Sports – Page 419 – North Platte Post Archive

Storm Overcome Early Deficit With Comeback Win

Posted on September 26, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. – Chris Wilkie’s third period goal with seven minutes to go gave the Tri-City Storm (1-0-0) a 4-3 win over the Lincoln Stars on opening night of the USHL season at the Ice Box Friday night.

Alec Dillon made 21 saves for his first USHL victory, while Mason Appleton notched his first USHL goal for Tri-City in the win. Forwards Garrett Gamez and Kyle Eastman also scored their first tallies of the season in the second period.

Lincoln took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a goal by Biagio Lerario at 9:54, but Tri-City responded one minute later when Appleton took a pass from forward Matthew Freytag and scored the first Storm goal of the new season.

Lerario struck again later in the frame, scoring an unassisted goal to give the Stars a 2-1 lead after the opening 20 minutes.

Lincoln extended their lead to 3-1 with an unassisted goal from Ludvig Hoff at 2:46 of the second and put the Storm in a two-goal hole.

But Gamez converted on the first Tri-City power play opportunity of the season, deflecting a Bobby Nardella shot past Lincoln goalie Cam Hackett and cutting the deficit to 3-2.

With just 16 seconds remaining in the period, Eastman tied the game, outwaiting Hackett and sliding the puck home. Storm head coach Jim Hulton later said Eastman’s strike was the turning point in the game for his team.

The assists on the tying goal went to forward Conner Valesano and assistant captain Jalen Schulz.

Tri-City outshot Lincoln 11-5 in the final period, but only needed one goal to pick up the win. Wilkie’s first of the season came at 12:47 and both Jake Wahlin and Kevin Kerr had assists on the game-winner.

Lincoln had one final chance in the final minute of the contest with the Storm killing a penalty to defenseman Mattias Goransson. But Tri-City held on and got the road victory, killing off the final seconds with two important face-off wins by center Chase Berger.

The Storm will now prepare for opening night at the Viaero Event Center on Oct. 3, when they’ll host the Sioux Falls Stampede at 7:30 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Nolan Aibel, Aleksi Ainali and Wade Allison, along with defenseman Jason Krych…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Lincoln – Biagio Lerario (Blake Christiensen, Ryan Cook) 9:54
Tri-City – Mason Appleton (Matthew Freytag, Kevin Kerr) 10:55
Lincoln – Biagio Lerario (unassisted) 14:29

2nd Period

Lincoln – Ludvig Hoff (unassisted) 2:46
Tri-City – Garrett Gamez (power play) (Bobby Nardella, Chris Wilkie) 3:59
Tri-City – Kyle Eastman (Conner Valesano, Jalen Schulz) 19:44

3rd Period

Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (Jake Wahlin, Kevin Kerr) 12:47

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Cameron Spicer – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 4:59

2nd Period

Lincoln – Keegan Ward – (Slashing), 2 min, 3:09
Tri-City – Joel Herbert – (Interference), 2 min, 5:46
Lincoln – Connor Frantti – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 13:15

3rd Period

Tri-City – Mattias Goransson – (Roughing), 19:02
Lincoln – Ryan Cook – (Kneeing), 5 min, 19:59
Lincoln – Ryan Cook – (Kneeing) (Game Misconduct), 10 min, 19:59
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Cross Checking), 5 min, 19:59

Power Play

Tri-City –1/2

Lincoln – 0/3

Shots

Tri-City: 11, 9, 11, = Total: 31
Lincoln: 12, 7, 5, = Total: 24

Saves

Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 21/24
Lincoln – Cam Hackett – 27/31

Royals Clinch Playoff Spot with Win over White Sox

Posted on September 26, 2014

CHICAGO (AP) — Kansas City’s long postseason drought is over.

The Royals clinched a playoff spot for the first time in 29 years, beating the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Friday night behind seven scoreless innings from Jeremy Guthrie.

Kansas City secured at least a wild card and ended the longest active postseason drought among the major North American sports leagues. Not since George Brett led the Royals to a World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1985 had they reached the playoffs.

Small-market Kansas City endured more than its share of losing in recent years. But it contended into September last season and kicked down the playoff door on Friday.

Chiefs’ McKnight Ruptures Achilles Tendon

Posted on September 26, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Running back Joe McKnight has ruptured his Achilles tendon, becoming the third Chiefs player to sustain the season-ending injury already this season.

