Sports category, Page 1306
Penguins forward Rickard Rakell rejoins teammates for morning skate
Penguins forward Rickard Rakell rejoined his teammates for Monday’s morning skate at PPG Paints Arena. It marked the first time Rakell had participated in a morning skate or practice since he suffered a presumed head injury in Game 1 of his team’s first-round playoff series with the New York Rangers...
Islanders fire coach Barry Trotz after missing playoffs
Barry Trotz was fired as coach of the New York Islanders on Monday, with general manager Lou Lamoriello saying he felt the team needed a new voice. Trotz lost his job after four seasons with the Islanders and the first without a playoff appearance. The 59-year-old, who ranks among the...
Monessen grad Dana Vatakis leads way as ace of Robert Morris softball pitching staffVideo
Robert Morris fourth-year softball coach Jexx Varner doesn’t believe in the time-honored tradition of having one starting pitcher carry the load for an entire season. He prefers to use an MLB-style staff of multiple pitchers. To wit: The Colonials (16-6 in the Horizon League, 27-16 overall) have five pitchers who...
Freeport grad Tori Radvan the ultimate utility player for UPJ softball
Tori Radvan’s path to the Pitt-Johnstown softball team wasn’t full of twists and turns. It was a straight-forward, relatively easy recruiting process for Mountain Cats coach Niki Cognigni-Pecora and the multi-sport standout from Freeport. Radvan’s older sister, Kristie, played first base for UPJ and was one of the top hitters...
AP source: Denver’s Nikola Jokic captures 2nd straight NBA MVP award
DENVER e— Denver’s Nikola Jokic has won his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award after a season in which he finished with numbers never before seen in NBA history, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The NBA was preparing to make the announcement in the coming...
Westmoreland campus clippings: Kevin Wanichko adds men’s cross country coach duties at Saint Vincent
Kevin Wanichko is the new men’s cross country coach at Saint Vincent. The Latrobe native will have a busy sports year: He already coaches the men’s and women’s track and field teams, and the women’s cross country team. An SVC alum, Wanichko replaces Andrew Herr, who resigned after 18 seasons...
For Pirates, worst fears behind the plate catch up to them with injury to starter Roberto Perez
When Roberto Perez stumbled and fell while rounding second base Saturday and lay facedown in the infield dirt in Cincinnati, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ worst fears caught up to them. The Pirates signed Perez last November after trading Jacob Stallings to Miami, replacing the 2021 NL Gold Glove winner with a...
Madden Monday: Some technical elements of Louis Domingue’s game the Rangers may try to exploit
Something I frequently hear about the Penguins-Rangers first-round playoff series is that Pens goalie Louis Domingue is an “X-factor” or a “variable” in the series. I don’t see it that way. Quite the opposite. Based on what we’ve seen from Domingue so far — he allowed five goals in his...
Tim Benz: Bad time for Pirates to have a massive step up in competition
It’s been a while since we’ve really checked in on the Pirates. The NFL Draft and the Penguins playoff push has kept us pretty busy. That stuff and, well, the abject inability to be competitive and the organizational disinterest in trying. Those things come into play as well. But, hey,...
First Call: ESPN report says Mitch Trubisky knew the Steelers may draft Kenny Pickett before signing; Baker Mayfield conspiracy theory
Monday’s “First Call” looks at the looming Steelers quarterback battle. We find an interesting Steelers-related conspiracy theory about Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. Gambling odds have Kenny Pickett as the favorite to win NFL Rookie of the Year. And the Pirates are getting ready for a step up in competition. What’s...
Minor league report: Penguins beat Bears in overtime, advance to semifinal
An overtime goal by forward Alex Nylanders gave the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins a series-clinching 4-3 home win against the rival Hershey Bears in Game 3 of their Atlantic Division first-round matchup at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Monday. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton claimed the best-of-three-series, 2-1 and will face the Springfield Thunderbirds in...
Pirates farm report for May 8, 2022: Brendt Citta knocks in 2 runs in Curve victory
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 14-14) lost 5-1 to visiting Louisville (Reds). LF Oneil Cruz (.189) was 2 for 5. 1B Mason Martin (.253) was 1 for 4, and 3B Hoy Park (.188) went 1 for 3 to compile the Indians’ four hits. 2B Ji-hwan Bae (.261) was 0 for 4, DH Bligh...
