Badgers too much for young Americans
After honoring Derek Stepan, John Ramage, Jake Gardiner and assistant coach Mark Osiecki for their gold medal efforts in the World Juniors tournament before Saturday’s game, the Wisconsin men’s hockey team looked at the opposing bench and saw more USA hockey – this time it was the 18 and under version.The Badgers welcomed teenagers loaded with talent and potential to the Kohl center ice as college hockey’s future stars got a chance to take down the no. 4 team in the nation. Interestingly enough, Frankie Simonelli and Michael Mersch, two players on the under-18 roster, will be playing for Wisconsin in the near future.Senior tri-captain Blake Geoffrion played for the U.S. National Team Developmental Program under-18 team earlier in his career and he spoke to his team prior to the game about the mindset the young Americans would be bringing into a D-1 arena.“They know they don’t have a lot of pressure, they’re supposed to lose. They come in loosey-goosey and come in playing hard and see what happens,” Geoffrion said. “That was always the message when we were Team USA. Come in playing hard and you never know what’s going to happen.”But head coach Mike Eaves and his players weren’t about to let an upset occur on their ice, as the Badgers dominated en route to a comfortable 7-1 victory. Eaves knew it was going to be a challenge to get his players motivated for an exhibition game, but his team responded well.“I thought as the game went along, especially in the second period, you could see our competitive edge come out in our guys,” Eaves said. “They were beating us to the puck, they were beating us to the net and that didn’t sit very well with our guys. We just picked it up from that moment on and continued throughout the game.”The Badgers were locked in a tight game with team USA after the first intermission, but UW cranked up the intensity scoring six goals in the final two periods. Geoffrion continued his dominance with the man-advantage, scoring two powerplay goals and fellow senior Michael Davies continued his hot streak scoring two of his own.Brett Bennett got the start in net for the Badgers, his first since suffering a shoulder injury in early December. Scott Gudmandson stepped in admirably winning each of his starts in Bennett’s absence.That turned Saturday’s game into an opportunity for Bennett to make a statement of his own.“I know yesterday in practice that even in the shootout he was really focused,” Eaves said. “I was kind of worried that he would be too wired to play tonight, but he was good early and then he didn’t have much work later on. But he was sharp and that was a good chance for him to get back into it.”With Saturday’s win, the Badgers now have a seven game unbeaten streak as the ready themselves for a tough stretch where UW will take on Colorado College, Denver, and Minnesota Duluth in the coming weeks.“It’s going to be a lot of fun. Three weekends in a row in the WCHA and we’re all looking forward to the challenge,” Geoffrion said. “For us we just got to keep playing hard every night, keep coming together as a team as we work towards our goal of a national championship.”
Holt:There will be plenty of college football games worth watching this bowl season. There will also be plenty of ridiculous bowl sponsorships, creating awkwardly long titles for ESPN’s announcers to have to say a few dozen times. Try saying “The Anheuser-Busch/Sony Playstation 3 Festive Bonanza Bowl,” three times fast, or “Military Bowl Presented by Northrup Grumman.” Then try to figure out which of those two I made up.The BCS National Championship Game stands out, as it might be a triple-double-overtime-to-the-max 154-149 affair that should be wildly entertaining. Obviously the Rose Bowl will have lots of eyes tuning in to Pasadena.But here’s a bowl nobody will watch, one I declare the worst bowl of bowl season: the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl.The bowl doesn’t have the name-power of say, the New Orleans Bowl, which features giants Miami of Ohio and Troy. Instead, it has exponentially greater name-power, featuring historical football powers Nebraska and Washington.We can complain about Washington sneaking in at 6-6, needing a one-touchdown win over 2-10 Washington State in the Apple Cup to become bowl-eligible. Even with touted quarterback Jake Locker, the Huskies average just 200 passing yards a game and 22 points per game.The No. 18 Huskers should roll over the Huskies behind Taylor Martinez and Roy Helu, Jr.But the worst part of this is the fact the Huskers already rolled over the Huskies, a 56-21 demolishing back in September.Locker went 4-for-20 in that game. Nebraska’s defense was impenetrable against a Washington team that really just wasn’t that good – and still isn’t.The Holiday Bowl was required to take the Huskies because the Huskies were the only available Pac-10 team. One thing bowls try very mightily to do when selecting teams is to avoid rematches from years past, let alone ones from the same season.If there are any Washington fans still out there, they might want to avoid this Oklahoma-Connecticut caliber mismatch. Nebraska’s fans might be