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B2 SPORTS East Oregonian Friday, November 8, 2019 Seattle set new standards for MLS, will host final By TIM BOOTH Associated Press SEATTLE — As much as his lingering doubts want to convince him otherwise, Adrian Hanauer knows what’s about to take place Sunday and the numbers aren’t lies. Hanauer is the major- ity owner of the popular Seattle Sounders but some- times can’t let go of his early struggles with the club. That was back in the early 2000s when the Sounders were playing in a second-tier league before mostly empty seats, and Hanauer would find himself driving around practically begging fans to show up. So, he might be excused for struggling to fully grasp that his team will be play- ing for a Major League Soccer title in its home sta- dium for the first time when the Sounders face Toronto FC in the MLS Cup final. More than 69,000 fans are expected Sunday. Tickets sold out in a matter of min- utes, and prices on the sec- ondary market are rivaling those normally associated with championship games in bigger sports leagues. “My friends know that every game I stand on the field or sit in the stands won- dering if this is the game where people will stop going, stop showing up,” said Hanauer, whose team won its only MLS Cup title on the road in 2016. “It’s probably that a little bit of that sense of paranoia is one of the qualities in me that AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File In this Dec. 13, 2016, file photo, a Seattle Sounders supporter waves a large flag as players ride in trollies during a parade after the Sounders defeated Toronto FC to win the MLS Cup soccer championship. helps me push and drive and hopefully strive for success and excellence. “But to see the response, I didn’t know whether we’d sell out, whether we’d be try- ing to sell the last few tickets later this week or whether it would sell out immediately. I just didn’t have a sense for it. So, to see the overwhelming demand is definitely a testa- ment to what the Sounders mean in the community.” Long considered one of soccer’s hotbeds in North America, the stage is all Seattle’s for this week. It’s the culmination of an unex- pected playoff run by the Sounders, some luck on the other side of the play- off bracket and a reward for a franchise whose arrival a decade ago changed expec- tations for the MLS. It’s not as straightfor- ward as saying there was MLS before and after Seat- tle joined. But the Sounders’ arrival heralded a change that now has cities fighting to join the league, which could announce its 30th team by the end of the year with an expansion price tag close to $300 million. When Seattle joined as the 15th team, the expansion fee was $30 million. All the success the league has seen in places like Portland, Ore- gon, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Cincinnati as part of its growth over the past 10 years has at least some con- nection to the success in Seattle. “I don’t think it’s over- stated to say that when Seat- tle came into the league in 2009 it totally repositioned Major League Soccer, both domestically and interna- tionally,” MLS Commis- sioner Don Garber said. “And it showed the major sports world here in the U.S., and it showed the global football world, that the Cross-country: ‘We have one of the tougher districts in the state’ Continued from Page B1 “Amanda has had a cou- ple of meets where she hasn’t been performing as well as she usually does,” Blackburn said, “but we’ve adjusted some things in her diet and routine so she can bounce back to running where she’s usually at.” Hermiston has not sent any runners to state since 2017. Saturday will mark Nygard’s second appear- ance