Sports – Page 263 – North Platte Post Archive

Wahlin Scores Four Points in 6-1 Rout of Lincoln

Posted on March 10, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. – Jake Wahlin led the way with a four-point night as the Tri-City Storm (31-13-6) used goals from six different scorers to defeat the Lincoln Stars (15-29-5) 6-1 on Tuesday night at the Ice Box.

Chris Wilkie became the first USHL player to reach the 30-goal plateau this season with a third period tally, while Wahlin and Matthew Freytag each scored and reached the 30-point mark in the victory.

The Storm are now 6-0-1 against Lincoln this season, with the teams’ final battle coming on Friday night in Kearney.

The Stars scored their only goal at 7:07 of the first period to take a 1-0 lead when Ludvig Hoff beat Storm goalie Alec Dillon on a partial breakaway.

Dillon stopped everything that came his way after the early tally, and finished with 17 saves to earn the win.

Tri-City tied the game in the second period on Freytag’s 15th goal of the year at the 11:10 mark. The forward finished off a perfect passing play started by Nick Master at the top of the Lincoln zone. After keeping the puck in, Master found Gamez open down low. The captain then swung a pass over to Freytag, who was in perfect position for a tap-in goal.

Less than two minutes later, Wahlin got on the board, wristing a shot past the glove of Lincoln netminder Peyton Jones. Chase Berger and Wilkie were credited with assists on the tally.

Gamez was next to strike, deflecting a puck home on the Storm’s only power play of the evening. Wahlin served the pass to the forward in front, while defenseman Bobby Nardella was credited with the second assist.

Although, not on the scoresheet, Storm forward Nolan Aibel made his presence felt in the contest by dropping his gloves with Lincoln’s James LaDouce for his first career fight late in the second period.

In the third period, Wilkie made it 4-1 with his 30th of the year from Wahlin and Berger at 6:16.

Then it was defenseman Tory Dello who got in on the act, scoring his first goal of the season on a shot from the point. Assists on his tally went to Nardella and forward Christopher Brown.

Finally Tri-City made it 6-1 on Chase Berger’s eighth of the season with assists from Wahlin and defenseman Jason Krych.

With the win, Tri-City earned two more points in the Western Conference standings and are now just a single point behind the Sioux City Musketeers for the top spot in both the conference and the USHL.

The Storm and Lincoln will finish off their eight-game season series on Friday night in Kearney at the Viaero Event Center at 7:30 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Kyle Eastman, Mason Appleton and Joel Herbert…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period
Lincoln – Ludvig Hoff (Ethan Price, Waltteri Hopponen) 7:07

2nd Period

Tri-City – Matthew Freytag (Garrett Gamez, Nick Master) 11:10
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin (Chase Berger, Chris Wilkie) 12:35
Tri-City – Garrett Gamez (power play) (Jake Wahlin, Bobby Nardella) 17:12

3rd Period
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (Jake Wahlin, Chase Berger) 6:16
Tri-City – Tory Dello (Bobby Nardella, Christopher Brown) 9:48
Tri-City – Chase Berger (Jason Krych, Jake Wahlin) 17:48

PENALTIES

1st Period
(no penalties)

2nd Period
Lincoln – James LaDouce – (Fighting), 5 min, 16:40
Lincoln – James LaDouce – (Fighting) (Misconduct), 10 min, 16:40
Tri-City – Nolan Aibel – (Fighting), 5 min, 16:40
Tri-City – Nolan Aibel – (Fighting) (Misconduct), 10 min, 16:40
Lincoln – Patrick Polino – (Roughing), 2 min, 17:04
Tri-City – Mattias Goransson – (Tripping), 2 min, 18:55

3rd Period
Tri-City – Tory Dello – (Holding), 2 min, 3:25
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Slashing), 2 min, 15:05
Tri-City – Mattias Goransson – (High Sticking), 2 min, 20:00

Power Play

Tri-City – 1/1

Lincoln – 0/3

Shots

Tri-City: 13, 16, 5 = Total: 34
Lincoln: 5, 7, 6 = Total: 18

Saves
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 17/18
Lincoln – Peyton Jones – 28/34

Broncos Sign Tight Ends Virgil Green, Owen Daniels

Posted on March 10, 2015

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos moved on from Pro Bowl tight end Julius Thomas by signing Virgil Green and Owen Daniels to three-year deals Tuesday.

Thomas is the only tight end in NFL history to catch a dozen touchdown passes in consecutive seasons and Green has just one TD catch in his four-year career.

Yet, in new coach Gary Kubiak’s system, tight ends have to be good blockers in the run game, and that’s Green’s forte and Thomas’ shortfall.

