Star Tribune from Minneapolis, Minnesota • Page 29

Star TribuneThursdaySeptember 71995 little playoff Thunder? League looks to Minnesota as site of next playoffs '1 I By Jerry Zgoda Staff Writer A proposal that would bring the U.S. International boccer League Ijchampionship games to the Twin isn all that necessary, says Minnesota thunder coach Buzz lago. Thunder general manager Peter "Wilt said league othcials are exerting considerable pressure on the Thunder to play host to the championship round for the USISL's new 24-team "select" division, which will begin play next season. Initially unconvinced, Wilt said he is starting to warm to the idea. Playing host to the championship round would give the Thunder a home-field advantage (the team Buzz Lagos nas tost in me league nnai tne pasi two years) and it would be an effective vehicle for marketing the would be just fine if the league turns into a feeder program for Major League Soccer, a top pro league set to debut next spring.

Marcos contends the USISL will draw top college talent if players see the league as a path to MLS. USISL teams then would collect transfer fees when those players are promoted to MLS. The problem for the Thunder is Lagos wants to keep the team intact in hopes of moving the entire franchise into MLS two or three years from now. MLS scouting director David Dir attended the Thunder's last six games, and Lagos had discussions with MLS officials in Long Island last weekend. Lagos said it's only a matter of time before the MLS woos some of his best players.

That list presumably includes his sons, Manuel and Gerard. "Our players have a strong bond to stay together, but that doesn't mean they will," Lagos said. "The MLS ultimately could be just too attractive to turn down." Will bloodlines make the decision harder for at least two of Lagos' players? Asked about his son, Manuel, Lagos said, "He will have the same freedom the other players have." Lagos, Wilt and the team's ownership group of local businessmen Bill George, Tony Andersen, Richard Cohen and Stan Shuster are considering several options to increase player salaries and revenue so that the franchise could eventually earn a profit. Those options include: Negotiating endorsement deals between local corporations and Thunder players to help supple The U.S. International Soccer League's Select Division: tickets would be a tough sell if Eastern i Conference the Ihunder tailed to reach tne 'Championship round, or advance 'IY thp final fnur AnH tnA lahnr involved in staging such an event FMLLL TTOLHI Includes special order tiresl GUARDSMAN PLUS $0' Il -vL Uj weoroui worronty 2 3 ,0" RfDHANDLER Allf tft.

Of I I wearout warranty I cc uri -1 fc atl-l P15580SR13 S33.99 P17570SR13 S49.99 1 rtU3'" erftSertsH P16580SR13 44.54 P18570SR13 54.99 Atlf Pl? VO P175B0SR13 47.99 P18570SR14 59.99 rO" -ssfB P18580SR13 49.99 P19570SR14 64.99 jmtrllcl SffWl P18575SR14 54.99 P20570SR14 68.99 21" rtjfiS I ffrWl 1 P19W5SR14 57.99 P20W70SR15 74.99 -SPZS I I I P20575SR14 62.99 P21W0SR15 76.99 sspfeMtjal 1 1 I P20575SR15 66.99 P20565SR15 77.99 188 89'99 'R5 Albany Alleycats, Connecticut Wolves, Cape Cod Crusaders, Delaware Wizards, Greensboro Dynamo, Hampton Roads (Va.) Mariners, Long Island Rough Riders, Richmond Kickers, New York Fever, Raleigh Flyers, South Carolina Shamrocks, Tampa Bay Cyclones. could drain tne team ticKet saies and corporate sponsorships. "We have to be sure we're dedicated to the idea," Wilt said. "We'll probably host it by 1997 at the latest." Western Conference The past two Sizzlin' Nine tourna Birmingham (Ala.) Grasshoppers, Chicago Stingers, El Paso Patriots, Los Angeles Salsa, Minnesota Thunder, Monterey Bay Jaguars, New Mexico Chiles, New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers, Reno Rattlers, Sacramento Scorpions, St. Louis Knights.

ments have been played in Greensboro, N.C., and Long Island, N.Y. The Thunder lost in the championship game each year to the Greensboro Dynamo in 1994 and the Long Island Rough Riders last All three franchises will move into the select division next season in a continuing refinement of a league that last season had nearly 90 teams. This season, more than 50 teams moved into a professional division and about 40 others remained in an amateur division. Next season, the 24 best will move to the select division, and the division's championship probably will change from the Sizzlin' Nine to the Sizzlin' Six. Lagos suggests the league's growth has perfectly paralleled that of the Thunder franchise.

The Thunder turned down overtures from the A-League, a six-team, Division II league, to stay within the USISL. "When they grouped amateurs in the same league with pro teams a year ago, it was perfect for us," he said. "When they separated the pros from the amateurs, it was a perfect time for us to go pro. Now, when we need to narrow teams to make sure we're always competing with top teams, it creates an elite division. It's like they're fitting our needs perfectly." Except for one detail: USISL commissioner Francisco Marcos says it ment tneir income.

