Enquirer staff and wire reports

Keith Gilbertson, 56, took over Washington's football program in turbulent times, filling a void left when his boss, Rick Neuheisel, was fired for gambling on NCAA basketball.

Some would suggest it was an impossible situation.

Athletic director Todd Turner announced Monday that Gilbertson is stepping down at the end of the season, ending an extremely difficult 15 months as Neuheisel's successor.

Gilbertson is 7-13 in two seasons at Washington.

The Huskies lost 31-6 at Oregon Saturday, dropping to 1-7 overall and 0-5 in the Pac-10. It's the worst season in 35 years for a school that shared the 1991 national title.

CINCINNATI: Defensive end Andre Frazier was named Conference USA defensive player of the week and punter Chet Ervin was named special teams player of the week. Frazier had eight tackles, including one sack and two tackles for losses, in the Bearcats' 21-10 win over Texas Christian. Ervin punted seven times for a 44.3-yard average, placed three punts inside the TCU 20 and two others at the 20.

• For the second time in her career, sophomore Myanna Hellsten has been honored as C-USA volleyball Player of the week. The Bearcats are 18-8 this season and 8-2 in league play, leading Memphis by a half game.

MOUNT ST. JOSEPH: Junior defensive back Tyler Blair (Glen Este) was named Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference defensive player of the week. Blair had four tackles, a blocked punt, a blocked field goal attempt, and he intercepted a pass in a 25-13 victory over Bluffton.

• Sophomore Jessey Spradlin (Northwest) was named HCAC women's soccer player of the week after scoring four goals in two matches.

• Senior outside hitter Jayne Kemphaus (McAuley) was named HCAC volleyball player of the week in help the Mount clinch is sixth HCAC championship with a 3-0 victory over Anderson.

Tennis

PARIS MASTERS: Andre Agassi and David Nalbandian both pulled out, meaning neither will play in the season ending Masters Cup. Agassi, 34, cited a problem with his right hip. Argentina's Nalbandian did not give a reason, although he had said that a knee he injured at the Swiss Indoors in Basel would likely rule him out.

The Masters Cup begins in Houston on Nov. 15 with only eight players selected from the ongoing ATP race. Agassi was in eighth spot. Nalbandian was in ninth.

Their withdrawals mean Britain's Tim Henman, Russian Marat Safin and Argentine Guillermo Coria are guaranteed to take part in the Masters Cup.

The other five players are Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Carlos Moya and Gaston Gaudio, who is 10th in the ATP race but qualifies because he won the French Open title.

Soccer

U.S. WOMEN: In a match that will mark the final international appearances of Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy, the Olympic gold-medal winning team will play Mexico on Dec. 8. The teams will meet in Carson, Calif., in the 10-game tour finale.

Hockey

MIAMI HOCKEY: No. 2 Michigan hosts the slumping RedHawks at 7:35 p.m. Friday and Saturday, having won 17 consecutive games against Miami at Yost Arena. Miami's last victory in Ann Arbor was Nov. 18, 1994.

The RedHawks, who have dropped out of the top 15 in the USCHO poll, have dropped four straight games for the first time since the 2001-02 season.

Sophomore center Matt Christie, an Anaheim Mighty Ducks draft choice, has an 8-game points streak.

Mighty Ducks update

Where they stand: 5-2-0-0, tied with Grand Rapids for second in AHL seven-team West Division.

Next: 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at Philadelphia (4-2-0-0); 7:05 p.m. Friday vs. Rochester in Buffalo (1-4-2-1); 5:05 p.m. Sunday at Philadelphia.

Radio/Internet: Wednesday and Friday's games will be broadcast on WCKY-AM (1360) and via the internet at www.1360homer.com. Sunday's game can be heard via www.SportsJuice.com.

Who's hot: D Tomas Malec has four points (four assists) in his last four games . . . C Joel Perrault has three points (one goal, two assists) in his last four games . . . LW Joel Stepp has points (one goal, one assist) in each of his last two games . . . G Ilya Bryzgalov has won four of his five starts and was named Provident Bank Mighty Ducks player of the month for October.

