Sports – Page 374 – North Platte Post Archive

Abreu, deGrom Voted Baseball’s Rookies of the Year

Posted on November 10, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom has been voted NL Rookie of the Year, joining AL winner Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox.

DeGrom received 26 of 30 first-place votes and 142 points in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced Monday. Speedy Cincinnati outfielder Billy Hamilton was second with four firsts and 92 points.

Winless in his first seven starts, deGrom wound up 9-6 with a 2.69 ERA for the Mets.

Abreu received all 30 first place votes for 150 points in AL balloting after the White Sox first baseman led the big leagues in slugging percentage at .581. Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker was second with 40 points.

No. 11 Huskers Look to Overcome Top 25 Road Demons

Posted on November 10, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska goes into Saturday’s game at No. 22 Wisconsin looking to overcome its demons in road games against opponents ranked in the Top 25.

The 11th-ranked Cornhuskers (8-1, 4-1 Big Ten) have lost four of their last five on the road against Top 25 teams. Since Bo Pelini took over in 2008, the Huskers are 3-8 in those games.

Pelini said Monday it’s hard to beat good teams in tough environments. He said history will have nothing to do with what happens against the Badgers (7-2, 4-1).

In its only Top 25 road game this season, Nebraska was down 24 points in the fourth quarter to Michigan State before closing to 27-22. Each of the Huskers’ previous three Top 25 road losses was by at least 25 points.

Fien, Haggerty Pick Up Big Ten Weekly Awards

Posted on November 10, 2014

Kelsey Fien was named Big Ten Player of the Week, and Meghan Haggerty earned Defensive Player of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday.

Fien led the Huskers offensively in sweeps over No. 12 Purdue and Indiana. The junior from Bakersfield, Calif., averaged 4.3 kills per set with a match-high 15 kills along with four blocks against Purdue. Fien added 11 kills on 19 attacks against Indiana for a career-best .526 hitting percentage. Fien is the first Husker to be named B1G Player of the Week since Kelsey Robinson on Nov. 18 last season. The honor is the first of Fien’s career.

Haggerty, a junior from Glen Ellyn, Ill., led two dominant Husker defensive performances last week. Against Purdue, Haggerty tied her career high with 11 blocks, the most by a Big Ten player in three sets this season. She averaged 2.2 blocks per set on the week and had six kills and a .444 hitting percentage. After helping limit the Boilermakers to a .098 hitting percentage, Haggerty and the Huskers held Indiana to a -.013 hitting percentage on Saturday. It’s Haggerty’s second-career B1G Defensive Player of the Week honor.

The Huskers are back in action Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Michigan State.

Goransson Named USHL Defenseman of the Week

Posted on November 10, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – Tri-City Storm defenseman Mattias Goransson was named the USHL’s CCM Defenseman of the Week by the league office Mondayafternoon.

The Grums, Sweden native scored a goal in both games during the weekend, as Tri-City earned three points from their two-game series with the Muskegon Lumberjacks at the Viaero Event Center.

On Friday night, Goransson got the Storm on the board and ignited their first comeback of the evening, scoring a power play goal early on in the second period.

The next evening the defenseman once again started the scoring for Tri-City, finding the back of the net on a pass from forward Cody Milan at 1:42 of the middle frame.

In his first season in the USHL, Goransson has been a key part of the team’s defensive corps, playing in all 13 games and scoring three goals and four assists along with a plus-three rating. He has also chipped in on the power play, with two goals and two assists on the man-advantage.

Goransson’s seven points is 10th best among all USHL defenseman, and his 23 shots on goal is 16th.

Tri-City will hit the road next weekend for games in Cedar Rapids and Omaha on Friday and Saturday respectively. Both contests will get underway at7:05 p.m.

The team returns home for a Nov. 21 clash with the Des Moines Buccaneers at 7:30 p.m.

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

Neb’s Pelini Not Sure Abdullah to be Full Strength

Posted on November 10, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska coach Bo Pelini isn’t as optimistic as he was last week about whether star running back Ameer Abdullah would be full strength for Saturday’s game at No. 22 Wisconsin.

Abdullah left the Nov. 1 game against Purdue with a sprained and bruised left knee. Pelini said Monday that Abdullah didn’t practice during the 11th-ranked Cornhuskers’ bye week, though “he worked out on the field.”

Last Tuesday, Pelini said the three-time 1,000-yard rusher was “doing great” and should be “100 percent” for the Badgers.

Pelini said Monday he still believed Abdullah would be fine but added, “I’m not a doctor.”

Chiefs Lose Gray, Harris to Injuries vs Bills

Posted on November 10, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs have lost backup running back Cyrus Gray for the season with a torn knee ligament. Tight end Demetrius Harris is also sidelined with a broken foot.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed that Gray, a special teams standout, will miss the rest of the season after tearing an ALC in the third quarter of Sunday’s 17-13 victory over Buffalo. Harris, a former basketball player in college, broke his foot during warmups prior to the game.

