European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 1, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                T f m i pace4o stars and stripes sunday april female ump flawless in exhibition game the associated press Kenny Rogers and Eric Gagne Are headed to the disabled list while Ria Cortesio is ticketed for the minors again if she can make it Back to the big leagues though that would be something Cortesio became the first female Umpire to work a major league exhibition game since Pam Postema in 1989 when she was on the bases thursday for the Chicago cubs 74 Victory Over an Arizona diamondbacks split squad in Mesa Ariz Cortesio hustled All Over the in Field and made her Calls with an emphatic fist pump always in the right position she did what every Umpire Hopes to do during a ballgame she blended in her performance before a Hohokam Park record crowd of was pretty much like the sunny 64degree Day it was flaw less it was pretty uneventful i didst have Cortesio said Spring training at least not on the Field her phone started ringing Early thurs Day morning As the hype sur rounding her assignment began to build when i found out i had this game my plan was to sneak in work the game and sneak out and Hope no one she said that didst working with major league Umpire Mike Winters on the bases while another minor league ump Jason Riser handled the plate Cortesio was at first base for the first two innings before she switched across the Diamond to third and then Back again a Cou ple of times the moving from Side to Side is Standard for Spring training games with a dark Blue hat Light Blue Short sleeved shirt and Gray Slacks Cortesio looked very much like the other two umps just a bit thinner Cortesio knew several players in the game because they were also in the minor leagues where she worked i got a lot of hey Ria where Are you going to be this year that the question As of right now in going Back to the South Ern league but that subject to change at any minute As soon As a spot opens up at triple its she said Cortesio is the Only female Umpire in professional baseball at 30 she is starting her ninth year Overall and fifth in double once she makes it to triple Shell be evaluated by major league Umpire supervisors if Shes judged Good enough she would be invited to the fall league then to a full schedule of major league Spring training games and finally to a spot As a fillin in the majors no female Umpire has Ever worked a regular season game in the majors Cortesio obviously Hopes to be the first absolute Best Case scenario were looking at 2009 to get a Cou ple of she said Rogers had surgery Friday to remove a blood clot from his left shoulder and repair arteries and the Detroit tigers Pitcher Likely will be sidelined for the first half of the season the 42yearold Lethander had the operation in Dallas he is expected to Start throwing in Sixto eight weeks and tigers president Dave Dombrowski said the earliest Rogers would return to the rotation is july Detroit Rogers on the 15day disabled list on thursday Chad Durbin who made the team As a reliever will move into the tigers rotation Texas will put Gagne on the do to Start the season giving the closer More time to come Back from Elbow and Back operations the rangers said Gagne Hast had any health setbacks the 2003 no by Young award Winner has pitched Only Isis innings Over the past two seasons nil score Oani Eastern conference a Buffalo do Pittsburgh Atlanta new Jersey Ottawa rangers Tampa Bay Montreal w lot pts 49 20 7 105 45 23 10 100 40 27 11 91 45 24 8 45 24 8 39 29 41 32 40 31 98 98 87 86 86 Toronto Carolina islanders Florida Boston Washington Philadelphia 37 29 11 3831 8 36 28 12 33 30 14 35 36 6 26 38 13 21 44 11 85 240 246 84 227 235 84 227 221 80 230 243 76 211 271 65 227 274 53 199 281 Western conference a