ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jaden Schwartz had a goal and assist and the St. Louis Blues’ defense stifled the Colorado Avalanche in a 3-1 victory on Monday night.
Brian Elliott made 17 saves, T.J. Oshie scored and defenseman Carl Gunnarsson got his second goal of the season for the Blues. St. Louis has scored in a season-best eight consecutive games, going 7-0-1 in that stretch.
Alexander Steen had two assists, giving him 18 points during a 10-game points streak. Ken Hitchcock won his 153rd game with St. Louis, tied with Brian Sutter for second on the franchise list.
The Blues have won eight of nine at home against Colorado.
Matt Duchene scored for the Avalanche, who finished 1-2-2 on a five-game road trip.
MaKenna Ketter Signs her National Letter of Intent
The North Platte Community College Lady Knights Volleyball team added MaKenna Ketter from Chase County High School to their 2015 recruiting class.
Ketter, the daughter of Tonja Barry and Mike Ketter both of Imperial, is a 5’ 10″ outside hitter from Chase County High School. The Lady Longhorns were 26-3 on the season and won the South Platte Valley Association (SPVA) tournament.
“What caught my eye is that Makenna is a good student, aggressive player, competitive, comes from a good program, and knows how to win,” Vicki Hopping, assistant volleyball coach for the Lady Knights, said.
North Platte Community College Lady Knights head volleyball coach Alexa Hopping added: “I’m really excited for Makenna. She will make an impact on our team. She is very athletic and a good jumper.”
Ketter played four seasons on the Lady Longhorns volleyball team and was a first team selection on the All-SPVA teams both her junior and senior years.
The signing of Ketter raises North Platte Community College Volleyball Coach Alexa Hopping’s 2015 recruiting class to five. The others include: Megan Chintala from Fleming, Colorado, Shelby Wolever from Brush, Colorado, Josie Palmer from Brady, Nebraska, and Jessica Lovitt from Mullen, Nebraska.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Rachel Theriot made all seven of her free throw attempts and finished with 16 points to help No. 16 Nebraska beat Purdue 69-59 on Monday.
Hailie Sample scored 15 points for Nebraska (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten), Brandi Jeffery had 13 and Tear’a Laudermill added 10. Emily Cady grabbed 13 rebounds and had five assists to help the Cornhuskers win their fourth consecutive conference game.
Nebraska scored 15 first-half points off of 12 Purdue turnovers on its way to a 33-24 halftime lead.
Whitney Bays recorded her ninth straight double-double for Purdue (9-9, 3-4) with 14 points and 14 rebounds. April Wilson added a career-high 20 points as the Boilermakers lost their fourth game in a row for the first time since 2010.
Bays hit two free throws to cut Purdue’s deficit to 53-49, but Theriot started an 8-0 spurt with a 3-pointer and capped it with a three-point play with 3:04 left.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Klay Thompson scored 22 points, Stephen Curry had 20 points and eight assists, and the Golden State Warriors matched a franchise record with their 16th consecutive home win in impressive fashion, whipping the Denver Nuggets 122-79 on Monday.
The NBA-leading Warriors (33-6) out did Denver (18-23) in nearly every major category, including shooting percentage (54.3 percent to 34.5 percent), rebounds (53 to 39), assists (30 to 17), blocks (six to three) and steals (10 to nine).
Ty Lawson had 19 points and six assists, and Jameer Nelson had 14 points and five assists for the Nuggets, who have lost three in a row.
KEARNEY, Neb. – Tri-City Storm goalie Alec Dillon was named the USHL’s Goaltender of the Week by the league office Monday after recording his third shutout of the season on Saturday night in a 1-0 victory over the Bloomington Thunder.
The Victoria, B.C. native made a total of 25 saves in the game while keeping the Thunder off the board in the Storm’s first ever contest against Bloomington.
Dillon’s three shutout performances are the most of any goaltender in the league this season.
A 5th round draft pick of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, Dillon has been enjoying a successful season in his first year with the Storm and currently has a 13-5-4 record with a 2.22 goals against average and a save percentage of .918.