Max Verstappen cruises to win in inaugural Miami Grand PrixVideo
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — His first day racing around the new Formula One circuit in Miami was absolutely horrible. Then he made a mistake in qualifying that cost him a spot on the front row. By the time race day rolled around, Max Verstappen had knocked it all out of...
Rich Strike’s team considering Preakness options after upset in Kentucky DerbyVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Rich Strike’s stunning Kentucky Derby upset has the sports world buzzing and led to a sleepless night of celebration that Eric Reed was still recovering from Sunday morning. The veteran trainer and everybody around him partied long after the 80-1 long shot pulled off a monumental feat...
Minor league report: Penguins drop Game 2 to BearsVideo
Goaltender Tommy Nappier made 30 saves on 32 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 2-1 road loss to the Hershey Bears in Game 2 of an Atlantic Division first-round series at the Giant Center in Hershey on Sunday. The best-of-three series is tied, 1-1. Forward Felix Robert scored the...
Max Homa steady in Sunday duel, gets 4th tour win at Wells FargoVideo
POTOMAC, Md. — Max Homa kept hearing from his coach, caddie and other supporters that he needed to carry himself with more confidence, an attitude befitting a multiple-time PGA Tour winner. With his fourth win overall, third in 15 months and second since he gave up his popular podcast to...
Joey Logano bumps William Byron on last lap for 1st Darlington winVideo
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Joey Logano bumped leader William Byron from behind on the last lap to win the Goodyear 400 on Sunday at Darlington Raceway. Logano, the pole-sitter, tracked Byron for about 25 laps until catching him with one to go and hitting him hard in the rear bumper. Byron...
Injured Grizzlies star Ja Morant unlikely to play in Game 4Video
SAN FRANCISCO — Memphis guard Ja Morant is unlikely to play in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against Golden State on Monday night after injuring his right knee on a play with Jordan Poole that the teams are debating from the Grizzlies’ 142-112 loss Saturday night. Grizzlies coach...
Colin Moran blasts 2 home runs, including a grand slam, as Reds roll past Pirates
Colin Moran might have been seeking fastballs more than revenge against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The red-bearded Cincinnati Reds first baseman ended up getting both in the course of two swings. Designated for assignment by the Pirates in late November, Moran made them pay with a pair of home runs. His...
Penguins notebook: Forward Jason Zucker makes immediate impact in his return
After missing three consecutive games because of an undisclosed injury, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jason Zucker returned to the lineup in Saturday’s 7-4 home win against the New York Rangers in Game 3 of a first-round playoff series at PPG Paints Arena. And he made a pretty immediate impact. At least...
Penguins goaltender Louis Domingue continues to grow his legendVideo
Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson was one of the relatively few people in Pittsburgh who was familiar with Louis Domingue’s story when Penguins management opted to sign the journeyman goaltender to a one-year, two-way contract late in the 2021 offseason. And Matheson’s scouting report on Domingue wasn’t all that focused on...
Former Gateway soccer standout Sam Alexander set to cheer on Nittany Lions
Sam Alexander fashioned one of the top varsity careers in the history of Gateway boys soccer as a lockdown goalkeeper who earned numerous all-star honors for his play. His athletic endeavors continue at Penn State but in a slightly different direction. Last month, Alexander, a freshman on the University Park...
Mark Madden: Penguins finally managed score and situation in Game 3
After Danton Heinen scored to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 5-4 lead with 8 minutes, 58 seconds left in the third period against the New York Rangers in Game 3 of their playoff series Saturday, something odd happened: Playoff hockey broke out. The Penguins played below the Rangers’ goal line...
5 Things: Penguins historically have enjoyed playoff success vs. Vezina winners
Five stats-based observations about the Pittsburgh Penguins after a 7-4 win against the New York Rangers in Saturday’s Game 3 at PPG Paints Arena (analytics courtesy naturalstattrick.com unless specified otherwise): 1.Vezina-ed Though balloting won’t be announced until next month, Igor Shesterkin is the presumptive Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s...
Tim Benz: Penguins, Rangers treat fans to 3 games in 1 night as ‘roller coaster’ series continues
During that triple-overtime Game 1 of the Penguins-Rangers Eastern Conference playoff series, the teams played what was almost the equivalent of two full games. Then, in Saturday’s Game 3, they basically played three separate games in one night. The Penguins dominated the first period, taking a 4-1 lead into the...
