Renegades Comeback Falls Short, Lose to Salina 47-31

The crowd at Kemper Arena and a second half comeback attempt couldn’t help KC avoid losing their first game in a month, as the Renegades (now 4-3) lost 47-31 to the Salina Bombers (now 4-2).

KC narrowed an 11-point halftime deficit to 3 points early in the fourth quarter thanks to a Kansas City fumble recovery and Keithen Valentine score. But Salina kept the lead out of reach when they scored on a 4th and goal from the goalline on their following drive. Kansas City appeared to have intercepted the ball earlier in the drive, but it was wiped away by an offside penalty.

Following Salina’s clutch score, Kansas City had their chance to answer and narrow it back to a 3-point game. But a Carlos Cavanaugh pass got deflected into the air and found a Bomber. The turnover (KC was -1 in turnovers on the game) led directly to another Salina score, putting the game away at 47-31.

The two offenses had different M.O.’s. The Bombers dazzled their traveling fans with multiple deep touchdown completions and very few goalline scores. Meanwhile, Kansas City consistently marched methodically down to the goalline, but had some issues once they got there.

Running back Keithen Valentine scored two rushing touchdowns, but Kansas City was denied on two other drives at the goalline. Valentine also had a reception touchdown. WR Anthony Parks had a receiving touchdown to round out KC’s four touchdown scores.

Special teams threat OJ Simpson was neutralized for the second week in a row because the Bombers refused to kick him the ball. Instead they squibbed it. In the second quarter, a surprise onside kick caught KC off guard. The recovery and quick touchdown score extended Salina’s lead to 28-10 in the 2nd quarter, a score that Kansas City had to slowly work their way back from.

Kansas City seemed to capture the momentum early in the 4th quarter when Keithen Valentine caught a Cavanaugh pass following a Kansas City fumble recovery. That brought the score to 34-31 Salina, but was as close as KC got.

Following Valentine’s score, the Renegades were unsuccessful on an onside kick attempt, giving the ball to Salina inside the 10. The defense put up a stand, but on fourth down Salina scored on a pitch to the left.

When it came time for Kansas City to bring it back to a 3-point game with around 3 minutes to play, Cavanaugh’s pass was deflected and intercepted. The turnover and resulting Salina touchdown sealed the game.

Kansas City, 4-3, plays host to Sioux City next Saturday at 7:05. Sioux City beat KC earlier this year, 38-26.

Final

Salina Bombers            7 21 3 16 – 47

Kansas City Renegade 3 14 7   7 – 31

Game Stats

KC Renegades Team With The Salvation Army For Tailgater Of The Week And Food Drive

On May 25th The Kansas City Renegades and The Salvation Army will host a Food Drive. The Renegades are encouraging the people of Kansas City to come out and support The Salvation Army in their efforts to assist the community. We ask that you bring non-perishable food items as a donation to the Salvation Army. Your contribution will assist them with their community outreach program. The Salvation Army has come on board for the 2013 season not only to encourage the Renegades but also the fans. Every week the Salvation Army selects one tailgater at Kemper arena to be the "Tailgater of the week. This tailgater has the opportunity to then compete for the Ultimate tailgater award on the final home game of the season against the Kansas Koyotes May 25th Kickoff is at 7:05 p.m.

Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide.

Kansas City Renegades Midseason Review

First this is not a midseason review where I give each position a grade of A, B, C and so forth. This is more of an overview of the organization as a whole. Where I try to point out what is being done right and what could be improved.

First up is the on the field product. The Renegades stand 4-2 at the midway point. Given that the team started 0-2 and seemed to be allergic to holding on to the ball this is as good as you could hope. Kansas City has used six different quarterbacks during the first six games of the season. The team started out with Dennis Gile for the first two games of the season. While Gile has experience in the indoor game the offense did not seem to be very consistent with him under center. Next came former FSU Seminole and KC Command player Xavier Lee. The Renegades righted the ship with Lee and got their first two victories of the season. Then came Carlos Cavanaugh who has filled in for Lee while he was away dealing with a family matter. Now that Lee is back and Cavanaugh has game time experience with this team I think Kansas City is dealing from a position of strength.

While the running game has been good enough I would like to see more out of this position. Keithen Valentine and O.J. Simpson are nice local talents but I get concerned about Simpson getting spread too thin rotating between rb, wr and returner.

The defense has been fairly decent all season but has really come on in the last three weeks. This is backed up by the fact that Teon Wilson and Donta Moore are the last two Defensive Player Of The Week award winners.

The special teams can be summed up in one name, OJ Simpson. He is arguably the best return man in the league. This is evidenced by the fact that the Outlaws last week refused to kick to him. Kicker Thomas Frevert seems to be serviceable and steady. I see no problem with him so far.