better off watching the Big Ten bowls to scout next year’s competition, rather than the laugher (part two) that’s bound to occur in San Diego Dec. 30.Fiammetta:So, let’s say Saturday afternoon rolls around, and you’ve got something to do. Shovel the sidewalk or your front lawn. Take the kids to a friend’s house. Entertain your roommates. Drink away finals-induced sorrow. Finally get your holiday shopping done. Whatever.But wait! Saturday afternoon means college football’s on! And it’s December! Bowl season! S*!Well, if you happen to find yourself in this scenario, you better hope it’s Dec. 18. That’s the opening day of the bowl season, where you get such gems as the uDrove Humanitarian Bowl (N. Illinois vs. Fresno State) and the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (Ohio vs. Troy). Forget that neither of those companies means anything to you, and forget that those four teams suck – though Wisconsin does play N. Illinois next year, at Solider Field, no less.But, without further ado, let me introduce you to the New Mexico Bowl: the worst bowl game of 2010. In this matchup – aptly named after probably the worst team in the nation, the 1-11 New Mexico Lobos, you get two 6-6 squads from the Conference USA and Mountain West: UTEP and BYU. The UTEP Miners failed to strike gold (pun totally intended) this season, finishing 3-5 and tied for fourth in the C-USA West. The BYU Cougars, meanwhile, finished in a three-way tie for third in the MWC at 5-3.Add to the fact that the Cougars will probably crush the Miners, and you’ve got a great day to actually get out of the house. Heck, go buy Mom that iPod she thinks she wants but you know she’ll never use.BYU’s leading rusher and receiver is named JJ Di Luigi, so that’s kind of a cool name. He’s got 819 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the year, as well as 42 catches for 422 yards and a touchdown. UTEP doesn’t really have any cool names among their top performers. That’s a shame.To make matters worse, there probably won’t even be a lot of points scored in this game. BYU has given up only 21.4 points per game, good for 32nd (32nd!) in the nation. UTEP, meanwhile, only surrenders 25.4 points per game. But, hey, if you’re looking for a 17-10 thriller between the most mediocre two of the nation’s weakest conferences have to offer, then this is your game. Sorry Mom, no iPod!
Allen Crabbe is California’s best shooter, a player who can deliver big shots from the arc with a shooting form that’s considered close to perfect.He’s the Pac-12 Player of the Year for good reason. The junior swingman averages 18.7 points per game, and is shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from the arc. He’s going to be the player Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense places a lot of focus on when the Orange plays the Golden Bears in the third round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday at 9:40 p.m.Crabbe scored at least 20 points in 14 of the Golden Bears’ games during the regular season.Syracuse is going to have to close out on Crabbe to make sure he doesn’t any get any good looks. Once he starts knocking down shots, he’s capable to go on a roll and torment the Orange’s defense.Crabbe is widely expected to declare for the NBA Draft once California’s season ends, so he’s certainly going to do everything he can to keep the Golden Bears alive in the NCAA Tournament.AdvertisementThis is placeholder textBasically, he’s going to look to play like he did so often during the season.Here’s a look at some of Crabbe’s best games this season:Date Opponent FG-FGA 3FG-3FGA Pts.11/13 Pepperdine 10-18 4-7 3311/25 Pacific 9-16 1-4 2412/2 Wisconsin 8-15 2-5 2512/22 Prairie View A&M 8-11 3-4 231/5 USC 9-12 1-3 271/24 Utah 8-15 4-6 232/10 Arizona 12-15 4-7 312/17 USC 8-16 5-11 232/28 Utah 5-12 4-9 153/6 Stanford 8-15 2-5 243/21 UNLV 7-15 1-4 19 Comments Published on March 22, 2013 at 5:02 pm Contact Chris: cjiseman@syr.edu | @chris_iseman Facebook Twitter Google+
Scott Shafer made a mistake. That much is certain. Yelling out, “F*ck you, Dabo, you motherf*cker,” to Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was out of line. Shafer was the first to admit his wrongdoing. “I said a few things out there today that I feel bad about,” Shafer said in his postgame interview.And after listening to his entire spiel, it’s evident that he really did regret his choice words. The spat shouldn’t be viewed as a big deal because frankly, it’s not. Swinney’s questionable call shouldn’t be blown out of proportion, either. Swinney opted to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the Syracuse 5-yard line. The Tigers already held a commanding 35-7 lead and a mere 14 seconds remained in the first half.AdvertisementThis is placeholder textA field goal was the simple choice. But Swinney rarely keeps it simple. Syracuse held Clemson out of the end zone, but Shafer’s choice words went viral within minutes. The social media reaction is fine. That’s bound to happen in the 21st century. The fact that reporters wrote about it is fine, too. It’s something people care about, and it’s honestly rather humorous. But what shouldn’t happen is people