Sports – Page 595 – North Platte Post Archive

St. Pat’s, Sutherland Will Meet in 1st Round of Girls State Tournament

Posted on March 1, 2014March 1, 2014

The 2014 Nebraska School Activities Association Girls State Tournament Brackets were released Saturday morning and the two area schools competing in D1 will face each other in the first round.

The Sutherland Lady Sailors (20-5) and the St. Patrick’s Lady Irish (20-4) will meet at 9:00 am on Thursday, March 6 at Lincoln North Star High School. The Lady Sailors, which won the district, are the No. 6 seed and the Lady Irish are the No. 3 seed. The seeding for all NSAA events are based upon the NSAA points system. St. Pat’s has the higher point total with 45.5000, while Sutherland has 45.1200.

The two teams met three times this season with the Lady Irish winning the first two contests, 34-30 at SPHS and 45-31 in the SPVA Tournament. The third time proved to be a charm for the Lady Sailors as they upset top-seeded St. Pat’s 43-28 in the D1-11 Subdistrict finals. Only four players scored in the game for Sutherland, but they were all in double-figures with Sam Staggs scoring 12 points to lead the way.

The girls state tournament will be held in Lincoln and run from Thursday, March 6 through Saturday, March 8. The first round for Class D1 is being played at Lincoln North Star High School. The second round is at the Bob Devany Sports Center and the finals will be played at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The bracket for Class D1 can be seen below along with the brackets for all classifications.

2014 Girls Basketball State Tournament

Storm Fall In Lincoln, 5-3

Posted on March 1, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm (18-28-2) took a one-goal lead into the third period, but allowed three consecutive scores in the final frame and fell 5-3 to the Lincoln Stars (17-22-7) at the Ice Box on Friday night.

Austin Poganski and Nick Hutchison each scored shorthanded goals for Tri-City in the loss, while Dan Labosky scored his sixth goal of the season.

The Stars took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a power play goal by Magnus Hoff at 9:12.

Tri-City then took another penalty, as forward Cody Milan skated to the box for high sticking. During that penalty kill, the Storm scored twice and took a 2-1 lead.

Both tallies came on breakaways. Poganski got his after winning a race to a loose puck on a face-off in his own zone, while Hutchison made Lincoln pay for a turnover while moving up ice. Stars’ goalie Michael Bitzer tried to fire a pass up towards the Storm end while Tri-City was changing, but a deflection had the puck go right to Hutchison, who was in all alone.

With their new lead, Tri-City expanded their advantage when Labosky found a rebound in front to make it 3-1 at 16:11of the opening period. Forward Kyle Eastman moved the puck up ice and into a scoring area between the circles in the Lincoln end. After an initial save by Bitzer, Labosky swept the rebound home and the Storm we up two goals 20 minutes in.

The Stars got back in the game during the second when Brandon Smith scored during a five-on-three power play advantage, cutting the Storm lead to 3-2.

Tri-City had two power play chances later in the middle period, but failed to capitalize and headed to the third while clinging to a one-goal lead.

After neither team scored in the first half of the final frame, Lincoln made their opportunities count, scoring three times to secure the win.

Dominick Sacco tied the game at 11:06 of the third, scoring off a pass from Hoff. It was Sacco’s third goal in the last two meetings between the teams.

Lincoln took the lead three minutes later when Hoff scored his second of the game, and sealed the victory in the final minute on a goal by leading scorer John Simonson.

Storm netminder Jacob Johansson finished with 26 saves, while Bitzer fended off 29 shots.

Tri-City is back at home on Saturday night to face the Fargo Force at 7:05 p.m. The Storm will finish the weekend on Sunday afternoon in another tilt with Fargo, which gets underway at 3:05.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Joey DiBenedetto and Nolan Aibel, along with defensemen Cutler Martin, Daniel Fritz, Sean Lang and Tory Dello…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Lincoln – Magnus Hoff (power play) (Blake Christiensen, Zach Frye) 9:12
Tri-City – Austin Poganski (shorthanded) (unassisted) 10:00

Tri-City – Nick Hutchison (shorthanded) (unassisted) 10:47

Tri-City – Dan Labosky (Kyle Eastman) 16:11

2nd Period

Lincoln – Brandon Smith (power play) (David Parrottino) 5:33

3rd Period
Lincoln – Dominick Sacco (Magnus Hoff, Zack Pittman) 11:06
Lincoln – Magnus Hoff (Brandon Smith, David Parrottino) 14:06
Lincoln – John Simonson (Brandon Smith, Tom Marchin) 19:13