Reid said the rest of the team came out relatively healthy heading into Sunday’s showdown against the Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Running back Jamaal Charles had a neck stinger and tight end Anthony Fasano a bruised knee, but both would have been able to practice Monday.

Nebraska-Minnesota Game Six-Day Pick; Limited Number of Tickets Available

Posted on November 10, 2014

The Big Ten has announced that its television partners will use a six-day pick for the games of Saturday, Nov. 22, including Minnesota at Nebraska. The game will be played at either 11 a.m. or 2:30 p.m.

A limited number of tickets for the Nebraska-Minnesota game remain. The tickets are recently returned tickets from the visiting team allotment, and cost $75 each. They can be purchased on-line at Huskers.com, or by calling the Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-8-BIG RED.

Nebraska, Wisconsin to Play for Freedom Trophy

Posted on November 10, 2014November 10, 2014

MADISON, Wis./LINCOLN, Neb. – Wisconsin and Nebraska always have plenty to play for when the two Big Ten rivals meet on the football field. Now, the Freedom Trophy can be added to that list.

The trophy will be on the line for the first time on Saturday, Nov. 15, when the Badgers host the Cornhuskers at Camp Randall Stadium.

“Trophy games are part of the tradition of college football, and I’m thrilled that we’re going to be introducing one into our rivalry with Nebraska,” Wisconsin Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez said. “The Freedom Trophy brings recognition to two historic football venues and it honors our nation’s veterans. It is something I know the coaches, student-athletes and fans of both programs will embrace for years to come.”

“We are honored to partner with Wisconsin in an annual Freedom Trophy game, as both of our football programs and stadiums have rich histories and traditions,” Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst said. “The Freedom Trophy provides a unique opportunity for us to pay special tribute to the brave men and women who have and will continue to defend our nation’s freedom.”

The Freedom Trophy, designed and sculpted by Harry Weber of Wright City, Mo., features a bronze football stadium with an American flag extending from the center. One half of the outside of the stadium depicts the North section of Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium (built in 1917) and the other half the East side of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium (built in 1923, East side expansion in 2012). The stadium and flag sculpture sits on top of a wooden base that has dedicated space for future Wisconsin-Nebraska game scores. With the Big Ten establishing East and West divisions for football prior to this season, the Huskers and Badgers will now play each other every year as members of the West Division.

The base also contains an identical inscription on two sides that reads:

“The Freedom Trophy pays tribute to the brave men and women who have fought in our nation’s wars. The University of Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium, built on what was once a Civil War training ground, and the University of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium, dedicated in honor of our nation’s veterans, stand as proud monuments to those who have sacrificed so much in the name of freedom.”

Since 1901, Wisconsin and Nebraska have met a total of eight times on the football field with each school winning four games apiece.

This Week in Nebraska Athletics

Posted on November 10, 2014

Wednesday Nov. 12 Volleyball Michigan State (HuskersNside) Devaney Center 7 p.m.

Thursday Nov. 13 Bowling Big Red Invitational Sun Valley Lanes 5 p.m.

Friday Nov. 14 Bowling Big Red Invitational Sun Valley Lanes 9 a.m.

Friday Nov. 14 Cross Country at NCAA Midwest Regional Peoria, Ill. 11 a.m.

Saturday Nov. 15 Bowling Big Red Invitational Sun Valley Lanes 8 a.m.

Saturday Nov. 15 Women’s Basketball Pepperdine (BTN Plus) Pinnacle Bank Arena 11 a.m.

Saturday Nov. 15 Football at Wisconsin (ABC) Madison, Wis. 2:30 p.m.

Sunday Nov. 16 Men’s Basketball Northern Kentucky (BTN Plus) Pinnacle Bank Arena 1 p.m.

Sunday Nov. 16 Wrestling Maryland NU Coliseum 1 p.m.

Sunday Nov. 16 Volleyball Maryland (NET/BTN Plus) Devaney Center 2 p.m.

Sunday Nov. 16 Women’s Basketball Alcorn State (HuskersNside) Pinnacle Bank Arena 5 p.m.

Aldridge has 28 and Blazers beat Nuggets 116-100

Posted on November 10, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — LaMarcus Aldridge scored 28 points and the Portland Trail Blazers handed the Denver Nuggets their fifth straight loss with a 116-100 victory on Sunday night.

Wesley Matthews added 21 for the Blazers, who have won three of their last four.

Ty Lawson had 18 points for Denver after missing the team’s 110-101 loss at home to Cleveland on Friday night because of a sore left ankle. Kenneth Faried led the Nuggets with 19 points.

Portland was coming off a 106-102 loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles the day before but showed no sign of fatigue, leading by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter.

The Nuggets closed within 102-94 on Lawson’s driving layup with 3:11 left, but Damian Lillard hit a 3-pointer that extended it to 111-98 with just over a minute left to seal it.