So far this team has more wins at the halfway point than the Brigade/Command had in three of the five seasons.

The front office has been outstanding. This ranges from making sure that players are making plenty of appearances around the city to making appearances on local radio to get the word out about the team and league to owner Jeremy Ploeger tailgating with The Posse. They have also made sure that I am kept up to date on all team activities and functions. This organization learned from the mistakes of the Brigade/Command and have both listened to and embraced the fans instead of keeping them at an arm’s length.

The places where I see an opportunity for improvement is to hire an intern to do post game press releases. It is very difficult to do a postgame write up when you do not have game stats or a scoring summary. This is a common practice among all minor league teams. The other opportunity I see is getting a dedicated page on the website for both game and season stats (both team and individual). I know some of this is covered under the Game Center tab on the site but a dedicated page would be more efficient.

The social media aspect has been maintained very well. The team has done an adequate job on facebook but I feel they have excelled when it comes to Youtube and Twitter. The front office has been very quick to get player and coach interviews up on their Youtube channel  (usually within 24 hours) and are really on top of Twitter. Retweeting both player and fan tweets almost immediately. I have tweeted something about the team as late as 1am CDT and had it retweeted by the team within five minutes. This is the way to endear yourself to and generate loyalty from your fan base.

While the season got off to a rocky start, the course was corrected, and things look pretty good after six games. Now if things keep improving over the next six we could be looking at the inaugural CPIFL Champions. It has been a long time since any football team in Kansas City (indoor or outdoor) has been able to say that. Now if the crowds will continue to grow we could be looking at indoor football in town for a long time.

April 26 Weekend Preview

Well, this week is pretty light on the movie front but, next week starts the summer movie season with the release of Iron Man 3. This week you will have to settle for Pain & Gain. Based on a true story, "Pain & Gain" follows a group of bodybuilders who engaged in a campaign of kidnapping, extortion and murder in Florida. First told in an article from the "Miami New Times," "Pain and Gain" is directed by Michael Bay and stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

For other great ideas for this weekend visit Explore Kansas City for their Top 5 List

of Things To Do in Kansas City April 26 – 28.

The Mavericks’ season ended this past week but you have one last chance to spend some time with the team. The team is hosting a Season Celebration Party this Thursday, April 25 from 5-8 p.m. at Independence Events Center. Mavericks’ players and coaches will be on hand starting at 6 p.m. to sign autographs and say goodbye to the fans before the team separates for the off-season.  Fans can enter through the main (east) entrance of the building starting at 5 p.m.

The Mavericks will have a silent auction with jerseys and other memorabilia as well as a sale at the Top Shelf Team Store.

Also on Thursday the NFL will be hosting its annual draft so head to your favorite watering hole and see who the Chiefs take with the first overall pick.

Even though the Comets’ and Mavericks’ seasons are over there is only one arena team in action for a while. That team is the Kansas City Renegades and they are in action this weekend at Kemper Arena. The good guys take on the Salina Bombers at 7:05 pm. It is also the first ever Kemper Kids Day. One child’s admission is FREE for each paying adult! So in a family of four, both kids get in absolutely free.

Tickets will be available at the box office on game day or on our tickets page. Just request the number of adult tickets you need to buy and then they’ll add that number of kids tickets at the will call window on game day.

Also, Local rock cover band Public Safety Issue will play a tailgate concert.

The band starts at 4:30 in the Kemper parking lot. BYO-beer, grill, and food, and enjoy as Public Safety Issue rocks the, er, parking lot! Forecast: 68 degrees!

Check out Public Safety Issue’s website, publicsafetyissue.com.

If you like curling and would like to try your hand at it then you are in luck this Saturday. The Kansas City Curling Club is hosting an informal curling session at Line Creek Community Center at 4:15pm.

Cost is $20. Discounted to $10 if you pay or have paid for the June Summer League.

Click here for more info.

The presale for the annual Preseason NBA game at the Sprint Center will be from Friday April 26 10 AM -  Sunday April 28 10 PM. This year’s game will be between the Charlotte Bobcats and the Miami Heat (with former Jayhawk Mario Chalmers). Click here to purchase tickets. Use Code: SUPERSTARS

Have a great weekend

Kauffman Center Brings Home 'Academy Award' For Global Engineering

After taking to the global stage as a finalist for an American Council of Engineering Cos. worldwide competition, Kansas City's Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts took home the top award, The Kansas City Star reports.

The award said the center was a gleaming and "architecturally intricate entertainment complex that features two acoustically tuned performance halls; a four-story, wide-angled glass wall front facade topped by slightly concave sloping roofs; and a pioneering tensile structural support system of encompassing high-strength interior rods. The result is an exciting new focal point for the region's art and entertainment community and a dazzling edition to the downtown Kansas City skyline."

