First Capitol News High School Athlete of the Week
St. Charles West Hockey Warriors
By: Mike McMurran
Sports Editor
How can an entire team be honored as athlete of the week you ask? Simple: the modesty of one player. One of the young men on the St. Charles West Hockey team was nominated as athlete of the week. An appointment was made to interview the young man and take his picture.
Upon arriving the youngster pulled the same thing the New England Patriots did in their Super Bowl against the Rams, remember that. After introducing the Rams starters the public address announcer stated: “The Patriots refuse to be introduced individually, so here they are, the New England Patriots.” I personally remember it as if it were yesterday for a couple of reasons. One, it was the first time I had ever heard such, especially in an age when individuality seems to dominate team sports, and two I remember saying to myself, “these guys mean business.”
The same can be said for the Hockey Warriors. The young man nominated, refused to be interviewed, instead only said, “we have no starts on this team, we are a team – we win as a team, we lose as a team, we play as a team.”
Well, thus far they have played and won as a team, but not lost, as they are undefeated – as a team.
So here they are, the First Capitol New High School Athlete of the Week, the St. Charles West Hockey Warriors.
MY COLUMN Mike McMurran Sports Editor
Since this is the final publication of the year, I traditionally, or at least for two years running now, save postage by sending my Christmas Greetings via my column. They are in no particular order, with possible exception of the final greetings – God knows I would want to offend anyone by putting someone of less importance ahead of them.
With that being said I would like to congratulate, wish Christmas Greetings and the best of luck in his new business venture to my nephew, Brad Bullerdieck. Brad is a sophomore in college, studying business, and has decided maybe the best way to learn business is to open one. He is the co-owner of Petopia, located on North 3rd Street. His mom and dad, Denise and Brian Bullerdieck are very proud of his venture (o.k., he is my nephew on my wife’s side of the family).
I am sure this will come as a surprise to one of my oldest and dearest friends John Kozlowski, who just a few short years ago volunteered to watch Brad for a few short hours. In reality it was more like 15 years ago. John and I have been wishing each other Merry Christmas now for over 30 years – hard to believe.
Last year I thanked my friend Mark Francis for helping me keep my foot out of my mouth. He has done such a wonderful time that I have reduced my apologies in 2005 by 48% - thank you Mark, and happy holidays. May God bless you and your wonderful family: Tammy, Elizabeth and Eric.
Last year I would have been able to wish Elizabeth and Eric Merry Christmas at Henry and Jill Kruse’s annual Cocktails and Cookies Christmas Celebration; unfortunately, this year’s gathering will simply be cocktails. I have looked at the guest list and I cannot believe they have invited close to 75 people to gather, drink and tell lies. I don’t even know 75 people, or at least 75 people who would want to hang out with me. Someone who I would like to say a special thank you and wish Merry Christmas is Mike Lemke and his wife Lynette. Mike is the individual responsible for most of the ads that appear in the Sports Section of the paper. He will be at Kruse’s, as will Dr. Bill and Sue Solomon, Greg and Becky Padavan, Jim and Chris Freeman – holiday greetings to all of you.
Thank you and holiday greetings to Phyllis Schaltenbrand and Tony Brockmeyer who have allowed me the privilege of coming into your homes now for just over a year. Philosophically speaking, I truly think St. Charles City is a better place to live due their contributions.
On a related note, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to my dear, old friend, and partner in crime, Bob Barton. Bob and I met over 27 years ago, became pretty close friends – and then didn’t see each other for over 20 years. Once reunited it was as if we had been hanging out together the entire time. Happy holidays to his lovely wife Kitty, to his favorite daughter, Jessie, and favorite son, Bobby.
I’ve often said the best choice I’ve ever made in my life was to marry my wife; the second was to send my kids to the Academy of the Sacred Heart. Both my wife and I value education very highly – hence, we put our money where our hearts are – our kid’s education. A very special Christmas greetings and sincere thank you to the entire faculty and staff at ASH. In particular to Sister Maureen Glavin, who had the imposing task of replacing an icon – and did so without a glitch.
Next to our kid’s education, their activities probably take up most of our time. Dr. Richard Heise and Matt Fairless have dedicated literally hundreds of hours to a 2nd grade soccer team – the Falcons, of which my son Joe is a member. Merry Christmas to both these gentlemen, as well as their better halves, Marry O’Connor and Sandy Fairless. Sandy likes to tell the story of how when we first met she thought I was the biggest horse’s ass she had ever met – and she would stress the definite article the. Now I am only an indefinite article as she refers to me as one of the biggest.
