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1129 East 5100 South
Ogden, Utah 84403
Phone: (801) 476-4276
E-mail: Ogden Outlaws
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Difficult season at end for Outlaws
| Monday July 26,2010 Page 4B |
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| Difficult season at end for Outlaws |
| Standard-Examiner staff |
 | LA MIRADA, Calif. — The 2010 season came to an end with a thud for the Outlaws.
Surrendering three secondhalf goals, Ogden let a 2-1 lead slip away and fell 4-2 to the Southern California Seahorses late Saturday night at Biola University.
The Outlaws finished their campaign at 2-11-3, being outscored 20-7 on a season-ending five-match winless streak after stunning division champion Ventura County on July 8.
Southern California scored first on Saturday, but Ogden quickly equalized on a score from Triston Sommerville.
Sommerville scored again to give the Outlaws a 2-1 lead early in the second half and made it stand up until the 75th minute when the Seahorses equalized.
Southern California tallied the final two goals of the match in stoppage time to claim the victory.
On Friday night, Ogden faced off with Hollywood United in Pacific Palisades, Calif., and fell 4-1 to the Hitmen. Ogden trailed just 1-0 at halftime, but Hollywood quickly scored in the second half of that match to make it 2-0.
Andy Cornia scored for Ogden to make it 2-1, with the Hitmen tallying the final two goals.
Ventura County, the defending PDL champion, captured the league’s Southwest Division title, with Hollywood staking out the second divisional playoff berth. Portland, which went 16-0-0 in the Northwest Division, will host the four-team conference playoff next weekend. |
Outlaws prepare for finale
| Friday July 23, 2010 Page 3WB |
| Standard-Examiner staff |
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — The Ogden Outlaws will wrap up their 2010 campaign over the weekend, beginning tonight against Hollywood United.
Match time between the Outlaws and Hitmen is 8 p.m. at Palisades High School’s Stadium by the Sea.
Hollywood defeated Ogden 6-2 two weeks ago in Washington Terrace and is 3-0-0 all-time vs. Ogden.
On Saturday, Ogden officially wraps up its season by taking on the Southern California Seahorses in La Mirada, Calif., on the campus of Biola University. Match time on Saturday is set for 8 p.m.
Ogden enters the final weekend 2-9-3 (9 points) in Premier Development League action and sits in ninth place in the nine-team Southwest Division.
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Disaster late for Outlaws
| Sunday July 18, 2010 Page 4C |
By JUSTIN JOHNSON
Standard-Examiner correspondent |
WASHINGTON TERRACE — There was no shortage of motivation for the Outlaws on Saturday evening.
Playing their arch-rivals in front the biggest crowd of the season with a chance to escape the divisional cellar, Ogden did everything right for 60 minutes.
The final half-hour, however, was an absolute disaster for the home side.
In the span of just 12 minutes, the Outlaws saw a 1-0 lead turn into a two-goal deficit and Ogden couldn’t recover as Brigham Young University rolled out of Bonneville High School with a 3-1 result.
“When we decide to play, we can play some pretty good soccer,” Ogden coach Rob Karas said. “We can be fun to watch when we play simple and ping the ball around.
“There was just no rhythm in the second half,” Karas added. “This game could’ve been three, four to zero at halftime and we didn’t put away the opportunities that we had.”
Ogden dominated the opening half, but struggled to finish its attack inside the offensive third. The Outlaws finished the first 45 minutes with 1-0 lead and a 9-3 advantage in shots.
Ogden’s goal came courtesy of defender Robert Smith in the 28th minute after Smith corralled a rebound from a corner kick play and slammed the ball through traffic for the lead.
The Outlaws opened the second half strongly, but the Cougars gradually began to gain control of the field, wearing down Ogden’s energy level.
BYU (4-10-2) made several substitutions early in the second half to get fresh legs on the field. Just moments after entering for BYU, Jantzen Romney punched home the equalizer in the 63rd minute, followed by a goal from second-half sub Pedro Vasconcelos in the 73rd.
