March 6, 2026 4:26 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ryan McLeod and Alex Tuch scored short-handed goals and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1. McLeod now has a league-best five short-handed goals this season. Josh Norris added a power-play goal, Owen Power scored and Mattias Samuelsson scored an empty-net goal for the Sabres, who won their fifth straight game. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 26 shots for the Sabres. Bryan Rust scored a short-handed goal for the Penguins, who lost consecutive games in regulation for the first time since Jan. 10-11. Arturs Silovs made 21 saves.
March 6, 2026 4:25 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins Evgeni Malkin was given a major penalty for slashing Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin early in the second period Thursday night. Malkin was ejected from the game with the major penalty, and both players were called for cross-checking at 38 seconds of the period. Josh Norris scored on the power play at 4:10 to give the Sabres a 2-1 lead. Alex Tuch added a short-handed goal at 6:18, and Owen Power made it 4-1 with 9:30 to go in the period. The 39-year-old Malkin has been suspended twice in his NHL career, one game for high-sticking Philadelphia’s Michael Raffl in February 2019, and four games in April 2022 for cross-checking Nashville’s Mark Borowiecki.
March 6, 2026 4:27 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers have released tight end Jonnu Smith. Smith was acquired in a trade with Miami ahead of last season, but he couldn’t replicate the success he enjoyed in 2024 with the Dolphins. Smith had 38 catches for 222 yards and two touchdowns for the Steelers while rushing nine times for 70 yards. A year earlier, Smith had career highs of 88 catches, 884 yards and eight TDs. The Steelers also have Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington at tight end.
March 5, 2026 12:01 am
The PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships open Thursday morning in Hershey. For the 77th consecutive year, WJPA will bring home the action, specifically highlighting the Washington & Greene County qualifiers. You can listen on-air on WJPA-AM (1450) or online. Listen Here There are 12 qualifiers from the two-county area in 2A boys, 14 in the girls tournament and 11 in the 3A boys brackets.
2A Boys qualifiers: Bentworth Owen Ivcic, Drake McClure; Beth-Center Noah Layhue, Malachi Peak, Mason Wright; Burgettstown Carter Katus; Jeff-Morgan Brayden Hanning, Alek Palko; McGuffey Lucas Barr, Victor Bonus; Wash High Caleb Patton; West Greene Colin Whyte.
Girls qualifiers: Avella Abigail Dolanch, Gabriella Dolanch; Burgettstown Raya Sentipal; Canon-McMillan Yuni Ayala, Audrey Calgaro, Araceli Clem, Alaya Henderson, Malia Ramos, Marlee Solomon; Fort Cherry Brookelyn McClain, Ella Trahan; Peters Township Liliana Giulianelli; Ringgold Mia Scalise; West Greene Josie Mason.
3A Boys qualifiers: Canon-McMillan Dakota Carmona, Brayden Collins, Bryce Collins, Lee Dreshman, Jon Emma, Aidan Finnigan, Collier Hartman; Ringgold Evan Tolliver; Trinity Com Canali, Jackson Hoy, Parker Jennings.
Thursday–2A Boys 10 of the 12 original qualifiers from the two-county area are still alive, including four quarterfinalists: Lucas Barr (McGuffey), Drake McClure (Bentworth), Noah Layhue (Beth-Center, Colin Whyte (West Greene). Two qualifiers lost twice and have been eliminated: Carter Katus (Burgettstown), Caleb Patton (Wash High). 2A Boys action resumes Friday morning at 8 am.
Thursday–Girls Four first-round winners have advanced to Friday’s quarterfinals: Araceli Clem (Canon-McMillan), Raya Sentipal (Burgettstown), Marlee Solomon (Canon-McMillan) and Liliana Giulianelli (Peters Township). Thanks to a strong showing the first consolation round (8-2), only two of the original 14 girls from Washington/Greene Counties have been eliminated: Gabriella Dolanch (Avella) and Mia Scalise (Ringgold). Girls action resumes late Friday morning.
Thursday–3A Boys Five of the 11 qualifiers have advanced to the quarterfinals: Lee Dreshman (Canon-McMillan), Parker Jennings (Trinity), Dom Canali (Trinity), Collier Hartman (Canon-McMillan) and Bryce Collins (Canon-McMillan). Four other wrestlers from the two-county area remain alive in the consolation brackets. Canon-McMillan teammates Jon Emma & Dakota Carmona lost twice and were eliminated.