McKnight sustained the injury in practice Thursday. Defensive tackle Mike DeVito and linebacker Derrick Johnson sustained the same injury in a Week 1 loss to Tennessee.

Kansas City plays the New England Patriots on Monday night.

McKnight has been plagued by injuries dating to his days at Southern California, and he never could stay healthy with the New York Jets. He spent last season out of the NFL entirely.

He seemed to be making the most of a second chance in Kansas City, though. McKnight caught six passes for 64 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 34-15 win last Sunday in Miami.

Huskers Set to Meet Iowa Again

Posted on September 26, 2014

After sweeping Iowa on Wednesday, the No. 8 Nebraska volleyball team will take to the road this weekend to face Iowa again, as the teams square off at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The home-and-home weeks are new to the Big Ten schedule, and every team will go through it once this season.

The Huskers are 7-3 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten. Nebraska has won six of its last seven matches and five of the wins have been sweeps. All three of Nebraska’s losses are to teams currently ranked in the top six of the AVCA Coaches Poll. The Huskers have only played one true road match all season, and that was a 3-0 sweep against Dayton at the Flyer-Raider Invitational. Nebraska played two neutral-site matches at the tournament as well. Saturday’s match will the home opener for the Hawkeyes. They’ve played 12 matches – five on the road and seven at neutral sites.

Media Information
Fans can subscribe to watch the Iowa live video stream through a link at Huskers.com. Fans can also listen to the action with John Baylor and Lindsay Peterson on the 25-station Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and The Wolf 93.3 FM in Omaha. Fans inside and outside the state of Nebraska will also be able to catch the live audio feed on Huskers.com for free. Free live stats will be available at Huskers.com as well.

Series History
Nebraska leads the all-time series, 20-0. Eighteen of the 19 Husker victories have been sweeps. The only time Iowa has won a set against Nebraska was Sept. 5, 1987 in a match the Huskers won 3-1. The teams did not play from 2000 to 2010, but that changed when Nebraska joined the Big Ten. The Huskers cruised in the first two sets on Wednesday to 25-18, 25-13 victories. But Nebraska had to hold off the pesky Hawkeyes in the third set for a 31-29 win. Nebraska won in Iowa City on Nov. 27, 25-16, 25-18, 25-18. Kadie Rolfzen had nine kills, while Melanie Keil had six.

Last Time Out
The No. 8 Nebraska volleyball team opened Big Ten play with a sweep of Iowa on Wednesday night before 8,151 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, 25-18, 25-13, 31-29. The Huskers improved to 7-3 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten, while Iowa fell to 8-4 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play. Kadie Rolfzen led the Huskers with 15 kills and seven digs. Her twin, Amber Rolfzen, had 10 kills on 16 attacks for a career-high .625 hitting percentage. Alicia Ostrander also had 10 kills, and Melanie Keil had a career-high-tying eight kills while hitting .538. Mary Pollmiller dished out 34 assists and Justine Wong-Orantes added seven digs. The Huskers hit .347 for the match, while Iowa hit .202. Nebraska outdug Iowa 26-24 and outblocked the Hawkeyes 8-5. Haggerty led the way with six.

Up Next
The Huskers are home for two matches next weekend. Nebraska hosts third-ranked Penn State on Friday at 7 p.m., then hosts Ohio State on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Noting the Huskers
• Kadie Rolfzen set career highs with 21 kills and 51 attacks against No. 2 Texas last Saturday, surpassing her previous career high of 20 kills. The 2013 All-American also had 16 digs in the match and now has three of Nebraska’s four double-doubles this season (Mary Pollmiller has the other). Rolfzen is averaging a team-high 3.59 kills per set and ranks sixth in the Big Ten. She is also second on the team in digs with 2.97 per set. She has double-digit kills in seven of her last eight matches, with the outlier a nine-kill effort against Denver on just 22 swings.
• Nebraska ranks second in the Big Ten with 2.86 blocks per set, and the Huskers’ 32 solo blocks are the most by any Big Ten team. Meghan Haggerty is fourth in the Big Ten with 1.35 blocks per set.
• The Huskers have just two solo blocks against them all season. The next closest Big Ten teams are Penn State and Michigan at seven.
• Justine Wong-Orantes leads the Big Red in digs with 4.0 per set and ranks ninth in the conference. She is coming off a career-high 29 digs against No. 2 Texas last weekend, the most by a Husker since Kayla Banwarth’s 32 against Baylor on Nov. 18, 2009.
• Mary Pollmiller, the Huskers’ lone senior, has 362 set assists for 10.34 per set. She also adds a defensive presence at the net with 25 blocks to rank second on the team and is fourth in digs with 62.
• The Huskers have held three opponents to single-digit sets so far this season, matching last year’s season total. The Huskers have beaten Eastern Kentucky 25-7, Bakersfield 25-8 and Colgate 25-9. Nebraska held two opponents to single digits in 2012 and one in 2011.
• Nebraska is 7-0 this season when recording as many or more service aces than its opponent.
• The Huskers are 228-0 when hitting .300 or better under John Cook. Nebraska is also 370-15 (.961) when winning the first set under Cook.
• John Cook is 138-40 (.775) against ranked opponents at Nebraska. Just over one-third of Cook’s total victories at Nebraska (419) have come against ranked teams.
• Nebraska volleyball leads the nation with 208 consecutive sellouts, the longest sellout streak in the history of NCAA women’s athletics. NU owns a 192-16 record during the streak.