PENALTIES

1st Period
Lincoln – Zach Frye – (Head Contact), 2 min, 7:00
Tri-City – Conner Valesano – (Interference), 2 min, 7:14
Tri-City – Cody Milan – (High Sticking), 2 min, 9:34
Tri-City – Bench Minor – (Too Many Men), 2 min, 13:24

2nd Period

Tri-City – Patrick Curry – (Slashing), 2 min, 4:38
Tri-City – Dan Labosky – (Roughing), 2 min, 5:25
Lincoln – Hunter Anderson – (Checking From Behind), 2 min, 10:49
Lincoln – Hunter Anderson – (Checking From Behind) (Game Misconduct), 10 min, 10:49
Lincoln – Connor Frantti – (Elbowing), 2 min, 14:33
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Fighting), 5 min, 19:52
Lincoln – Magnus Hoff – (Fighting), 5 min, 19:52

3rd Period

Lincoln – Zach Frye – (Delay of Game), 2 min, 5:11
Tri-City – Kyle Eastman – (Delay of Game), 2 min, 5:11
Lincoln – David Parrottino – (Slashing), 2 min, 15:48

Power Play

Tri-City – 0/4
Lincoln – 2/5

Shots

Tri-City: 12, 14, 6 = Total: 32
Lincoln: 12, 12, 7 = Total: 31

Saves

Tri-City – Jacob Johansson – 26/31
Lincoln – Michael Bitzer – 29/32

NFL Salary Cap Set at Record $133 Million

Posted on February 28, 2014February 28, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL’s salary cap for this season has been set at $133 million, the highest amount in league history.

Each team must be compliant with the cap number by March 11, when the league’s free agency period begins. The cap amount announced Friday, which applies to active players’ salaries, is up from $123 million last season and surpasses the previous high of $127,997,000 in 2009.

NFL teams can carry over unused salary cap room from the previous league year, and the NFLPA says in a release Friday that the average carryover for those teams that elected to do so was $6.1 million.

The league’s salary cap is calculated by taking a percentage of all projected NFL revenues, subtracting projected benefits for the season, and dividing by 32 teams.

Nebraska Coach Pelini Goes Over $3 Million in Pay

Posted on February 28, 2014February 28, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini is crossing the $3 million threshold in annual salary.

According to terms of Pelini’s contract signed in 2012, he’ll receive a $100,000 raise on Saturday. That will take his annual salary from $2.975 million to $3.075 million.

Pelini is 57-24 in six seasons at Nebraska. Former athletic director Tom Osborne extended Pelini’s contract through February 2018 before he retired in December 2012.

Raises were announced for two other Big Ten football coaches this week. Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio will earn $3.64 million in annual compensation under a new six-year contract after being paid $1.99 million last year. Minnesota’s Jerry Kill is making $2.1 million, up from $1.2 million, after having his contract extended a year.

NPCC Knights Softball Lose Three at Irish Dome Winter Classic

Posted on February 28, 2014

Rosemount, MN – The North Platte Community College softball team (2-3) traveled to Rosemount, Minn. on Sunday to compete in the Irish Dome Winter Classic on Monday. The Knights played back-to-back-to-back games, losing to Marshalltown Community College 6-7, Iowa Lakes Community College 5-7 and Iowa Central Community College 2-8. All games were five innings and placed on a time limit.

In the first game against Marshalltown, Shannon Lieber was the starting pitcher. She pitched 4.9 innings, giving up only two hits and five runs. Katharine Savolt took the loss as she gave up two hits and two runs. Brooke Wakefield led the Knights at the plate with two hits, while Sydney Standage scored two runs for the Knights.

Against Iowa Lakes, Rylee Murphy was the starting pitcher and pitched the entire game. Murphy gave up six hits and seven runs. Britlee Anderson had three hits for the Knights, while Wakefield had two with three RBIs and Soliel Atenza had two hits and one RBI.

In the final game of the day for the Lady Knights, Murphy pitched the first two innings and Lieber pitched the final three. Murphy gave up five hits and two runs, while Lieber gave up seven hits and six runs. Anderson, Wakefield, Savolt and Lexi Bryant each had a hit for the Knights.

