Sports – Page 257 – North Platte Post Archive

Goransson Commits To UMass-Lowell

Posted on March 17, 2015

KEARNEY, Neb. – Although he’s still in his first season playing hockey in the United States, Tri-City Storm defenseman Mattias Goransson has made up his mind. He wants to stay.

Goransson has committed to play collegiately at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell with the River Hawks in the Hockey East conference.

A native of Grums, Sweden, Goransson visited the school’s campus last week and said it was all he needed to see.

“It was a great visit,” Goransson said “I really liked the campus and the rink was awesome. The players showed me around where they lived, and I really liked that everything was close.”

The defenseman has appeared in all 52 games this season for the Storm, scoring six goals and adding 19 assists for 25 points.

It has been an adjustment for the six-foot, three-inch blueliner, who had to learn to play on a smaller ice surface than what he was used to in Sweden. Goransson credited Tri-City assistant coach JB Bittner with helping him make the necessary changes.

“I’ve worked with JB almost every day it’s helped me improve my skills,” Goransson said. “The rink was new for me. It took time to get used to playing on the smaller ice but he’s really helped me get comfortable, be in the right position with my gap control, and protect myself when I get hit.

“You don’t have as much time here, but I can use my size here much more than I could on the bigger ice.”

Goransson, who played for Brynas J20 in Sweden during the 2013-14 season, said he values the chance to play at the next level while attending classes.

“It’s a big opportunity for me to combine school and hockey,” Goransson said. “You don’t have that opportunity in Sweden on a high level. It feels great to secure the next couple years, knowing what I’m going to do. I’m feeling good with it.”

Joining Storm forward Nick Master, who is already committed to play at UML, the two will become the fifth and sixth players in Storm history to move on to Lowell, and the first to wear a Redhawks sweater since Bill Eiserman in 2012. Bobby Robins, who made his NHL debut earlier this season with the Boston Bruins, played in Lowell from 2002-06 after spending the 2001-02 season in Kearney.

Including Goransson, Tri-City now has 19 players committed to play Division I college hockey.

Goransson is the sixth player on the roster to commit to a school in the Hockey East, joining Master, Tory Dello and Bobby Nardella (Notre Dame), Garrett Gamez (Providence College), and Christopher Brown (Boston College).

Tri-City leads the Western Conference with 70 points, and is one point behind the Youngstown Phantoms for the USHL lead with eight games remaining in the regular season.

“We want to win the Anderson Cup,” Goransson said. “We’re still in the race there. That’s exciting; we still have much to play for. We’re trying to make the best of it and get a good spot in the playoffs.”

The Storm will have a chance to clinch a playoff berth this weekend, hosting Des Moines for two games. Friday’s contest begins at 7:30 p.m., whileSaturday’s is at 7:05.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.

MPCC Rodeo Teams Signs Five

Posted on March 17, 2015

The Mid-Plains Community College Rodeo Team recently signed five recruits for the 2015 – 2016 season.

They are Shane Weber, Rowdy Moon, Riley Weehler, Trey Engel and Garrett Wickett.

Weber is a saddle bronc rider from Burwell. He is currently third in the Nebraska High School Rodeo Association. Weber will be seeking a degree in electrical technology.

Moon is a bareback rider from Sargent. Moon has qualified for the National High School Rodeo finals and is leading the state in bareback. Moon plans on studying business while attending Mid-Plains.

Weehler is a tie-down roper and team roper from Maloy, Iowa. Weehler is a two-time Iowa state champion and has qualified for nationals three times. He is currently fourth in the tie-down and second in the team roping for the state of Iowa. Weehler will be an agri-business major.

Engel is a bull-rider from Clarks, Nebraska. Engel is a two-time Iowa State Champion in bull-riding and a three-time national qualifier. Engel will study diesel technology in college.

Wickett is a bull-rider from Pierce. Wickett qualified for nationals as a junior and is currently second in the state. Wickett plans to major in agri-business in college.

Husker Wrestling Heads to St. Louis for NCAA Championships

Posted on March 17, 2015

The Nebraska wrestling team concludes its season at the NCAA Championships, Thursday through Saturday, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

Nine Huskers will compete at the national tournament, including top-seeded Robert Kokesh at 174 pounds. Kokesh and three-time All-American James Green (157) will each be making their final appearance in a Husker singlet. Kokesh, a two-time All-American, is 33-0 this season heading into the NCAA Championships.