The center had been up against engineering achievements like Miami's Marlins Park ballpark and the Lake Champlain Bridge.

Player Of The Week Honors Continue To Pile Up For Renegades

As the Kansas City Renegades' winning streak has reached four so have the CPIFL Player Of The Week honors. This week the standout Renegade is defensive back Donta Moore. Moore is this week’s Defensive Player of the Week.

Moore and the Renegades defense continued their impressive play. The Renegades have won four consecutive games after starting the year 0-2. In Week 7 vs. Mid.-Missouri, Moore recorded three interceptions and three tackles in the 38-24 victory. Moore's final interception came when KC was clinging to a seven point lead. Moore returned the interception 41-yards for the touchdown sealing the victory. Kansas City goes for five wins in a row as they welcome Salina to Kemper Arena on Saturday.

Mavericks To Host Season Celebration On Thursday, April 25 At IEC

The Missouri Mavericks will host a Season Celebration Party this Thursday, April 25 from 5-8 p.m. at Independence Events Center.  Mavericks’ players and coaches will be on hand starting at 6 p.m. to sign autographs and say goodbye to the fans before the team separates for the off-season.  Fans can enter through the main (east) entrance of the building starting at 5 p.m.

The Mavericks will have a silent auction with jerseys and other memorabilia as well as a sale at the Top Shelf Team Store.

Mavericks Season Ends In Game Seven Loss To Allen, 7-3

The Missouri Mavericks were defeated by the Allen Americans, 7-3, Tuesday night in Game Seven of the Central Hockey League (CHL) Semifinals.  For the second straight season, the Mavericks’ season ended in Game 7 and the team was just one win short of reaching the CHL Finals.  Allen jumped out to an early lead in the game and held the lead throughout.  Brian McMillin and Todd Robinson each had two goals in the win for the Americans and goaltender Aaron Dell stopped 29 of the Mavericks’ 32 shots.  The Americans advance to take on the Wichita Thunder in the CHL Finals.  The Mavericks will host a season celebration at Independence Events Center on Thursday, April 26 from 5-8 p.m.

Allen jumped out to a 1-0 lead early into the game when McMillin scored his seventh goal of the playoffs on assists from Jason Deitsch and Jamie Schaafsma at the 1:52 mark.  Missouri rebounded and controlled the play for the second half of the period but were unable to get a puck past Dell in the opening 20 minutes.

A total of five goals were scored in the second period.  Allen made it a 2-0 game on Deitsch’s third goal of the playoffs.  The Mavericks cut the lead in half at the 5:37 mark of the period on a sharp-angled shot by Kellan Tochkin.  He was assisted by Kenton Miller and JP Testwuide, but the Americans regained the two-goal lead on a nice individual effort by Kale Kerbashian.  He shook a Mavericks’ defender and beat goaltender Mike Clemente with a backhand goal to give the Americans a 3-1 lead.  Mavericks’ defenseman Dave Pszenyczny scored his first goal of the playoffs on the power play with two minutes to go in the second period and again the Mavericks cut the lead to one goal, but Allen answered less than one minute later.  At the 18:40 mark, Robinson scored on the power play and the Americans took the 4-2 lead into the final period.

The Mavericks pressured the Americans for a majority of the final period, but a turnover in the Mavericks’ zone which led to Robinson’s second goal of the game made it 5-2 Allen.  Jim McKenzie made it 6-2 when he tipped a shot by Tyler Ludwig past Clemente.  Missouri didn’t give in and Colt King scored to make it 6-3 with an extra attacker with over five minutes to go in the game, but the Americans finally sealed the win with 67 seconds to go on an empty net goal by McMillin.

Allen And Missouri Meet In 27th Game 7 In CHL History

The Bud Poile Governors Cup winning Allen Americans (number one seed) and the Missouri Mavericks (number five seed) will meet tonight in the 27th Game 7 in CHL playoff history. The final game of their Conference Semifinals series will face-off at 7:05 PM (CT) at the Allen Event Center.

This marks the third Game 7 in the Americans history and they are unbeaten with series wins over the Laredo Bucks and the Odessa Jackalopes, both in 2010. The Game 7 victory over Laredo came in the Conference Semifinals on home ice by a 4-1 score and the Game 7 victory over Odessa was in the Conference Finals on the road by a 4-2 score. The Americans proceeded on to the CHL Finals that year falling in six games to the Rapid City Rush, Allen's lone Finals appearance.

For the Mavericks, it marks the second straight postseason that they are one win away from the Finals. Last year, Missouri lost in the only Game 7 in their franchise history in the Conference Finals to the eventual Champs, the Fort Wayne Komets, by a 6-4 score.

