Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 28

C6 THE SUNDAY JOURNAL ALBUQUERQUE, NOVEMBER 29, 2015 MEN'S COLLEGE SOCCER QUICK HITS grad sparks Seattle U. NHL Phi Hy ends drought vs. NYR 41. efl 'to Ikb ti; II ilA -----1:) 41- 1 I AO Cibola Rivas is WAC Freshman of the Year, has helped Redhawks to Sweet 16 BY KEVIN HENDRICKS JOURNAL STAFF WRITER The debut season in Division I soccer for Sergio Rivas has been a special one. And today in New York, Rivas and his Seattle University teammates have a chance to make it even better when the visit Syracuse in the round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Rivas, a true freshman who was the Gatorade Player of the Year at Cibola in 2014, has been a key player for Seattle and coach Pete Fewing this season. "He's been fantastic," Fewing said. "We have him at one of the most important positions on the field he's the attacking center midfielder so a lot of the attack comes through him. His game is never easily predictable. He's so quick.

He's gotten a lot better throughout the season." Rivas was born in Parra', Chihuahua, Mexico before moving to Albuquerque when he was 7 years old. The 5-11, 150-pound midfielder has scored three goals Fewing said he hit the post on at least five occasions and five assists for the Redhawks. He was named the Western Athletic conference Freshman of the Year. "It means a lot, first of all," Rivas said. "Being freshman of the year is a big accomplishment for me but it's not that hard when you have teammates who are here to help you out, on and off the field.

I have to give it to those guys." Rivas and his teammates beat UCLA 1-0 last weekend in Seattle to advance. The No. 11 ranked Redhawks improved to 18-3-1 with the SEATTLE UNIVERSITY PHOTO Freshman midfielder Sergio Rivas (7) has three goals and five assists for Seattle University, which plays at Syracuse today in the NCAA men's soccer tournament's round of 16. The Cibola graduate was named WAC Freshman of the Year. victory over the Bruins, who were in the Final Four last year.

Seattle is tied for the most wins nationally with Creighton. "We played our hearts out," Rivas said. "It was a big win, we worked hard for it." The hard work isn't over. Seattle plays No. 6 Syracuse today at 11 a.m.

MST. The game will be streamed live at www.goseattleu.com. "We're not done yet," Rivas said. "They're a good team but we're looking at it like we're going to make them play with us. Hopefully, we're going to win." Win or lose, it's been an impressive season for Rivas.

"He's a delightful young man and I've thoroughly enjoyed coaching him," Fewing said. "His team mates love him, and that's important. He is not playing like a freshman. Nothing overwhelms him when we're playing. "He's started every game and I'd like to see him do that for the next three seasons.

He's only going to get better." Rivas said he chose Seattle over numerous offers, including one from New Mexico, because he will be on full scholarship for the next three years after receiving a 95 percent ride this season. And so far, it's been a great ride and wise choice. "It's been amazing," Rivas said. "The transition was a little hard from New Mexico to Seattle at first, but overall it's been a great move. It was a very difficult decision.

The aspect of leaving my family Storm to join Eagles in JOURNAL STAFF AND WIRES Fighter Fury ends Klitschko's reign DUESSELDORF, Germany Tyson Fury defeated Wladimir Klitschko by unanimous decision to end the Ukrainian's nineand-a-half-year reign as heavyweight champion and take his WBA, ME' and WBO heavyweight titles. After a bruising encounter that ended with cuts near both of Klitschko's eyes, referee Tony Weeks went to the judges' scorecards. Cesar Ramos and Raul Caiz Sr. scored it 115-112 each, while Ramon Cerdan had it 116-111 in favor of the undefeated Briton, who improved his record to 25 wins with 18 knockouts. Fury taunted and baited the 39-year-old Klitschko at various stages, prompting jeers from fans at the seat soccer stadium in Duesseldorf.