Toni Niccoli made it 3-1 in the 75th to effectively kill off the match. Ogden dropped to 2-9-3 and finished the home portion of its schedule with a 2-3-3 record. The Outlaws will wrap up their season with a two-game road trip next weekend to California. |
Outlaws seek more punch in final pair of home games
| Friday, July 16, 2010 Page 1D
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| Outlaws play man down, give up late goal to Fuego |
By JUSTIN JOHNSON
Standard-Examiner correspondent |
WASHINGTON TERRACE — It was a night on the roller-coaster for the Ogden Outlaws.
Unfortunately for the Ogden side, the ending felt like a hit to the head.
On the cusp of a rousing victory after battling with just 10 players for much of the match, a costly no-call at midfield gave visiting Fresno just the opening it needed to fire home the equalizer and the two squads finished in a 3-3 draw in Premier Development League action on Thursday at Bonneville High School.
“It was a tough situation being down a player for that long, but we made some adjustments in the first half and dealt with it,” Ogden coach Rob Karas said. “We made a few more adjustments at halftime, which I felt like gave us some good opportunities.”
Fresno’s equalizer in the dying moments of the match came with much controversy. With Ogden having surged ahead 3-2 in the 90th minute on Christian Meza’s 16-yard sliding shot, all that was left to play out was a few moments of injury time.
Deep into that injury time, one of Ogden’s players received a hard blow to the head, knocking him out of the play and Fresno charged down the field with a two-man advantage and scored off a crossing shot.
Ogden’s coaching staff vehemently argued that the foul should have been called and a card issued for what they felt like was a vicious foul.
“It should’ve been a call and the play stopped,” Karas said. “I thought it was kind of poor sportsmanship by the other team.”
Ogden moved to 2-8-3 heading into its home finale against rival BYU on Saturday, but it will have to meet the Cougars without its team captain and outside defender Ethan Summers. Summers was shown a straight red in the 15th minute after a hard tackle with Fresno on the attack against Ogden’s goal.
The card forced the Outlaws, who led 1-0 at that point on a 10th minute strike from Cavel Palmer, to play with 10 men for the remainder of the match.
Fresno (6-4-4) equalized in the 25th minute on a goal from Jose Cuevas and the teams went into the break level at 1-1.
Ogden came roaring out the gate, nearly scoring on the opening play of the second half and then surged ahead 2-1 in the 48th minute after Triston Sommerville broke free through Fresno’s defense.
Devon Grausis equalized for the visitors in the 53rd, setting up the wild ending.
Joe Hickman and Rudy Garcia each earned assists for Ogden, which was outshot 13-5 on goal.
Newcomer goalkeeper Paxti Shortsleeve posted 10 saves in his Outlaws debut.
The recent Brighton High graduate signed with the team this week after a rash of injuries depleted Ogden’s goalkeeping corps.
(article changes to • MLS HAS NO INTENTION OF ACCEPTING DONOVAN OFFERS)
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ERIN HOOLEY/Standard-Examiner
Rudy Garcia, of the Ogden Outlaws, takes a shot at the goal against the Fresno Fuego at Bonneville High School on Thursday.
ERIN HOOLEY/Standard-Examiner
Rudy Garcia, of the Ogden Outlaws, takes a shot at the goal against the Fresno Fuego at Bonneville High School on Thursday.
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Outlaws seek more punch in final pair of home games
| Thursday, July 15, 2010 Page 1C |
By JUSTIN JOHNSON
Standard-Examiner correspondent |
WASHINGTON TERRACE — While there isn’t much riding on the outcome of the Ogden Outlaws final four matches, owner Mike Hickman Sr. isn’t conceding anything.
“We still feel we can get a couple of wins this weekend,” Hickman said. “We are committed to playing attacking soccer. The players know they are better than our record shows; they just need to go out and prove it.”
Ogden hosts Fresno today at 6 p.m. at Bonneville High School, and then wraps up the home portion of its schedule on Saturday against in-state rival BYU.
Ogden is 2-8-2 overall and coming off a disastrous 6-2 result against Hollywood United last weekend, a match that saw the home side trail 5-0 after 60 minutes before tallying a pair of late goals.
“We want our players to work harder for the fans,” Hickman said. “Those who have supported us all season deserve that. Our sponsors deserve that because of the support that they have shown us. Hopefully we can come out and do that.”
