Category: Sports

Source: Steelers place last out of the 32 NFL teams in this year’s NFL Players Association survey

(Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Steelers’ DK Metcalf wipes his face on the bench during the second half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Detroit. Credit for Photo: (AP Photo/Rey Del Rio)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Steelers ranked in last place out of the thirty-two NFL teams in a recent NFL Players Association annual report card and the team received low grades in several categories, according to survey results obtained by ESPN. This is the first time in the four-year history of that survey that the Steelers were placed in last and that team finished in 28th in this survey in 2025. This report grades the thirty-two NFL franchises from A-plus to F-minus on everything from ownership to treatment of families and the survey results obtained by ESPN confirm that this year’s report cards are based on responses from 1,759 players. All of the NFL football players who were on a 2025 roster at the time of the survey were eligible to participate, and it was conducted from November 2nd through December 11th, 2025. 

Late goals by Clifton and Chinakhov push the Penguins past Jack Hughes and the Devils 4-1

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Tommy Novak (18) celebrates his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Connor Clifton and Egor Chinakhov scored 50 seconds apart in the third period and the Pittsburgh Penguins surged past Jack Hughes and the reeling New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Thursday night.

Tommy Novak, serving as the first-line center while captain Sidney Crosby recovers from a lower-body injury sustained at the Milan Cortina Olympics, picked up his 12th goal of the season. Blake Lizotte added an empty-netter late for Pittsburgh, which has won eight of 10 to move into second place in the crowded Metropolitan Division.

Arturs Silovs stopped 28 shots to win for the fourth time in five starts.

Paul Cotter scored his sixth goal of the season for the Devils but couldn’t halt New Jersey’s slide. The Devils have dropped seven of eight to fall off the pace in the race for one of the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots.

Hughes, who carved out a piece of U.S. Olympic history when he scored the winning goal in the gold medal game against Canada, received an extended ovation on the road — replete with chants of “Huuuughes” and “USA! USA!” — during a brief pregame ceremony in which the Penguins acknowledged the gold-medal winning U.S. men’s and women’s teams, as well as members of Team Canada.

The Penguins have pledged to stay in the playoff mix without Crosby. They began a busy stretch without him by using solid goaltending from Silovs and timely playmaking to keep it going.

Clifton’s blast past Jacob Markstrom 6:30 into the third period gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead. Chinakhov doubled the Penguins’ advantage less than a minute later when he collected a stretch pass from Evgeni Malkin then slipped the puck between Markstrom’s legs for his ninth goal in 19 games since being acquired from Columbus in December.

Up next

Devils: At St. Louis on Saturday.

Penguins: At the New York Rangers on Saturday.

 

Former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar among QBs throwing in the 2026 NFL Combine

(Source for Photo: Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts after a touchdown against the UCLA during the fourth quarter of Rose Bowl Stadium on October 04, 2025 in Pasadena, California., Credit for Photo: Luke Hales/Getty Images)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Indianapolis, IN) Former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar is expected to throw this week at the NFL’s annual scouting combine. ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported late on Tuesday that Allar will throw at the combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana this week. Allar, who was listed on Tuesday by ESPN’s Jordan Reid as the number 6 quarterback in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, underwent surgery on October 15th, 2025 after suffering a broken left ankle during Penn State’s game against Northwestern in Happy Valley on October 11th, 2025.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby placed on injured reserve after getting hurt at the Olympics

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Canada’s Sidney Crosby (87) reacts after Canada lost to the United States in a men’s ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins will have to start their playoff push without Sidney Crosby.

The club placed its longtime captain on injured reserve on Wednesday. The move comes after Crosby sustained a lower-body injury during the Olympic hockey tournament at the Milan Cortina Games.

The 38-year-old Crosby went down in the second period of Canada’s quarterfinal win over Czechia. The Canadians held out hope Crosby would be able to return, but he sat out a semifinal win over Sweden and a loss to the United States in the gold medal game.

Crosby will have to miss at least a week, though it’s likely he will be out for considerably longer.

The injury comes with the surprising Penguins in second place in the Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh is looking to return to the postseason for the first time since 2022.

Crosby has been his usually productive self this season. He leads the Penguins in goals (27), assists (32) and points (59) and is on pace to extend his NHL record of averaging at least a point a game to 21 years and counting.

The injury comes at a busy time for Pittsburgh, which opens the post-Olympic break at home against New Jersey on Thursday. The matchup with the Devils is the first of 13 games in a 24-day stretch for the Penguins.

Penguins trade defenseman Brett Kulak to Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Samuel Girard and a draft pick

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Ottawa Senators’ Michael Amadio (22) and Colorado Avalanche’s Samuel Girard (49) battle for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press via AP)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brett Kulak is on the move for the second time this season.

The Pittsburgh Penguins sent the veteran defenseman to Colorado on Tuesday in exchange for defenseman Samuel Girard and a second-round pick in the 2028 draft.

Kulak played 25 games in Pittsburgh after being acquired in a December trade that shipped two-time All-Star goaltender Tristan Jarry to Edmonton. Kulak has one goal and eight assists in 56 combined games this season for the Penguins and Oilers. Kulak’s arrival gives the Avalanche an experienced stay-at-home defenseman as Colorado tries to hold on to the top spot in the Western Conference.