Klitschko's record dropped to 64-4 with 53 knockouts after his first defeat since April 2004. Hessman quits, hit 433 MiLB homers NEW YORK Minor league home run king Mike Hessman told The Associated Press he is retiring as a player and will pursue a career as a coach. Hessman became the career home run leader for U.S.-based minor leagues in August when he hit a grand slam to pass Buzz Arlett with his 433rd homer. The 37-year-old Hessman is often compared to Crash Davis, Kevin Costner's character in the movie "Bull Durham," and perhaps fittingly, Hessman's slam was his last home run. Hessman was a 15th-round pick by the Atlanta Braves in 1996 and spent 19 seasons in the minors.

He also played in 109 big league games spanning five seasons. TWINS: Ten days remain to sign South Korean slugger Byung-ho Park, but Minnesota believes negotiations probably won't come down to the deadline, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. The sides have until Dec. 8 to reach a contract agreement. Jones fires 73, wins Aussie Open SYDNEY Matt Jones overcame a bogey, double-bogey and triple-bogey on the front nine Sunday to escape with a one-stroke victory at the Australian Open after shooting a 2-over 73.

Jones, who led defending champion Jordan Spieth by three strokes to begin the day, finished with a 72-hole total of 8-under 276, one ahead of Adam Scott, who shot 65 on The Australian Golf Club course, and Spieth, who shot 71 and missed an eagle attempt on the 18th that could have forced a playoff. Australian veteran Rod Pampling, with a course-record 61, was fourth, two strokes back. He, Jones, Scott and Spieth were often tied for the lead over the final hour, but a birdie on the 16th put the Australian a stroke clear. EUROPEAN TOUR: In Malelane, South Africa, Charl Schwartzel will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the season-opening Alfred Dunhill Championship after a 2-under 70 moved him to 13 under par. Mercedes wants rule clarifications ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates Mercedes has demanded clarification from Formula One authorities on rules restricting aerodynamic testing and preventing collusion between rival teams.

Mercedes representatives met stewards Saturday before qualifying at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The legal documents provided to the media made no direct allegation of wrongdoing against any team, but the dispute is widely seen as a reaction to the close relationship between Ferrari and the U.S.- based Haas team which will enter Fl next season. Wind-tunnel usage is restricted to current competitors under Fl rules, but Ferrari has been giving Haas access to its facility for testing, leading to concerns that both teams have benefited from the data produced. New Jersey beats Montreal in OT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK After a slow start, the Philadelphia Flyers are starting to get their season turned around. Wayne Simmonds had two goals and an assist and Steve Mason made 24 saves as the Flyers beat the New York Rangers 3-0 on Saturday.

"The guys did their job, battled for each other," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. "Everybody (is) figuring some things out, team-wise. I haven't seen any (cracks) in that armor over the last few weeks. Guys have battled hard for each other." The shutout was Philadelphia's league-leading fourth this season. Reserve goal-tender Michal Neuvirth has Philadelphia's other three shutouts.

DEVILS 3, CANADIENS 2 (OT): In Montreal, defense-man John Moore scored in overtime as New Jersey rallied for a victory over the NHL-leading Montreal. Patrik Elias and Kyle Palmieri scored in regulation for New Jersey. In his first career game at the Bell Centre, Corey Schneider stopped 29 shots. Alex Galchenyuk scored twice for Montreal. CAPITALS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 2: In Toronto, Jason Chimera had a goal and an assist as Washington beat Toronto for its fifth straight victory.

Tom Wilson, Marcus Johansson and Justin Williams also scored, Braden Holtby made 32 saves and the Capitals improved to 7-2-0 on the road and 17-5-1 overall. ISLANDERS 3, LIGHTNING 2: In Tampa, John Tavares scored a tie-breaking power-play goal in the third period as New York beat Tampa Bay. Tavares put the Islanders ahead during a goal-mouth scramble with 3:36 left. New York scored twice on the power play after entering with just two on the road this season. AVALANCHE 5, JETS 3: In Denver, Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene each had a goal and two assists, and Colorado beat Winnipeg for a rare home win.

Blake Comeau, Carl Soderberg and Chris Wagner also scored for the Avalanche, which improved to 3-6-1 at Pepsi Center this season. The third home win was in jeopardy after the Jets rallied from a three-goal deficit to get within one on Jacob Trouba's goal midway through the third period. STARS 4, WILD 3 (OT): In St. Paul, Tyler Seguin scored at 3:57 of overtime as Dallas rallied from a three-goal deficit to beat Minnesota. BLUES 3, BLUE JACKETS 1: In St.

