Leading off today: I would wager $100 that there'll be a Raiders-Lions Super Bowl at the end of this pro football season before I'd ever bet that a girls soccer game could end in an 8-8 tie.

   But that's exactly what happened yesterday between Maple Hill and Greenville, making for what will certainly be one of the three wildest games in any sport in New York in the 2009-10 school year.

   The teams ended regulation in Greenville in a 6-6 tie after Alex VanAuken scored a natural hat trick for Greenville (1-0-1) late in the contest. VanAuken's fourth of six goals (she assisted on the other two) with under four minutes to go forced the overtime.

   Meeghan Arno's fifth goal (to go with two assists) and another by Sierra Legge gave Maple Hill (1-0-1) leads again, but VanAuken scored in both OTs, finally tying the game for good with 6:51 to play.

   Awards season: The nomination process has started for the 2009 Wendy's High School Heisman honoring students who excel in academics, athletics and community service.

   Seniors can submit applications online at www.WendysHeisman.com through Oct. 1. The first 41,100 applicants get Wendy's gift cards valued from $5 to $50. One male and one female winner will be chosen from each high school.

   From there state finalists (10 males and 10 females) and then state winners will be selected. The national field will be trimmed to six boys and six girls, and overall winners will be announced during the Heisman Weekend events in New York City from Dec. 11-13.

   Progress can be painful: On Staten Island, badly needed renovations to the school pool have displaced half a dozen girls swim teams this fall. Curtis AD Eric Ritzer said the pool, opened in 1936, has never been renovated, and the project will be completed in January or February.

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   Curtis' pool is the only one in a Staten Island school, so it wasn't as though teams could easily move to a different facility. The Advance reported this week, though, that more than a few people are upset the repairs were not started immediately after the boys season ended in February.

   Ritzer said he received the repair notification in late June. Considering that no meaningful improvements had been made since scheduled work in 2001 was canceled, he wasn't in a position to ask for a delay.

   Curtis, McKee/Staten Island Tech, Port Richmond and Susan Wagner will practice at College of Staten Island twice a week for the next month, Tottenville is still trying to work out a schedule with the Bernikow Jewish Community Center and Petrides has yet to find a site.

   The PSAL is still trying to determine where regular-season meets will be held.

   Extra points: Burnt Hills won its 100th straight regular-season Suburban Council match in boys volleyball with a three-game sweep of Shenendehowa.