Penguins fall to Rangers in yet another shootout loss
There have been plenty of surprises in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2025-26 season. And most have been pleasant, such as four lines that can generate offense, stout defensive schemes and a viable pursuit of a playoff berth as March opens. Perhaps their most enduring surprise has been anything but pleasant. The...
Steelers casting a wide net in investigating wide receivers to draft
Makai Lemon termed the experience of chatting with Mike McCarthy as “a blessing.” Jordyn Tyson referred to McCarthy as “a legend.” Antonio Williams said he had “a great meeting” with McCarthy, the newly hired Pittsburgh Steelers coach. There’s no truth to the rumor that every one of the nearly four...
Robert Morris routs Cleveland State, caps regular season on 7-game winning streak
There’s been no stopping the Robert Morris machine of late. Like a year ago, the Colonials closed out the regular season on a seven-game winning streak, this time thumping Cleveland State, 83-64, on Saturday at UPMC Events Center only days ahead of the start of the Horizon League Tournament. And...
NASCAR returns to road racing with Tyler Reddick on pole and chasing Cup Series history against Shane van Gisbergen
AUSTIN, Texas — Shane van Gisbergen was so dominant on road courses last season than many had looked at NASCAR’s first road race of 2026 like it was already settled: SVG in a runaway. Hold on. Tyler Reddick’s pursuit of racing history may yet have a say in that. Reddick...
Starters from Franklin Regional ’24 team making mark in college basketball
The starting five from Franklin Regional’s PIAA boys basketball runner-up team from 2023-24 merged directly into college basketball. All five are playing this season at the NCAA Division III level. Here is a look at where they are now and how they are doing: Cam Rowell, So., G, Washington &...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Thanks, Maz, for being the hero that never disappointed
When I was 9, I fell in love with sports. Specifically, baseball and the Pirates. (Neither had been ruined yet.) I wrote my first fan letter to my favorite Pirate. (Kids did things like that then.) He sent me a signed postcard. I still have it. It made a big...
Outfielder Jake Mangum proving to Pirates he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win
BRADENTON, Fla. — Jake Mangum had a pair of strikeouts in a game that was scoreless, so he saw an opportunity when the Baltimore Orioles left third base open and decided to run with it. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning Friday, Mangum dropped a bunt...
Joe Starkey: She sculpted the Bill Mazeroski statue — and hardly anybody knows
Every so often, Susan Wagner will visit PNC Park to see those powerful Pirates legends statues. Last weekend provided such an occasion, albeit a sad one. Bill Mazeroski died. Dozens journeyed to his bronze likeness at the end of the cul-de-sac on Mazeroski Way, near the right-field entrance, in front...
Minor league report: Penguins beat Monsters, Taylor Gauthier ties Nailers recordVideo
Goaltender Joel Blomqvist made 22 saves on 24 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 3-2 win against the Cleveland Monsters at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Friday. The result improved Blomqvist’s record to 10-4-3. Forwards Atley Calvert, Ville Koivunen and Aidan McDonough all scored goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (36-13-3-2), which...
Upper St. Clair rallies past New Castle in final seconds to secure 3rd straight WPIAL titleVideo
Jake Foster’s ability to have active hands on defense isn’t something that comes naturally. The Upper St. Clair senior guard has it drilled into him by the culture Panthers coach Danny Holzer has instilled. When USC needed help late in the WPIAL Class 6A title game Friday night at Petersen...
Penguins recall forward Filip Hallander from conditioning loanVideo
The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled rookie forward Filip Hallander from a conditioning loan with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Friday evening. With regard to his NHL status, Hallander remains designated to injured reserve as a result of a blood clot in an unspecified leg that initially sidelined him...
Teenage girls face higher ACL injury risks; parents want better preventive measures
HARRISBURG — Sofia Tepichin was about 30 minutes into her club soccer team practice in October when she spotted a fast-approaching defender. She tapped the ball away and hopped over the defender’s outstretched foot, came down awkwardly, and heard a “pop.” She immediately fell to the ground, pain shooting through...
Kyle Nicolas finishes off Orioles with scoreless 9th inning before joining Team Italy for WBC
BRADENTON, Fla. — Kyle Nicolas scratched the top of his right thumb in the bullpen before his outing against the Baltimore Orioles and ended up getting blood all over his white uniform pants. In his final appearance before joining Team Italy for the World Baseball Classic, Nicolas overcame the mishap...