Louis, Scottie Upshall scored in the third period and Vladimir Tarasenko scored his 14th goal to lead the Blues. OILERS 3, PENGUINS 2 (SO): In Pittsburgh, Matt Hendricks and Jordan Eberle scored in a shootout, powering Edmonton to its first win at Pittsburgh since Jan. 10, 2006. SABRES 4, PREDATORS 1: In Nashville, Sam Reinhart scored twice to send Buffalo to its second straight win. Jamie McGinn and Ryan O'Reilly also scored for the Sabres, and Chad Johnson had 28 saves.

KINGS 3, BLACKHAWKS 2 (OT): In Los Angeles, Marian Gaborik scored the tying goal with 5:55 left in regulation and added his fifth of the season 2:04 into overtime, lifting the Kings over Chicago. SHARKS 5, FLAMES 2: In San Jose, Joel Ward and Patrick Marleau scored power-play goals 50 seconds apart in the second period and the Sharks beat Calgary. COYOTES 4, SENATORS 3: In Glendale, Mikkel Boedker had his second hat trick against Ottawa this season and Arizona snapped the Senators' four-game winning streak. 6A all-metro POLO ORTALAS CRUCES SUN NEWS rt 3 1.1.:, '4 Ak it; I II ifet 0. '4 -C-v, 'Nvoi' l' ge )7 444 Pe 0, I ,) 411 ire -e 0 I- II 0 lo, voo In JP; 1 A A 40, i N-------- was tough." Another tough transition for Rivas was going from the Duke City to rainy Seattle.

"At first it was really sunny here, like a normal day in Albuquerque, so I thought it wasn't that bad. Then the weather started changing. But I love the rain so I adjusted pretty quick." Rivas said he has plans to attend law school, but his ultimate goal is to play professional soccer, something his coach believes is a real possibility. "If he stays healthy and if he gains a little weight, I think he can do that," Fewing said. "The cool thing for me is that he also wants to get an education.

I love it when we have guys who see both sides of it." title game Ticket info Tickets for Saturday's 1 p.m. Eldorado-atCleveland Class 6A state championship game will go on sale Monday. Fans can purchase tickets at nmaa. ticketleap.com starting at about 9 a.m. Monday, said New Mexico Activities Association associate director Dusty Young.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students, seniors and members of the military. Cleveland athletic director Larry Chavez said the Storm will sell its allotment of tickets from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the athletic office. Eldorado AD Mike Huston said the Eagles will begin selling their share from noon-1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday in the gymnasium lobby.

Cleveland's stadium has a seating capacity of 7,500, but with additional portable bleachers, standing room and people sitting in the grass berm area, the stadium can accommodate about 10,000 fans Saturday. until Saturday morning. That pushed the game back from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Cardinals (10-2), meanwhile, didn't hold anything back in winning their 10th straight.

Robertson is at No. 2-seed Hatch Valley (12-0) in this week's title game. Class 5A (2) ARTESIA 42, (3) PIEDRA VISTA 35: In Artesia, the Bulldogs' Carlos Carrasco intercepted a pass while the Panthers were driving in the final minutes. Artesia (11-1) will face top-seeded Centennial (12-0) in this weekend's title game in Las Cruces. Cleveland's Gabe Ortega (12) breaks free from a Mayfield defender during the Storm's 63-27 win in Saturday's semifinal.

From PAGE Cl "And our kids played that way." Cleveland scored the game's first 21 points in the first 1312 minutes, and its first four possessions reflected its physical advantages up front as they resulted in touchdown drives covering 74, 89, 80 and 65 yards. "We were hitting on all cylinders," said senior wide receiver Marcus Williams, who as the Storm's No. 1 receiver, hadn't even gotten involved yet. "We've got a lot of weapons that can get you from anywhere." Ryan Anderson, Shawn Nieto and Ortega had early scoring runs; Ortega's was a terrific 65-yarder in which he was on the option, surveyed his reads, stayed patient, then exploded through the hole. "It was a very focused group," Ortega said.

