After 12 seasons and five National Lacrosse League championships, Colorado Mammoth assistant captain Pat Coyle, a former defensive player of the year, is retiring. Coyle made his decision final Wednesday after talking with Mammoth general manager Steve Govett.
“For four years on this team he was a great leader and was the anchor of our defense,” Govett said. “He provided a lot of insight for the coaching staff and was invaluable to our players.”
Coyle’s loss is only the first of several changes in the aftermath of Colorado’s 15-13 playoff loss last week to visiting Calgary.
“Losing in the first round of the playoffs is unacceptable,” Govett said. “And it has happened twice in a row.”
The Mammoth will lose a player to Boston via the expansion draft and there might be losses related to the fate of the Arizona franchise. One thing that won’t change, Govett said, is Bob McMahon’s position as head coach. — Theresa Smith
Mines upsets Metro State in RMAC baseball.
Colorado Mines pitcher Cory Ast allowed just one earned run in eight innings Wednesday, leading the No. 5- seeded Orediggers to an 11-4 victory over No. 2 Metro State in the first round of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s double-elimination baseball tournament in Grand Junction.
In another game, No. 4 Nebraska-Kearney used 17 hits to rout No. 3 Regis 16-8.
Delaney on Montana staff.
Mick Delaney, a former Colorado State assistant football coach, was hired as running backs coach at Montana.
Delaney is returning to Montana some 40 years after starting his college coaching career there. He was an assistant on the Grizzlies’ staff from 1968-69. He was the CSU running backs coach on Sonny Lubick’s staff from 1993-2007 after two seasons as head coach at Western Montana College.
UCCS regional golf champion.
The CU-Colorado Springs men’s golf team earned an automatic bid to the 20-team NCAA Division II championships by winning the Northwest Regional in Petaluma, Calif.
UCCS, the RMAC champion, finished with a three- round team total of 11-over-par 875. Western New Mexico (898) was the runner-up. UCCS was led by Tyler Bishop, David Cosel and Todd Napikowski, who tied for third at 4-over 220. Western New Mexico’s Scott Crichton and Nebraska-Kearney’s Max Hadenfeldt shared medalist honors at 219.
CSU host site for volleyball regional.
Colorado State will host regional matches for the 2008 NCAA volleyball tournament Dec. 12-13 at Moby Arena. The regional will have four teams. The Rams have played in the NCAA Tournament 13 consecutive seasons.
Winter X Games set for January.
The dates for the 2009 Winter X Games at Buttermilk Mountain near Aspen will be Jan. 22-25. Qualifying rounds for the Winter X Games, which feature competition in snowboarding, skiing and snowmobiling, are Jan. 20.
CU near top 10 in track rankings.
Powered by Brent Vaughn’s school-record effort in the 5,000-meter run Sunday, the Colorado men’s track and field team rose seven spots to No. 12 in the USTF college rankings.
CHL’s Eagles in deeper hole.
The visiting Arizona Sundogs scored three goals during the third period and took a 3-0 series lead over the Colorado Eagles with a 5-2 victory in the Central Hockey League’s President’s Cup Finals.
Ryan Tobler scored two goals for the Eagles, who must defeat Arizona in Game 4 on Friday night at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland to keep the best-of-seven championship series alive.
Arizona’s Rob McVicar made 51 saves in Game 3.