Scouting the Iowa Hawkeyes
The Hawkeyes are now 8-4 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten after Wednesday’s loss at the Devaney Center. All four losses have been sweeps, but three of Iowa’s four losses have come to Top 25 teams. The Hawkeyes will be playing their home opener against the Huskers, as they’ve gone 1-3 on the road and 7-0 in neutral games so far this season. Iowa ranks fifth in the Big Ten in blocks (2.58 per set) and third in service aces (1.51 per set).

Senior outside hitter Alex Lovell is the top attacker with 137 kills and 3.51 kills per set. She led the Hawkeyes last season as well with 216 kills. Sophomore setter Alyssa Klostermann has moved into the No. 1 setter role and has a team-high 247 assists for 6.33 per set. Jess Janota has been one of the Big Ten’s best freshmen this season, ranking sixth among freshmen with 2.58 kills per set (98 total) along with 26 blocks. Junior middle blocker Mikaela Gunderson has 42 blocks for Iowa. Michelle Fugarino leads all Big Ten freshmen and ranks sixth overall with 4.49 digs per set.
Iowa finished 11-21 last season and 2-18 in the Big Ten for an 11th-place finish. The Hawkeyes have six starters back though and 10 total letterwinners.

Judge Recuses Himself in NFL Collusion Case

Posted on September 26, 2014

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge in Minneapolis who has been the arbiter of NFL labor matters for more than two decades has recused himself from ruling on the latest dispute between NFL owners and the players’ union.

U.S. District Judge David Doty was to hear arguments Oct. 1 in the union’s lawsuit against the NFL’s 32 teams for collusion, alleging they enforced a secret $123 million salary cap per club in 2010 when there was no cap.

Doty wrote in his order that the parties deserve a new examination of the issues by a judge who has not already expressed an opinion on the dispute.

Doty earlier rejected the union’s claim, saying the collective bargaining agreement had expired. A federal appeals court reversed that decision in June and ordered Doty to hold a new hearing.

No. 21 Nebraska Opens Big Ten Play against Illini

Posted on September 26, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Ameer Abdullah wants No. 21 Nebraska to keep feeding him the ball when the Cornhuskers open Big Ten play against Illinois on Saturday night.

Abdullah has the third-most rushing attempts in the nation and has touched the ball on one-third of Nebraska’s plays from scrimmage. He ran for 229 yards on a career-high 35 carries in last Saturday’s 41-31 victory against Miami.

The more carries for Abdullah, the more exposure he stands to receive.

Nebraska (4-0) is promoting Abdullah more for postseason awards than it has for its previous standouts. His rushing average of 156.3 yards a game is second in the Big Ten and sixth nationally.

Illinois (3-1) is coming off a 42-35 victory over Texas State.

Royals Close in on Playoffs, Beat White Sox 6-3

Posted on September 25, 2014

CHICAGO (AP) — Eric Hosmer homered and drove in two runs, Lorenzo Cain had four hits and scored twice, and the Kansas City Royals put themselves on the verge of a playoff spot with a 6-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night.

One more win for Kansas City, or a loss by Seattle, will send the Royals to the postseason for the first time since George Brett led them to a championship in 1985.

Kansas City remained two games behind Detroit in the AL Central and moved one up on Oakland in the wild card standings.

Hosmer had three hits, including an RBI single in the first and a solo homer off Jose Quintana that tied it at 3 in the sixth.

