Sports – Page 307 – North Platte Post Archive

1980 US Olympic Hockey Team to Relive Miracle on Ice Moment

Posted on January 22, 2015

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — Most members of the gold medal-winning 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team are expected to return to Lake Placid in February to participate in a special event centered around the 35th anniversary of their famed Miracle on Ice.

The evening at Herb Brooks Arena on Feb. 21 will include video, audio and photos, as well as a tribute to team member Bob Suter, who died in September while coaching kids. His No. 20 jersey will be raised to the rafters of the 1980 Rink where the U.S. team produced stirring victories over the Soviet Union and Finland to win the gold.

The event is part of the eighth annual Hockey Weekend Across America, a three-day nationwide celebration of the sport, and NBC will have a live studio show from Lake Placid.

All 3 NFL Games in London Next Season to Have Early Kickoffs

Posted on January 22, 2015

LONDON (AP) — All three NFL games in London next season will have early afternoon kickoffs in the U.K., meaning fans back in the U.S. will have to get up early to watch.

The NFL announced Thursday that the Nov. 1 game between the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs at Wembley Stadium will start at 2:30 p.m. local time — 9:30 a.m. on the U.S. East Coast.

Early kickoffs had already been announced for the Oct. 4 game between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins (2:30 p.m. local; 9:30 a.m. EDT) and the Oct. 25 game between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars (1:30 p.m. local; 9:30 a.m. EDT).

The first NFL game at Wembley played with an early afternoon kickoff was this season’s game between the Lions and Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 26. All other London games had kicked off in the early evening, translating to a 1 p.m. start in the U.S.

NFL UK managing director Alistair Kirkwood says “our fan research has shown overwhelming support for early kickoffs.”

The timing also allows the teams to fly home later the same day to begin their bye weeks.

NPCC Knights Travel to Face Colorado Foes

Posted on January 22, 2015

The North Platte Community College Knights take to the road this Friday and Saturday to face Region IX opponents Trinidad State Junior College and Otero Junior College.

The Knights will face the Trojans of Trinidad State on Friday, January 23 in Trinidad, Colorado. The Trojans upset the Knights on November 22, 82-74, giving the Knights their only Region IX loss on the season.

The Knights come into the weekend with a 15-4 overall record and 6-1 in Region IX.

North Platte has three players averaging in double figures. Cameron Williams leads the Knights with a 23.5 points per game average. Shyquinn Dix is averaging 11.9 points per game and Marco Pascolo is averaging 11.9 points per game.

The Trojans come into the contest sporting a 9-11 record overall and 3-5 in Region IX play.

Trinidad is led in scoring by Elijah Valdez, who is averaging 15.4 points per game. In the earlier game against the Knights Valdez scored 23 points.

Other Trojans scoring in double figures are: Joe Smith, averaging 14.7 points per game and Preston Bungei, averaging 11 points per game.

Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. CST

On Saturday, the Knights travel to La Junta, Colorado to face Otero Junior College. The Knights defeated the Rattlers 91-77 at North Platte on November 21.

The Rattlers are 11-8 overall and 2-6 in the region.

Josh Blaylock leads the Rattlers in scoring with a 15.8 points per game average. Blaylock scored 22 points against North Platte earlier.

Tre O’Neal and Brandon Wilson are the other Rattlers scoring in double figures with 12.4 and 10.9 points per game respectively.

Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. CST

Pelini Hires Longtime Huskers Assistant Ron Brown

Posted on January 22, 2015

Longtime Nebraska assistant football coach Ron Brown is joining Bo Pelini’s staff at Youngstown State as associate head coach and running backs coach.

Brown said Thursday he wanted to stay at Nebraska but never was in line for a job on new coach Mike Riley’s staff.

Brown has attracted national attention for using his position as a platform for expressing his Christian faith. He was lauded in 2011 for leading a prayer at midfield at Penn State after the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal broke. He was also criticized in 2012 for testifying to the Omaha City Council against an ordinance to protect gay and transgender people from discrimination.

Brown came to Nebraska in 1987 when Tom Osborne hired him to coach wide receivers.

NPCC Lady Knights to Host Northeast

Posted on January 22, 2015

The North Platte Lady Knights Basketball team will host the Northeast Community College Lady Hawks on Friday, January 23 at 2:00 pm CST. The game was originally scheduled for 3:00 pm but was moved up due to the South Platte Valley Association basketball tournament held at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.

The Lady Knights come into the game with a record of 10-8. They are led in scoring by sophomore April Stull with a 16.2 scoring average. Aliyah Brown is averaging 10.2 points per game. Sarah Mahr of Sidney is averaging 7.7 points per game and is coming off back-to-back double-doubles.