at a state meet after her showing as a freshman. It will be Sanchez’s first. “We always knew Amanda was a phenome- nal runner,” Blackburn said. “Getting her back was good for our team. She’s been to state before, so she has that confidence. She’s worked with Cydney a lot. Those two girls have grown so much.” Hermiston’s Mid-Co- lumbia Conference mates from Kamiakin will also make an appearance on Saturday. The race will be Nygard and Sanchez’s first appearance at a Washington state championship meet. Staff photo by Kathy Aney, File Trevor Nichols, of Heppner, bides his time near the front of the 3A/2A/1A boys district cross-country championships on Nov. 1, 2019, at Community Park in Pendleton. “We have one of the the tougher districts in the state,” Blackburn said. “We’ve already faced most of the toughest competition. It’s very encouraging.” 3A/2A/1A XC State Championships Some of the Blue Moun- tain Conference’s best run- ners will charge their way to the 3A/2A/1A cross-country state championships on Sat- urday afternoon. The race, which begins at Lane Community Col- lege in Eugene at 10 a.m., will host the likes of Stan- field junior Sisay Hurty, whose season record came on Sept. 7 at the Hermis- ton-hosted Runner Soul XC Fest (17:23.70), earning him seventh place. Junior Madelyn Nichols and freshman Trevor Nichols will represent Heppner in the race. The Mustang boys took second place in the team standings at last Friday’s 3A/2A/1A Special District 3 Championships in Pend- leton with 54 points. Trevor Nichols was Heppner’s fast- est runner, finishing in third at 16:52.90 to earn his trip to state. Hurty placed fifth at 17:15.70, and Stanfield was third in the team standings with 74 points. In the girls’ race, Made- lyn Nichols crossed the fin- ish line at 19:41.60 for fifth place for her berth to state. The Heppner girls were fourth in the team stand- ings with 82 points. Volleyball: Katie Allbery led the Indians with 7 kills Continued from Page B1 “I’m proud of them for coming back and fighting in the third set,” Dyck said. Combes had seven kills and 13 digs for the Bull- dogs, while Dowdy had four kills, 15 digs and seven assists. Halee Stubbs had 26 digs, and Baker five blocks. Frame led Kamiakin with nine kills and 16 digs, while Graysen Banta had 17 digs. Aspen Harrison had eight kills, Taryn Vrieling six kills, 15 digs and two blocks, and Brooklyn Ford four blocks, 12 assists and 10 digs. HERMISTON 3, NORTH CENTRAL 0 — Dowdy had 10 kills and 18 assists as the Bulldogs over- came a slew of unforced errors (36) for a 25-23, 25-23, 25-22 victory over the Indians. “When it’s the day of the match and you have to switch your lineup around, it came be confusing,” Dyck said. “It shows what they are capable of.” Hermiston led 9-3 in the first set, and fourth through four ties — the last one being 20-20 — to win the first set. North Central (4-8) had the early lead in the second, but the Bulldogs took the lead for good at 12-11. In the third, the set was tied at 21-21, but two points by Dowdy gave Hermis- ton a little breathing room. Combes served up an ace on match point. Stubbs had 23 digs and three aces for the Bulldogs, while Avery Treadwell had nine kills, and Combes seven kills and nine digs. Katie Allbery led the Indians with seven kills, while Lilli Carruthers had 12 assists. Kinsley Nelson and Karissa Buringa had eight digs apiece. Football: Mustangs will host the Tigers on Saturday Continued from Page B1 said. “It’s fun for me to go up against coaches like that, who have that experience. They could throw anything at us.” The Tigers have a few weapons of their own in quarterback Bray- don Freitag, and running backs Cooper Lang, Reef Berry, Wyatt Dyer and