"We wanted to get off the bus and prove a point. We're tired of people telling us we're the best team in the state. We wanted to prove it." Ortega and Nieto both added a second TD run later in the first half, with Nieto's coming one play after the Storm blocked a Mayfield punt. It was 35-7 at halftime with Cleveland more or less doing as it pleased. "Our offensive line came off the ball and hit them in the mouth," Ortega said.

"It made it easy for us skill guys." The Trojans (9-4) showed a pulse after halftime. Junior running back Isaac Vance had a spectacular 80-yard touchdown run on the first snap of the third quarter, and, following an interception of Ortega, Mayfield scored again, with Vance did not know Nieto's prognosis. Vance went over 2,000 yards for his season following his 201- yard, 33-carry effort. "We haven't played a team like that on our schedule," Mayfield coach Mike Bradley said. CLEVELAND 63, MAYFIELD 27 Cleveland 14 21 7 21 63 Mayfield 0 7 20 0 27 Scoring: Ryan Anderson 4 run (David Duran kick); Shawn Nieto 6 run (Duran kick); Gabe Ortega 65 run (Duran kick); Noah Pierce 8 pass from Joeray Valencia (Riley Folkman kick); Ortega 11 run (Duran kick); Nieto 4 run (Duran kick); Isaac Vance 80 run (Folkman kick); Vance 9 run (kick failed); Marcus Williams 11 pass from Ortega (Duran kick); Ethan Alvarado 71 pass from Valencia (Folkman kick); Ortega 11 run (Duran kick); Isaac Torres 2 run (Duran kick); Williams 62 pass from Ortega (Duran kick).

Records: 12-0; 9-4. First downs: 19; 19. Rushes-yards: 35-317; 41-201. Passing: 10 13 1 220; 13-20-0-202. Total offense: 537; 403.

Fumbles-lost: 1-1; 4-2. Penalties-yards: 12-111; 6-53. going over from 9 yards out. The Trojans cut the deficit to 35-20, and it appeared Cleveland might be prematurely pondering the showdown with Eldorado. But the Storm scored on its next four possessions, with Ortega twice connecting with Williams on scoring passes.

The first was a diving catch in the far corner for an 11-yard score, and the other was mostly Williams, who took an intermediate-range pass and went 62 yards. "It was a big win for us, for our program," said Williams, who also has committed to the Lobos. "We had to go through (Mayfield) to win a state championship." Nieto ran for 106 yards on 15 carries before leaving the game following a hard takedown by a Mayfield defender late in the third quarter. Ridenour said he in Eunice. If Clayton (6-5) wins Monday, it will host Estancia this coming weekend in a rematch of last year's championship game.

If Eunice wins, it will visit Estancia this weekend and the Ye llowjackets would be finished for the year. "Our kids are still really focused and ready to go," Clayton coach Dustin Tippett said. "We brought them in and had a good practice. They are champing at the bit." (1) ESTANCIA 61, (5) LORDS-BURG 14: In Lordsburg, the visiting Bears (12-0) had 413 yards rushing, led by Adam PREP FOOTBALL ROUNDUP Clayton-Eunice postponed; Estancia rolls 61-14 Lujan (18 carries, 186 yards, 5 TDs) and Zeke Tapia (22 carries, 183 yards, 2 TDs), and outscored Lordsburg 28-0 in the third quarter after leading 33-14 at the half. "The boys cleaned some things up in the second half," said Estancia coach Stewart Burnett.

"The offense, defense and special teams all complemented each other." Class 4A (4) ROBERTSON 26, (1) PORTALES 14: In Las Vegas N.M., the Rams (11-1) were scheduled to travel on Friday night, but couldn't get out of Porta les BY MARK SMITH ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR The Clayton Yellowjackets knew that whatever happened Saturday, they would be back home this week when the Class 3A state championship game takes place. They didn't however, expect to still be home Saturday but that's where they were. Second-seeded Clayton's Class 3A semifinal at third-seeded Eunice (7-3), which was scheduled for Saturday, was postponed because of weather that kept the Yellowjackets from traveling. The game is rescheduled for 7 p.m. Monday.