The Americans defeated Missouri 8-4 in Game 4 of this series taking a three games to one lead but the Mavericks rebounded to tie Game 5 with just 30 seconds remaining and then win the game staying alive by notching the game winner just 34 seconds into overtime. Andrew Courtney scored both of those goals and then followed that up with a hat trick in Missouri's 6-2 Game 6 win on Monday night in Allen. Courtney has scored five of the last eight Missouri goals.

In series clinching games, the Americans are 5-4 in their history (includes 0-2 this season) and the Mavericks are 4-3. In elimination games, the Americans are 5-3 in their history and the Mavericks are 6-3 (includes 2-0 this season).

The winner of tonight's game will face the Wichita Thunder in the Ray Miron Presidents' Cup Finals.

Game 7 Notes:

There have been 26 previous Game 7's in the 21 year history of the CHL (this is the first Game 7 this year)

Allen is 2-0 all-time (1-0 at home, vs. Laredo, and 1-0 on the road, vs. Odessa)

Missouri is 0-1 all-time (losing on the road last year in Fort Wayne)

The home team is 17-9

The road team has won two of the last three

There have been two shutouts (Colorado 1-0 over Rapid City in 2011 and Indianapolis 3-0 over Columbus in 2000)

There have been five overtime games with the last one being a 2-1 win by Arizona over Corpus Christi in 2007

The home team is 2-3 all-time in Game 7 overtime games

There have been 11 one-goal games with the road team going 6-5 in the close ones

There have been 10 games decided by three goals or more with the home team going 8-2

***stats do not count two all-time WPHL Game 7's (El Paso over Odessa in 2001 by a 5-2 count and El Paso over New Mexico in 1998 by a 5-0 count, both El Paso wins were on home ice)

Conference Semifinals (best-of-7)

Missouri Mavericks vs. Allen Americans

Game 1 - Sun., Apr. 14 - Missouri 5 at Allen 1

Game 2 - Mon., Apr. 15 - Missouri 1 at Allen 4

Game 3 - Wed., Apr. 17 - Allen 3 at Missouri 2 (OT)

Game 4 - Fri., Apr. 19 - Allen 8 at Missouri 4

Game 5 - Sat., Apr. 20 - Allen 2 at Missouri 3 (OT)

Game 6 - Mon., Apr. 22 - Missouri 6 at Allen 2

Game 7 - Tue., Apr. 23 - Missouri at Allen, 7:05 PM CT

Americans and Mavericks Tonight in Winner Take All Game Seven

It's come down to this, the Allen Americans and Missouri Mavericks play one game to decide who moves on the Central Hockey League Finals against the Wichita Thunder. Puck drop at Allen Event Center is 7:05 pm.

The Missouri Mavericks have taken the last two games to tie the series at 3-3, with tonight's game for all the marbles. Missouri is led by forward Andrew Courtney, who has five goals in the last two games, and nine for the season.

This the first Game 7 in Allen, since the 2010 playoffs when the Allen Americans eliminated the Laredo Bucks in seven games.

Mavericks Playoffs News & Notes

Conference Semifinals - (best-of-7) - - Missouri Mavericks (5) vs. Allen Americans (1)

Allen leads series 3-2

Game 1 - Sun., Apr. 14 - Missouri 5 at Allen 1

Game 2 - Mon., Apr. 15 - Missouri 1 at Allen 4

Game 3 - Wed., Apr. 17 - Allen 3 at Missouri 2 (OT) (Americans up 2-1 in series)

Game 4 - Fri., Apr. 19 - Allen 8 at Missouri 4

Game 5 - Sat., Apr. 20 - Allen 2 at Missouri 3 (OT) (Americans up 3-2 in series)

Game 6 - Mon., Apr. 22 - Missouri at Allen, 7:05

*Game 7 - Tue., Apr. 23 - Missouri at Allen, 7:05

* if necessary

Series Notes:

-The Mavs improved to 5-3 in elimination games in their history after Saturday's Game 5 win. Andrew Courtney scored with 30 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game and then scored 34 seconds into overtime to win it for Missouri giving them new life.

-The 12 combined goals scored in Friday's Game 4 (Allen won 8-4) marked the highest combined score in a CHL playoff game since 2010 when Rapid City defeated Missouri 7-6 in overtime of Game 4 sweeping the Mavs in the Conference Semifinals.

-Allen's Brian McMillin has points in eight of the 10 postseason games he has played this year totaling six goals and six assists (third in the CHL in playoff scoring). McMillin has been a plus player in seven of those 10 games and is a +10 overall (second in the CHL).

-Missouri's Colt King has a point in each game in the series with Allen scoring three goals with two assists. Overall, he has eight points in the playoffs (6-2=8).