Ogden fell 4-0 to Fresno in the first match of the year in California, and the Fuego bring a 6-4-3 overall record and five-match unbeaten streak into tonight’s meeting. On Saturday, the Outlaws host rival BYU at 6 p.m. in the second of two meetings. Ogden fell 3-1 in Provo in the two squads’ first meeting of the season after leading 1-0 in the first half. The Cougars lead the all-time series 13-3-1.
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| • OUTLAW NOTES: Prior to Ogden’s Saturday match against BYU, the coaches and players will put on a free youth camp sponsored by Warrens and Dylan’s restaurants. The camp will run from 4 p.m. to approximately 4:45 p.m. at Bonneville High School, and those campers who attend will receive a free ticket for the match and a T-shirt.
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Hollywood hits Ogden
| Sunday, July 11, 2010 Page: 1C |
| By JUSTIN JOHNSON Standard-Examiner correspondent |
| WASHINGTON TERRACE — It was an evening the Outlaws would like to forget. |
| Just two days after their biggest win of the season, Ogden suffered an embarrassing setback to Hollywood United, falling 6-2 to the Hitmen on Saturday at Bonneville High School.
“We have some injuries that kind of added up,” Ogden coach Rob Karas said.
“I thought we created some good chances, but we kind had a letdown after the big win earlier in the week. “Giving up a goal in the first 39 seconds was hard; we kind of lost focus for a while.”
Hollywood United, one of the Premier Development League’s top teams, scored just 39 seconds into the match and added another in the 23rd minute to take a 2-0 lead at halftime.
“We created enough that I felt like we could’ve gotten a goal in the first half,” Karas said.
The Hitmen scored their third of the match in the first minute of the second half, and eventually charged out to a 5-0 lead in the 59th minute.
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Ogden’s Reid Baker scored from close range after Caval Palmer broke down Hollywood’s defense on the left side and slid the ball through traffic to Baker.
The Hitmen added another goal in the 75th, with Colby Liston heading in Ogden’s second goal off a textbook volley from Joe Hickman in the 83rd.
Both teams finished with 19 shots, but Hollywood put 15 on frame, compared to just five on frame for Ogden.
The Outlaws, who dropped to 2-8-2 overall, will finish up the home portion of their schedule against Fresno and BYU next week at Bonneville High School.
Hollywood, which closed within one point of the Southwest Division lead, improved to 9-2-2 with the victory, earning a Beehive State sweep. |
Outlaws win in a shocker
| Friday, July 9, 2010 Page: 9A |
| By JUSTIN JOHNSON Standard-Examiner correspondent |
WASHINGTON TERRACE — The Outlaws have insisted they could compete with anyone in the Premier Development League.
On Thursday evening, they proved it.
A strong mix of attacking soccer and scrappy defending lifted Ogden to an exhilarating 2-1 victory over defending PDL champion Ventura County on Thursday at Bonneville High School.
“We wanted to come out strong and play good attacking soccer,” said midfielder Joe Hickman, who scored what ultimately proved to be the match winner in the 27th minute. “We played a strong first half and got after it. We let down a little in the second, but we still got the win.”
Ventura County (7-4-1) entered the match with the PDL Western Conference’s best defense, having allowed just nine goals in 11 matches, but Ogden wasted no time in slipping itself into the lead.
Forward Triston Sommerville made a slice through the Fusion defense and slipped the ball back to a charging Andy Cornia who smashed home his third goal of the season to put the Outlaws ahead 1-0 in the 18th minute.
The strike came fully with the run of play as Ogden played strongly on and off the ball during the middle 30 minutes of the first half.
With Cornia being forced from the match after suffering a hamstring injury in the 23rd minute, the Outlaws continued to harass the Fusion defense and Sommerville again played the set-up man, slipping the ball through two defenders to Hickman, who struck the ball just in front of the keeper and into the the net for a 2-0 lead.
“This is a really great win,” Hickman said. “Hopefully it will get us pumped up and playing a good brand of soccer. We feel like we can win the rest of our games if we play good attacking soccer.”
The Fusion hauled a goal back in the 39th minute, but the Outlaws’ defense stood tall on the task of keeping out the equalizer.
Play was halted for about nine minutes in the second half when Ogden goalkeeper Ian Doney suffered a shoulder injury.
