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32 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2007 Dimitroff no Flash in the pan NLL veteran Dawson Iroquois Ridge grad fears this is the end Kent State's all-time goal-scoring leader By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Her goal when she arrived at Kent State University was just to make the starting lineup. Four years later, Kimberly Dimitroff is not only the key player in the Golden Flashes' bid to win the Mid-American Conference women's soccer title, she may well be the school's best player ever. Dimitroff continued to build a case for that claim when she scored in last Sunday's win over Toledo to become the school's all-time leading scorer with 30 goals. Those who have seen her play aren't surprised to see what she has accomplished. "She has a great work ethic," said Marie Guest, her former coach at Iroquois Ridge. "She was focused. She knew what she wanted and it's great to see her achieve it." The 21-year-old hasn't quite RECORD-BREAKER: Kent State forward/midfielder achieved her goal just yet. Apart from Kimberly Dimitroff recently became the school's all-time leading the occasional reminder from her goal-scorer in women's soccer, netting her 30th in a 1-0 victory roommate, Dimitroff hadn't given the over Toledo. record much thought. Her sights are set on bringing Kent State the confer- ers," said Kent State coach Rob Marinaro. "We knew she had ence championship. To her, the record- a lot of potential, but what she's done, we would never have breaking goal had more significance guessed." That put the Falgarwood grad on pace to break the scorbecause it gave the Golden Flashes a 10 victory over previously-undefeated ing record in just two years. But what followed were two injury-plagued seasons that saw her miss time with a severe Toledo. Dimitroff's arrival at Kent State high ankle sprain and a torn anterior cruciate ligament. could not have come at a better time. Though seasons of four and five goals were hardly disapLauren Caminati, the former record- pointing -- she earned conference all-star honours both holder, had graduated the previous sea- years -- Dimitroff knew she wasn't at her best. "It was really frustrating," she said. "I didn't do as well as son, leaving a huge void to fill in the I could have." Kent State offence. Dimitroff also had to contend with the added Dimitroff, the 2002 "We knew she attention she drew because of her spectacular Ontario Youth Soccer had a lot of freshman season, which earned her MAC rookLeague's most valuable potential, but ie-of-the-year honours. player, fit the bill perfectly. what she's done, "A lot of the teams started changing the way She came with big-game they played against us," Marinaro said. "They experience, having won we would never started double- and triple-teaming her. That two Ontario Cups (1998 have guessed." alone helps the offence because if she doesn't with the Oakville Cobras get behind (the defence), she's done a great job and 2002 with the Dixie Kent State coach of spreading the offence to the rest of the team." Dominators), and glowing Rob Marinaro Those assists have also put her within three reviews. Guest said her former captain had a points of Caminati's all-time points record. But it is team knack for finding open space and tak- success that Dimitroff is focusing on. Her goal against ing advantage of it, a skill Dimitroff Toledo gave Kent State its fourth win in last five games, also used to be a standout on the Ridge improving its conference record to 4-2. The team still has a home game against first-place Ball State (5-0-1) at the end basketball team. "She was really tenacious. She of the month and, with only one win separating the top four would always win every battle for the teams, the fourth-place Golden Flashes have a good opportunity to move up in the standings. And in such a tightlyball," Guest recalled. As she did in high school, Dimitroff contested race, Dimitroff said Kent State's chances of winmade the starting lineup in her first ning the title are as good as anyone's. "We have the team and we have the talent to go out and season. But that wasn't all; she scored 16 times to set a new Kent State single- win it," she said. "In our conference, it's whoever comes to play, whoever shows up and wants it more." season standard. And, despite all of her records, Kimberly Dimitroff hasn't "You go through the recruiting process and you try to get the best play- got what she wants. At least not yet. Fast. Hard-hitting. Plenty of goals and excitement. All have been major selling points of the National Lacrosse League over the past decade, as the league enjoyed continual increases in both popularity -- particularly in Toronto -- and size. But the NLL's biggest drawing card all along, one could argue, has been the fact that its players were the easiest for average sports fans to relate to. Entertainers by weekend, these guys were just like everybody else during the week; policemen, fire fighters, school teachers, students and the like, playing lacrosse more because of their love for the sport than to pad their bank accounts. A lot of that NLL appeal died this week with the league's announcement that, due to the inability of owners and players to come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement, the upcoming season has been cancelled -- a grim reminder that the NLL is, after all, professional sport. That appeal might not be the only thing that died, according to perennial all-star forward Dan Dawson. "I didn't think it would ever come to this," said the dejected 26-year-old local resident, who led the Arizona Sting to a Champions Cup final appearance last season. "We're not an established league like everybody else; we're still trying to grow this thing, and to say we're taking a step back... this may not even be a step back. This might be the end." Expansion could prove costly Ironically, the recent growth of the NLL might ultimately be the cause of its demise. Expansion brought teams to cities like Colorado, San Jose, Portland and Phoenix -- communities hardly known as lacrosse hotbeds. In order for clubs to succeed in these new markets, the sport had to be promoted by the players. In order for the players to promote the sport, they needed to have a larger community presence than simply flying in and out every weekend. In order to have a larger community presence, it practically became a full-time job -- at part-time pay. According to several sources, NLL rookies are paid a fixed salary of $6,880 (all figures in U.S. dollars). The maximum wage for league veterans is $21,294, with two franchise player exceptions, per team, pulling in $25,552. Granted, the NLL season only takes up one-third of the year, allowing players eight other months to focus on their main professions. But the increasing demands of being an NLL player, as well as the perception that the league was becoming more prosperous, left the players feeling they needed more. How much more they deserved, as it often is, was the major stumbling block in CBA negotiations. According to a synopsized version of the Professional Lacrosse Players Association's and NLL owners' proposals, players were seeking a nine per cent increase to the league minimum and maximum salaries, as well as a 25 per cent raise of the franchise player max. Owners reportedly countered with an offer of three per cent more for rookies and a five per cent raise of maximum salaries -- and a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum. "We want to make sure these fans understand that," Dawson said. "This was not our choice. We were willing to negotiate, and are still willing to negotiate. When people put a gun to your head and say `sign this or you're done'... that's not how negotiations are usually done. "A three per cent increase on firstyear players... that works out to $13 a game. It was not our high-end guys asking for $100,000. I know I would have benefited with a new structure to the CBA, but we're not looking to reconstruct the whole business model of things. We just want to make it better for everybody involved." Another sticking point in negotiations was unrestricted free agency. Under the current system, which owners wanted to maintain, players had to be 32 years old to qualify for unrestricted free agency. Players wanted that age requirement bumped down to 29 by the 2010 season. "The average (length of career) for a lacrosse player, for whatever reason, has been five or six years. I'm 26 and have been in the league for six years, and I can't see unrestricted free agency for another six years," said Dawson. "I might not make it there." This work stoppage in the National Lacrosse League might ensure that no one else ever makes it there either.