Thursday: Listen Here
2A Boys Preliminaries & First Round + Consolation Round 1 (archives posted)
Girls First Round + Consolation Round 1 (archive posted)
4:45 pm 3A Boys Preliminaries & First Round + Consolation Round 1 (archives posted)
Friday: Listen Here
7:50 am 2A Boys Quarterfinals + Consolation Rounds 2-3
11:35 am Girls Quarterfinals + Consolation Round 2
2:05 pm 3A Boys Quarterfinals + Consolation Rounds 2-3
6:50pm 2A Boys, Girls, 3A Boys Semifinals + Consolation Rounds
Saturday: Listen Here
9:20 am 2A Boys, Girls, 3A Boys Consolation Semifinals
11:20 am 2A Boys, Girls, 3A Boys Consolation Medal Bouts (3rd Place, 5th Place, 7th Place)
3:50 pm 2A Boys, Girls, 3A Boys Championship Finals
March 5, 2026 12:18 pm
Andrew McCutchen won’t be returning to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2026. McCutchen and the Texas Rangers have agreed to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training, as first reported by Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The agreement is pending a physical. McCutchen’s deal with the Rangers solidifies a rocky end to his second stint in Pittsburgh. The 39-year-old, who spent the last three seasons in Pittsburgh after first returning to his original organization in 2023, made several posts on social media in recent weeks after it was clear the Pirates were heading in a different direction. McCuctchen, who had served as the Pirates primary designated hitter since returning, slashed .239/.333/.367 with 22 doubles, 13 home runs and 57 RBI in 135 games last season. It was once assumed that McCutchen, a fan favorite and the face of the Pirates in the 21st century, would end his career in Pittsburgh, the city in which he’s established his permanent residence. But in the end that was not the case.
March 5, 2026 4:28 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chauncey Wiggins scored 18 points with the help of 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range and Lajae Jones scored 18 points, and Florida State withstood Pittsburgh’s rally to beat the Panthers 75-74 on Wednesday night. Robert McCray V scored 14 points for Florida State (16-14, 9-8 ACC) which shot 48% (28 of 58). Barry Dunning Jr. scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, reserve Nojus Indrusaitis scored 17 points, Cameron Cohren 14 and Damarco Minor scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Pitt (11-19, 4-13).
March 5, 2026 4:30 am
Lou Holtz, the College Football Hall of Fame coach who led Notre Dame to a national championship and won 249 games over 33 seasons at six schools, has died. He was 89. Notre Dame announced on Wednesday that Holtz died in Orlando, Florida, surrounded by his family. Spokeswoman Katy Lonergan said a cause of death was not provided by the family. Holtz became the first and so far only coach to lead six different teams to bowl games during a career in which he compiled a record of 249-132-7. At Notre Dame, he went 100-30-2 in 11 seasons.
March 5, 2026 4:32 am
The New England Patriots have informed wide receiver Stefon Diggs that he’ll be released when the new league year begins next week, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced its intention. Diggs posted a goodbye on social media, thanking the Patriots for the season. Diggs led the team with 85 receptions and 1,013 yards receiving with four touchdowns in his only season in New England, helping the Patriots reach the Super Bowl.
March 4, 2026 4:31 am
BOSTON (AP) — Marat Khusnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt scored less than a minute apart early in the first period and the Boston Bruins held on for a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh’s Erik Karlsson scored just 42 seconds into the game, but Khusnutdinov tied it at 1-1 when he snapped the puck high inside the far post past Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner at 5:10 of the first. Mittelstadt scored 50 seconds later when gathered in the rebound of Nikita Zadorov’s shot and fired past a diving Skinner. Skinner had 26 saves. Boston’s Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves.
March 4, 2026 4:32 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh has fired women’s basketball coach Tory Verdi. Panthers athletic director Allen Greene announced the decision after the Panthers missed the ACC tournament following an 8-23 record, including a 1-17 mark in conference play. The move came weeks after former Pitt players filed a lawsuit against Verdi and the university, alleging they were subject to Verdi’s abusive coaching practices and the school did nothing to stop him. The university has denied the allegations. Verdi went 29-66 in three seasons with the Panthers.