In addition to soccer and softball, Maggie’s primary activity is the Patt Holt Singers. To the casual observer it seems like simply dancing and singing – and that is an important part of it. Behind the scenes one would never imagine the hours, and hours and hours of work put in by the kids and their instructors. My hat is off to both Patt Holt and Laurie Strickland who instill a discipline in their students second to no activity I have ever experienced. They demand and accept nothing less than excellence – Merry Christmas ladies, thank you for what you do!
Joe’s baseball coach is none other than yours’ truly – but the real work is done by my assistants: Tom (Becky) Clark, Joe (Paige) Murray, and Brian (Susie) Green. Merry Christmas to all of you –and thank you for putting up with me.
Lastly, Dee’s soccer and baseball team are coached by individuals who have already been mentioned in this column, which brings me back to ASH for a moment. The icon Sister Glavin replaced, Sister Margaret Caire, informed us during orientation, over 6 years ago, that the Sacred Heart Experience was all encompassing. At the time I was not sure of what she meant, now I know. It is a way of life. Enough said.
Finally, to my favorite daughter, Margaret “Maggie” Kurtz McMurran, to my first born son, Joseph Conway McMurran, and my last born child, Daniel “DEE” Patrick McMurran, Merry Christmas kids – someday I hope you will understand how much you mean to me. If you do, and I suspect you will, that means you will have experienced the special kind of love your mother and I have for each other. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to someone who has been my best friend now for over 20 years, my wife for over 13, and the mother of my children for over 10 – Lynn Marie McMurran. Believe me, putting up me with for all these years warrants sainthood for Lynn, and I realize that.
Merry Christmas to all of the regular readers of this column, and thank you for your comments, both positive and negative, they are all read.
See y’all next year – I hope all of your wishes for 2005 were realized.
Missouri River Otters Hockey
Pettersen Remains Consistent
Team notches 4 wins in a row
By Louis J. Launer
Lars Pettersen makes St. Charles home so far. The last two seasons for the River Otters has seen the veteran forward as the team’s leading scorer, sometimes drawing the first score for the team in most of the games. It hasn’t been easy this season for Pettersen as the team had a rough start.
“Wins have been tough to come by,” said Pettersen. “But I think we have finally found a way to win and we have to keep on doing that.”
Pettersen doesn’t lead the team in goals or assists this season. That belongs to Frank Littlejohn (with 10 goals) and Damian Surma (14 assists). Although there have been few wins, Pettersen has seen his share of game winning goals and power play goals. Although Missouri’s power play still needs work.
“We’ll definitely be battling it out with Surma when it comes to the goals and assists,” Pettersen said. “Littlejohn is doing great this season. Once we get everything together, we’ll see some more goals and we hope to win.”
The River Otters are slow in putting things together this season. That doesn’t stop or put a damper on team morale. All of the teammates are working well and try to help each other out on and off the ice.
“We have a great chemistry this season and the team works well,” he said. “We had to get used to everyone’s style and what the others could do. We’ve worked some long hours in practice. The competition is tough and we can be able to do well with the other teams in the league.”
Pettersen tries to at least get a goal or an assist once every game. With teammates such as Brian Heckendorn, Damian Surma and Jim Duhart on the team, Pettersen could have quite a season.
RIVER OTTERS WIN TWO MORE GAMES: You might want to call it a lifting of the Mark Reeds Curse, or you might want to call it the Jim Duhart Factor. In either way, the River Otters have won four games in a row so far in the month of December. This past weekend, The Kalamazoo Wings arrived in St. Charles holding first place in the United Hockey League Central Division standings. They have been winning games and before their arrival added Dustin Virag to their roster. Virag played for several seasons with the Fort Wayne Komets, including the Komets’ 2003 Colonial Cup championship.
Last Friday, the River Otters drew first blood at 7:59 of the first period as Lars Pettersen scored thanks to a Brian Heckendorn shot that was blocked by the K-Wings’ goaltender. In the second period, Frank Littlejohn and Jim Duhart scored two quick goals at 13 seconds and 3:37 giving the River Otters a 3-0 lead. But halfway through the game, Kalamazoo came back and the River Otters forgot that no one counts a Mark Reeds-coached team out until it is over. Reeds coached the River Otters from 1999 through 2003. But no one on the current River Otter roster ever had Reeds as a head coach.
Forward Mike Manley of the K-Wings began their rally, skating into their own zone on a 2-on-1 break receiving a Jason Deitsch pass. Manley’s goal at 12:59 was the beginning of the K-Wings getting even over the last-place River Otters. Todd Grant scored next for the K-Wings at 7:33 of the third period.
Late in the third period as the River Otter fans thought the team would hang on for a victory, saw Pettersen get caught for slashing at 17:47. That put the K-Wings in the drivers seat with the power play for almost the rest of the game. In addition, Reeds pulled goaltender Joel Martin, giving Kalamazoo a 2-man advantage. It gave K-Wing veteran Joe Seroski to score his eighth power play goal with 43 seconds remaining in regulation. That tied the game at 3-3 and it was shootout time.
