After a scoreless first half, Taryn Hemmings scored a goal in the 58th minute Saturday to lead the University of Denver women’s soccer team to a 2-0 win over Western Kentucky for a third straight Sun Belt Conference title at the North Texas Soccer Complex in Denton, Texas.
Brooke Lamphere added the second goal for the Pioneers, who have not lost a game in the conference championship since they fell to Western Kentucky 1-0 in the opening round of 2005.
With two goals in the tournament, Hemmings was named most outstanding player. She also was the Sun Belt Conference player of the year.
Denver outshot Western Kentucky 14-9 and improved to 20-3-1 in the Sun Belt Championship since 2000, winning six titles (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008). With the win, the Pioneers advance to the NCAA Tournament. They will learn their destination Monday.
• With a 1-0 win over Utah, BYU claimed its seventh overall Mountain West Conference Tournament title Saturday in Las Vegas.
Buffaloes fall to Baylor.
The University of Colorado volleyball team let one get away, falling at home to Baylor in straight sets (25-21, 25-19, 25-23), dropping the Buffs to 12-11 and 6-8 in the Big 12. Baylor is 15-10, 7-8.
“We need to work our butts off,” senior Amber Sutherland said. “As seniors, we don’t want to miss out on anything. We have to lay it all out on the court.”
Grizzlies, Payne win regional.
University of Colorado-Colorado Springs senior Shannon Payne won the NCAA Division II cross country Central Regional in Kearney, Neb., with a time of 19 minutes, 42 seconds, while Adams State won the team title by taking four of the top six spots.
Seniors Heather Wood and Lavenna Mullenbach finished second and third, respectively, for Adams State, with teammates J.J. Lende and Sofia Monroe placing fifth and sixth. The Grizzlies won the team title with 30 points, 51 better than second-place Augustana (S.D.). Western State was third with 83 points, and Metro State was fifth with 180. The top six men’s and women’s teams qualify for the NCAA Championship.
Adams State also won the men’s competition, but not by as big of a margin, outdistancing runner-up Western State 33 points to 52. Junior Aaron Braun and senior Brian Medigovich finished first and second for the Grizzlies, and teammates Reuben Mwei (seventh) and Ryan McNiff (10th) also had top-10 finishes. Iain Donnan and Tyler Pennel finished third and fourth for Western. Colorado Mines, Metro State and UCCS finished fourth, fifth and sixth.
Eagles win, Rage gets point.
Adam Hogg, Riley Nelson and Steve Haddon scored in the third period to lift the Colorado Eagles to a 3-1 Central Hockey League victory over the Rapid City Rush at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland.
Goalie Morgan Cey stopped 28 shots for the Eagles.
• Simon Watson beat the goalie but not the post, and the Rocky Mountain Rage lost 3-2 in a shootout to the host Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs.
Rage goalie Marty Magers stopped the first two shots in the shootout, then allowed three straight tallies. Brent Cullaton and Scott Wray scored for the Rage, putting the pressure on Watson. His shot eluded the goalie but hit the post.
CSU hoops ready for real games.
Senior guard Marcus Walker had 15 points, including nine in the first eight minutes, as Colorado State built an early lead and went on to an 81-55 exhibition win over Adams State at Moby Arena.
Andy Ogide also had 15 points for CSU.
• Freshman Kaetlyn Murdoch had 13 points, four rebounds and two assists to lead Denver to a 65-36 exhibition win over the Adams State women at Hamilton Gymnasium.