Sommerville, who had previously played goalkeeper for the Jamaican U-21 National Team, changed into the keeper jersey and made several quality saves.
The Outlaws (2-7-2) will face Hollywood United at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Bonneville High School.
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Outlaws prepare for defending PDL champs
| Thursday, July 8, 2010 Page: 3C |
| Standard-Examiner staff |
WASHINGTON TERRACE — With any hopes of a postseason now dashed, the Ogden Outlaws now turn to finishing out their final six matches on the best possible note.
And it starts this evening in the toughest fashion.
Ogden (1-7-2) hosts defending Premier Development League champion Ventura County at 6 p.m. today at Bonneville High School.
The Fusion, who topped the Outlaws 3-0 at home back in May, are in third place in the PDL’s Western Conference behind Orange County and Hollywood United, and bring with them the conference’s best defense.
Ogden, which battled strongly before a late collapse at rival BYU late Saturday night, is 1-1-2 at home and hopes to keep that strong home field play going tonight.
The Outlaws lost starting goalkeeper Michael Chesler last week to a hand injury and signed Ian Doney to replace him. Central defender Kenan Powell leads Ogden in scoring with three tallies, followed by a number of players with two scores each.
Following tonight’s matchup, Ogden will host Hollywood United on Saturday at 6 p.m |
Outlaws dissolve against BYU
| Monday July 5, 2010 Page 3B |
Standard-Examiner staff |
By JUSTIN JOHNSON
Standard-Examiner correspondent |
PROVO — There wasn’t much cause for celebration for the Outlaws this holiday weekend.
Despite jumping out to an early 10th-minute lead, the Ogden Outlaws couldn’t sustain it, as they fell 3-1 to rival Brigham Young University late Saturday at South Stadium.
BYU, which improved to 3-7-2 (11 points) in Premier Development League action, tallied an equalizer in first-half stoppage time and then added two more in the second half to pull away for the victory.
Ogden dropped to 1-7-2 (5 points) in PDL play, and returns home to Bonneville High School to kick off a four-match homestand beginning Thursday against defending PDL champion Ventura County.
Ogden forward Andy Cornia punched the Outlaws into the lead with a breakaway score in the 10th minute, and Ogden applied nearconstant pressure on BYU’s defense during the opening half.
The Outlaws nearly made it to the break with the lead, but the Cougars equalized on a corner kick just seconds before the halftime whistle.
Ogden continued to create solid chances early in the second half, but BYU staked out a 2-1 lead in the 76nd minute.
With just stoppage time remaining, the Outlaws pressed forward strongly and Kenan Powell’s shot was stymied on the goal line, with the Cougars rapidly countering down the field to put the match out of reach.
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Rivals kick off series as Outlaws meet Cougars
| Saturday, July 03, 2010 Page 4WB |
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| Standard-Examiner staff |
PROVO — It’s rivalry weekend in South Stadium.
Premier Development League rivals Ogden and Brigham Young kick off their annual series tonight at 7 p.m. at BYU’s South Stadium.
Both squads have suffered through disappointing seasons thus far and are looking at the match as an opportunity to capture momentum heading into the second half of the league season.
“It’s always a fun game to play,” Ogden forward Andy Cornia said. “They are our rivals. We want to play well against them.”
Ogden enters the match at 1-6-2 (5 points) in PDL play, while BYU sits just ahead at 2-7-2 (8). The Cougars have never lost a season series to the Outlaws, although this marks the first time the teams will meet just twice instead of four times.
“We had a great week of training,” Ogden owner Mike Hickman Sr. said. “We should play well and create a lot of chances. Hopefully we can finish like we did last Saturday.”
Ogden played a nonleague charity match against the Utah Refugee All-Stars on June 26 and captured a 7-0 result, setting a franchise record for goals scored in any competition.
“This is a must win game for us,” said BYU midfielder Britton Osborne. “They are our in-state rivals and this game will determine how the rest of our season plays out.”
BYU has scored just eight goals in 11 matches this season, including just two on its home field. Ogden has scored 10 goals, with five of those coming on the road.
The Cougars lead the series 12-3-1 since the first meeting in 2006, including three of the four matchups last year. All four meetings in 2009 were decided by identical 1-0 results.