Adopt a profit-sharing program with its players. Wilt said the team quadrupled its corporate sponsorships, quintupled merchandise sales and more than doubled ticket sales this season. Develop "new revenue streams." The team is considering exhibition tours to Japan, Argentina and Uruguay during the offseason for paydays that could bring them 100,000 per exhibition game. I Wiii DndiniTA AN Radial All-Terrain TAi (AT MIDWAY STADIUM) Winninan SflintS hi ab bl ni 1 () O'Neill, cl 4 0 10 At, a 0 0 0 Motlev. If 4 0 10 Curry, Saints open playoffs with victory Pitcher shuts down Goldeyes II A A fl Paltlnr 1h 4 0 11 rrv rth aooo nr.Bn 3h 4 0 0 0 Castaldo.

3b 3 110 Mannings 4 111 D'Alexander, ss 4 12 2 Morris, rf 3 0 10 3 0 0 0 i Fr.7ler.rf 3 0 0 0 Gousha, 2 110 255 "a'2' www Motley, Alexander, uiernai. luo nnfn Saints 7. 2B Lee, O'Neill, Castaldo, Manning, 0 A- I BB Qrinlrlat, Winn nan IP EH BB SO r'rnn i.m 7 2 2 2 8 yu.uAniR 1 Vi 0 0 0 0 0 74.99 gjj: 379.99 I C03 fil I LT23585R16ERWL ,04.99 A -JeS Kffi a8 30X9.50R,5CRWL 82.49 i lltC 1 P235n0SR15RWL 69.99 1 rtff es HSS 32XH.50R15CRWI 98.99 50 000-mile wearout worrontY weorout warranty weoroui wonanty lT195ff5Ri4 PZ.99p '4 nmsz 24.99 3pS 46MqhpS0Wt 49.99 mf ft "jy P195n5SR14 $49.99 sjnK P19W75R150WL S54.99 1 LT23W5R15 69.99 I III 155SR13BW $29.99 4 2 LXS1 P205r75R150WL 56.99 11 16SSR13BW 36 99 JM P175n0R3BW 46:9 P215T76RI50WL 57.99 I LT23585R16RBL 89.99 I 165SR13BW 36.99 P18SA70SRl5 52.99 P22V75R150WL 59.99 i if 165SR15BW 44.99 jfj 53.99 P235n5R150WL 64.99 JL 30X9.50R15 76.99 XV tnnmm mm I ffiSSSSSt fi 15 79M I 18570SR13BW 44.99 1 P20565SR15BW 62 99 U23575R150WL 79.99 32XU.50R15 89.99 P21565SR15 6599 82.99 1 46.99 R- 30S5Z 74.99 9.50R,6.5RBt 96.99 ThtuW30 1 Thru 930 31X10.50R15OWt 7999 If flid ll 1QQQ 2:47. A 4.637 Saints lead Winnipeg 1-0 Wednesday Saints 3, Winnipeg 2 Today at Midway Stadium, 7:05 p.m. Friday at Winnipeg, 7:05 p.m.

necessary Saturday at Winnipeg, 7:05 p.m. Monday at Winnipeg, 7:05 p.m. Notes MeredithContinental Cable will carry today's game. No away games are scheduled for TV. All playoff games can be heard on KLBB (1400 AM and 1470 AM) radio.

going to lose this Martv Krrsit visited oaiius uiuuuvi the mound after Curry walked Corey Morris with two outs in the ninth, then let Curry pitch to one more batter before replacing him with Bruce Walton. Walton retired the nniu honor hp farprf tr earn his sev- Vllljr uuuM enth save in eight opportunities .1. against me uuiucycs. 9, i 1 1 1 A II I 1 "He had six days of rest, and that's why we let him go a little longer," Scott said. "If we need him again, he can throw Monday in a possible game five.

I really liked that fire in t'By Rachel Blount 'Staff Writer J.In-12 years of playing professional baseball, Steve Curry has had two opportunities to win a championship. The first came during his only in the major leagues, with Boston losing four straight to Oakland in thi 1988 American League Championship Series. The second came '-Wednesday, when the Saints opened the; Northern League playoffs with a $-2 victory over Winnipeg. rXike most of his teammates, Curry would love to get another chance at playing in the majors. Like most of the fans at Midway Stadium, he loves the; atmosphere at Saints games.