The ESPN family of networks will broadcast the tournament. All six sessions will be streamed on ESPN3, while the semifinals and finals will be shown on ESPN. Sessions I, II, III and V will be televised on ESPNU.

Nebraska’s NCAA Qualifiers
125: Tim Lambert
133: Eric Montoya
141: #9 Anthony Abidin
157: #4 James Green
165: Austin Wilson
174: #1 Robert Kokesh
184: #16 TJ Dudley
197: #15 Aaron Studebaker
HWT: Collin Jensen

Refs Cheer New High-Def Replay System for NCAA Tournaments

Posted on March 17, 2015

The NCAA is going all in on high-def video reviews during March Madness.

For the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments that begin this week, the NCAA for the first time will use a replay system that captures live high-definition video from multiple angles for immediate review. That means officials will be able to see much more quickly some of the same replays everyone is seeing on TV — and just maybe some of those delays to get a call right won’t be so long.

Kim Jackson is director of basketball operations for DVSport, the system’s developer. He says the goal is to avoid changing the momentum of the game.

With the DVSport system already used by several leagues during the season, game officials generally have instant access to the main TV feed and three other angles.

Randolph has 21 Points, 16 Rebounds, Grizzlies Beat Nuggets

Posted on March 16, 2015

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Tony Allen factor is hard to ignore when the Memphis Grizzlies are turning back opponents’ rallies.

Allen’s energy along with a double-double from Zach Randolph helped the Grizzlies pull away from the Denver Nuggets for a 92-81 victory on Monday night.

Randolph finished with 21 points and 16 rebounds, while Allen and Marc Gasol added 14 points apiece. Allen had 10 points and eight of his nine rebounds after halftime.

“I want to take advantage of my opportunities,” said Allen, who has come off the bench since the Grizzlies obtained Jeff Green from Boston in January. “Some games I’m better than others. I don’t think it’s anything special.”

But Allen provides a disruption and an energy that even Nuggets interim coach Melvin Hunt acknowledged is hard to ignore.

“Tony Allen is a difference-maker,” Hunt said. “It doesn’t show up in the stat sheet, but he disrupted several plays. . He turned the game for them with his pressure and his intensity.”

Memphis broke a 79-all tie in the fourth quarter by outscoring Denver 13-2 the rest of the way. In that run, Allen had a pair of rebounds, an assist and a steal leading to his only score in the span, a dunk for the game’s final margin.

“Tony Allen really changed the game,” said Nuggets guard Randy Foye, who had 16 points.

Jameer Nelson scored 24 points for the Nuggets on 11-of-18 shooting, while Wilson Chandler added 13 for Denver.

“I can’t say enough about Jameer Nelson,” Hunt said. “Every time we needed a basket, we needed a play, whether it was offense or defense, he gave everything.”

The Nuggets, whose four-game winning streak ended, were coming off a double-overtime win at New Orleans on Sunday. Denver rested starters Ty Lawson, Kenneth Faried and Danilo Gallinari, eliminating an average of 38.6 points.

Without Faried, Denver’s leading rebounder, Memphis dominated the boards 57-37. That included 20 offensive rebounds for Memphis, contributing to a 17-2 advantage in second-chance points.

“We knew that they were going to throw the ball up there, and kind of get the shot back and throw it up there again,” Foye said.

Memphis had crafted a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, but Denver changed the momentum as Nelson and Gary Harris made 3-pointers. A dunk by J.J. Hickson and another basket from Nelson comprised a 10-0 run for Denver near the midway point of the fourth to tie the game at 79.

Memphis then made its final push to collect a double-digit victory.

“We just said we have got to execute, and get the ball where it needs to go and play a lot faster,” Memphis coach Dave Joerger said of the timeout he called with the score tied at 79.

Joerger acknowledged the difference Allen makes, primarily on defense, but also his ability to find open spots on the floor offensively.

“He comes in and turns the water off on a different guy then goes to another guy,” Joerger said of Allen’s defense, later adding: “He did a great job defensively, especially coming back to get some rebounds that we needed.”