Martin went up against River Otters’ goaltender Kevin Reiter. Martin had 11 wins and was a big reason why the K-Wings were in first place. Reiter only began his comeback from an early season slump. After four rounds of the shootout, no one scored. That included River Otters shooters Duhart, Littlejohn, Pettersen and Surma. It came down to Joe Seroski who scored the last goal in regulation and Reiter rejected him. Brad Church was the last shooter for the River Otters before sudden death. Church was the only player in the five rounds to stuff it past Martin to give the River Otters the win.
K-Wings head coach Mark Reeds did have some good things to say about his former team. “Missouri played a good game,” he said, “and Jim Duhart got his 900th and 901st career points, which is quite a milestone.”
Last Saturday, the River Otters decided to get a little more physical. It started thirteen seconds into the game when K-Wing Tom Willis and River Otter Dave Stewart dropped the gloves and started fighting. It did set the tone for the game as both teams concentrated on checking and hitting, rather than passing the puck during the first period. Seroski scored first for the K-Wings at 13:33. But Duhart tied the game for Missouri at 18:04. Missouri let a little matters get out of hand late in the first period and early in the second period as Karl Karlander scored at 18:49 of the first. At 4:36 of the second, the River Otters were on a power play and someone missed the puck. Mark Manley of the K-Wings took advantage and scored, giving Kalamazoo a 3-1 advantage.
Someone had to tell the River Otters to get tough. Maybe it was Jim Duhart. Duhart scored at 15:09 of the second. Brad Church, still hot from the previous night’s shootout, scored unassisted at 1:33 of the third period, tying it up at 3 again. Church’s goal was a shorthanded goal, thanks to Brian Heckendorn being penalized for interference a minute before. Thanks to one K-Wing player in the penalty box for unsportsmanlike conduct, Tim O’Connell led the River Otters’ power play drive and scored on a Damian Surma rebound at 10:24. O’Connell’s goal was the game winner in another 4-3 victory for the River Otters, this time within regulation.
By: Mike McMurran
Sports Editor
Over twenty-five years ago, Tony Glavin came to the St. Louis region, for what he thought was to be only five months. He has yet to leave and now calls the City of Cotteville home.
Champion Sports Management, Inc., a Missouri Corporation, founded by Tony Glavin, Lefteris Patelis and a local group of investors, have announced that it has acquired the franchise rights from United Soccer Leagues (USL) for an outdoor soccer team in the Premier Development League (PDL). The name of the new team will be the St. Louis Lions Soccer Club, and it will begin play in the 2006 season that runs from mid-April through mid-August.
Champions Sports Management (CSM) is a full-service sports marketing resource committed to increasing brand awareness through creative marketing campaigns, soccer related event activities, and community outreach programs. Patelis, CSM’s executive vice president and chief operations officer said, “Champions Sports building foundation is focused on serving our local businesses and the community while providing great family entertainment, and growing the game of soccer from the grassroots level up.”
“We are excited about the Lions and the future of USL soccer in St. Louis,” said USL director of PDL operations, Steve Clamp. “We are confident in CSM’s ability to make the Lions a premier sports entertainment attraction in the market.
CSM has named Glavin as the St. Louis Lions head coach. Glavin, who is also CSM’s president, is better known to soccer fans as the “Pocket Rocket” and “Motorman,” and is a former soccer great who played professionally for the Philadelphia Fury of the NASL and the St. Louis Steamers of the MISL. Glavin also coached professionally the St. Louis Steamers, the Kansas City Comets and the Dayton Dynamo.
The Lions will be competing in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference against teams from Boulder Colorado, Colorado Springs CO, Des Moines Iowa, Overland Park Kansas, Sioux Falls South Dakota and Thunder Bay Ontario. In the 2006 season there will be 59 teams competing in the PDL throughout the U.S. and Canada within four conferences (Central, Eastern, Southern and Western).
The PDL provides top U.S. and Canadian players under 23 (U23) years of age with the opportunity to compete in a professional setting during the summer months while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The U23 design of the league was created with the goal of continuing the development of players as they transition from the youth to professional ranks, often times while attending college. “CSM, with the St. Louis Lions, will join in this goal with great pride as the development of players benefits the game as a whole,” said Glavin.
The Lions will actively recruit local college talent from St. Louis University, Washington University, UM-St.Louis, Lindenwood University and the Junior College ranks. “The Lions are looking forward to working with the soccer programs of regional colleges and amateur clubs to allow the players to participate in a league simulating a professional atmosphere. Our goal is to put together a group of players that represent the soccer talent of this region, train them physically and mentally to compete at the next level, and present them to the soccer world through a very competitive cohesive team that plays entertaining and attack minded soccer,” said Glavin. “We hope some our St. Louis Lions hometown heroes will also reach the professional level and become role models to youngster who hope to develop their games to play at the top level,” Glavin concluded.