The Lady Hawks are 16-3 on the season and are led in scoring by Megan Trinder, who is scoring 12.2 points per game. The other Lady Hawk scoring in double-figures is Janea Bunn, averaging 11.9 points per game. Bunn also leads the Lady Hawks in rebounding with 7.3 rebounds per game.

The Lady Hawks average 72.9 points per game while holding their opponents to 54 points per game.

The Lady Knights are averaging 61.3 points per game and allowing 58.2 points per game.

The game may be viewed online at www.coachesaid.com .

O’Reilly’s Tying Goal helps Avalanche to SO Win over Bruins

Posted on January 22, 2015

DENVER (AP) — Ryan O’Reilly tied the game with 1:45 left in regulation, and Nathan MacKinnon had the only goal in the shootout as the Colorado Avalanche rallied to beat the Boston Bruins 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Jarome Iginla also scored for Colorado, and Semyon Varlamov stopped all three Boston shots in the tiebreaker.

Torey Krug and Brad Marchand had Bruins goals in regulation in the final game for both teams before the NHL All-Star break.

Trailing 2-1, Colorado, which went 0-6 on the power play, pulled Varlamov for an extra attacker with just over two minutes remaining. In a scramble in front of the net, O’Reilly lifted a backhanded shot over sprawled goalie Tuukka Rask to tie it.

Butler holds off Creighton 64-61

Posted on January 21, 2015

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Roosevelt Jones had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Andrew Chrabascz made a go-ahead layup with 55 seconds left and Butler held off Creighton 64-61 on Wednesday night.

Chrabascz finished with 13 points and Kameron Woods added 12 with four blocks for the Bulldogs (14-6, 4-3 Big East). Jones also had six assists and three blocks before fouling out late.

Rick Kreklow led Creighton (9-11, 0-7) with 16 points, James Milliken chipped in 10 and Devin Brooks had seven with 10 boards. The Bluejays committed 19 turnovers in dropping their eight straight.

Creighton rallied with an 11-0 run to go up 59-57 with two minutes left. Chrabascz scored, then took a charge on the other end. A key offensive rebound by Woods gave him two free throws to go up 62-59 with 11 seconds left.

The teams exchanged free throws, and Kreklow’s half-court 3 was off the mark as time expired.

NBA Rising Stars Game Pits US Players vs. International

Posted on January 21, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has announced the Rising Stars Challenge will feature a new format at this year’s All-Star game weekend pitting first- and second-year players from the United States against first- and second-year players from around the world.

The game will be Feb. 13 in New York, site of this year’s All-Star game.

The NBA’s assistant coaches will select 10 American and 10 international players for the game with one ballot for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, according to the press release.

The rosters will include four guards, four frontcourt players and two players regardless of position. Each team must include at least three first-year players and three second-year players.

The head coaches for each team will consist of an assistant from the 2015 NBA All-Star game coaching staff.

Huskers Baseball Hosts Free Fan Fest

Posted on January 21, 2015

Lincoln – The Nebraska baseball team will host a free Fan Fest on Friday, Feb. 6 at the Hawks Championship Center. The event is free to the public and is scheduled to run from 6 to 8 p.m. Fans also do not need to pre-register for the event and the first 1,000 fans will receive a free hot dog, chips and water.

There will be multiple family activities, including a pitching station with a radar gun, home run derby, face painting, balloons, and inflatables.

Starting at 7 p.m. there will be a formal program where the 2015 team will be introduced. Head Coach Darin Erstad and players will also discuss the upcoming season.

The Huskers open the 2015 season on Friday, Feb. 13 in Las Vegas with a three-game series against UNLV. The 2015 home slate starts on Tuesday, March 10 when the Huskers host Northern Colorado starting at 1:35 p.m.

Season tickets are currently available at huskers.com/tickets or by calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-8-BIGRED.

Ex-Nebraska DL Avery Moss joins Bo Pelini at Youngstown St.

Posted on January 21, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Defensive lineman Avery Moss has transferred to Youngstown State a month after Nebraska denied his appeal seeking re-admission.

Moss confirmed in a text message to The Associated Press on Wednesday that he was enrolling at the Ohio school. Bo Pelini was named Youngstown’s head coach after his firing from Nebraska in November.

Moss was banned from the Nebraska campus for exposing himself to a woman at a convenience store in 2012. He pleaded no contest and was fined $500.

Moss, from Tempe, Arizona, had hoped Nebraska would lift his ban and allow him to re-enroll this month. He continued to live in Lincoln and worked at a car dealership.

The Lincoln Journal Star first reported Moss’ move to Youngstown, where he’ll be eligible to play this fall.