Ducks Score Late Short-Handed Goal To Beat Pens

October 31, 2023 4:32 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mason McTavish scored a short-handed goal with 11.9 seconds to play and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Pittsburgh was on a two-man advantage for 1:49 at the end of the third period because of a tripping call on McTavish and a separate delay of game penalty. Adam Henrique intercepted a Penguins’ pass and pushed it to McTavish, who beat Tristan Jarry on a breakaway. It was McTavish’s second of the game and fifth of the season. McTavish and Strome are both on five-game point streaks.

NFL; Rookie Gibbs Leads Lions Over Raiders

October 31, 2023 4:36 am

DETROIT (AP) — Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs ran for a season-high 152 yards and a touchdown, Jared Goff threw for 272 yards with a score, and the Detroit Lions beat the Las Vegas Raiders 26-14. The NFC North-leading Lions stalled on three early drives, settling for field goals, before Goff threw an 18-yard strike to rookie Sam LaPorta to put them ahead 16-7 late in the first half. Goff threw a pick-6 to Marcus Peters early in the third quarter, allowing Las Vegas to pull within two points. But Detroit went back ahead by two scores on Gibbs’ 27-yard touchdown run. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for just 126 yards for the Raiders.

Rangers Take 2-1 Lead In World Series

October 31, 2023 4:35 am

PHOENIX (AP) — Corey Seager launched a two-run homer and made a slick defensive play in the eighth inning to start a crucial double play, Max Scherzer combined with four relievers for a gem on the mound and the Texas Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series. Texas overcame injuries to Scherzer (pictured)  and slugger Adolis García in improving to 9-0 on the road this postseason, this time in front of more than 48,000 fans at Chase Field. The 29-year-old Seager once again showed he was worth every penny of his $325 million contract on the game’s biggest stage. Game 4 is Tuesday in Arizona.

Police In England Investigate Death Of Hockey Player

October 31, 2023 4:29 am

SHEFFIELD, England (AP) — South Yorkshire Police are investigating the death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson after his neck was cut by a skate blade in an English game. The police have urged the public to avoid speculation about the incident. The English governing body has reacted by making all ice hockey players wear neck guards from the start of 2024. Johnson was playing for the Nottingham Panthers at the Sheffield Steelers when he suffered the skate cut in a Champions Cup game. Johnson was a 29-year-old Minnesota native. He appeared in 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

WPIAL Soccer, Volleyball Oct. 30

October 31, 2023 2:07 am

WPIAL soccer playoffs hit the semifinal round Monday with matches including all three Washington County teams still in the running. Canon-McMillan got a goal from Abbey Ault late in regulation but North Allegheny scored 22 seconds into overtime to eliminate the Big Macs girls squad. The Bentworth boys flipped that script as Ryan Moessner scored early in the game, Burrell tied the match late in regulation and Moessner tallied the golden goal off the post in overtime, sending the Bearcats to Friday’s WPIAL championship game for the first time ever. Charleroi boys’ match also needed overtime but Arlo McIntyre’s penalty kick won it for the Cougars, setting up a third meeting between the section foes.  The Cougars won the regular season meetings 2-0 and 2-1. The county is down to one volleyball team as Canon-McMillan travels to Fox Chapel Wednesday night for a semifinal match with Seneca Valley.

Schedules for teams from the two-county area follow. Click for WPIAL Girls Volleyball brackets  Click for WPIAL Soccer brackets

Monday
Soccer Semifinals
4A Girls #1 North Allegheny 2, #5 Canon-McMillan 1 OT
1A Boys #7 Bentworth 2, #3 Burrell 1 OT
1A Boys #1 Charleroi 1, #4 Seton-La Salle 0 OT

Wednesday
Volleyball Semifinals

4A #3 Canon-McMillan vs. #2 Seneca Valley, 6 pm at Fox Chapel

Friday
Soccer Championship at Highmark Stadium, Station Square
1A Boys #7 Bentworth vs. #1 Charleroi, 8 pm

Steelers Fall To Jacksonville; Pickett Leaves With Rib Injury

October 30, 2023 4:35 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Trevor Lawrence threw for 292 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-10. The Jaguars have won five straight to improve to 6-2. Jacksonville broke it open in the third quarter on a 56-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to Travis Etienne. The Steelers played the second half without quarterback Kenny Pickett, who left late in the second quarter with a rib injury and did not return. Mitch Trubisky threw a touchdown in relief but added two late interceptions as Pittsburgh fell to 4-3.