Nashville a Anaheim a Vancouver Detroit san Jose a Dahs Minnesota lot it Sqq a 49 22 7 105 260 202 46 20 12 104 248 198 47 23 7 101 210 187 47 19 11 105 235 189 47 26 4 98 238 186 46 24 6 98 210 183 45 25 8 98 223 188 42 25 10 94 244 207 Colorado St Louis Columbus Edmonton los Angeles Phoenix 30 7 87 255 239 32 33 12 76 201 238 32 38 7 71 194 234 31 40 7 69 191 238 26 38 14 66 218 268 29 43 5 63 204 269 27 40 9 63 186 242 two Points for a win one Point for Over time loss or shootout loss division Leader clinched playoff spot thursdays games Anaheim 5 Columbus 2 Atlanta 3 Toronto 2 of Pittsburgh 4 Boston 2 St Louis 5 Edmonton 2 Calgary 4 Minnesota 2 Detroit 2 Nashville 1 Colorado 4 Phoenix 3 Vancouver 4 los Angeles 2 fridays games Dallas at Detroit Montreal at Ottawa Tampa Bay at Carolina Washington at Florida Philadelphia at new Jersey islanders at Buffalo Columbus at Chicago Phoenix at san Jose saturdays games Atlanta at Boston Minnesota at Colorado Buffalo at Montreal Ottawa at islanders Pittsburgh at Toronto rangers at Philadelphia Washington at Tampa Bay Anaheim at St Louis Dallas at Nashville Calgary at Vancouver sundays games Detroit at Columbus Edmonton at Chicago Boston at new Jersey Carolina at Florida los Angeles at san Jose Toronto at rangers thursay ducks 5 Blue jackets 2 Anaheim Columbus second Columbus Johnson 3 Shelley 2 Anaheim of a Pronger 12 286 227 267 234 third period3 Columbus Fedorov 18 234 237 4 Anaheim Beauchemin 7 be 203 193 Lanne 5 Anaheim Getzlaff 269 210 24 Velanne 6 Anaheim 223 204 Pronger 13 Getzlaff 7 237 245 Anaheim Velanne 45 Marchant Beauchere 231 239 shots on Goa Anaheim 7121231 co Lumbus 961025 Power play 3 of 6 Columbus oof 4 goalie Anaheim Giguere 35108 25 shots23 Columbus Norrena 23203 a15340 Thrashers 3 Leafs 2 of Toronto 101 02 Atlanta 10113 first peifod1 Atlanta Hossa 42 Tkachuk 2 Toronto Pohl 12 Perreault 1733 third period3 Atlanta Kozlov 26 Sut ton Toronto Gill 5 Antropov Atlanta Kozlov 27 Hossa shots on Goa Toronto 1388029 Atlanta 5810427 Power play opportunities Toronto 0 of 3 Atlanta 2 of 4 goalie Toronto Raycroft 35239 27 shots24 Atlanta Hedberg 842 penguins 4 Bruins 2 Pittsburgh 3 0 14 Boston 2 0 02 first period1 Boston Bochenski 13 Fer ence Pittsburgh Christensen 17 Ouellet 3 Pittsburgh Armstrong 12 Christensen Boston Kessel 11 Bochenski Pittsburgh Christensen 18 third period6 Pittsburgh Malkin 33 Crosby shots on Goa Pittsburgh 1241026 Boston 1461333 Power play opportunities Pittsburgh 1 of 5 Boston oof 3 goalie Pittsburgh Fleury 38158 33 shots31 Boston Thomas 30274 blues 5 oilers 2 Edmonton 2 0 02 St louts 2 2 15 first period1 St Louis weight 14 Jack 2 St Louis Sejna 2 Johnson 3 Edmonton Hemsky 12 Smith 4 Edmonton Roy 2 Gilbert second period5 St Louis Stempniak 24 Mayers 6 St Louis Mcclement 8 weight third period7 St Louis Cajanek 14 shots on goal Edmonton St Louis 14151242 Power play opportunities Edmonton 0 of 3 St Louis 0 of 1 Markkanen 571 41 shots37 St Louis Bacashihua 252 0 1 45 0 1 12 flames 4f wild 2 Calgary 30 14 Minnesota 1012 first Calgary Langkow 31 Stu Art 2 Calgary Iginia 35 Tanguay Minnesota Burns 7 Gaborik 4 Calgary Iginia 36 third Calgary Iginia 37 Conroy 6 Minnesota Parrish 18 Johnsson shots on 96419 Minnesota 89825 Power play opportunities Calgary 1 of 2 Minnesota 2 of 5 Gonabe Calgary Kip Rusoff 39219 25 shots23 Minnesota Backstrom 2 shots0 Harding 311 first t230 red wings 2 predators 1 Detroit 1 1 02 Nash Fate 1 0 01 first Nashville Legwand 24 do Mont 2 Detroit Franzen 10 Matsyuk second period3 Detroit Matsyuk 26 Holmstrom shots on Goa Detroit 1112730 Nash Ville 116825 Power play 1 of 3 Nashville 1 of 5 goalie Detroit Osgood 1035 25 shots24 Nashville Vokoun 25115 t224 Avalanche 4 coyotes 3 Colorado 2 2 04 Phoenix 0 0 33 first Colorado Hejduk 31 Arna son 2 Colorado Mclean 15 Hejduk second period3 Colorado