Mavericks Extend Series with Dramatic Overtime Win, 3-2

The Missouri Mavericks extended their CHL Semifinals series against the Allen Americans with a 3-2 overtime win at Independence Events Center.  Allen now leads the best-of-seven series 3-2.  Mavericks’ forward Andrew Courtney scored the game-tying goal in the final minute of regulation and he notched the game-winning goal in the first minute of overtime.  Goaltender Mike Clemente made 27 saves on 29 shots for his third win of the playoffs.  The series moves back to Allen for Games Six and Seven (if necessary) on Mon., April 22 and Tues., April 23.

For the fourth straight game, the Americans scored the opening goal when Trevor Hendrikx had his second goal of the postseason.  He had just left the penalty box and his shot from the top of the slot beat Clemente.  Missouri kept the pressure on throughout the period and outshot the Americans 14-10 in the opening 20 minutes.

After killing two Allen power plays early in the second period, the Mavericks converted on their second power play of the game and tied the game at one.  Colt King took a pass from John-Scott Dickson and King snapped it through the legs of Allen netminder Aaron Dell.  Less than two minutes later, the Americans regained the lead on Brian McMillin’s sixth goal of the playoffs, and  Allen held on to the 2-1 lead heading into the final period.

The Mavericks pressured the Americans throughout the final period and it took until the final minute of regulation for Missouri to tie the game and extend their season.  Courtney jammed the puck past goaltender Dell and tied the game with 30.9 seconds to go.  Kyle Hood and Ryan Jardine assisted on the play and the game was sent to overtime.

It only took the Mavericks 34 seconds into overtime to send the series back to Allen.  Jardine used his speed to split the Allen defense and he made Dell commit before he passed the puck through the crease to Courtney who sent the puck into the net.  Dave Pszenyczny also assisted on the overtime winner and the Mavericks improved to 2-1 in overtime games this postseason.

Missouri will try again to stave off elimination on Monday night in Allen.  The Mavericks are now 5-3 all-time when facing elimination.

Mavericks Fall Into 3-1 Series Deficit After 8-4 Loss To Americans

The Missouri Mavericks were defeated by the Allen Americans, 8-4, Friday night in Game Four of the Central Hockey League Semifinals at Independence Events Center.  Allen is now one win away from the CHL Finals as they hold a 3-1 series lead over Missouri.  Darryl Bootland led the Americans with two goals and an assist and six different Americans had the remaining goals in the win.  After trailing 3-1 early in the second period, Allen scored seven of the game’s final eight goals.

The Americans took a lead less than one minute into the game when Jamie Schaafsma’s slap shot beat goaltender Mathieu Corbeil.  Tyler Ludwig and Trevor Ludwig earned the assists on the play, but the Mavericks quickly answered and tied the game at the 5:09 mark.  Colt King scored on a two-on-one rush on assists from Ryan Jardine and Andrew Courtney.

A total of six goals were scored in the second period.  Missouri opened with the first two goals of the middle frame, both on the power play.  Kellan Tochkin had a five-on-three goal just 18 seconds into the period, and then John-Scott Dickson redirected a puck past Allen goaltender Aaron Dell to give Missouri a 3-1 lead.

It was all Americans for the remainder of the second period as they scored four straight goals.  Kale Kerbashian scored just 16 seconds after Missouri’s third goal and Bootland tied the game at the 6:24 mark.  Bootland then gave the Americans a 4-3 lead and scored the first of three straight power play goals for the Americans at the 11:38 mark.  Jason Deitsch finalized the scoring when he tapped in a rebound on the power play with 55 seconds to go in the period.

Allen made it a three-goal game at the 5:47 mark of the third period on a five-on-three goal by Tyler Ludwig.  It marked the third straight power play goal for the Americans.  Missouri scored their fourth and final goal of the game at the 13:51 mark of the third on Eric Meland’s second goal of the playoffs.  Allen added two more goals late in the contest including one into an empty net to finalize the scoring at 8-4.

Allen finished 3-for-6 on the power play and Missouri was 2-for-4.

Game Five is Saturday night at Independence Events Center.

April 19 Weekend Preview

This weekend we have two movies being released. One is a major release and one getting a limited release. The major release is Oblivion. Tom Cruise stars in this original and groundbreaking film from the director of "TRON: Legacy" and the producer of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man's confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind.

The limited release film is Rob Zombie’s The Lords of Salem. From the singular mind of the horror maestro comes a chilling plunge into a nightmare world where evil runs in the blood. "The Lords of Salem" tells the tale of Heidi (Sheri Moon Zombie), a radio station DJ living in Salem, Massachusetts, who receives a strange wooden box containing a record, a "gift from the Lords." Heidi listens, and the bizarre sounds within the grooves immediately trigger flashbacks of the town's violent past. Is Heidi going mad, or are the "Lords of Salem" returning for revenge on modern-day Salem?