Spectators at South Stadium will be allowed to stay following the match and watch fireworks from the Stadium of Fire celebration at nearby Edwards Stadium.
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OUTLAWS RUN AWAY
| Sunday, June 27, 2010 Page: 1C |
| By JUSTIN JOHNSON Standard-Examiner correspondent | It’s nice to be able to help them out. I think they have some great potential to get better,” Cornia said. “They were able to do some nice things on the field.”
Cornia did a few nice things himself on the field, getting on the finishing end of the ball in the 10th, 20th and 35th minutes to push the home side out to a 3-0 lead.
Jamaican-born Triston Sommerville made it a 4-0 Ogden lead in the 45th minute, slipping the ball just inside the post.
The refugee team played solidly and smarter in the second half until a pair of late shots from distance snuck in to open up the scoreline.
Midfielder Reid Baker scored in the 73rd, followed by rapid goals from Colby Liston and Cavel Palmer in the 89th and 90th minutes to round out the match.
Hickman, who hadn’t yet had a chance to tally how much money was raised for the team, hopes to work with the refugee team again in the future.
DJAMILA GROSSMAN/Standard-Examiner
The Utah Refugee All-Stars’ goalkeeper Patrick Ruzambia (top left) catches the ball as teammate James Garteh (bottom) tries to regain his balance next to Ogden Outlaws Andrew Cornia at Bonneville High School on Saturday. SLIDESHOW: More photos at www.standard.net |
| Ogden roughs up visiting All-Stars |
WASHINGTON TERRACE — While the final result wasn’t all that important, the Outlaws were all business on Saturday evening.
Hosting the Utah Refugee All-Stars in a charity match at Bonneville High School, the Ogden Outlaws achieved two worthy results in gaining a 7-0 victory.
“We know that it’s not all about the Ogden Outlaws in the soccer community. We want soccer to grow, from the youth level all the way up to the professional level,” Ogden owner Mike Hickman Sr. said. “We want to do everything we can to help soccer grow and get more and more people involved.
“This was a great opportunity to help them raise some money for the fees they need to compete. We’ve already started to build some friendships with their players and coaching staff.”
The Utah Refugee All-Stars, who are sponsored by Utah Refugee Services, compete in the Utah Soccer Association. The squad’s players hail from many war-torn corners of the globe, such as Liberia, Sudan, Congo, Myanmar, Bhutan, Tibet and Iraq, and now live in Utah trying to move forward with their lives.
“I think soccer helps keep them occupied and helps keep them focused,” Hickman said. “We want to support them in any way we can.”Ogden forward Andy Cornia, who tallied a hat trick for the hosts, felt impressed by the opponents and their work rate.
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Ogden Outlaws to host charity match on Saturday night
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Thursday, June 24, 2010 Page: 5WB
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| Standard-Examiner staff |
WASHINGTON TERRACE — The Ogden Outlaws are extending an open hand.
Ogden, of the United Soccer Leagues’ Premier Development League, in cooperation with Utah Refugee Services, will host a charity match with the Utah Refugee All-Stars at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Bonneville High School.
Admission to the match is $5 and money raised will be donated to the Refugee All-Stars to assist them in paying the fees associated with competing in the Utah SoccerAssocation.
I love the game and have always wanted it to grown,” Ogden owner Mike Hickman Sr. said. “The game breaks down barriers and allows us to get to know people from all over the world. I have gotten so many friends through the game and want to help make it better here in Utah.”
The Utah Refugee All-Stars team consists of players from Liberia, Sudan, Congo, Myanmar, Bhutan, Tibet and Iraq.
The players, ranging in age from 18-33, have all survived wars in their native lands and have moved around the world, finally settling in Utah.
Many of the young refugees are at risk of joining gangs and most have not had much schooling,” said the Outlaws owner in a press release.
They have come to the United States to start a new life for themselves. Soccer — the beautiful game — is a way to remember what was good in their previous lives.
The refugees face many difficulties in rebuilding their lives in their new home which includes obtaining a place to live, a job and overcoming language barriers. Soccer has become a way of escaping these difficulties, playing a
game that is known around the world,” he said.