questioning Shafer’s ultra intensity, or Swinney’s aggressive play calling.Going for it on fourth down fits into Clemson’s creative, “run-up-the-score” approach. Shafer’s fire fits seamlessly into the hard-nosed image he’s trying to infuse into the program.That’s just who Shafer is. He’s a hard-nosed motherf*cker. Everything he does revolves around intensity. Even his press conferences are intense. His visor tosses aren’t for show. He probably goes through three of those things a week at the rate they’re hitting the ground.It’s all genuine. Shafer’s wife Missy Shafer said her husband is extremely passionate and dedicated to everything he does. He cares about his family, his players and the image of Syracuse football. It was a mistake, but to err is human, and Shafer is the human’s human.He’s a person driven by the values of family — both his team and his actual family — so he knows the importance of setting a good example. He cares too much about everyone around him and the message he gives off to let a similar situation unfold again.That doesn’t mean what Shafer did was OK. It was worth all the Vines and tweets and warranted a post-game apology. But the fun should stop here because it is excusable. Shafer mentioned that when he played basketball or football as a kid, he used to say similar things. We’ve all been there. The intensity of sports brings out the best in people, but it also brings out the worst. It’s the nature of competition. Our playbook of spiteful, cockamamie insults is always expanding.Shafer realizes that what he did was childish, though. It’s important to squelch the emotion and refrain from making a mistake. He really gets that.It would be a shock if something similar happened again, so this really isn’t a big deal and shouldn’t be treated as such.As for Swinney’s play call, that’s excusable, too. It makes sense that Shafer was fuming. His team was already down by 28 and Swinney was trying to push the lead to 35? That seems silly and over the top, but it’s really not. With Clemson’s vast weaponry, and Tajh Boyd under center, going for it on fourth-and-5 isn’t ludicrous. In fact, it’s actually pretty savvy. The Tigers were 6-of-9 on fourth down this season entering Saturday’s game. Boyd’s completion percentage is 66.0. That’s nasty. The Clemson offense is disgustingly good. It shouldn’t be looked at as running up the score. It should be looked at as a crafty strategy. Neither Shafer nor Swinney is to blame long-term for their actions on Saturday.Shafer handled the situation with class. He addressed the issue right away. He didn’t wait for a reporter to ask the question and he didn’t beat around the bush. Shafer owned up to the mistake and said he meant no harm in the comment.He didn’t. As vulgar as the insult itself was, it doesn’t need to be discussed any further. Comments Published on October 7, 2013 at 12:31 am Facebook Twitter Google+
StumbleUpon Share Submit Related Articles Share Svenska Spel becomes 2020 eHockey Championship sponsor August 18, 2020 Svenska Spel delivers on social mandate despite COVID-19 impacts July 20, 2020 Spelinspektionen reminds operators of AML responsibilities July 2, 2020 Online payments specialist Trustly has launched Trustly Live, a brand new solution bringing instant cashless payments to land-based casinos and sportsbooks.Now that consumers are increasingly using less cash in their everyday lives, Trustly Live – the company’s first product built specifically for land-based gaming – is there to help operators keep up with this changing behaviour.For example, only 13% of consumers in Sweden – where Trustly’s Pay N Play has become an industry standard – reported using cash for a recent purchase according to a national survey. This is down from around 40% in 2010.One of the key advantages of a sportsbook or casino going ‘cashless’ is that cash handling, which should be a free commodity to receive, can typically cost up to 5% for a business.With Trustly Live, which can be integrated as a deposit method at tables, cash redemption terminals (CRTs) and the cashier’s cage, players can scan a Trustly QR code with their smartphone to instantly deposit funds from their online bank account. Therefore, operators can lower cash handling costs while catering to the preferences of their players. Additionally, Trustly Live can strengthen KYC and AML checks, ultimately helping to enhance the trackability of players and meet increasingly strict regulatory requirements.Samuel Barrett, Director of Gaming at Trustly, said: “The launch of Trustly Live will help land-based operators thrive in today’s increasingly cashless economies. “Cash handling is expensive, unsafe and, frankly, outdated. Consumers are already adopting safer and more convenient ways to pay and Trustly is excited to be bringing innovation to the land-based gaming world by helping operators keep pace with their players’ preferences.”Trustly Live is already live with Cherry Spelglädje in 45 locations in Sweden and plans to expand across Europe in the coming months.Keep your eyes peeled for a comprehensive interview about Trustly Live with Samuel Barrett. It will be live from tomorrow morning (10:30 BST) on SBC News.
AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to FacebookFacebookShare to TwitterTwitterShare to MoreAddThisALPENA, Mich. — The Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library will be hosting the annual friends of Alpena used book sale next week. The event will offer a collection of mainly books, but also audiobooks, board games, CDs, DVDs, and vinyl records.Director of the library, Eric Magness–Eubank, is encouraging people to donate their old books that might be taking up room on their shelves. “If you no longer have a good use for them, your books will find their way to a good home, to someone who wants them,” he said.The full schedule is listed below:AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to FacebookFacebookShare to TwitterTwitterShare to MoreAddThis Tags: Alpena LibraryContinue ReadingPrevious Meijer Donates $50,000 to Thunder Bay River CenterNext Paid parking could be coming to downtown Alpena
Dodgers player Kike Hernandez, a native of Puerto Rico, and his fiancee Mariana Vicente raised $225,000 to bolster the team’s $2 million donation to Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico to help rebuild the hurricane-ravaged island. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers announced a $2 million donation today to Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico to help fund construction of homes on the hurricane-ravaged island.Dodger utility player Kike Hernandez, a native of Puerto Rico, and his fiancee Mariana Vicente added $225,000 they collected in a pair of fundraising efforts to the gift.“It’s been more than six months since Hurricane Maria’s devastating effects on Puerto Rico and with so much work still to be done, the Dodgers want to do our part to help with the island’s rebuilding and recovery efforts,” said Dodger owner/Chairman Mark Walter. “Kike and Mariana have been such strong advocates for Puerto Rico and we want to join their families and loved ones in helping repair the community and work towards a return to normalcy.”The donation is expected to be used to rehabilitate homes in five counties and building new homes in the city of Guayama, according to the team. “Puerto Rico is such a special place, and I’d like to thank mark and the entire Dodger organization for their support and help in rebuilding our homeland following these natural disasters,” Hernandez said. “This donation will provide housing assistance for many families, but there’s a long way to go and many people that still need our help.” Newsroom GuidelinesNews TipsContact UsReport an Error
CORALVILLE — Officials say an inmate who arrived at the state prison intake center last Thursday is the first state prisoner to have a confirmed case of coronavirus.An Iowa Department of Corrections news release indicates the man is under the age of 41 and was transferred into the state prison system from Henry County on a drug conviction. All inmates are being placed in quarantine when they arrive at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center. This inmate soon began showing COVID-19 symptoms, he was tested and by Saturday night he was described in “stable” condition.Contact tracing is underway to determine which staff and other prisoners may have been around the inmate, who is now in isolation and monitored by staff around the clock.A correctional officer at the same facility in Coralville got sick at work on April 8th later tested positive for COVID-19, Last weekend, officials said the employee is recovering in self-isolation at home.
Caption: Ashleigh is pictured with the Abraham Trophy (image © Leaderboard Photography) England’s Ashleigh Critchley has claimed her second title in a week with an eight shot victory in the Scottish U14 girls’ open championship.She was five-under par for 36-holes at Murrayfield and adds this to her win in the final of England Golf’s Abraham Trophy, contested by the country’s most improved girl players.Critchley, from Kettering in Northamptonshire, was two-under par gross in that final at Lyme Regis, Dorset. Her net score of six-under 68 won the Abraham by a single shot. The 13-year-old is also the Northamptonshire girls’ champion.In the Scottish U14s she set up her win with her first round of five-under 68, which included a bogey free back nine of six-under 31 – with five consecutive birdies from the 10th. An 18th hole birdie sealed her score and in the second round she added level par 73.Critchley said: “It feels really good to get the win, it was a great event to play in here at Murrayfield. I struck the ball really well both days and delighted with my score.”She finished ahead of another English girl, Rachel Gourley (Arcot Hall, Northumbrland), who tied fourth in the recent English U14 championship.The U12 titles in both the Scottish girls’ and boys’ championships also went to English players: Chiara Noja (Sandy Lodge, Hertfordshire) and Daniel Hayes (Bramhall, Cheshire). 15 Aug 2018 England’s Ashleigh wins Scottish U14 title 
Tags: Murrayfield, Scottish, U14
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has extended a condolence message to her German counterpart, Mr. Joachime Gauck, the government and people of the Federal Republic of Germany, following the death of Mr. Hans-Dietrich Genscher, former Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor.Mr. Genscher (March 21, 1927–March 31, 2016) served as Minister of the Interior from 1969 to 1974, and as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor from 1974 to 1992 (except for a two-week break in 1982), making him the longest – serving occupant of either post. In 1991 he was chairman of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). According to a Foreign Ministry release, President Sirleaf recalled the bond of friendship that subsisted between the late Mr. Genscher and Mr. C. Cecil Dennis, the late former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liberia, which strengthened the ties of friendship and reinforced the collaboration between both countries.“We also recall with appreciation the pivotal role and invaluable financial contribution from the Federal Government to Liberia toward the hosting of the 16th OAU Summit in Monrovia, in July 1979,” President Sireaf indicated.President Sirleaf said, “At the time of national mourning, please be assured of Liberia’s empathy with the people of the German Federation and wish that they will receive divine consolation.”Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)