Even though Earth Day is Monday, there will be several events Saturday held across the metro that are worth noting. City Market will be the site of the Get Your Green On activities offering people the chance to recycle electronics. City Market will also be bringing several earth-friendly businesses to the Market Square. Bridging the Gap will be hosting their annual "Earth Walk" in City Market Park at 9 a.m. The StoneLion Puppet Theatre will be presenting their "Puppets for the Planet" throughout the morning in City Market. In Overland Park, Earth Day Community Recycle Day & 5k walk and Fun Run will be held at the 68 Inside Sports Field House from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Powell Garden's Earth Day celebration begins at 9 a.m. and lessons will be given on green gardening, bee keeping, and other green seminars. The Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead is celebrating Earth Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is focusing on sustainability education.

For more ideas to try this weekend checkout Explore Kansas City.

As far as sports go this weekend you have a few options. The Mavericks host games four and five of the Central Hockey League Semifinals on Friday and Saturday. The Mavs look to even up the series on Friday night and take a lead with a win on Saturday. The team encourages all fans to wear orange for all playoff games.

If you want to make the hour and a half drive east to Sedalia you can catch the Renegades in CPIFL action. Kansas City battles the Mid-Missouri Outlaws at the Mathewson Exhibition Center.

Kansas Speedway will be rumbling this weekend as both the NASCAR Camping World Truck and Sprint Cup Series come to town. On Saturday the tough trucks of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series battle it out on the newly reconfigured surface at Kansas Speedway for the first time on April 20. Will defending Champion and race winner James Buescher find his way back to Victory Lane or will one of the new up and coming drivers carve their name into history and earn their first win in Kansas? Be there to see it LIVE with tickets starting at $25 for adults and $15 for kids. Parking is always FREE and coolers are welcome at Kansas Speedway.

On Sunday the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series return to Kansas for round two on the new surface at Kansas Speedway. While Matt Kenseth became the first winner on the newly reconfigured oval last fall, many drivers will be back for redemption as the unforgiving asphalt got the best of them.

Have A Great Weekend

Renegade Wins League Honors for 3rd Straight Week

Linebacker Teon Wilson Named CPIFL Defensive Player of the Week:

Another Renegade win, another player recognized by the CPIFL. Linebacker Teon Wilson was named CPIFL Defensive Player of the Week Tuesday for his standout performance in KC's 56-28 win over the Kansas Koyotes.

From the CPIFL:

"Wilson and the Renegades defense held Kansas to only 28 points in the Renegades third consecutive victory. Wilson recorded five tackles with three sacks in the win. One of the sacks recorded a safety for Kansas City. Wilson also forced and recovered a fumble. Kansas City will look for their fourth victory in a row as they travel to Sedalia, Mo to take on Mid-Missouri."

Teon's award marks the third straight game a Renegade has won league honors as player of the week. Previously, Clinton Solomon won Offensive Player of the Week for his four touchdown game against the Oklahoma Defenders, and OJ Simpson won Special Teams Player of the Week last week for his two kick return TD's.

KC (3-2) looks to remain hot this Saturday against the Mid-Missouri Outlaws (0-5).

QuikTrip Closes Store In Sprint Center

QuikTrip is pulling out of the Sprint Center here, reported the Kansas City Star.

The convenience store chain's location in the arena, which opened in 2007, offered fresh sandwiches, salads and wraps from QT Kitchens. The menu items were priced similarly to those in regular QuikTrip stores.

The arena location was always intended to be a marketing tool rather than a profit center, according to the report.

"It was profitable in regards to what we were trying to accomplish. But we never intended it to be like a normal QuikTrip," stated company spokesman Mike Thornbrugh.

No closing date for the location was given, but Thornbrugh stated that it will be soon.

Mavericks Lose Game Three on Power Play Goal In Overtime, 3-2

The Allen Americans defeated the Missouri Mavericks, 3-2, in overtime on a five-on-three goal by Trevor Hendrikx in Game Three of the Central Hockey League Semifinals at Independence Events Center Wednesday night.  Allen now has a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.  Americans’ goaltender Aaron Dell stopped 38 of 40 shots in the win while Mike Clemente had 31 saves on 34 shots for Missouri.  Hendrikx five-on-three power play goal in overtime was the first power play goal allowed by the Mavericks in the series.  Allen is now 1-for-15 on the power play.  Missouri finished 1-for-5 with the man advantage.  Eric Meland and John-Scott Dickson each scored a goal for the Mavericks who lost their second straight game.

No penalties were called and no goals were scored in the opening frame.  Each team had nine shots on net, but both the goalies kept the game scoreless.