Ogden, which is 1-6-2 overall this season, will return to PDL play on July 3 at rival BYU. |
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Outlaws disappointed with 1-1 result
| Sunday, June 20, 2010 Page: 1B |
Going down to a draw |
| By JUSTIN JOHNSON Standard-Examiner correspondent
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WASHINGTON TERRACE — The Outlaws shook off the doldrums of a four-match losing streak, while playing fairly inspired across the pitch.
In the end, however, the Ogden Outlaws’ 1-1 draw against the Southern California Seahorses on Saturday night at Bonneville High School was a disappointment to the home side.
We’re still disappointed in the result,” Ogden coach Rob Karas said. “We feel like at home we should be able to get three points. We created some good opportunities and just didn’t capitalize on them.”
Ogden moves to 1-6-2 on the season, gaining its fifth point of the year.
Southern California slides to 3-5-1, going winless in its twomatch Utah road trip.
I think our work rate can still get better,” Karas said. “We’re improving. This is a development league, but I feel like if we can raise our work rate more consistently we’ll keep going forward.”
The Seahorses, a traditional power in the Premier Development League that has fallen on fairly hard times the past few seasons, jumped on the scoreboard first when forward Dustin Suppe unspooled a shot from 10 yards out just inside the post in the 16th minute.
The two sides battled fairly evenly in the first half, with the Seahorses gaining ever slightly more possession and even shots (4-4).
Ogden kicked things into high gear in the second half by dominating possession, but couldn’t put the finishing touches on several quality opportunities in the attacking third. The home side missed a penalty kick in the 63rd minute when Christian Meza’s attempt to the bottom right corner was stymied.
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The Outlaws finally equalized in the 86th minute when Triston Sommerville played the ball to Reid Baker and Baker blistered a grounder inside the left post.
Ogden repeatedly harassed Southern California’s defense late, despite going down to 10 men in stoppage time after Baker was sent off, but had to settle for the draw.
The Outlaws outshot the Seahorses 10-4 in the second half. Central midfielder Joe Hickman led the charge with three shot attempts, whilegoalkeeper Michael Chessler tallied seven saves in goal.
Ogden will briefly step out of PDL action next weekend to host an international refugee team in a fundraiser match at Bonneville High School.
ERIN HOOLEY/Standard-Examiner
Ogden Outlaw Cuitlahuac Meza is surrounded by Southern California Seahorses during a Premier Development League game Saturday at Bonneville High School. Slideshow at www.standard. |
Outlaws ousted on home pitch
| Saturday, June 19, 2010 Page: 6A |
| By JUSTIN JOHNSON Standard-Examiner correspondent |
OGDEN — This homecoming was anything but happy. Surrendering two early goals, and misfiring on their own opportunities was a disastrous combination for the Ogden Outlaws on Friday night.
The Premier Development League-leading Orange County Blue Star continued their unbeaten start to the 2010 season by knocking off Ogden 3-0 at Bonneville High School.
Ogden dropped to 1-6-1 at the season’s midpoint, while Orange County improved to 7-0-3.
Blue Star midfielder Amani Walker punched the visitors into the seventh minute lead following a scramble in front of the Outlaws goal. Oscar Aguero doubled up the O.C. advantage in the 15th minute, breaking a shot from 18 out inside the post to make it 2-0, with the shot seemingly knocking the wind out of the sails of the home side.
Orange County’s William Lopez wrapped up the scoring in the 80th minute.
Ogden will be back in action tonight at 6 p.m. at Bonneville High School. |
Outlaws set to take on Blue Star at home today
| Friday, June 18, 2010 Page: 6A |
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| By JUSTIN JOHNSON Standard-Examiner correspondent |
OGDEN - The Outlaws are thankful to be home.
After a brutal and disappointing three-match stretch through southern California over the past weekend, the Ogden Outlaws return to their home pitch at Bonneville High School for six of their next seven outings.
“I think we learned that the road can be very unkind when we’re not focused and organized,” said central defender Kenan Powell. “I think we also learned that we need to trust our coaches, teammates and our system.”
Ogden (1-5-1) faces the Orange County Blue Star this evening at 6 p.m., followed by a meeting with the Southern California Seahorses on Saturday at 6 p.m.