Penguins notebook: Rookie Avery Hayes knows his place in a top-6 roleVideo
Avery Hayes knows his place as a rookie with the Pittsburgh Penguins. And the speedy winger knows he can’t use “Hayes-ey” as a nickname within the confines of the team’s dressing room despite having likely responded to it throughout his first 23 years of life. He will defer to veteran...
‘Just talking ball’: 1st-round QB prospect Ty Simpson, Steelers coach Mike McCarthy meet
Time flies when you’re having fun, and apparently not moreso than when the consensus No. 2 quarterback available in the draft met this week with the new head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. “It was really cool,” that quarterback, Alabama’s Ty Simpson, told reporters at the NFL combine Friday, “because...
New Pitt tight ends coach Brent Davis seeks versatility among his position groupVideo
By hiring Army’s former longtime offensive coordinator, are Pat Narduzzi and Kade Bell planning to implement the triple option at Pitt in 2026? Not exactly. But if they ever change their minds, Brent Davis would be happy to run them through the basics of the flexbone. Davis, Army’s play-caller from...
Penguins defenseman Sam Girard sidelined by undisclosed injury
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Sam Girard was absent from a practice session in Cranberry on Friday as he was being evaluated for an undisclosed injury. According to coach Dan Muse, Girard will travel with the team for a road contest against the New York Rangers on Saturday. Acquired in a trade...
Mock drafts entering NFL Combine link Steelers with 1st-round receivers
Five mock drafters concurred this week that the Pittsburgh Steelers should take a receiver in the first round, but they disagreed on who that pass catcher will be. With the 21st overall pick, they predicted the Steelers might select Washington’s Denzel Boston, USC’s Makai Lemon or another wideout all together....
The NFL Draft opens to new group: Tech innovators
The NFL wants you for the upcoming draft — if you’re a technology innovator, that is. The league on Friday unveiled the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a crowdsourcing initiative to “enhance the fan and event experience.” The league is inviting individuals, startups and established companies to propose new tools and...
Penn State LB Tony Rojas ‘on track’ in return from injury
Penn State sorely missed Tony Rojas after he went down with a season-ending injury. His absence exposed a glaring lack of depth in the linebackers room, but it was also impossible to replace his elite athleticism and playmaking on defense. The good news for Penn State in 2026? Rojas is...
Beyond the Bylines: Bad Steelers NFLPA grades, Malik Willis’ price tag, Jack Hughes wins the crowd at PPG Paints Arena
In this week’s “Beyond the Bylines,” Joe Starkey and Tim Benz discuss the Pittsburgh Steelers’ poor showing in the NFLPA grades. What does this say about the players’ perception of the franchise in the post-Mike Tomlin era? We also investigate Malik Willis’ price tag and the importance of toilets in...
U.S. hockey player Brady Tkachuk slams White House TikTok as ‘clearly fake’ after anti-Canada slur
OTTAWA, Ontario — American hockey player Brady Tkachuk said Thursday that he did not appreciate a doctored TikTok video shared by the White House that made it look like he was disparaging Canadians after winning Olympic gold, calling it fake and something he would never say. The video includes fabricated...
USA Olympic star Jack Hughes: ‘Every time I come back to Pittsburgh, I’ll really appreciate what they did for me’Video
The last guy with a similar smile to get an ovation that big in Pittsburgh might have been Jack Lambert after Super Bowl XIV. Some of Jack Hughes’ teeth are still chipped from a stick to the mouth he endured during Team USA’s gold medal win over Canada last weekend....
Pitt visits Cal for 1st time to complete West Coast swing
Increased cross-country travel is a reality for collegiate programs across sports these days owing to conference realignment. As a result, coaches frequently lean into narratives surrounding the challenges of being ready to play far from home. Pitt is undertaking such a journey. After the Panthers lost at Stanford on Wednesday,...
After just 1 practice, defenseman Sam Girard effective in Penguins debut
A quick peek at the stat sheet would suggest a routine or uneventful first game in a Pittsburgh Penguins sweater Thursday for new defenseman Sam Girard. Girard, skating for 17 minutes, 53 seconds against the New Jersey Devils, recorded no points or shots with an even plus-minus rating. “Not too...