Nuts & bolts: At 5-2-0-0, the Ducks are off to the second-best start in franchise history. The best start was in 2000-01 when they were 6-1-0-0 after seven games . . . The Ducks have matched their best road start at 3-1-0-0 (2000-01) . . . G Frederic Cassivi became the first goaltender other than Bryzgalov to record a victory for Cincinnati since Jan. 4, 2004 with 36 saves in a 4-1 win Oct. 30 at Chicago . . . LW Stanislav Chistov (goal) and RW Joffrey Lupul (goal and assist) each broke four-game point droughts in the win over Chicago . . . RW Sean O'Connor, recalled last week from ECHL San Diego, joined Clint Collins (1997-98), Brian Cummings (2002-03), Ben Guite (2001-02), Dave Roche (2001-02) and Bob Wren (1997-98) as the only players in franchise history to wear number 13. ... The Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim will serve as home ice for three of Cincinnati's regular-season games in November and December. Cincinnati will play Wednesday, November 24 against the Grand Rapids Griffins, along with two games against the Edmonton Road Runners Friday, December 17 and Saturday, December 18 at the Pond. The three games were scheduled to take place at Cincinnati Gardens. ...Former Ducks captain Rob Valicevicwas signed as a free agent by UHL Flint.

Promotions: "Mighty Ducks Weekly" will be broadcast live November 9 from Ron's Roost in Bridgetown. The show will air 6-7 p.m. on WCKY-AM (1360). ...The first 2,000 fans in attendance when the Ducks face Manitoba November 13 at Cincinnati Gardens receive a Mighty Ducks team photo, courtesy of Gold Star Chili.

Ticket Info: 351-3999 or visit www.cincinnatimightyducks.com.

AHL Mighty Ducks statistics

PLAYER, POS	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SHOTS
Joffrey Lupul, RW	7	2	4	6	+ 2	8	1	0	1	18
Joel Perrault, C	7	3	2	5	-2	7	1	0	0	19
Tomas Malec, D	7	0	5	5	-1	6	0	0	0	14
Joel Stepp, LW	7	2	2	4	+ 2	0	0	0	0	6
Alexei Smirnov, C	5	2	2	4	+1	8	1	1	0	6
Chris Kunitz, LW	3	2	2	4	0	0	1	1	1	9
Curtis Foster, D	7	2	1	3	-1	4	1	0	0	20
Curtis Glencross, LW	6	2	1	3	+2	8	1	0	1	13
Stanislav Chistov, LW	7	2	0	2	-1	10	0	0	0	15
Zenon Konopka, C	7	1	1	2	+1	16	0	0	0	9
Aaron Rome, D	7	0	2	2	+ 2	29	0	0	0	7
Michael Holmqvist, LW	7	0	2	2	-6	15	0	0	0	13
Pierre Parenteau, RW	6	0	2	2	+ 1	2	0	0	0	9
Tim Brent, C	4	0	2	2	+1	4	0	0	0	8
Mark Popovic, D	7	0	1	1	+1	6	0	0	0	8
Shane O'Brien, D	7	0	0	0	0	37	0	0	0	6
Sheldon Brookbank, D	7	0	0	0	+1	33	0	0	0	7
Cory Pecker, RW	7	0	0	0	0	10	0	0	0	12
Dustin Penner, LW	4	0	0	0	-1	4	0	0	0	6
Igor Pohanka, C	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5
Sean O'Connor, RW	2	0	0	0	+ 1	0	0	0	0	2
TOTALS	7	20	29	49	-	211	6	2	5	213

GOALIE	GP	MIN	W	L	SOL	SO	GA	GAA	SAVES	SPCT
Ilya Bryzgalov	5	309.26	4	1	0	0	12	2.33	154	.928
Federic Cassivi	2	118.46	1	1	0	0	4	2.02	54	.931
TOTALS	7	-	5	2	0	0	17	2.43	208	.924