Diontae Johnson Rips Refs

October 30, 2023 4:32 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Steelers wide reciever Diontae Johnson called for the referees to be fined following Pittsburgh’s 20-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, a defeat in which quarterback Kenny Pickett left with a rib injury following a big hit. Johnson said officials were “calling some stupid stuff” and complained there was no roughing the passer call when Pickett was drilled by defensive end Adam Gotsis. Johnson added the refs “must’ve got paid good today or something” and said they wanted the Jaguars to win.

AP Top 25; Oklahoma Drops; Kansas, K-State Enter Poll

October 30, 2023 4:42 am

Oklahoma dropped four spots to No. 10 after being upset by Kansas, the top five teams held their places and the Jayhawks and rival Kansas State both entered The Associated Press college football poll. Georgia is No. 1 for the 20th straight week, receiving 48 of 63 first-place votes, distancing itself from No. 2 Michigan. The Wolverines, who were off Saturday after a week of being in the news for an NCAA sign-stealing investigation, received nine first-place votes. No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Florida State each received three first-place votes. No. 5 Washington stayed a spot ahead of Pac-12 rival Oregon.

Former Penguin Dies After ‘Freak Accident’ During Game

October 30, 2023 4:37 am

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — American hockey player Adam Johnson has died after a “freak accident” during a game in England on Saturday, according to his team. The 29-year-old from Minnesota was playing for the Nottingham Panthers in a Challenge Cup game against the Sheffield Steelers when he suffered a slashed neck during the second period. Johnson played for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League before spending the 2020-21 season in Sweden with the Malmo Redhawks. He went on to play in the American Hockey League and Germany before agreeing to join Nottingham for this season.

Presidents Best Case Western

October 29, 2023 10:09 am

WASHINGTON, Pa. – Junior quarterback Jake Pugh threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, junior defensive back Zachai Simmons blocked a punt and added a second-half interception as Washington & Jefferson downed Case Western Reserve, 38-33 Saturday night at Cameron Stadium. Pugh scored on a four-yard run on the game’s opening drive, then found John Peduzzi on a crossing route at the goal line for a five-yard touchdown pass with more than four minutes left in the opening quarter. The Spartans got on the board with an 82-yard drive before Ricky Hunter’s season-long 33-yard field goal gave the Presidents a 10-point cushion. Simmons blocked Joseph Rhodes’ punt on the next possession and Kobe DeRosa picked it up and rumbled in from five yards out, putting the Red & Black up 24-7 at the midway point of the second quarter. Case Western, trying to stay in the NCAA playoff hunt, responded with scores late in the second quarter and on the opening drive of the third quarter to pull within four points.  Pugh engineered perhaps the season most impressive response, an 83-yard, 14-play scoring drive, capped by the first of two second-half touchdown passes to Jacob Macosko. The latter, on the first play of the fourth quarter, covered 47 yards and saw Macosko haul in a pass tipped by the defender. Case added a pair of quick scores in the fourth but the W&J defense held off the Spartans on their final possession. Avery Keith delivered a QB sack with under two minutes to play and Case out of time-outs.

W&J ran for 156 yards against the Spartans’ defense, one of the nation’s leading run defenses coming into the game. Justin Huss ran for 67 yards on eight carries. Owen Petrisek added 36 tough yards, most of that in the second half. Pugh was 20-of-35 for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Macosko had seven catches for 107 yards and two scores. Puduzzi caught four throws for 87 yards and a touchdown. The win by W&J puts both teams at 6-2 on the year with two games to play.