But learned that a chance to win a championship ring no matter when or where or with whom is a rare and precious thing. That's what i- drove him to one of his best pitching performances of the season Wednes- day night, and that's why winning the league title is all he's thinking about. Curry threw 8 innings, his longest 'outing of the season, and held the 'Goldeyes to seven hits while striking "out eight. He got help from shortstop 'Qreg D'Alexander, whose two-run homer in the fourth gave the Saints a they did not relinquish. The 1 Saints continue the best-of-five series 'tonight at Midway before finishing at Winnipeg.

fjhere are some people who are lucky enough to get four rings," said Cirry, who was 8-5 in the regular and spent the last two years playing at the AAA level in Omaha and Oklahoma City. "I don't have one. I'm not bitter about it or anything, but I'd love to get one. JJgo out and talk to the fans a lot, Wtthtwde-tn thru 916. RftQ 49.99 II I ri-'' -I mm mm ia Saue HO on all installed shocks carts his eyes tonignt.

ne was going grcai. w-monrn Daiiery Pnrrv wa having so much fun he 36724R didn't want to leave. Still, he said he nnrvc the Saints can end the Dlavoffs and struts ii r4f with up to 600 cold-cranking amps 59.39 DleHard WteatherHandler is maintenance free! and these people love baseball. They don't just come here to drink beer and see all the other things that are going on. They want a championship, too.

We're trying to give them one." Curry gave up five hits in the first four innings as the Goldeyes built a 2-1 lead, then allowed just two hits in the next five innings while the Saints gained the advantage. Hank Manning gave the Goldeyes their first run with a solo homer in the second before the Saints tied the score in the third as Dan Peltier singled home Sean Gousha. Curry faltered a bit in the fourth as the Goldeyes used three singles to score another run. The Saints came back to take the lead in the bottom of the inning on D' Alexander's homer, and Curry carried them the rest of the way. He retired 15 of 16 batters in the final five innings before he left the game with two outs in the ninth, striking out five in that stretch.

"With the cooler night air, I felt really good," said Curry, who lost twice to the Goldeyes early in the season before shutting them out July 29. "When the team got the lead, that put a fire under me. I said, 'I'm not quickly with rings on their fingers with any tire purchase! and a championsmp in tneir neam. "Martv ont a little sentimental before I the game and told us this was the 36424524R 97500R most tun he naa in nis career, Curry said. "To hear that from a guy whn's heen in baseball so long with so many teams really means some Last 3 days! thing, and I teel the same way.

The last muffler you'll ever buyl Notes Darren McLellan is scheduled to pitch fnr th r.nlHcvM McLellan. a riehth- ft LVIUgll. iw. 1 rAA mnVir left thr team Aiis 20 to return to school at the University of Florida. He was recalled when the Goldeyes made the playoffs, leff Alkire will nitch for the Saints.

Tickets 80001 are available for tonight's game. 71615 24.99 44.99 6C.09 Wlthtrode-ln Fits most donwttlc can. Avallabt most stores. Standard Muzzier muffler. Lifetime FREE replacement! Thru 99.

Reg. 49.99 Save 5 102-amp fully automatic battery charger Loons won't find a new home in Rochester DieHard Commercial battery for group sizes 30H and 31. 700 cold-cranking amps like to reach a long-term lease agree ix it.hm HaNma Donkiramant" ment with the city. Raker team wins MGA tournev iSSnto at lona a. you own your vet.

Envltonnwntal mueSSfMvSSSSSm'w ttWell match onyonei aavomwd The team of Glenn Smith, Steve Norisnn Ted Waneensteen and Jim your mmmrm cere. yrtfa low monthly peymentB. Adsem of Baker National Golf Club shot a tournament-record 29-under-nof US fnr two rounds to win the from Staff, News Services The Minneapolis Loons are still without a home, after a vote by the Rochester Parks and Recreation Board to extend the Rochester linkers baseball team's lease to use Iayo Field. The board voted unanimously Tuesday night to pursue a new lease with thy Northwoods League collegiate-fevel team, which has used the field fij the last two seasons. MINNET0NKA 612-542-2028 ST PAUL 612-291-4326 MAPLEW00D 612-770-4228 MINNEAPOLIS 612-874-2549 EDEN PRAIRIE 612-944-4895 MANKAT0 507-625-1654 BROOKLYN CNT 612-572-3115 BURNSVILLE 612-435-2390 The vote means the Minneapolis Loons Prairie League team, which was recently purchased by two Rochester businessmen, will not be moving to Rochester next season.

Owner Dick Jensch said the club will evaluate its options over the next several weeks before deciding how to proceed. Honkers officials said they would Minnesota Golf Association Net Tm rhamninnshin at the Pines at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa. The winning team shot a first-round 54 OPEN 9:00 AM ON SUNDAY OPEN 11:00 AM ON SUNDAY TIM AND AUTOCtNTl) and a closing 61. ifti f-ii'.