Daniels, a two-time Pro Bowler, has played all nine of his seasons for Kubiak, first in Houston and then in Baltimore last season, when he caught 48 passes for 527 yards and four touchdowns.

Also Tuesday, the Broncos re-signed linebacker Steven Johnson to a one-year deal.

Millard West Player Statuses in Question after MIP Citations

Posted on March 10, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Millard West could be without one or more of its varsity basketball players when it plays in the state basketball tournament in Lincoln this week.

One 18-year-old member of the team was among some 70 people cited by police for minor in possession at a party in west Omaha on Saturday night. Police did not identify all of the people ticketed.

Millard West plays Omaha Creighton Prep on Thursday. Millard Public Schools policy calls for a student to be held out of extracurricular activities for 19 days when he or she commits an offense off school grounds.

Millard West athletic director Chris Loofe would not say Tuesday how many players, if any, would be suspended. Loofe said that “will be answered Thursday night when the team takes the floor.”

Broncos, LB Steven Johnson Agree on 1-Year Deal

Posted on March 10, 2015

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos and linebacker Steven Johnson have reached agreement on a one-year contract hours before he was set to become a free agent.

The Broncos didn’t tender Johnson as a restricted free agent, a move that would have cost them $1,542,000.

Johnson has been a top special teams player for Denver, which signed him after he went undrafted out of Kansas in 2012. He started seven of the Broncos’ final eight games at middle linebacker last year after Nate Irving’s season-ending knee injury.

Varlamov Will Sit Out Contest vs. Kings with Groin Ailment

Posted on March 10, 2015

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Avalanche will sit goaltender Semyon Varlamov on Tuesday night against Los Angeles after he injured his groin over the weekend.

Coach Patrick Roy confirmed after the morning skate that rookie Calvin Pickard will take Varlamov’s place in net.

Varlamov has started 22 straight games, one away from matching Craig Anderson’s mark for most consecutive starts by an Avalanche goaltender set in 2010.

In a win Sunday at Minnesota, Varlamov appeared to hurt his groin. Earlier this season, Varlamov missed 15 games due to the groin. He also took a puck off his shoulder area against the Wild, but Roy said that wasn’t an issue.

Varlamov tested out the groin Tuesday morning. Roy said “it doesn’t hurt him, but he doesn’t feel like it’s solid enough to take a chance.”

NPCC Knights Garner Post Season Awards

Posted on March 10, 2015

North Platte Community College Knights sophomore guard Cameron Williams was named to the first team of the National Junior College Athletic Association All Region IX Basketball team. Williams was the second overall selection from the south sub-region behind Northeastern Junior College’s Shikei Blake.

In addition to being named to the all-region team, Williams along with teammate Marco Pascolo was named to the first team of the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference(NCCAC) team. Freshman Matt Thomas was selected to the second team.

Williams, an Omaha South High School graduate, averaged 20.9 points per game for the Knights this season and finished his career with 1128 points, which ranks him seventh on the Knights all-time scoring list. Williams also broke the Knights school record for most free throws made during a season with 206 free throws made. The previous record was held by Joe Beem, who played for the Knights from 1982 – 1984, with 192 free throws made.

Marco Pascolo, a sophomore from Udine, Italy averaged 10.9 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game this season for the Knights. Pascolo’s career scoring total of 657 points left him five points away from being tied for 50^th on the all-time list. Pascolo scored 22 points in the Knight’s loss in the semifinals to eventual Region IX champion Northwest College.

Matt Thomas, a freshman from Elkhorn, NE averaged 9.8 points a game during the season. Thomas scored 11 points per game against NCCAC opponents. Thomas started in all 33 games for the Knights as a freshman this season.

The Knights ended their season with a record of 24 – 9 in the semifinals of the Region IX tournament, losing to eventual champion Northwest College 85 – 72.

Chiefs Sign Veteran Safety Tyvon Branch to 1-Year Deal

Posted on March 10, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs have signed veteran safety Tyvon Branch to a one-year deal, helping to solidify a position that could be thinned out considerably by free agency.

Kansas City is already poised to play without Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry, who is undergoing treatment for lymphoma. Fellow safeties Kurt Coleman and Ron Parker are free agents.

The 28-year-old Branch has been solid when he’s healthy, but injuries have kept him from appearing in just five games over the past two seasons. He’s spent his entire seven-year career with AFC West rival Oakland, making 461 tackles, eight sacks and four interceptions.

