Edmonton Journal from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada • 29

DUCK SOUP DOUBLES YOUR PLEASURE Anaheim hopes to concoct right mix in a changing of the feathers C3 Canada goes up 2-1 on Brazil w. jm uavis tup tennis in Calgary C5 BOMBERS BLUE Lions march into Winnipeg for a CFL victory C4 i I VU LI 1 coupon or EDITOR: JOHN MacKINNON, 429-5303; sportsthejournal.canwest.com EDMONTON JOURNAL SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21. 2003 i v. 'W3MI! -y kzi BEARS 71 BISONS 16 Bears go wild As in 71-16 big. The smoking-hot Bears clobbered the visiting University of fl.

A .9 ,9 ft NORM COWLEY Journal Football Writer EDMONTON Warning: Universi ty of Alberta Golden Bears football fans should sit down in a big soft chair before reading this story. The traditionally close- but-no-cigar Golden Bears not only won a football game Saturday night at Foote Field, they won big. Greater seen for Performance against Ottawa confirms potential VICKI HALL Journal Football Writer EDMONTON The Canadian stop on the Ricky Ray tour could be winding down, with the American portion soon to begin. His teammates in the Edmonton Eskimo dressing room know full well that Ray could be on his way to the NFL this winter if he chooses to opt for the escape clause in the option year of his contract. But the Eskimos aren't about to whine or complain about the possibility of losing such a rising star.

They plan to enjoy the ride as Ray leads them through the final four games of the regular season and onto the playoffs. "He is the best I've ever played with, and that is saying a lot considering how long I've been around," said receiver Rick Walters, a 10-year CFL veteran. "And he is only 23. "If somebody is on your right side, he throws it left If somebody is high, he throws it low. It is kind of scary." The sophomore quarterback is making only $40,000 this season, but his new contract could be scary north or south of the border.

Ray has repeatedly said he won't leave unless he receives a legitimate offer from an NFL team. He doesn't want to be just another training camp arm. With his outstanding perfor- ft Germany's Maren Meinert, left, and Dud in opener Speedy Germany dominates the midfield Manitoba Bisons behind an incredible 405-yard rushing attack that produced five touchdowns. It was, unof ficially, the Bears' highest-scoring game since 1964. "Nobody on our sideline was really shocked at all," said offensive lineman Mark Shantz.

See BEARS I C5 things Ray CRfG S0UTHAM, THE 0URNA Eskimos' Ricky Ray in paydirt mance in his second season, there is every reason to believe an NFL team will back up a training camp invitation with a sizable bonus. "Ricky has me opportunity and the chance to go down there and do big things," said slotback Terry Vaughn, who believes brains are behind the rapid rise of Ray from potato chip delivery man to starting quarterback. "More often than not, he makes the right decision. And that's all you can ask from a quarterback "When you play that position, you have to have good decisionmaking skills. "And he does.

You don't have to throw the ball the hardest or the best But he makes great decisions." See RAY C4 BRUCE E0WARDS. THE IOUPNAI Regal Ability, with Richard Hamel aboard, hugs the rail for first in Race 6 Saturday at Northlands. fi Oh '-if 1 tf- JOHN KOROBAMK Journal Sports Writer COLUMBUS, OHIO There's still a lot of work to be done. Canada's women's World Cup soccer team came here full of confidence and eager to take on powerful Germany to showcase how far the team has come since the 1999 World Cup. They didn't particularly like what they saw in a 4-1 loss.

One of the favourites to fight for the 2003 World Cup title, Germany shrugged off a shockingly early Canadian goal and then used crisp passing, strong physical play and plenty of speed to THE ASSOCIATED PRESS in Columbus, Ohio. but it hit my hand," said Hooper. "It was a call that could have gone either way. It's a call you don't want to make and she didn't need to call it 'It wasn't an obvious call." Canadian coach Even Pellerud made some changes for the second half, inserting Rhian Wilkinson in place of Kara Lang and switching to a 4-5-1 formation to try to counter Germany's domination of midfield. While he was doing that, German coach Tina Theune-Meyer was telling her players "Canada is more afraid than us." She encouraged them to take advantage of that See SOCCER C4 OILERS LOSE In a pre-season game in Calgary on Saturday, Martin Gelinas had a goal and an assist and Roman Turek was perfect in his 40 minutes in goal as the Flames won 4-1 over the Edmonton Oilers.