The home side will be looking to turn the fortunes of a season that began with much promise and a roster stocked with talent.
“In order to turn things around, I think we need to remember to bring it each night,” Powell said. “If we decided to show up and put our boots on, we need to leave it on the field. I have a lot of faith in this group of guys and coaches.”
Powell scored two goals over the weekend and has tallied three of Ogden’s nine goals this season, while coming out of the back row. Triston Sommerville and Christian Meza each have two goals for the Outlaws.
The Blue Star enter tonight unbeaten in nine matches (6-0-3), having scored 32 times, while allowing 16 goals. Orange County’s goal total is nearly double any other side in the 65-team Premier Development League.
Southern California is 3-4-0 heading into the weekend, and will face BYU in Provo tonight before traveling to Ogden on Saturday. The Seahorses have scored just five goals in nine matches, yet only allowed 11. |
ON A RIO ROLL(Part of article)
Thursday, June 10, 2010 Page: 1B |
| By JUSTIN JOHNSON Standard-Examiner correspondent
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| OUTLAWS RETURN TO ACTION AFTER LENGTHY BREAK:
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The Ogden Outlaws will return to action tonight as they take to the road for the first of three matches in five days.
The Outlaws (1-2-1) will face the Los Angeles Legends at 8 p.m. tonight, followed by the Orange County Blue Star on Saturday at 6 p.m. and then wrap up the threematch trip on Monday at the Lancaster Rattlers.
Training has been really intense,” Ogden owner Mike Hickman Sr. said. “We’ve been working a lot on our formation. Expectations are high for this weekend.”
Ogden is coming off a 2-1 victory over the Legends on May 22. |
Outlaws roughed up in opening matches
| Monday May 10, 2010 Page 3B |
| Standard-Examiner staff
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The Premier Development League season began in a downright brutal fashion for the Ogden Outlaws.
Facing two of its division’s top teams, including the defending PDL champions, Ogden fell twice on its seasonopening two-match road trip to California.
The Outlaws lost 4-0 to the Fresno Fuego on Thursday in their season opener.
It was a rough opening match for Ogden, which is still waiting for nine players to return from college.
The Outlaws held close, trailing just 2-0 until the final five minutes, when a penalty kick and another quick goal doubled the scoreline.
Fresno finished with a 15-5 shots advantage, with Ogden goalkeeper Austin Guerrero notching 11 saves.
Outlaws’ forward Draion McNain notched two shots against the Fuego (1-1-1).
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In Ogden’s second match, Saturday against Ventura County (2-0-0), the Outlaws effort was much improved, but so was their opponent.
The Fusion, who stormed to the 2009 PDL championship after finishing second in divisional play, scored two quick goals in the opening 20 minutes and then added a third in the 67th to take a 3-0 victory.
Ventura outshot Ogden 13-5, placing eight on frame as Guerrero made five saves.
“We showed improvement from Thursday to Saturday,” Ogden coach Mike Hickman Sr. said. “We will need to work on staying better organized defensively. The thing I liked is that we created better chances as each game went along.
“With the addition of some experienced players and some time together, we will be ready for our home opener.”
Ogden will face the Lancaster Rattlers in its home opener at Bonneville High School on May 21 at 6 p.m., followed by the Los Angeles Legends on May 22.
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Loaded Outlaws planning aggressive start to 2010 season
| Thursday May 6, 2010 Page 1C |
By JUSTIN JOHNSON
Standard-Examiner correspondent |
OGDEN — Looking to build off a strong finish to the 2009 season, the Ogden Outlaws kick off their fifth season tonight with their sights firmly set on success.
Armed with the deepest and unquestionably most loaded roster in franchise history, Ogden is looking to not just be competitive, but to win matches.
“Formation-wise, whether we run a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 we want to press in the attacking third,” said Ogden owner/coach Mike Hickman Sr. “We’re not going to sit back and counterattack like we did early last year. We want to press in the attacking third and press in the middle third, and attack from there with numbers. That’s how I expect us to play this whole season.”
Ogden kicks off its 2010 season tonight at 8 p.m. against the Fresno Fuego at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, Calif., followed by a meeting with 2009 Premier Development League champion Ventura County on Saturday at Buena High School’s Stadium by the Sea.