The 27-year-old Girard is a 10-year NHL veteran who has spent the last eight-plus seasons with the Avalanche. Girard, who is signed through the 2026-27 season, had three goals and nine assists in 40 games this season with Colorado.

The additional draft capital the Penguins picked up in the deal gives them 34 picks overall over the next four drafts, including 20 selections in the first three rounds.

Pitt senior and women’s college volleyball star Olivia Babcock named a finalist for the 2026 AAU Sullivan Award

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Pitt Volleyball, Posted on Facebook on February 24th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pitt senior and women’s college volleyball star Olivia Babcock was recently named a finalist for the 2026 AAU Sullivan Award. This award is presented each year to the most outstanding collegiate or Olympic athlete in the United States of America. Babcock is the two-time reigning CWSA Honda Award winner for volleyball, along with being the 2024 and 2025 AVCA National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and AVCA East Coast Region Player of the Year. Voting for this award started today at 10 a.m. and will end on March 5th, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. and you can vote for Babcock by clicking here.

Pittsburgh native Vincent Trocheck wins gold medal as a member of the U.S. men’s hockey team at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Photo Coutesy of Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images, Caption for Photo: PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 17: Vincent Trocheck #16 of the New York Rangers skates against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 17, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) One of the members of the U.S. men’s hockey team that won a gold medal on Sunday at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games in Italy was Pittsburgh native Vincent Trocheck. Trochek played youth hockey with the Pittsburgh Hornets. Trochek plays for the NHL’s New York Rangers, whose head coach is former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. Sullivan also won a gold medal as the U.S. men’s hockey team’s head coach. 

Penguins recall forward Avery Hayes from their AHL affiliate

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Avery Hayes (85) celebrates his goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled forward Avery Hayes yesterday from their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The twenty-three-year-old Hayes scored two goals in his NHL debut in the Penguins’ win over the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo on February 5th, 2026.

CCBC celebrates fifty years of the Dome in Monaca during an upcoming Celebration Game Night

(File Photo of the CCBC Dome)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Monaca, PA) CCBC will mark the 50th anniversary of the Dome tomorrow starting at 4 p.m. at the school in Monaca during a special Celebration Game Night which features a women’s and men’s basketball doubleheader following along with birthday festivities. The Dome has served as a hub for athletics, commencements, and community gatherings for a half a decade. The admission for this event is free. The evening includes special 50th anniversary giveaways, birthday desserts, appearances from mascots, halftime contests, and fan experiences that are interactive. Visual and interview opportunities will also be available with college leadership, staff of athletics, alumni, and student athletes. Beaver County Radio will broadcast both of the basketball games live starting at 5:30 p.m.

Westminster defeats Geneva men’s basketball 91-62 to spoil Golden Tornadoes coach Jeff Santarsiero’s final home game and their 2026 Senior Day

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Photo of Jeff Santarsiero Courtesy of Kevin Cooke, Picture Posted on Geneva College’s Athletics Website on November 10th, 2025)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver Falls, PA) The Geneva College men’s basketball celebrated senior day on Saturday in Beaver Falls at Metheny Fieldhouse before their game that day between them and the men’s basketball team of Westminster (PA). It was also the final home game for Geneva head men’s basketball coach Jeff Santarsiero, who was also recognized along with their 2026 men’s basketball seniors: Trey Barker, Jonathan Bertovich, Danny Lauer Nick Million and Alec Srock. Santarsiero announced in November of 2025 that this season will be his last after earning the most wins in Geneva College basketball history at 403 going into his 30th season, and he has been the head basketball coach of the Golden Tornadoes since 1996. Unfortunately, the Titans of Westminster defeated the Golden Tornadoes in a rout, 91-62, which improved the Titans’ overall record to 17-8. The 10-15 Golden Tornadoes will travel to Washington, Pennsylvania to take on the Washington and Jefferson (W&J) College Presidents, in a quarterfinal matchup in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference playoffs tomorrow at 8 p.m. The Geneva College women’s basketball team also had their senior day on Saturday at Metheny Fieldhouse before their game that day between them and the women’s basketball team of Westminster (PA) and had they much better luck in a 72-66 victory for the Golden Tornadoes. The 2026 Geneva women’s basketball seniors, Emily Garvin and Anna Ulmer, along with graduate student Abby Shoaff, were recognized before that game. Ironically, the also 10-15 Golden Tornadoes’ women’s basketball team will also travel to Washington, Pennsylvania to take on the women’s basketball team of Washington and Jefferson (W&J) College Presidents, in a quarterfinal matchup in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference playoffs tomorrow at 6 p.m. before the men’s basketball game between those two colleges that evening.

(Credit for First Photo Below: Photo Courtesy of Stephen Tabon, Posted on Geneva College Athletics Website on February 21st, 2026)

(Credit for Second Photo Below: Photo Courtesy of Stephen Tabon, Posted on Geneva College Athletics Website on February 21st, 2026)