The St. Louis Lions will play 16 regular season games, eight of which will be played at home at the Tony Glavin Soccer Complex, in Cotteville. Construction will soon begin on seating, locker rooms, expanding the parking facilities and other improvements required to meet USL stadium standards.
Rage sacks are filled with money at Christmas time
“It’s the holiday season” (chorus: ‘the holiday season’)
and the indoor league, is goin’ ‘round
to every good little owner in town
reminding them, that monies abound
and should be comin’ down the chimney down…………
By Mike Thompson
Sorry, Andy….but hey, it IS the most wonderful time of the year….with parties for hosting, marshmallows for….well, you get the idea, and first of all, from The Rage to you and yours, here’s hoping this holiday season brings everything you wish. It’s been a great year for this NIFL franchise, beginning with a press conference one year ago this week to announce the new ownership of GST Sports, Inc., unveil a new team logo and turn loose the RiverCity Rage on the St. Louis area. A lot has happened since that first media round up at Family Arena. Like a kid waiting for Santa to appear, I remember well the anxious feeling I endured while sitting in The Locker Room Restaurant, keeping an eye on the entrance door, waiting for all the invited media to show up. Radio and TV reporters who had been personally contacted by me, the newly appointed Media Relations Director, to come see this new upstart team, meet the new owners, start the cameras rolling when the new logo was revealed and have the microphones well in place when those profound sound bytes were coming from the mouths of babes. Because we were ‘babes’ so to speak, in many ways…..but from the get-go, players, coaches, owners and everyone associated with this team were ready to tackle the NIFL challenge with a Lombardi like gusto that carried through a 10 win regular season and a playoff game at Savvis Center.
The growth of this franchise, from its new owner infancy to its rise as one of the premier teams in the league, has been well documented in previous articles. There’s still growth to be had, but we’ve elbowed out some space for ourselves and taken a deep breath, and moving into the new year, our second season promises to be filled with plenty of excitement, with many returning veteran players, some new shining stars, and a new home in downtown St. Louis.
And the media….that day last December?
Ooohh, yeah!……and I for one say ‘thank you’ to the reporters, sports anchors, and newspaper writers who embraced this team in 2005. True, our play on the field gave the team credibility in terms of coverage, but the effort was made by the various media outlets to go the extra mile in some way, at some time…an appearance on The Sports Couch on KSDK Channel 5….coverage by Fox Sports Net….a feature with Maurice Drummond on Fox 2… press conference and game coverage on KMOV-TV…. play by play on ESPN 1380…. interviews and reporting on KMOX Radio….KTRS Radio…. WB11….WGNU….KWRE…KLOU…93.7 The Bull….and at some time or other throughout the season, mention on just about every radio outlet in the metro St. Louis area. And a special thanks to Randy Gardner at News channel 20, for monthly features on The Rage, all the game-day coverage, and for being a big booster of this football team in it’s inaugural season!! May your days be merry and bright….and hey, the best is yet to come.
And, oh, yeah, I haven’t forgotten. There was money in those sacks…yes sir!
Rage players were notified on Monday that bonus checks had arrived just in time for Christmas. Players who were active for two or more games and in good standing with the team will receive a check for $200 for attaining one of the two playing incentives set forth in 2005. The NIFL, perhaps anticipating the holidays, had allowed for a fixed number of dollars to be used by each team as incentive money. That pre-season arrangement was at the discretion of each individual team. The owners could opt to give the extra cash to one player, a multiple of players, or the entire team. The Rage opted to purchase the incentive insurance that would pay larger dividends for the entire team, provided goals were reached.
And it was the Rage defense that proved to be the super stocking stuffer for the guys, as the recorded 39 sacks on quarterback outdistanced the goal of 36 set in the beginning of the year. That category led the league, and before he leaves for camp next month with the New York Dragons of the AFL, every Rage player should shake the hand of defensive end Bruce Blue who led the team with 11 sacks in 2005.
Rage Head Football Coach Mike Wyatt said it was satisfying to know that every player receiving a bonus check had earned his money with his play on the field and his involvement in the community. “These are top quality guys, players who are fun to coach and great to be around. I never lacked for effort on the field, but it was also good to see a vast number of our players get involved with youth programs, junior football leagues, and other community type programs. And it speaks well of both Tye and Scott (Rage owners) for having the vision and the belief in our players, coaches and system to have purchased the incentive insurance through the league. It’s a great bonus, and very timely at Christmas.”
So…Whoop-dee-doo
and dickery-dock…….
Happy Holidays!! (Thanks, Andy!!)