“We didn’t get the outcome we wanted,” said head coach Janelle Higgins. “It is hard when you are on a time limit and once time is up the game is over. It was a good learning experience for us, it showed our team we have to be focused from the start and not get relaxed once we score because we won’t always have seven innings to make a comeback.”

The tournament in Garden City scheduled for this weekend has been cancelled due to the weather. The Lady Knights first home games scheduled for Thursday, March 6 and Friday, March 7 with Williston State College have been postponed with a date yet to be set. The Knights return to action on March 10 when they travel to Phoenix, Ariz. to take on South Mountain Community College.

Pierce Scores 18, Nets Rebound in Rout of Nuggets

Posted on February 28, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Paul Pierce scored 18 points and the Brooklyn Nets rebounded from their worst loss in 11 years by routing the slumping Denver Nuggets 112-89 on Thursday night.

Joe Johnson, Marcus Thornton, and Mason Plumlee each added 10 points for the Nets, who snapped a six-game losing streak in Denver. The Nets hadn’t won in the Mile High City since a 112-102 victory on Jan. 27, 2007.

Randy Foye had 15 points to lead Denver, which has lost four in a row and nine of 10.

Brooklyn’s 7-foot center Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player appearing in his third game since being signed to a 10-day contract, was given a round of applause from the crowd when he entered the game for the first time with 8:02 left. Collins finished with three points.

No. 16 Nebraska Holds off Illinois 72-65

Posted on February 27, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Jordan Hooper, a Nebraska native and lone senior on the roster, scored 29 points on Senior Night as the No. 16 Cornhuskers held off Illinois 72-65 Thursday for their ninth-straight win.

Tear’a Laudermill added 15 points, Emily Cady had 10 points with 12 rebounds and Rachel Theriot had 10 assists for the Cornhuskers (22-5, 12-3 Big Ten).

Amber Moore had 19 points for Illinois (9-19, 2-13). Ivory Crawford added 13 points and 10 rebounds and Taylor Gleason had 13.

Nebraska, which led 38-31 at the half, had a tough time shaking Illinois, though after the Illini tied it at 40 the Huskers built a 60-51 lead.

After Moore’s 3-pointer pulled Illinois within two with 3:03 left, Sarah Livingston missed two free throws. After Laudermill made two, Crawford missed two more. Illinois was 3-10 from the line but made 10 3’s. Nebraska also had 10 but was 14-17 from the line.

Rockies LHP Aquino Hit in Head by Liner, Walks Off

Posted on February 27, 2014February 27, 2014

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Colorado Rockies pitcher Jayson Aquino has been taken to a hospital for tests after being hit in the head by a line drive during an intrasquad game.

The left-hander didn’t go down and was able to walk off the field Thursday after Rafael Ynoa’s liner hit him just above the ear.

Asked whether Aquino may have sustained a concussion, manager Walt Weiss called it a “possibility.”

The 21-year-old Aquino is on Colorado’s 40-man roster. The Dominican Republic native made 10 starts for Class A Asheville at the end of last season, going 0-9 with a 4.78 ERA.

NCAA OK with Dayton Playing in First Four at Home

Posted on February 27, 2014

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Every March, the University of Dayton hosts the NCAA’s First Four, four games over two days which open the annual 68-team extravaganza.

What would happen if one of those eight teams was the host Flyers?

As it turns out, the NCAA doesn’t have a problem with the long-shot possibility of Dayton playing on its home court.

NCAA selection committee chair Ron Wellman says there are always partisan crowds in the NCAA tournament, even though teams don’t play on their home floor anymore. So it’s no big deal.

For his part, Flyers coach Archie Miller says his team is willing to travel the half mile to its own arena or even to Russia — as long as it’s in the field.

Royals Agree with 10 Players on 1-Year Contracts

Posted on February 27, 2014

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Royals have agreed to terms with 10 players not yet eligible for arbitration on major league contracts, including outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson.

Kansas City also agreed Thursday to deals with left-handers Francisley Bueno, Chris Dwyer, Donnie Joseph and John Lamb; right-handers Yordano Ventura and Michael Mariot; and infielders Pedro Ciriaco and Christian Colon.

The flurry of agreements leaves just three players unsigned for the 2014 season: left-hander Danny Duffy, infielder Johnny Giavotella and outfielder Carlos Peguero.

If deals can’t be reached with pre-arbitration players, contracts can be renewed at the club’s discretion provided they meet a series of salary criteria.