SPORTS Beckham Crosses the Atlantic to Join Los Angeles Galaxy Aging superstar to play with lesser players to regain sense of importance lain W. Reeve, OP Football Wizard Former team England captain and Manchester United superstar David Beckham has rejected offers to resign with Spanish club Real Madrid, where he has played for the last four years. The top-flight midfielder will instead accept an offer from MLS team the Los Angeles Galaxy, becoming the most high- profile acquisition in league history. The move has come after months of speculation and rumor, especially given Beckham’s sporadic play under new Real man- ager Fabio Capello. The deal, worth an astro- nomical $250 million over five years, will start after Beckham’s contract with Real expires after this season. Beckham, possibly the most well known soccer player in North America, may be able to boost the profile of the MLS and of soc- cer in North America in general. Canadian fans in Toronto will have a chance to see Beckham before the year is out as new team Toronto FC will be joining the MLS this the summer, becoming the first team outside the US to join the top club league. The move to LA also makes sense for Beckham as it will give him a chance to more closely monitor and take part in his soccer academy located in California State. The academy, which is geared toward youth develop- ment, also has a branch in London. Beckham has referred to the academy as his legacy to the game, and it likely played a large part in his decisions to go to LA After being dropped from the English national team and having his starts at Madrid heavily scaled back, Beckham will likely find new energy in a league where he may already be the best overall player. Other high profile players including former world player of the year Ronaldo and Portuguese captain Luis Figo, are been rumored to be considering offers from MLS teams, as ownets ate making a strong attempt at making the US a bigger playing in the world game. Douglas Col The Douglas College women’s basketball team started the year 2007 on a positive note at the Kwantlen Winter Basketball Tournament. After spending the winter ‘break’ practising and scrimmaging teams down in Washington, the Royals were anxious to see if their hard work had paid off. The women opened the tournament with a hard fought 66-46 loss to Capilano College. Although the scoreboard showed a loss, they did more good things than they ever have, setting bone-crunching screens, diving on the floor after loose balls, and battling on the glass against much bigger players. They showed a level of competition that they will need in order to contend in the league in the second half of the season. “I was very proud of our effort today and am excited about the good things that we can create for ourselves with that kind of energy.” said Head Coach, Katie MacLeod. The second day of the tournament allowed the Royals to renew the rivalry with Kwantlen College that began in the pre-sea- son, when the two teams met three times in the month of October. Losses by 20 and 16 points, and a two point overtime heartbreaker made this game easy to get up for. The Royals trailed by four at halftime, 28-24, and, despite getting excellent shots, were unable to 4 @ THE OTHER PRESS JANUARY 22 2007 convert offensively in the third quarter, scor- ing just three points in the quarter. Douglas headed into the fourth down 40-27. “We exe- cuted and got good looks, but just couldn’t make a shot.” However, the defensive energy throughout the game began to pay dividends in the fourth quarter, as the Royals stole the ball repeatedly and were able to score in transi- tion. Bianca Jarvis and Bernice Ko did an excellent job pressuring Kwantlen’s ball han- dlers, and by the fourth quarter, the pressure was too much. Douglas exploded for 28 points in the quarter, and made free throws down the stretch to hang on for a 55-52 vic- tory. The offensive attack was led by Patti Olsen’s twenty points, and Katrina Kocs also chipped in with fourteen. Bernice Ko hit two free throws with less than twenty seconds remaining to seal the victory for the Royals. Undersized post players Natasha Maat, Quincie Onyjekewe and Shu Hui Wong bat- tled on the glass all night against Kwantlen’s six-foot twin towers. “The girls showed a tremendous amount of determination to come back the way they did in the fourth. We were confident that eventually the ball would start to go in for us, but were pleasantly sur- prised with a 28 point outburst.” Again, the Royals dove on the floor for loose balls, created second-chance opportuni- ties with great effort on the offensive glass and made the Eagles work hard for every shot, forcing misses and then coming up with defensive rebounds so that they could go the other way. The Royals wrapped up the tournament with an afternoon showdown against the Malaspina Mariners from Nanaimo. This was a very physical contest, and with only eight players dressed for the weekend, Douglas bat- tled foul trouble the whole game. They scrapped our way to a one point halftime lead, 29-28, but felt they could be better in the second half. And they were, coming out firing in the second half to take a 12 point lead. The Royals never relinquished the lead, although this one came down to free throws as well, and they were able to make shots to secure a 65-62 victory. Royals post players held the Mariners fourth year standout, Maria Kirkbride, to just four points, well below her season average of 21. Tournament all-star Patti Olsen led the Royals with twenty-six points, and she was supported by Megan McKenna’s ten points and Katrina Kocs, who had 17. “I love the aggressiveness that Kat played with this weekend. She scored in a number of ways, attacking the rim, going to the glass and making open shots” said Kocs. The Royals were very disciplined offen- sively, showing very good decision-making ability along with unselfish play, screening for teammates and making the extra pass. “This was a successful weekend, and a great way to start the second half of the season. We will play very important league games every week- end, and these games have helped prepare us for them. The girls played with a lot of heart and I’m glad that their effort was rewarded.”