___

TIP-INS:

Nuggets: The Nuggets were playing the second game of a season-high, five-game road trip. … Reserve swingman Will Barton played collegiately at the University of Memphis. .. Nelson, Darrell Arthur and Jusuf Nurkic started in place of the three regulars who rested.

Grizzlies: Starting guard Mike Conley missed his third straight game with a right ankle sprain. … Memphis defeated Milwaukee at home Saturday. Monday’s home game marked the first time this month the Grizzles have played consecutive games in the same city.

EXTREMES

Despite the 11-point margin, the game was close compared to the previous two meetings. The Nuggets defeated Memphis by 29 in Denver on Jan. 3, and the Grizzlies won by 30 in Memphis later that month — the two extremes for victory and defeat margins for Memphis this season.

UP NEXT:

Nuggets: Visit Houston on Thursday.

Grizzlies: Visit Pistons on Tuesday

Huskers Claim Fourth Straight NCAA Bid

Posted on March 16, 2015

Lincoln – Nebraska’s four seniors became the first class in school history to lead the Huskers to four straight NCAA tournaments, when they were included in the field of 64 for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament on Monday, March 16.

The NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Committee announced its bracket during the NCAA Selection Show televised live by ESPN. The Huskers, who gathered with athletic staff and supporters at the Hendricks Training Complex, celebrated after hearing that they were traveling to Columbia, S.C., as a No. 9 seed for the NCAA first and second rounds.

The Huskers (21-10, 10-8 Big Ten) will begin tournament play against Syracuse (21-9, 11-5 ACC) on Friday at 6:30 p.m. (CT). It will be the first meeting in history between the Big Red and the Orange. Nebraska’s game will be televised nationally by ESPN2, with first-round whip-around coverage. Additional coverage will be available on ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN app.

First-round play at South Carolina will begin with the No. 1-seeded Gamecocks taking on 16-seed Savannah State on Friday at 4 p.m. (CT).

If the Huskers advance past the first round, they will play on Sunday, March 22 in Columbia, S.C., at a time to be announced later. The Columbia sub-regional is paired with the Chapel Hill, N.C., sub-regional in the Greensboro (N.C.) Regional, set for March 27-29. The NCAA Women’s Final Four will be held in Tampa Bay, Fla., April 5-7.

Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said the Husker seniors showed their leadership, character and resiliency by getting the Big Red back in the Big Dance despite a mid-season injury to junior All-America point guard Rachel Theriot.

“I am really proud of this team for showing the ability to overcome adversity throughout the season,” Yori said. “The seniors set the tone and found a way to get it done. We had a lot of young players go through injuries early in the season, and then we were hit hard by Rachel’s season-ending injury. They are a mentally tough group of young women, and they overcame all those challenges to go 4-3 against some really good competition down the stretch. They definitely earned the right to play in the NCAA Tournament again.”

Yori, who is in her 13th season at the helm of the Huskers, will be leading her seventh Nebraska team to the NCAA Tournament, with all seven appearances coming in the past nine seasons.

Nebraska seniors Emily Cady, Brandi Jeffery, Tear’a Laudermill and Hailie Sample, led the Huskers to their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament after becoming the first class in school history to record four straight 20-win seasons. Nebraska is one of just 21 NCAA Division I teams around the nation to earn four consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament. Twelve schools that had advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2012, 2013 and 2014 had streaks snapped in 2015.

The Huskers, who are making their 13th overall NCAA Tournament appearance, will be searching for their ninth NCAA Tournament victory when they take on Syracuse, which tied for fourth with Duke in the final ACC regular-season standings.

The seniors have notched three of those victories, defeating Chattanooga in the first round in College Station, Texas, in 2013, before beating Texas A&M on the Aggies’ homecourt. The win over A&M sent the Huskers to their second NCAA Sweet 16.

Last year, Nebraska earned a No. 4 seed before defeating Fresno State in the opening round in Los Angeles. The senior class is 3-3 in its three previous NCAA appearances.

Nebraska was one of seven Big Ten Conference teams to earn bids to the Big Dance, joining No. 1 seed Maryland, No. 3 seed Iowa, No. 5 seed Ohio State, No. 7 seed Northwestern, No. 8 seed Rutgers and No. 8 seed Minnesota.

