORAGE- The Alaska Aces made the San Francisco Bulls pay dearly for ruining their home opener, beating the Bulls 5-0 on Saturday. It is hard to tell from the score, but the Bulls did show signs that they were working better as a team, leaving fewer gaping holes on defense.

The Bulls went in to their second game in Alaska without Dean Ouellet, who was described as having a non-specific upper body injury. If the team was thrown by that development, it didn’t show as they started the game with more composure in the defensive zone than they displayed in the first game. Despite taking too many penalties and giving up more goals than in the previous game, the team actually had more chances and showed signs of improvement.

San Francisco looked sharp to start the game. Things looked bright when Dale Mitchell had a great opportunity on a breakaway. Aces goaltender Joni Ortio was ready for him and thwarted the Bulls’ best chance to take an early lead.

A lapse in defensive focus gave the Aces a 3 on 2 and the 1-0 lead at 10:01 of the first. The goal was scored by Jordan Kremyr, with assists to Dustin Molle and Tommy Mele. That goal took the wind out of the Bulls and they too much time trapped in their own zone. They finished the period credited with only two shots on goal to Alaska’s 17.

The second period got interesting quickly when Dylan King took a boarding penalty while the Bulls were already killing Luke Judson‘s hooking penalty. Kris Belan, Scott Langdon and Kyle Bigos valiantly killed off a 5 on 3 that lasted for over a minute. Judson came out of the box at the end of his penalty and helped them clear the zone. The Bulls killed off the rest of the penalty and within a couple of shifts seemed invigorated by that success.

Defenseman Kyle Bigos was assigned to the Bulls by the AHL Worcester Sharks. He was conspicuous during the troubled second period, making a number of critical interceptions and clears for his team. Bulls goaltender Tyler Beskorowany doesn’t leave a lot of dangerous rebounds but it was a good sign that Bulls skaters were there to clean them up anyway.

The Bulls were taking too many penalties in the period, and it cost them when the Aces scored on their third power play of the period. That power play goal scored by Evan Trupp, with assists to Peter Sivak and Zach Davies.

Ironically, the Bulls more than doubled their first period shot total during the first half of the second period. They finally earned a power play at 11:58 of the period. It did not start out well as the Bulls let Aces center Nick Mazzolini break the other way unfettered. Narrowly escaping another goal against, the Bulls held the zone for the rest of the power play. They came close but lacked polish and didn’t score. Less than two minutes later, the Bulls were on the penalty kill again, this time with Jordan Morrison in the box. The Bulls killed off the penalty and responded with some good offensive rushes. Still they didn’t score and by the end of the period it was evident that they’d spent too much time short-handed. They had lost a step, but they had also outshot the Aces 8-6 in the period.

The Aces jumped into the third period with an early goal, a second for Evan Trupp off a cross-crease pass from Peter Sivak. As if killing penalties were the Bulls’ theme of the night, Mark Lee went to the box at 4:51 for cross-checking. Before that ended, Brett Parnham was called for the same and the Bulls were down two men. The team survived that but did not make it through their next penalty, Alaska’s seventh power play of the game. That put the Bulls in a 4-0 hole. Alaska’s fourth goal was scored by B.J. Crum, with assists to Sivak and Mazzolini.

A power play at 10:20 of the third gave the Bulls some energy. Alaska seemed to sit back on their four goal lead, still able to frustrate the Bulls’ offense. In the last two minutes of the game, Zach Davies took advantage of Scott Langdon’s errant pass up the boards and scored the Aces’ fifth goal.

The Bulls finished the game on the penalty kill. Sullivan Arena played “All By Myself” while Chris Crane went to the box. To make matters worse, the refs gave Crane four minutes for his high stick.

Scoring summary: Alaska: Jordan Kremyr (Molle, Mele) 11:59, Evan Trupp(PPG, Sivak, Davies) 9:57, Trupp (Sivak, Mazzolini) 1:47, B.J. Crum (PPG Sivak, Mazzolini) 7:55, Zach Davies (Sivak) 18:02. Alaska killed 3 of 3 penalties. Joni Ortio made 17 saves for the win. 

San Francisco killed 7 of 9 penalties and Tyler Beskorowany made 34 saves on 39 shots for San Francisco.

The Bulls play next in Idaho, on Wednesday at 6:10 PT. Listen on KNBR.com or watch on AmericaOneSports.com. The team’s full schedule can be found on their website.

Beskorowany Shines In Bulls’ Road Start

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By Mary Walsh

San Francisco’s penalty kill was impressive in their first meeting with the Alaska Aces, but it is safe to say that goaltender Tyler Beskorowany stole the game for the Bulls. The final score was 2-1 Bulls, but the official shot clock favored Alaska 45-19. Beskorowany outdid himself. It was almost unsettling to watch him turn away shot after shot, including all but one of the breakaways that the Bulls allowed. “How good is this goalie?” one observer asked Bulls’ broadcaster  Jason Lockhart during intermission. Beskorowany answered that question during long stretches of sustained Alaska offense. The Bulls’ goals were scored very early (Jordan Morrison from Scott Langdon 2:22 into the first) and late (Brett Parnham from Dale Mitchell and Mark Lee 13:44 into the third) in the game. In the meantime, the Bulls’ new goaltender was that good. Really, that good.

The Bulls faced Beskorowany four times last season, and he was memorable for more than his name. The Bulls scored four times against him in their first meeting, but didn’t come close to that again for the rest of the season. In their final meeting, the goalie shut the Bulls out. No wonder Bulls President Pat Curcio was happy to sign the big goaltender for this season.

No goaltender is infallible, he will have off nights, he will be unlucky at times. Even with a goaltender who makes a spectacular start, it is critical for the rest of the team to do their part. Early in the season, after relatively little time to practice together, it is to be expected that the Bulls will have some communication glitches to sort out. Those glitches were most evident in their defensive schemes. The team allowed multiple breakaways and failed to hold the zone at inopportune times, sometimes doing both at once. Their Friday performance suggested that the team wasn’t reading each other very well, yet the Bulls killed all five penalties assigned to them. In that, fans can find hope. The team does know how to defend, they just need to smooth the edges between offense and defense.

Starting the season with an 18 day road trip is taxing in many ways, and some will downplay the team bonding value of such a trip. For an ECHL team, it really is a significant inconvenience. They don’t leave ice at home for players to practice on (see Grand National Rodeo schedule), and they can’t travel with the whole roster. Still, no one denies that a road trip has value for team chemistry. Playing in multiple arenas, being thrown together in transit and training, at work and at rest, all of this will give the Bulls plenty of time to communicate.

Starting the season against arguably the best opponent in the west is a blistering trial by fire for the team. On the plus side, several Bulls ended last season against the Aces, so the formidable opponent is familiar. Either way, winning on such steeply tilted ice as the Bulls did in their first game is something to be proud of. A win is a win. Bulls fans can look forward to seeing less harrowing wins if the team sorts out their defensive cues.