The Mexican national team will face off against New Zealand in an international soccer exhibition match at Invesco Field at Mile High on June 1, the two federations said Friday.
The game is part of Mexico’s tour of the U.S., which includes a game in Seattle vs. Ecuador in May.
The Denver game will be Mexico’s last tuneup before its opening game in the CONCACAF Gold Cup against El Salvador on June 5.
It’s the team’s first game in Denver since 2009, when “El Tri” beat Bolivia 5-1 in front of a sellout crowd at DSG Park in Commerce City.
Mexico last played New Zealand in March 2010, when it won 2-0 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., with more than 90,000 fans in attendance.
Tickets for the Denver game go on sale Friday, April 22, at .
Bears look Golden to TR’s Rodriguez.
He is considered a basketball work in progress, but mark off an important task for Kaileb Rodriguez.
The junior at ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch has made his college choice — he committed verbally to California and will sign with the Golden Bears in November.
“It’s really exciting,” said ThunderRidge coach Joe Ortiz, whose program landed its best recruitment since Matt Bouldin went to Gonzaga. “Obviously, we’ve known for a long time that he has some special talents. He works hard at his game.”
The 6-foot-9, 200-pound Rodriguez remains raw offensively in the post, but his defense and rebounding have been solid. He runs well and has quickness for a tall player, and plans to spend the summer getting better.
“I wanted to go to the West Coast,” Rodriguez said. “I felt that fit my style of play. I feel confident in my decision that what I did was the right choice, and it will open a lot of windows I haven’t even seen yet.”
Nevada and San Francisco had also offered, and Colorado had shown earlier interest.
Rodriguez’s ceiling toward improvement is regarded as high.
“There are moments where he just looks unreal,” Ortiz said.
Neil H. Devlin, The Denver Post
CCU men’s soccer coach resigns.
Colorado Christian men’s soccer coach Josh Caucutt announced his resignation.
After spending the last three years as coach of CCU, Caucutt will leave the program, and the profession, to accept a position with the Sovereign Grace Bible Church in Lakewood, where he will assist with writing and administrative duties.
“I have valued my time at CCU and am sad to be leaving the coaching profession, but I am convinced that this is the next step for me,” Caucutt said in a news release. “Of course, the job takes me out of coaching — something I’ve done for over a decade, but I view it as a sacred calling. As much as I love my players and desire that the team have a great season this fall, I am compelled to take the new position.”
A search for Caucutt’s replacement will begin immediately.
Kansan final recruit for UNC.
University of Northern Colorado men’s basketball coach B.J. Hill signed the final recruit in his first class, Bryce Douvier, to play for the Bears.
Douvier, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound swingman from Sedgwick, Kan., averaged 20.5 points, 14.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 4.1 blocks last season at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy. In his senior season at Sedgwick High School, he led the Cardinals to the Class 3A state championship.
Suspensions for two on CU track team.
Two University of Colorado track team members have been arrested on suspicion of burglary and assault. Quinton Elgin Dodson and Aaron Jaron Whitaker, both 21 and juniors at the school, are suspects in an April 8 burglary and assault of a Boulder resident, according to a Boulder Police Department news release.
Police said a 21-year-old man interrupted two burglars at 1:30 a.m. as they tried to steal a bicycle, electronics and other items from the victim’s 11th Street home. The resident confronted the pair and they assaulted him, police said, before running away.
Dodson and Whitaker have been suspended indefinitely from the CU men’s track team, the university said. Both ran indoor and outdoor events, and both were on the 4×100-meter relay team.
Kieran Nicholson, The Denver Post
Eagles shoot, score, win.
The Colorado Eagles outshot the Missouri Mavericks 45-20 on the way to a 5-2 victory in Game 1 of the Central Hockey League Turner Conference semifinals in Loveland. Riley Nelson (four points), Aaron Schneekloth (three points) and Kevin Ulanski (three points) led Colorado’s offense, while goalie Andrew Penner won his fourth game in a row by stopping 18-of-20 shots.