Hickman and the Outlaws’ coaching staff made it a key priority to increase the teams’ depth across the pitch.
“We are committed to bringing the highest level of talent to our team that we can possibly get,” Hickman said. “It’s important that we put a great product on the field for the fans.”
It addition to many Outlaws mainstays, Ogden added two highly decorated players to its roster in recent weeks. Central midfielder Michael Farfan joins the team from the University of North Carolina, where he was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer. Goalkeeper Austin Guerrero comes to Ogden after being named All-West Coast Conference at the University of Portland.
Ogden will be missing several of its top college players during this opening weekend as not every university is out of school yet, but Hickman expects his roster to be at full strength for its home opener on May 21.
“Soccer isn’t a foreign game by any means; we make it harder than it is sometimes,” Hickman said. “As they get time it helps with cohesiveness and stuff like that, but soccer is about moving and playing the space, and a combination of ...
“I think once we get everyone on the same page and with the same purpose of mind, we’ll be pretty good. It’s just getting everyone on that same page of how we want to play.”
Also joining Ogden this season is former Utah Freeze and Utah Blitzz player Rob Karas. Karas, who also helps run Real Salt Lake’s youth camps, will share head coaching duties with Hickman. |
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Outlaws sign Farfan, 5 other players for season
| Monday April 26, 2010 Page 1C |
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| Standard-Examiner staff |
OGDEN — The Ogden Outlaws recently signed six new players for the upcoming 2010 season.
Ogden, entering its fifth season in the United Soccer League’s Premier Development League, begins play May 6.
Ogden’s signings are highlighted by midfielder Michael Farfan, who joins the squad from the University of North Carolina. A former 2005 U.S. U-17 Youth World Cup participant, Farfan hails from Wildomar, Calif., and will enter his senior season with the Tar Heels in the fall. Farfan was a first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection last fall after joining UNC from Cal State Fullerton, where he was the 2006 Big West Conference Freshman of the Year and a highly-decorated All-American.
“Obviously, we’re excited to add these quality Division I soccer players to our program,” Ogden coach Mike Hickman said. “They will only add to the experience and skill we have at each and every position. It will be important for the guys to come in and work hard every practice and compete in every match we play. If they don’t, there will be someone waiting in the wings to take their spot. We fully expect these guys to help us compete in a very tough Southwest Division.”
The Outlaws also signed goalkeeper Michael Chesler, a native of Highland, and a 2008 member of the team who played for the Carolina Dynamo last summer.
Three members of Bradley University’s team, forward/ midfielder Christian Meza, defender/midfielder Bobby Smith and midfielder Rudy Garcia, along with Florida-Gulf Coast defender Jonathan Koshko will also join Ogden’s lineup this season.
Ogden kicks off the 2010 season May 6 on the road against the Fresno Fuego, followed by a meeting with defending PDL national champion Ventura County on May 8.
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Outlaws hope for progress
| Tuesday February 16, 2010 Page 3B |
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| Fifth-year squad aims for momentum |
Standard-Examiner staff |
Ogden — The Ogden Outlaws have announced their 2010 schedule.
Ogden, which is part of the United Soccer League’s Premier Development League, will take to the pitch for its fifth season.
“After the way we finished last year, I hope we can carry that momentum and start the season strong,” Ogden owner Mike Hickman Sr. said. |
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“With our conference being so competitive, we will need to be better organized. I look forward to bringing a higher level of play this year and reward our fans with the beautiful game,” Hickman added.
The Outlaws will open the 2010 season the road, facing the Fresno Fuego on May 6.
Ogden will faced defending PDL national champion Ventura County on the road two days later on May 8.
The team will open up the home portion of its schedule on May 21, hosting the Lancaster Rattlers, followed by the Los Angeles Legends the following night.
The squads first four matches have been designated as U.S. Open Cup qualifiers. After meeting four times annually, Ogden will faces in-state rival BYU just twice this season.
The Outlaws and Cougars will meet July 3 in Provo, with the return leg set for July 17 in Ogden.
The Outlaws will look to improve on their 4-11-1 record and ninth-place finish in the Southwest Conference. |
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