The Big Ten Conference has not lost an NCAA Tournament first-round game the past two years, going 6-0 in 2013 and 5-0 in 2014. Maryland, which was a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference the past two seasons, also won both of its first-round NCAA Tournament games the past two years.

Nebraska’s senior class has established school records for total wins (96) and winning percentage (.733, 96-35) over the past four seasons. The group needs one more NCAA Tournament win to match the previous school best of four NCAA victories set by the 2013 class of Lindsey Moore and Meghin Williams. The 2013 class advanced to NCAA Sweet Sixteens in 2010 and 2013.

While the seniors will try to add an impressive legacy at Nebraska, several freshmen have stepped up to play major roles in Theriot’s absence this season.

Natalie Romeo has played the largest role of the group with 11 starts in Big Ten play, including nine in place of Theriot. Romeo averaged a team-leading 20 points in Nebraska’s two Big Ten Tournament games, March 5-6. She also connected on 11 three-pointers in the two games, tying the Nebraska career record for three-pointers in conference tournament action. Her seven threes against Illinois tied a school record.

Freshmen Chandler Smith, Jasmine Cincore and Emily Wood also have seen increased playing time down the stretch for the Huskers, while sophomores Allie Havers and Esther Ramacieri and junior Anya Kalenta continue to provide valuable contributions.

Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament
First appearance: 1988
Total appearances: 13
(1988, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
NCAA Tournament Record: 8-12
NCAA First-Round Record: 6-6
NCAA Sweet Sixteens: 2 (2010, 2013)
Highest Seed: No. 1 (2010)

Huskers Enjoy Warm Weather on Monday

Posted on March 16, 2015

Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska football team completed its sixth practice of the 2015 spring season Monday afternoon. With temps reaching 90 degrees, the Huskers enjoyed beautiful weather in Lincoln as they practiced outside at the Ed and Joyanne Gass practice fields for just over two hours in full pads.

NU defensive coordinator Mark Banker met with media members following the conclusion of practice, mentioning that the new Blackshirt defense has basically been fully installed.

“We have pretty much finished up our base package, as far as what we are going to put in except for a couple things down in the red zone, just because we have not been there,” Banker said. “On Friday, Saturday we started a little nickel, but it was really just replacing a defensive back for an outside linebacker and start evolving from that standpoint.”

According to Banker, the Huskers are looking at using an experienced duo for the nickel position in 2015, with senior Byerson Cockrell taking snaps with the first team, while sophomore Joshua Kalu has been working with the second team.

After having two split teams at practice for the first week, Nebraska practiced as one team for the second straight practice, with the coaching staff split into two groups to help provide more individual coaching.

“Today we divided the staff and had myself, two of the graduate assistants that work with the defensive line and the secondary—we were over on one field with the ‘white’ group and then Coach Stewart, Coach Bray and Coach Hughes were on the other field with the ‘red’ group.”

Banker reiterated, “We try to get as many eyes on them in practice to make some of the instant corrections on the field, but then most of it obviously, like the specifics and details will be done up in the film room.”

A player that has stood out to Banker so far this spring has been redshirt freshman cornerback Trai Mosley. Mosley, a Texas native has been impressing so far this spring with his dynamic quickness and great ‘ball hawking’ skills.

“Based on the last practice, it’s not like he was 100 percent with what he was doing, but in the back end Trai Mosley all of a sudden showed up a little bit. I do not remember seeing him much on film or at practice, I probably should have, because him and I have a similar stature,” Banker said of the 5-10 Mosely.

Nebraska returns to the practice field on Wednesday for its seventh workout of the spring. Check back at Huskers.com for updates.

Wilkie, Dello Named USHL Players of the Week

Posted on March 16, 2015

KEARNEY, Neb. – On the heels of Saturday night’s win that moved the team into first place in the Western Conference, Tri-City Storm players Chris Wilkie and Tory Dello have been recognized by the USHL league office as players of the week.

Wilkie was named Forward of the Week after accounting for seven points on two goals and five assists in the team’s three games, while Dello was named Defenseman of the Week after scoring his first two goals of the season, including the game-winning tally against Omaha on Saturday night.

