Sports – Page 574 – North Platte Post Archive

Contrast the Name of the Game at Final Four

Posted on March 31, 2014

This year’s Final Four will be filled with contrasts.

One of the biggest will be in the second national semifinal between Kentucky and Wisconsin in North Texas on Saturday.

The Wildcats are athletic, play fast and run past opponents. The Badgers are much more deliberate, hounding teams defensively, then working for the perfect shot.

Kentucky also relies on seven freshmen. On the other side of the bracket is Florida, which has four seniors who had played 400 games before one of the young Wildcats had ever played one.

Wisconsin has a unique big man in long-range-shooting 7-footer Frank Kaminsky, who plays a different game than Florida’s powerful Patric Young.

There also are two coaches who are Final Four regulars and two who will be there for the first time.

Ump’s Call Overturned, 1st Time by Expanded Replay

Posted on March 31, 2014

MILWAUKEE (AP) — An umpire’s call has been overturned for the first time under Major League Baseball’s expanded replay system, with Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun ruled out instead of safe.

Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez challenged the sixth-inning play at Miller Park on Monday. Braun was originally called safe at first base by umpire Greg Gibson on an infield single.

The call was reversed to out after a review that lasted 58 seconds.

Minutes later, another call on opening day was overturned in Pittsburgh when a Chicago Cubs runner was eventually ruled out at first base on a pickoff.

Earlier in the day, expanded replay was used for the first time in the majors in the Cubs-Pirates game at PNC Park. That umpire’s call at first base was confirmed.

Former Storm Player, Van Guilder Makes NHL Debut With Nashville

Posted on March 31, 2014

Van Guilder Tri-City Storm Hockey — Mark Van Guilder (Right)

KEARNEY, Neb. – At 30 years young, former Storm forward Mark Van Guilder made his National Hockey League debuton Sunday night with the Nashville Predators and helped the team to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals.

Van Guilder, who donned a Storm sweater for two seasons from 2002-04, became the ninth Tri-City player to make it all the way to the NHL.

Wearing No. 29, Van Guilder earned eight minutes and 27 seconds of ice time in his Preds opener.

The Roseville, Minn. native also becomes the sixth player from the Storm’s 2003-04 Anderson Cup winning team to suit up with an NHL squad.

Tri-City will honor the 10-year anniversary of that Anderson Cup championship team on Saturday night in the regular season finale with Lincoln.

Van Guilder is in his sixth season of professional hockey after playing four years at Notre Dame following his junior hockey career with Tri-City.

The center played in 387 professional games with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals and Hamilton Bulldogs, as well as the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones before getting the call to Nashville.

During two full seasons in Kearney in which he played 119 regular season games, Van Guilder had 28 goals and 30 assists, totaling 58 points. He also had three goals and two assists in 11 postseason contests during the 2004 Clark Cup Playoffs.

Tri-City will head to Des Moines and drop the puck with the Buccaneers at 7:05 p.m. on Friday night before returning home to close the season in Kearney at the Viaero Event Center.

The Storm will look for a win over the Lincoln Stars in their final home game of the season at 7:05 p.m. on Saturdaynight.

Gonzalez’s Single Lifts Tigers over Royals 4-3

Posted on March 31, 2014

DETROIT (AP) — Alex Gonzalez drove in the winning run in his Detroit debut, lining a single to left off Greg Holland in the ninth inning that gave the Tigers a 4-3 opening-day victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday.

Acquired by Detroit following an injury to shortstop Jose Iglesias, Gonzalez made a costly error in Kansas City’s three-run fourth but made up for that with a tying triple in the seventh. He then singled with men on first and third in the ninth.

Joe Nathan (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth in his first appearance for the Tigers.

Wade Davis (0-1) allowed a one-out walk to Alex Avila and a single to Nick Castellanos in the ninth. Holland couldn’t escape the jam.

NPCC Knights Softball Signs Audrie Conner of Gillette, Wyo.

Posted on March 31, 2014

North Platte – The North Platte Community College Softball team announced the signing of a National Letter of Intent by Audrie Conner of Campbell County High School located in Gillette, Wyo. Conner is a short stop and pitcher.

“I decided to attend North Platte Community College because everyone was very welcoming,” said Conner. “It was an all-around fun community and the campus is very, very nice and not too big!”

“I am excited because it’s always been a goal of mine to play at the next level and that what I have been given the opportunity to do! It’s definitely a dream come true!”

“Audrie will bring depth to our pitching staff and our middle infield,” said head coach Janelle Higgins. “She has good movement on her pitches and range in the infield. We will look forward to seeing her in the pitching circle in the fall.”

“Audrie has worked so hard on and off the field for this important goal of hers! To see her reach it, couldn’t make our family more proud! Go Knights!” said Coach Conner, Audrie’s father and coach.

Doug McDermott Leads AP All-America Team

Posted on March 31, 2014

Doug McDermott of Creighton is a unanimous choice for The Associated Press All-America team, the first three-time selection in 29 years.

McDermott is the nation’s leading scorer at 26.9 points a game. The senior is joined on the team Monday by freshman Jabari Parker of Duke and seniors Russ Smith of Louisville, Shabazz Napier of Connecticut and Sean Kilpatrick of Cincinnati.

Smith, Napier and Kilpatrick all played in the first-year American Athletic Conference, the first time a conference had three players on the first team since the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2000-01.

McDermott finished his career with 3,150 points, fifth on the all-time list. He is the 11th three-time AP All-American and the first since Patrick Ewing of Georgetown and Wayman Tisdale of Oklahoma from 1982-85.

