Wyoming is primed for WNIT title game

These Cowgirls don't have the blues.

The University of Wyoming women's basketball team (26- 9) plays for its first postseason title today (1 p.m., FSN) when it hosts Wisconsin (23-12) at the Arena Auditorium in Laramie, seeking the Women's National Invitation Tournament crown.

The Badgers were the WNIT runner-up in 1999 and won the tournament in 2000.

Four years ago, in coach Joe Legerski's first year at the helm of the Mountain West Conference school, Wyoming sold only 16 season tickets for the women's program.

Wyoming's success this season has spurred one record crowd after another - peaking at 12,225 in a WNIT semifinal on a snowy Wednesday night. Thursday, the title game sold out - all 15,000 tickets, about 1,800 more than Wyoming's enrollment.

"It's been one of those things where we've gone out and worked hard in the community," Legerski said.

EAGLES TAKE OPENER Riley Nelson recorded a hat trick to power the Central Hockey League's Colorado Eagles to a 7-2 victory Friday in their first- round playoff series opener against the Youngstown SteelHounds.

Ryan Tobler added two goals in the rout at the Bud- weiser Events Center and teammate Chris Hartsburg added two assists. Eagles goalie Marco Emond made 29 saves.

MATHIS TRADED Colorado Rapids forward Clint Mathis was traded to Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls for a fourth-round draft pick in 2008 and a conditional pick in 2009.

Rapids coach Fernando Cla- vijo said the Red Bulls also will take on the Rapids' share of Mathis' contract.

Mathis approached Clavijo about his role with the soccer team two weeks ago while the Rapids were training in Europe.

"I told him he was in my plans, but not to start," Clavijo said.

"He said he wanted to show himself. We tried to accommodate him. I didn't want to drag this thing out."

Mathis played one season for Colorado, appearing in 25 games in 2006, scoring two goals and adding an assist.

He also had a goal in Colorado's 3-2 win against FC Dallas in the playoffs to help the Rapids advance to the Western Conference championship.

PIONEERS ROLL Karen Morton scored five goals and Megan Carter added four goals to lead the 15th-ranked University of Denver women's lacrosse team (10-1) to a 21-10 victory Friday against Duquesne (4-4) in Pittsburgh.

The 21 goals scored by the Pioneers ties for fourth most in a game in the program's history

AFA FALTERS Dayne Ogawa and Jon Vitale each drove in two runs to power the Hawaii- Hilo baseball team (8-23) to a 6-3 home win Friday against Air Force (5-23).

FALCONS BLANKED Anastasia Surkova won singles and doubles matches to lead the 27th- ranked Brigham Young women's tennis team (13-5, 3-0 Mountain West) to a 4-0 victory against Air Force (10-10, 0- 4) in Fort Collins.

RAMS SINK Laurien White scored two goals but the Colorado State women's water polo team (10-11) lost 14-4 to UC Davis in Davis, Calif.

GOC ADVANCES Air Force sophomore Nicholas Goc won by decision Thursday night in his first-round bout at the National Collegiate Boxing Association's Western Regional Championships in Las Vegas.

IN THE CROSSOVER Ronald Rhea and Jermaine Mason each scored 23 points to spark the International Basketball League's Colorado Crossover to a 170-146 season-opening victory against the Lewis County Raptors in Lakewood.