Turek had a good start in his first appearance. The Flames goaltender did not need to be spectacular but I nrr.rnc)) A Shaky Start wins Oaks Stakes Canada's Charmaine Hooper battle give the youthful Canadian squad a lesson in world-class soccer. "We lost to a better team," a disappointed Canadian coach Even Pellerud said afterwards. "They moved the ball a lot quicker than our team is used to. They were able to expose us on the flanks and they had too much space in the middle.

We were too hesitant in the middle." Still, it was a penalty call "that didn't have to be made" late in the first half and a devastating goal moments into the second that powered Germany to the victory. Christine Sinclair scored in the fourth minute forCanada, heading a long free kick by Kristina Kiss just inside the far post. Dan Barnes Sports Comment The problem goes much deeper as their beef is aggravated by the looming labour Armageddon in the NHL, Marchant' position as a staunch supporter of NHL Players Association boss Bob Goodenow and Lowe's vocal opposition to spiralling player salaries and Goodenow's rhetoric. "I heard Rob Zamuner say the other day if teams are willing to throw millions at us, are we supposed to say Marchant said Friday from Columbus. Tm not going to be Kevin Lowe, who was interviewed by (Sport-snefs) Jim Hughson and said he was overpaid at the end of his ca for the ball in the first half Saturday "We expected to get our chances, but so early?" Sinclair said.

"I don't even know what time it was but it was the best start we could have hoped for." The early success didn't last as Germany began to take over the game midway through the half and created a rash of excellent scoring chances before they tied the game 1-1 on Bettina Wieg-mann's penalty kick in the 39th minute before 16,340 fans. The kick was awarded when the ball rebounded off goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc and off the forearm of defender Charmaine Hooper, standing just feet away and unable to avoid the ball. "I turned to try to avoid the ball reer. At the time he was willing to collect the paycheque. As am As is everyone playing in the NHL We are willing to take the pay-cheque.

"If he was overpaid, he should give some money back then." Ouch! Lowe was banging the drum for fiscal sanity during that interview last year and it's a familiar refrain for him. In fact, he said it's the reason Marchant is a rich man today. The Oilers would have had to pay him $1.9 million US last season to retain his rights. "Todd, in our mind is a third line centre. That's what he had been for us and a darn good one.

But there was just no room for a third line centre making 1.9 million." Instead, they offered Marchant a US deal that he accepted, making him an unrestricted free agent because he made less than the league average inhis 10th year in the league. Marchant pariayed that status into his windfall in Columbus. "We handed that to him on a silver platter. He makes more money than he could ever have dreamed of and cor that we get Thanks due from both sides COLLIN GALLANT Special to The Journal EDMONTON both owe gratitude Kevin Lowe and Todd Marchant used to be on the same page, as well as the same team. But as Lowe made a move into Oilers management and Marchant became immersed in the politics of hockey as a player representative, their opinions be-" gan to differ on the most con- tenuous issues.

As Oilers, they had the good sense not to argue in public but Marchant has been a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets for two months now and neither one is afraid to mix it up anymore. Marchant thinks Lowe owed him the courtesy of a goodbye phone call that never came last July. Lowe thinks Marchant owes him a debt of gratitude for being set free to collect his six-year, $19-million US deal from Columbus. But if it was as simple as hurt feelings, they wouldn't be taking shots at one another two months later. Neither one of them is that pet- One of Al Strumeckfs girls has earned a reputation of being a sure bet Bad news for a debutante, but downright flattering for a three-year-old filly named A Shaky Start who ran away with the 25th annual Alberta Oaks Stakes on Saturday.

It was the first of seven $50,000 stakes contests which made up the Alberta Fall Classic race card at Northlands Park The rich brown filly has only finished out of the money once in nine appearances and has won four of five stakes races. "Ifsbeenablessed season," said Strumecki, trainer and part owner along with Janet and Gary Kropp. On a day of racing that provided few big surprises, A Shaky Start was the class of her category, starting the day as a 1-2 favourite and paying off at 2-5 after going coast to coast in the one-mile Oaks to win by four lengths over Whataweekend. "It's another gift from a good horse," said Stumecki. See RACES C5 he was steady, stopping the 14 shots he faced before giving way to Brent Krahn for the final period.

Dave Lowry, Chuck Kobasew, and Robert Dome also scored for Calgary, which won its first game of the pre-season game after tying the Oilers on Thursday. Story on game C3 disgrundement I was miffed at him, quite frankly," said Lowe, explaining why he didn't call Marchant to wish him good luck in Columbus. See BARNES CJ.