Curry, McMurphy Tally Goal And Assist In Win

Posted on March 31, 2014

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm (21-34-3) picked up their first victory of the year over the Sioux City Musketeers (37-18-3) in their sixth and final meeting of the season at the Tyson Events Center on Sunday evening, pulling out a 3-2 win.

Patrick Curry and Ryan McMurphy each scored a goal and an assist, while Hayden Lavigne stopped 29 shots to backstop the Storm to a win in their third game in three nights.

The teams held each other scoreless for the first period, despite Tri-City earning three power play opportunities including a double minor in the opening 20 minutes.

Tri-City struck first in the second when McMurphy found Curry in front of the net for the score. The goal was Curry’s fourth of the season and came just over seven minutes into the middle frame. The second assist on the goal was credited to Storm forward Joey DiBenedetto, his first career USHL point.

Sioux City responded 59 seconds later however, with forward Adam Johnson scoring to tie the game at 1-1.

Later in the period, Chris Wilkie netted his 17th goal of the season, taking a pass from center Conner Valesano and beating Sioux City netminder Collin Olson up high with a shot to the right corner of the net.

Wilkie’s tally put Tri-City up 2-1 heading into the third period.

Right off the opening face-off in the final frame, McMurphy found himself with a quality scoring chance and beat Olson on a wrist shot from the right circle to open up the Storm lead, 3-1. Both Curry and defenseman Kevin Kerr were credited with assists on Tri-City’s third tally of the game.

Musketeer defenseman Jerad Rosburg scored an unassisted goal at 8:24 of the final period, cutting the Storm lead to 3-2, but Sioux City never came any closer.

Lavigne came up with all the saves he needed in the final minutes to win his second game of the weekend.

The Storm have just one final weekend remaining in the regular season and will make the trip to Des Moines to battle the Buccaneers on Friday night before returning home to host Lincoln on Saturday.

Saturday night’s game at the Viaero Event Center will get underway at 7:05 p.m. Tri-City will celebrate Fan Appreciation Night as well as honor the ten-year anniversary of their 2003-04 Anderson Cup championship team.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Nolan Aibel, Drew Mayer, and Kyle Eastman, along with defensemen Cutler Martin, Sean Lang, Tory Dello, Fredric Larsson and goaltender Jacob Johansson…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

(no scoring)

2nd Period

Tri-City – Patrick Curry (Ryan McMurphy, Joey DiBenedetto) 7:10
Sioux City – Adam Johnson (Joe Snively) 8:09
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (Conner Valesano, Daniel Fritz) 15:25

3rd Period

Tri-City – Ryan McMurphy (Patrick Curry, Kevin Kerr) 0:30
Sioux City – Jerad Rosburg (unassisted) 8:24

PENALTIES

1st Period

Sioux City – Avery Peterson – (Tripping), 2 min, 7:39
Sioux City – Tyler Mueller – (High Sticking) (Double Minor), 4 min, 9:50
Tri-City – Patrick Curry – (Roughing), 2 min, 16:21
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Abuse Of Officials) (Misconduct), 10 min, 16:21
Sioux City – Trevor Olson – (Abuse Of Officials) (Misconduct), 10 min, 16:21
Sioux City – Blake Heinrich – (Roughing), 2 min, 20:00
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Roughing), 2 min, 20:00

2nd Period

Tri-City – Dan Labosky – (Hooking), 2 min, 17:24

3rd Period

Sioux City – Garrett Cockerill – (Head Contact), 5 min, 16:51
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (Hooking), 2 min, 18:07

Power Play

Tri-City –0/4

Sioux City – 0/2

Shots

Tri-City: 10, 8, 6, = Total: 24
Sioux City: 8, 10, 13, = Total: 31

Saves

Tri-City – Hayden Lavigne – 29/31
Sioux City – Collin Olson – 21/24

Fearsome Final Foursome Headed to North Texas

Posted on March 30, 2014

The Final Four will not have any upstarts like the past few years.

The power programs that did make it will still have plenty to prove in North Texas.

Florida, the top overall seed, is back in the Final Four for the first time since winning consecutive titles in 2006-07, this time without all those first-round NBA picks.

The Gators will face Connecticut, 2011 national champions who were barred from last year’s bracket because of academics.

Wisconsin has reached the Final Four for the first time under coach Bo Ryan, who is finally going as a coach after taking his late father every year since 1976.

Rounding out the foursome is Kentucky, the preseason No. 1 thought to be out of contention after struggling midseason.

Umps Headed by Kellogg, Vanover Work Replay Room

Posted on March 30, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — Crew chiefs Jeff Kellogg and Larry Vanover head the eight umpires working in Major League Baseball’s replay room for the first eight days of video review.

The league plans to have a pair of four-man crews man the replay room each week at Major League Baseball Advanced Media’s Manhattan office. Brian O’Nora, Dan Bellino and D.J. Reyburn are part of Kellogg’s crew that started its shift Monday night, and Angel Hernandez, Paul Nauert and Adrian Johnson are part of Vanover’s crew.

MLB plans to announce which eight umpires are in the room each week but will not identify which umpire reviews a specific replay.

Royals’ Teaford Sold to Korean Club LG Twins

Posted on March 30, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The rights to Royals left-hander Everett Teaford were sold to the LG Twins of the Korean Baseball Organization after it became clear he was not going to make the team out of spring training.

Terms of the sale Sunday were not disclosed.

The 29-year-old Teaford was 4-6 with a 3.49 ERA in 31 appearances at Triple-A Omaha last season. He made one appearance at the major league level, and is 3-5 with a 4.25 ERA in 45 major league outings with Kansas City.

The Royals have plenty of pitching in the bullpen, and Teaford appeared to be one of the odd men out. He was assigned to minor league camp on March 14.

Kansas City opens the season Monday in Detroit.