The Chiefs already have been busy in free agency, restructuring deals with linebacker Tamba Hali and defensive tackle Mike DeVito, and agreeing to terms with wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

Huskers Face Penn State in Big Ten Tournament

Posted on March 10, 2015

Nebraska hopes to keep its season alive, as the Huskers travel to the United Center in Chicago to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions Wednesday afternoon.

All-session and single-session tickets for the 2015 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament remain on sale through Ticketmaster outlets, by visiting ticketmaster.com, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or going to unitedcenter.com.

Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. and the contest will be televised nationally on ESPN2 with Mike Tirico, Dan Dakich and Quint Kessenich. Wednesday’s game is also available online and on mobile devices on the WatchESPN app.

The game will be broadcast across the state of Nebraska on the 37-station IMG Husker Sports Radio Network, including KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln, 1110 KFAB in Omaha and KRVN 880 AM in Lexington with Kent Pavelka calling the action and Matt Davison adding color commentary. The game can be heard for free on Huskers.com and is available on the Huskers’ app on iOS or android devices, as well as on TuneIn Radio and on SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

The Huskers (13-17, 5-13 Big Ten) are the No. 12 seed in this week’s tournament and will look to snap an eight-game losing streak dating back to the first meeting with Penn State on Feb. 7. On Sunday, the Huskers lost a heartbreaker to No. 10 Maryland, 64-61, as Shavon Shields missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds. Shields and junior Terran Petteway nearly carried the Huskers to victory on Sunday, combining for 45 points and 16 rebounds. Shields had a game-high 26 points, while Petteway collected his third double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Wednesday’s matchup with Penn State (16-15, 4-15 Big Ten) features two of the Big Ten’s most prolific scorers in Nebraska’s Terran Petteway and Penn State’s D.J. Newbill. Petteway, a third-team All-Big Ten pick, is fourth in the Big Ten in scoring at 17.8, while Newbill, a second-team All-Big Ten selection, is averaging a conference-high 20.7 points per game.

Penn State comes in with a little momentum after upsetting Minnesota, 79-76, on Sunday in Minneapolis, as Newbill hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to snap a six-game losing streak. PSU won the first matchup, 56-43, in State College on Feb. 7.

With a win Wednesday, the Huskers will face fifth-seeded Iowa (21-10) in the second round Thursday at approximately 1:30 p.m. or 25 minutes after the conclusion of the Michigan/Illinois contest.

Faried’s 19 Points Leads Nuggets past Knicks, 106-78

Posted on March 9, 2015

DENVER (AP) — Kenneth Faried had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets routed the New York Knicks 106-78 on Monday night.

Wilson Chandler and Will Barton scored 17 points apiece for the Nuggets, who enjoyed their largest margin in a win this season.

The Knicks lost their fourth straight and fell to 12-50, the NBA’ first 50-loss team this season. Alexey Shved had 19 points for New York, which has just seven wins in 2015.

The lead grew to as much as 34 in the fourth. It was the largest lead of the season for the Nuggets, who tied a season low with eight turnovers. They didn’t have a turnover in the second or third quarter.

Huskers Complete Second Spring Practice

Posted on March 9, 2015

Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska football team continued its 2015 practice season Monday afternoon, as the Huskers practiced outside at the Ed and Joyanne Gass practice fields, split into two groups each practicing for about an hour and 45 minutes.

Nebraska defensive coordinator Mark Banker spoke to media members following Monday’s practice, mentioning that practice was slightly better than the first practice on Saturday, as players and coaches alike are getting used to each other on the field.

“It was a little bit better than day one, the thing that I have to remind myself about is the fact that everything is new to everybody,” Banker said. “We are new to the players, the players are new to us, scheme, you rely a lot of times as a coach on guys that have been in the program and have been through it, that is not necessarily the case.”

Banker added, “We have guys that know how to lead by example, and do the right thing and teach the younger guys—maybe in the classroom with some of the younger guys how to take notes or what to pay attention to.”

According to Banker, the defensive installation has been going pretty smooth so far, as the team has been working more on fundamentals rather than the actual playbook.

“It seems to be good. The biggest thing that we have talked about around here is you do not have to know anything about what we do. The biggest thing is you give effort,” Banker said. “At some point in time effort will not be good enough and we will actually have to execute. Defensively we do not have a lot in right now, we are trying to be conscious with the fundamentals.”

The Huskers will run 4-3 under Banker, something that NU is schematically capable of already according to Banker.

“The fortunate thing in our case schematically is– personnel wise they were built for a 4-3 team. They played a type of ‘quarters’ secondary, so personnel wise that configuration is there,” he said. “I think we have a solid group up front, I think we have a decent group in the back end, and when I say solid or decent, I mean from a standpoint of players and numbers.”

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