Sean White. “We are a mix,” coach Freitag said. “Probably 50/50. It depends on our opponent where we attack. We are a steady mix of both.” The Mustangs have an arsenal of weapons, includ- ing senior Mason Lehman, who does a little bit of every- thing, including return- ing punts and kickoffs for touchdowns. “We are aware of him,” Freitag said. Quarterback Jayden Wil- son leads the Mustangs’ offense. Last week against Stanfield, he threw for 170 yards and four touchdown, and ran for 60 yards and one score. Blake Wolters also is a threat out of the backfield, while Jason Rea and Gavin Hanna-Robinson are stal- warts on defense. “We hope to use what gives us the best matchup, based on what our strengths are,” Grant said. “We will see what matches up the best.” The one thing Grant is confident in is support from the Heppner community. “That’s what’s great about coaching in a small community,” Grant said. “They look forward to the playoffs. There will be a lot of support.” U.S. really understands the game, is passionate about it and will support it at levels that prior to them coming on board was unprecedented.” What’s made Seattle stand out has been the ability to sustain roughly the same level of interest and success for a decade. The Sounders have made the MLS play- offs for all 11 seasons. They tapped into a soccer-crazed fan base and set benchmarks for attendance that only Atlanta has surpassed. Now, Seattle gets to host the final with the home team playing for the trophy. Seat- tle hosted the final in 2009 when it was still held at a neutral site, and the 46,000 who showed up that chilly night watched Real Salt Lake win the title over the LA Galaxy in a penalty shootout. This Sunday, the spec- tators in attendance will be fully invested, the vast majority wearing the Sound- ers’ green, with a bit of Toronto red scattered about. “It’s really going to show MLS and the rest of the sports community in Amer- ica just what this means to this city and we’re all excited,” said former U.S. and Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller. The opportunity to host this final is perhaps most special to Hanauer and coach Brian Schmetzer, both Seattle-area natives. Schmetzer played for the NASL version of the Sound- ers in the early 1980s before that league folded and he coached that team in the early 2000s. Each has been part of the heart of Seattle’s soccer community. “It’s massive. I tell peo- ple I skipped school when the Sonics had their parade and the Seahawks, cele- brating them. Being a Seat- tle guy I’m really proud of what the organization has accomplished,” Schmetzer said. “You look back into the (1980s) we had success back then. ... This history has a long tradition of being a successful franchise and this right now is a pretty high point for all of us that put in some of that work back in the ‘70s, ‘80s.” SCOREBOARD LOCAL SLATE FRIDAY, NOV. 8 Football North Central at Hermiston, 5 p.m. Scappoose at Pendleton, 7 p.m. Days Creek at Pilot Rock/Nixyaawii, 6 p.m. Volleyball 2A state tournament: Weston-McEwen vs. Central Linn (at Redmond), 6 p.m. Girls swimming Hermiston at district prelims (Kelso, Wash.), 4:30 p.m. SATURDAY, NOV. 9 Football Bandon at Heppner, 1 p.m. Boys soccer Riverside at Oregon Episcopal, 2 p.m. Girls soccer Riverside at Catlin Gabel, 4 p.m. Girls swimming Hermiston at district finals (Kelso), 4:30 p.m. Volleyball 2A state tournament: Weston-McEwen at Central Linn, 6 p.m. NBA STANDINGS EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Boston Philadelphia Toronto Brooklyn New York W 6 5 5 3 1 L 1 2 2 4 7 Pct .857 .714 .714 .429 .125 GB — 1 1 3 5½ Southeast Miami Charlotte Atlanta Washington Orlando W 6 4 3 2 2 L 2 4 4 5 6 Pct .750 .500 .429 .286 .250 GB — 2 2½ 3½ 4 Central Milwaukee Indiana Detroit Chicago Cleveland W 6 4 4 3 2 L 2 4 5 6 5 Pct .750 .500 .444 .333 .286 GB — 2 2½ 3½ 3½ WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Dallas Houston San Antonio Memphis New Orleans W 5 5 5 2 1 L 2 3 3 5 6 Pct .714 .625 .625 .286 .143 Northwest W L Pct Denver 5 2 .714 Utah 5 3 .625 Minnesota 4 3 .571 Portland 3 4 .429 Oklahoma City 3 5 .375 Pacific W L Pct L.A. Lakers 6 1 .857 Phoenix 5 3 .625 L.A. Clippers 5 3 .625 Golden State 2 6 .250 Sacramento 2 6 .250 ——— Thursday’s Games Boston 108, Charlotte 87 San Antonio 121, Oklahoma City 112 Miami 124, Phoenix 108 L.A. Clippers 107, Portland 101 GB — ½ ½ 3 4 GB — ½ 1 2 2½ GB — 1½ 1½ 4½ 4½ Friday’s Games Cleveland at Washington, 4 p.m. Detroit at Indiana, 4 p.m. Memphis at Orlando, 4 p.m. Sacramento at Atlanta, 4:30 p.m. Golden State at Minnesota, 5 p.m. Toronto at New Orleans, 5 p.m. New York at Dallas, 5:30 p.m. Milwaukee at Utah, 6 p.m. Philadelphia at Denver, 6 p.m. Brooklyn at Portland, 7 p.m. Miami at L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m. Saturday’s Games Boston at San Antonio, 2 p.m. New Orleans at Charlotte, 4 p.m. Dallas at Memphis, 5 p.m. Golden State at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m. Houston at Chicago, 5 p.m. Sunday’s Games Denver at Minnesota, 12:30 p.m. Charlotte at Philadelphia, 3 p.m. Indiana at Orlando, 3 p.m. Milwaukee at Oklahoma City, 4 p.m. Cleveland at New York, 4:30 p.m. Brooklyn at Phoenix, 5 p.m. Atlanta at Portland, 6 p.m. Toronto at L.A. Lakers, 6:30 p.m. NHL STANDINGS EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Boston Toronto Buffalo Florida Montreal Tampa Bay Ottawa Detroit GP 15 17 15 15 16 13 15 17 W 11 9 9 7 8 6 5 4 L OT Pts GF GA 2 2 24 56 36 5 3 21 58 54 4 2 20 45 40 3 5 19 55 56 5 3 19 58 52 5 2 14 44 47 9 1 11 41 50 12 1 9 35 68 Metropolitan Washington N.Y. Islanders Pittsburgh Carolina Philadelphia N.Y. Rangers Columbus New Jersey GP 17 15 16 16 15 14 16 14 W 12 11 9 9 8 7 6 4 L OT Pts GF GA 2 3 27 69 53 3 1 23 47 34 6 1 19 55 42 6 1 19 52 46 5 2 18 50 48 6 1 15 46 45 7 3 15 38 54 6 4 12 40 56 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central St. Louis Colorado Nashville Winnipeg Dallas Chicago Minnesota GP 17 16 16 16 17 15 15 W 11 9 9 8 8 5 5 L OT Pts GF GA 3 3 25 54 49 5 2 20 58 47 5 2 20 64 52 7 1 17 44 51 8 1 17 41 42 7 3 13 38 46 9 1 11 37 51 Pacific GP W L OT Pts GF GA Edmonton 17 10 5 2 22 48 46 Calgary 19 10 7 2 22 57 55 Vancouver 16 9 4 3 21 56 41 Vegas 17 9 5 3 21 52 48 Arizona 16 9 5 2 20 46 37 Anaheim 17 9 7 1 19 45 43 Los Angeles 16 5 10 1 11 41 63 San Jose 16 5 10 1 11 40 58 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. Thursday’s Games N.Y. Rangers 4, Carolina 2 Pittsburgh 4, N.Y. Islanders 3, OT Philadelphia 3, Montreal 2, OT Washington 5, Florida 4, OT Toronto 2, Vegas 1, OT Ottawa 3, Los Angeles 2, OT Chicago 5, Vancouver 2 Colorado 9, Nashville 4 Columbus 3, Arizona 2 Calgary 5, New Jersey 2 Friday’s Games Tampa Bay vs. Buffalo at Stockholm, SWE, 11 a.m. Boston at Detroit, 4:30 p.m. Vancouver at Winnipeg, 5 p.m. New Jersey at Edmonton, 6 p.m. Saturday’s Games Florida at N.Y. Islanders, 10 a.m. Buffalo vs. Tampa Bay at Stockholm, SWE, 10 a.m. Los Angeles at Montreal, 4 p.m. Chicago at Pittsburgh, 4 p.m. Philadelphia at Toronto, 4 p.m. Carolina at Ottawa, 4 p.m. Vegas at Washington, 4 p.m. Minnesota at Arizona, 5 p.m. Columbus at Colorado, 6 p.m. St. Louis at Calgary, 7 p.m. Nashville at San Jose, 7:30 p.m. Sunday’s Games Florida at N.Y. Rangers, 10 a.m. Dallas at Winnipeg, 11 a.m. New Jersey at Vancouver, 1 p.m. Vegas at Detroit, 2 p.m. Toronto at Chicago, 4 p.m. Philadelphia at Boston, 4 p.m. Edmonton at Anaheim, 6 p.m.