Allen was awarded the first power play chance of the game after Evan Vossen was whistled for elbowing at the 2:10 mark of the second period.  The Americans’ ensuing power play was cut short as the Americans took a handling the puck penalty to Todd Robinson.  Americans’ forward Jason Deitsch unlocked the scoreless tie at the 9:39 mark of the middle frame when his wrister from the left circle beat Mavericks’ goaltender Mike Clemente.

Missouri earned a big opportunity to tie the game late in the second period when Allen was called for a pair of penalties giving the Mavericks a five-on-three power play for 63 seconds.  Allen was able to kill both penalties although the Mavericks had a couple of chances that just missed.  Through two periods Allen had a 1-0 lead, but Missouri had the edge in shots at 24-19.

The Mavericks came back in the third period and scored a pair of goals to take a 2-1 lead.  First, Eric Meland scored on a blast from the point for the Mavericks’ lone power play goal of the game. He was assisted by Kellan Tochkin and Sebastien Thinel.  The Mavericks then took the lead at the 9:27 mark on John-Scott Dickson’s first goal of the playoffs, a two-on-one goal with Colt King.

Allen tied the game late in the third period when Trevor Ludwig scored on a rebound with 2:20 remaining in regulation.  Ludwig was assisted by Robinson and the goal forced sudden-death overtime.

Missouri was penalized four times in the overtime including a match penalty to Sebastien Thinel.  Those four penalties awarded the Americans two five-on-three power play chances.  The Mavericks killed the first two penalties, but couldn’t overcome Allen’s second five-on-three.  Trevor Hendrikx scored with one second remaining in the five-on-three and the Americans took a 2-1 series lead.

The teams will stay in Independence for Games Four and Five of the CHL Semifinals on Fri., April 19 and Sat., April 20. The Mavericks encourage all fans to wear orange for all playoff games.

Renegades' Teon Wilson Named CPIFL Defensive Player of the Week

Teon Wilson and the Renegades defense held Kansas to only 28 points in the Renegades third consecutive victory. Wilson recorded five tackles with three sacks in the win. One of the sacks recorded a safety for Kansas City. Wilson also forced and recovered a fumble. Kansas City will look for their fourth victory in a row as they travel to Sedalia, Mo to take on Mid-Missouri.

Topeka Roadrunner Vet Patterson Headed To Niagara

The Topeka RoadRunners announced veteran defenseman Kevin Patterson has committed to play Division I hockey next season for the Niagara University Purple Eagles.

Patterson, the 6'0" 190 lb native of Colorado Springs, CO, got his start on the ice at a young age. "By the time I was 4, I'd fallen in love with the sport," he recalls. Growing up, Kevin watched Colorado College games and dreamed of playing college hockey. "My Dad was a three-sport athlete (including hockey) and my grandpa, Harley Patterson, won a championship at Colorado College in 1957 and I have several uncles that played. Hockey just runs in the family."

Eventually, his playing career took him to the Colorado Rampage program where he connected with head coach Andrew Sherman. "I was very fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to play for Coach Sherman and he helped lead me to Topeka. Coach Sherman always preached, 'Stick to the process and bring your lunch pail to the rink every day,' and I have taken that to heart ever since." Patterson's initial visit to Topeka was all he needed. "I got the invited to come on a visit to Topeka in December of 2010 by Coach (Scott) Langer and the staff. I was able to see the daily operations and the culture of the RoadRunner organization. That, along with the proven track record that Topeka had in regards to success as a team and the great alumni, made it an easy decision when Coach Langer offered me a tender."

Upon his arrival in Topeka, Patterson found himself welcomed and comfortable. "From day one, Smacks (Scott Langer's nickname) has always been about the values of family and there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't feel like I was one of his family members," he stated. "I noticed it even more during my last year having had so many conversations with him. The amount he cares for each one of his players is very rare in a junior hockey coach. He demonstrated to me that through thick and thin he will fight and go to bat for anyone of his family members." Kevin added, "Smacks has not only taught me more about the game of hockey but instilled in me values that I will cherish for the rest of my life."

Langer was equally effusive in his praise for Patterson. "His leadership, work ethic, and character are what set him apart. Day in and day out, he is one of the most prepared players on the ice," he remarked. "He's been a two-year warrior here, a true RoadRunner. He will be a very solid college athlete." It was that leadership that led Langer to name him as an alternate captain in his second season. "To be given the opportunity to be tagged as a leader of such a great organization like the Topeka RoadRunners was an honor and a privilege. I felt very humbled and blessed to be a part of the leadership because it assured me that I had established a personality with the Roadrunners as being looked up to. I was told from a young age to step out and be a leader, to lay down a path that others would want to follow and I can only hope that this year I laid down a path sturdy enough for not only players this past year to follow but for Runners in years to come."