Cain scored the go-ahead run in the eighth when second baseman Marcus Semien bounced the throw trying to turn a double play, and Alex Gordon added an RBI single.

The Royals went ahead after back-to-back singles by Cain and Hosmer put runners on first and third.

Jake Petricka relieved Quintana, and it looked as if the White Sox would get out of it when Billy Butler sent a grounder to short.

Semien, however, bounced the throw to first. That allowed Cain to score the go-ahead run, and Gordon followed with a single to drive in pinch runner Terrance Gore, making it 5-3.

That made a winner of Kelvin Herrera (4-3), who worked a scoreless seventh after James Shields went six innings.

Wade Davis pitched the eighth and Greg Holland worked the ninth for his 45th save in 47 chances.

Shields allowed three runs and five hits for Kansas City.

Quintana (9-11) gave up five runs and 11 hits over 7 1-3 innings for Chicago.

The White Sox held retiring captain Paul Konerko out of the lineup, but he expects to start the final three games. He has been playing through a broken bone in his left hand and was “a little sore” after playing two of the previous three in Detroit.

TRAINER’S ROOM:

Royals: IF Christian Colon (broken middle finger) played six innings and had two hits in his first rehab game in the Arizona Instructional League, general manager Dayton Moore said. Moore had no comment when asked how Colon’s finger felt, and it’s not clear if he will be on the postseason roster.

White Sox: White Sox OF Avisail Garcia left the game because of a stiff lower back. He lined out in the second inning and was replaced in right field by Moises Sierra before the top of the third. The White Sox said he is day to day.

UP NEXT:

The Royals send RHP Jeremy Guthrie (12-11, 4.28 ERA) to the mound, hoping to wrap up a playoff berth. RHP Hector Noesi (8-10, 4.39) pitches for Chicago.

Scripted: Jeter Wins it for Yanks in Home Farewell

Posted on September 25, 2014September 26, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The perfect script.

Derek Jeter capped his Yankee Stadium farewell with a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning, the latest storybook moment in a charmed and illustrious career, to give New York a 6-5 victory Thursday night over the Baltimore Orioles.

Serenaded with adoring chants that echoed through the Bronx night, Jeter tipped his cap several times at shortstop and drove in three runs. He launched an early double off the wall and saved the best for last — a sharp, opposite-field single to right that knocked in the winning run.

AP Source: Video Addressed to NFL Security Chief

Posted on September 25, 2014

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A law enforcement official says he sent the video of Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee to NFL headquarters to the attention of league security chief Jeffrey Miller in April.

Miller unequivocally denied that he had ever watched or received the video, and the NFL has said no league employee saw it until TMZ Sports released the video earlier this month.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he isn’t authorized to talk about the case. He said he doesn’t know if Miller ever saw the DVD. His only communication with the NFL was a voicemail from an unidentified woman from league offices confirming receipt of the package.

The official said he has no plans to talk to NFL investigators about the case.

No. 16 NPCC Lady Knights Drop Five Set Match to Southeast

Posted on September 25, 2014

Beatrice – The No. 16 North Platte Community College Lady Knights (14-6) went on the road Thursday afternoon to face Region IX Division II foe Southeast Community College (15-7). The Lady Knights came up short in a hard fought five set battle with the Lady Storm 26-24, 25-23, 11-25, 28-30, 9-15. After winning the first two sets, Southeast stormed back to win the next two and even the match. In the deciding fifth set, the Lady Knights raced out to an early 9-6 lead. The Lady Storm scored the next 9 points to claim the set and the match.

North Platte was led in the match by Samantha Kennedy who finished with 20 kills and three blocks. Kylie Wroot recorded seven kills while Samantha Byrn and Valerie Most each had five. No other Lady Knight recorded more than one kill. Joli Hopping notched all but one assist for the Lady Knights, finishing with 36. Erika Goodwin had 35 digs while Aryn Meisinger had 16 , Hopping had 15 and Byrn recorded 12.

The Lady Knights return to action over the weekend as they travel to Overland Park, Kan. to play in the Johnson County Invite where they will face No. 4 Johnson County Community College on Friday, September 26 at 3:00 p.m. and No. 10 Cowley County Community College at 5:00 p.m. On Saturday, September 27, the Knights finish up the Invite by facing No. 7 Kirkwood Community College at 9:00 a.m. and Coffeyville Community College at 11:00 a.m.