Dillon is among the league leaders in all goaltending categories. The RPI-commit is currently second-best in goals against average and fifth in save percentage, wins, and minutes played.
The honor is the second of the season for Dillon, who was also named Goaltender of the Week on Oct. 13.
Tri-City is now in third place in the USHL’s Western Conference, two points behind second-place Omaha. The Storm will have a chance to make up that difference on Friday night when the Lancers come to Kearney for the second time this season. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday night, Tri-City will take on Sioux Falls at 7:05. The game will be Star Wars Night, as well as Team Jack Foundation night. The Storm will wear specialty jerseys that will be auctioned off throughout the game, will all proceeds to be donated to the Team Jack Foundation.
For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.
COLBY – A semi driver died in an accident just before 5:30 p.m. on Saturday in Thomas County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Kenworth semi driven by Rodney A. Hongsermeier, 52, of North Platte, NE., struck the trailer and then the cab of a 2015 International semi driven by Fednor Duclona, 43, Fort Worth, TX., that was westbound on Interstate 70 four miles west of Kansas 25.
Both vehicles caught on fire in the middle of the highway.
Hongsermeier was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Baalman’s Funeral Home.
Duclona was not injured.
The accident shut down Interstate 70 from Colby to Goodland on Saturday and was finally opened to westbound traffic at 7:30 on Sunday morning.
GLENDIVE, Mont. (AP) — Ice is hampering crews working to clean up crude oil that spilled in and near the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana over the weekend.
Bridger Pipeline says it’s confident that no more than 1,200 barrels — or 50,000 gallons — of oil leaked during the hour-long breach Saturday about 9 miles upstream from the city of Glendive. A company spokesman says oil has made it into the river, but it’s unclear how much.
The Environmental Protection Agency says an oil sheen has been seen some 60 miles downstream from Glendive.
Booms are being placed in two areas of open water to try and trap oil with another collection site about 30 miles downstream from the spill site.
The EPA’s on-site coordinator says some of the oil is trapped under ice that’s covering the river and locating it could prove difficult.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Agriculture officials say an increase in corn and soybean profit is bringing young Iowans and Nebraskans back to the farm.
Charles Wiiest, market president of the Nebraska-based Arbor Bank, says young people are now more likely to start their own farm or join their family’s farming business. Wiiest credits this influx to improved profitability in the agriculture industry in recent years.
Corn currently can bring in up to $4 per bushel and soybeans $10 per bushel. Wiiest says these numbers show significant profit growth from when he graduated college in the late 1990s.
Wiiest says expanding career opportunities in the agriculture industry has also attracted the younger generation. He says chemists and veterinarians are among new careers in high demand.
WOOD RIVER, Neb. (AP) — A small herd of purebred bison has been relocated to a few square miles in central Nebraska, where vast herds once roamed over the tallgrass prairie.
The 39 cows and calves arrived Saturday at their new homes on Crane Trust land southwest of Grand Island. They were trucked in from Rimrock Ranch near Crawford in the Nebraska Panhandle. Two bulls are expected to join them this week.
The animals will make their home on more than 7 square miles of prairie, most of which has never been tilled. It’s the largest piece of tallgrass and mixed grass prairie left in Nebraska.
One of Crane Trust’s goals is to restore, maintain and protect natural habitat. But experts say keeping the land in its natural state is difficult without its dominant species.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 31-year-old man is facing several charges after fleeing across Lincoln in a stolen car at speeds over 100 mph.
Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins says the pursuit began around 12:30 Monday after a stolen Ford Fusion was spotted by the patrol’s helicopter.
When the driver fled, the trooper ended the pursuit because of public safety concerns. The helicopter followed the Ford from above as it drove erratically from south of Lincoln to Interstate 80.
The fleeing driver forced several other vehicles off the road as he crossed Lincoln.
State troopers resumed their pursuit after the driver reached I-80. Then troopers disabled the fleeing vehicle after the driver exited near the Lincoln airport.
The fleeing driver was treated for a minor arm injury before being taken to jail.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jaden Schwartz had a goal and assist and the St. Louis Blues’ defense stifled the Colorado Avalanche in a 3-1 victory on Monday night.