Patterson was also selected to participate in the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament in February. He'd been told Niagara University had seen him play and were interested."I put in some research online and felt that Niagara had the academics that I could excel with and I felt the established culture of their hockey program was in line with my own." Patterson added, "I sent an e-mail to the coaching staff notifying them of my high interest level in their program.I received a call from Coach Madsen in March and that was my first contact I had with Niagara. Then this week he gave me another call and told me they need another defenseman and I'm their guy." His major is not decided, though he certainly has his fields of interest. "At the present moment I believe my course of study will either be Sports Management where I can be involved in making high end decisions with sports teams or represent players in negotiations with contracts. On the other hand, I am also interested in Biology where I can use that to become a physical therapist."

Looking back on his time in Topeka, there are a lot of memories. "If I had to narrow it to a favorite one it would be Game 3 of the South Division finals of 2012. The atmosphere in Landon arena paired with the importance of the game gave me goosebumps and I was ecstatic that I was a part of it. The fans have always been great and on that special night I felt honored to play in front of them."

Reflecting back on his experience, Kevin found much to be grateful for. "I want to thank the Lord in blessing me with the talents I have to play hockey. My faith has been tested a lot through two years. However, through each trial it has been strengthened and God showed me the path He had for in store for me through His perfect timing. I would like to thank my family in all that they have done and the love I have been smothered by. I would like to thank the entire RoadRunner management and staff for giving me this opportunity to pursue my hockey career in a place that many wish to be. Coach Langer for going to bat for me more times than I probably know as well as dedicating himself to making me, along with every guy on the team, a better hockey player and man each day. I want to thank Coach Sherman for showing me how to conduct myself and be a young man dedicated to the team. Along with Coach (Josh) Kamrass, I want to thank Coach (John) Becanic for the time they put into our team this year to make us all smarter and more accountable hockey players. I want to thank my billet families, the Arnolds and Riggins, for graciously opening their homes to me and providing an environment I could thrive in. I will cherish our relationships and be grateful for everything they have done on my behalf. Also, thank you to Journey Church who welcomed me into their church family and who kept me grounded on the foundation of my faith. To the RoadRunner fans, I am very thankful for the support that was shown to me and the team. And last but not least, all my teammates throughout the years with whom I have laughed, cried and battled in practice every day to make me the competitor and player that I have become."

His sporting family includes older sister Lauren ("The Golden Child"), an All-American soccer player at Wright State University, and younger sister Hayley ("The Secret Weapon"), a high school soccer player who is committed to Azusa Pacific in the fall. "My family is my support system, biggest fans and most importantly my backbone. The amount of support and love they have shown me over the course of the last 2 years while in Topeka has been insurmountable. They were there with me through the ups and downs, and consistent with their love and support no matter what. It's funny how you take family for granted a little bit while living at home. As soon as I moved away, I realized what an amazing family I have and I couldn't have done any of this without them." Now Patterson has a new name. "The Purple Eagle."

Patterson is the second RoadRunner to play for Niagara, following Kevin Ryan who will be a senior next year. The Purple Eagles compete in the Atlantic Hockey Association, and play in the 2,100 seat Dwyer Arena in Lewiston, NY.

Renegades Climbing The Standings

With Friday's win over the Kansas Koyotes in Topeka, the Renegades, 3-2 and winners of 3 straight, have ascended into the top half of the CPIFL standings. At fourth place, they would make the playoffs if they started today.

CPIFL Standings

1. Omaha Beef: 4-0

2. Wichita Wild: 5-1

3. Sioux City Bandits: 4-1

4. KC RENEGADES: 3-2

5. Salina Bombers: 2-2

6. Bloomington Edge: 2-3

7. Oklahoma Defenders: 2-3

8. Lincoln Haymakers: 1-3

9. Kansas Koyotes: 1-4

10: Mid-Missouri Outlaws: 0-5

The season is less than halfway over, but KC's early season struggles (0-2) appear further and further in the rear view, especially considering:

- KC's two losses came against good teams (Omaha and Sioux City).

- KC has since switched quarterbacks, from Dennis Gile to former Florida State signal caller Xavier Lee. Lee provides versatility at the position as a pass and run threat. Unfortunately, Lee had to miss last Friday's game due to a family health issue. This Saturday's game against the 0-5 Outlaws will be a good opportunity for Lee, who has played in just one game so far, to get more acquainted with the offense and his receivers.

- Two of KC's three wins have come against quality teams, including the undefeated (at the time) Wichita Wild, and the Oklahoma Defenders.

NEXT GAME: @ Mid-Missouri Outlaws, Saturday @ 7:05

NEXT HOME GAME: 4/27 vs Salina Bombers @ 7:05, Kemper Arena

- A full recap of last Friday's win over Kansas is at http://kcrenegades.com/?p1501.

- All their games are free to re-watch at the 810 WHB TV game archive. A link is on their website.