A commit to the University of North Dakota, Wilkie leads the league with 31 goals in 51 games. The forward is currently riding a 5-game point streak in which he has nine points on four goals and five assists.

The Omaha native also leads the USHL in four other categories including power play goals (14), shots on goal (257), game-winning goals (7), and shootout goals (7).

Wilkie started off his week with a goal and an assist in a 6-1 win over the Stars in Lincoln on Tuesday. He then picked up assists on each of the Storm’s three goals during Friday night’s loss to Lincoln. Wilkie assisted on Dello’s game-winning goal Saturday, before scoring his 31st of the season for some insurance in the third period of a 5-3 victory.

A Notre Dame commit, Dello has two goals and 14 assists with a +9 rating in 48 games this season. The defenseman also has an active point streak of four games, with two goals and two assists to go along with a +3 rating.

Both skaters are in their second season with Tri-City and are receiving their first honors of the season from the league. Other Storm players who have been recognized during the 2014-15 season include defensemen Bobby Nardella and Mattias Goransson, as well as goaltender Alec Dillon.

Tri-City leads the Western Conference standings with 70 points, one ahead of Sioux City.

The Storm will have a chance to clinch a playoff berth this weekend, hosting Des Moines for two games. Friday’s contest begins at 7:30 p.m., whileSaturday’s is at 7:05.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.

Huskers Continue Homestand with Visit from Sycamores

Posted on March 16, 2015March 16, 2015

With five games of its 16-game home stand in the books, the Nebraska baseball team (12-6, 0-0 Big Ten) welcomes the Indiana State Sycamores (8-7, 0-0 Missouri Valley) for a two-game series starting on Tuesday, March 17 at 4:05 p.m. The teams will also meet on Wednesday, March 18 at 1:35 p.m.

Tuesday’s meeting will be the first-ever game between the two teams, and the Huskers will look to add to their five-game winning streak.

The Eagles are 4-7 in games away from Bob Warn Field, including an 1-3 record in true road games. The Sycamores started the year with a 11-6 win at Louisiana-Monroe, while their three road losses came in Atlanta when they were swept by Georgia Tech.

The Huskers will start a pair of freshmen right handers for the second straight week during the midweek, with Garett King set to start on Tuesday and Zack Engelken scheduled to go on Wednesday.

The Sycamores are scheduled to start a pair of left handers, staring with senior David Stagg on Tuesday. The 6-3 Stagg is 0-1 on the year with a 9.20 ERA over four starts. He has struck out 16, but walked 17, in 14.2 innings of work.

Sophomore Trent Lunsford is scheduled to start on Wednesday, and will be making his first start of the season after seeing six appearances out of the bullpen. Lunsford has a 5.14 ERA over 7.0 innings of work.

Tuesday, March 17 (4:05 p.m.)

Probable Starters: RHP King (1-0) vs. LHP Staff (1-2)

TV: None

Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN Plus

Radio: Husker Sports Network

Wednesday, March 18 (1:35 p.m.)

Probable Starters: RHP Engelken (1-0) vs. LHP Lunsford (0-0)

TV: None

Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: HuskersNSide

Radio: Husker Sports Network

NPCC Lady Knights Announce Junior Sports Camps

Posted on March 16, 2015

Alexa Hopping, head volleyball coach at North Platte Community College announced the dates for the Lady Knights Junior Volleyball and Basketball Camps for the summer.

The dates of the camp are June 24 – 26 for girls entering grades 3 – 5 and June 29 – July 1 for girls entering grades 6 – 8.

The volleyball camp will be from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and the basketball camp will be from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..

The volleyball aspect of the camp will focus on basic fundamentals of volleyball such as footwork, passing, setting, serving, offensive skills and defensive skills.

The basketball aspect of the camp will focus on shooting, passing, dribbling, footwork, defense, rebounding and team play.

Cost of the camp is $50 for one camp or $65 for both camps.

Campers will receive a free camp t-shirt if application is sent in before June 8. After June 8 camp t-shirts are $10.

Brochures can be downloaded at www.npccknights.com or picked up at the Welcome Center at either campus of North Platte Community College or at The Sports Shoppe in North Platte.

For further information or questions about the camps please contact Director Alexa Hopping at (308) 386-6242.