Wolski 21 Arnason 4 Colorado Richard son 13 Brunette third period5 Phoenix Reinprecht 8 Thomas 6 Phoenix Adams 3 to Almqvist 7 Phoenix Boynton 1 Carcillo shots on Goa Colorado 105318 Phoe Nix 291223 Power play opportunities Colorado 1 of 4 Phoenix 0 of 2 Gonabe Colorado Budaj 28156 23 shots20 Phoenix Joseph 16282 14 shots10 Hellqvist second canucks 4 Kings 2 Vancouver 1 2 14 los Angeles 1 0 12 first Vancouver Smolinski 17 Pyatt 2 los Angeles Brown 16 Heward second Vancouver 35 Krajicek 4 Vancouver Pyatt 21 third los Angeles Kopitar 19 Brown 6 Vancouver 36 shots on 76922 los Angeles 1312934 Power play 2 of 2 los Angeles 1 of 5 Luongo 45206 34 shots32 los Angeles Burke 685 Roy Umpire Ria Cortesio makes the Call As the Chicago cubs Tyler Cohrin grounds out during the sixth inning of an exhibition game against the Arizona Diamond backs on thursday in Mesa Ariz Cortesio 30 is the Only female Umpire in professional baseball and is starting her ninth year Overall and and fifth in double she Hopes to become the first woman to work a regular season game in the majors by 2009 red wings maintain Edge Over predators the associated press the predators and red wings went head Ohead in the race for the presidents cup and the top spot in the Western conference and Detroit took Down the Chal lengers from the South again both clubs better watch their backs Anaheim is gaining fast Pavel Matsyuk scored the godhead goal in the second period and had an assist and the red wings beat Nashville 21 thurs Day night to move Back into a tie with the predators atop the nil the red wings predators and Buffalo sabres have 105 Points but Detroit has a game in hand on Nashville with four of its final five games against Central division cellar dwellers Columbus and Chicago the ducks have 104 Points after they won 52 at co Lumbus Ohio Detroit came in having already won the season series with five victories in the first seven games the red wings finished these Ries in style with their fourth straight Victory against Nashville and 13 of 16 possible Points Johan Franzen also scored and Todd Bertuzzi had his first two assists for the red wings Nashville blew a Chance to pad its Lead on Detroit and has four games left to win a franchise est 50th three of those Are at Home not that anyone is making excuses but several predators pointed out they were shorthanded with five forwards out four to injuries including Steve Sullivan at Columbus Teemu Velanne scored a goal and assisted on three Power play goals in the third period to help the ducks set a franchise record for Road Victo Ries with 20 Anaheim is chasing its first Divi Sion title since entering the nil in 1993 As Well As the presidents trophy for the most regular sea son Points Chris Pronger had two goals and an assist for the ducks who won 31 in Chicago on wednes Day Anaheim has a six Point Lead Over san Jose and Dallas in the Pacific division penguins 4 Bruins 2 at bos ton Sidney Crosby had three assists to bring his no leading Point total to 116 helping Pitts Burgh move into first place in the Atlantic division Thrashers 3 Maple Leafs 2 Slava Kozlov scored two goals including the Winner on the Power play with seconds remaining in overtime to help Host Atlanta end a three game losing Streak Plaines 4 wild 2 at St Paul Jarome i galas first hat trick of the season brought the flames closer to clinching the final playoff spot in the Western conference blues 5 overs 2 Doug weight had a goal and an assist Barret Jackman added three assists and Host St Louis snapped a three game skid Avalanche 4 coyotes 3 at Glendale Milan Hejduk had a goal and an assist to help Colorado boost its playoff Hopes canucks 4 Kings 2 at los an Geles Daniel Sedin scored two goals and Roberto Luongo made 32 saves to help Vancouver stretch its Lead atop the North West division to three Points