Category: Sports

Blues beat Penguins 5-2

Faulk, Walker score as Blues beat Penguins 5-2
By JOE HARRIS Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nathan Walker didn’t have to wait long for a second chance to snap his scoreless drought.
Justin Faulk and Walker each scored for the first time with the Blues, and St. Louis beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 on Saturday night.
Jaden Schwartz had a goal and an assist and Ivan Barbashev and Mackenzie MacEachern also scored for the Blues, who won their third straight game and have points in their last four. Jordan Binnington made 29 saves and improved to 13-4-4.
“Second period wasn’t great, but I thought the first and third were good and we had everybody contributing tonight which is important for sure,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “I’ve said this before: We need everybody to chip in goals and we did that tonight.”
Sam Lafferty and Kris Letang scored for the Penguins, who lost their second straight game. Matt Murray, playing for the first time since Nov. 7, made 22 saves.
Walker’s first goal since Oct. 7, 2017 broke a 1-1 tie for St. Louis with 5:59 left in the second period.
Walker swatted a pass by Schwartz that deflected off Dominik Kahun’s stick in mid-air, and the awkward shot short-hopped Murray to make it 2-1.
“It is actually one thing I kind of worked on in the summer was batting pucks out of the air like that, trying to meet it when it hits the ice and I think I got a little bit lucky there as well,” Walker said.
Murray said he was fooled on the trick shot.
“It just bounced off the ice weird and no more than a foot and a half in the air just over my pad,” Murray said.
Walker, playing in just his second game since being called up from the Blues’ AHL affiliate in San Antonio, thought he had scored the night before against Dallas only to have the goal called back for an offsides call made after a review.
“It was a big goal,” Berube said of the one that counted. “I think it made us feel good about ourselves going into the third period.”
Barbashev made it 3-1 with his second goal in as many games, snapping a wrist shot into the upper left corner after taking a feed from Robert Thomas in the high slot at 2:54 of the third period.
MacEachern added to the Blues’ lead when he redirected Jacob De La Rose’s shot from the point at 7:09.
“I thought our guys did a much better job in the third period of digging in and just doing the little things,” Berube said.
Letang’s shot from the point deflected off Alex Pietrangelo into the net to cut the Penguins’ deficit to 4-2 with 6:57 left in the third.
Schwartz scored his seventh of the year late in the third.
Faulk made it 1-0 at the 7:52 mark of the first period with his first goal since April 6. Ryan O’Reilly stripped the puck from Jared McCann and fed it to Faulk, whose wrist shot went off Murray’s right pad and into the net.
“Obviously it took awhile,” said Faulk, who snapped a 27-game stretch without a goal. “I don’t think it’s the longest one of my career. None of them feel great, but it’s nice to get that first one in.”
Lafferty tied the game 1-1 at the 6:27 mark of the second period. Lafferty used his speed to get past Derrick Pouliot, creating a breakaway that was capped by a backhand-forehand move to beat a sprawling Binnington.
Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin left the game early in the first period with a lower-body injury and did not return.
“It happened in the first shift of the game, which makes it tough because now you’re going with five defensemen all night,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “I thought they fought hard. I thought we made some fatigue mistakes in the third period that maybe we wouldn’t have made if we have a guy like (Dumoulin).”
NOTES
It was the first of two meetings in four days between the Penguins and Blues. St. Louis travels to Pittsburgh on Wednesday for their final regular season meeting. … Both teams were playing their second game in as many nights. … Pittsburgh LW Jake Guentzel had his seven-game point streak snapped. … St. Louis LW David Perron and C Brayden Schenn each extended their point streaks to seven games with assists on Schwartz’s goal.
UP NEXT
Pittsburgh: Hosts St. Louis on Wednesday.
St. Louis: At Chicago on Monday.
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“Thru the Eyes of Sly Washington” Central Valley and Bald Eagle PIAA Semi-Final

(Moon Twp., Pa.)  In this weeks edition of “Thru the Eyes of Sly Washington” we are off to Moon Stadium  and the PIAA 3A semi-final. The game featured the WPIAL Champion, Central Valley Warriors and the Bald Eagle Eagles. Beaver County Radio’s Bob Barrickman and Tom Hays had the call of the action. Zach Ulrich reported live on the sidelines throughout the game.

Central Valley started scoring early and never looked back. The defense got the party started with a safety on Bald Eagle Area’s second drive, making the score 2-0. On the ensuing possession, Jalen Guy ran the ball 9 yards up the left side for the score, but after a missed extra point, the score was 8-0. the Bald Eagles fumbled the kick-off, leading to a 30 yard TD catch by Juwan Hall, bringing the score to 15-0. Bald Eagle Area managed to put together a drive as the game was getting out of hand, but a missed field goal stopped them from gaining any momentum. On the next 2 drives, Miles Walker caught a TD and Michael Barbuto ran for a TD on a double reverse, leading to a score of 28-0 at half time.

The Warriors had the mercy rule on their mind when they came out of the locker room in the 3rd quarter. Reed Fitsimmons picked a pass off, which resulted in a 6 yard TD run from Ameer Dudley. With the mercy rule now in effect, Central Valley started to pile it on with a 30 yard field goal and a 90 yard interception return for a TD by Matt Merritt. The final score was Central Valley- 45 and Bald Eagle Area- 0. The Warriors will now move onto the PIAA 3A Final next Saturday December 7, 2019 at noon against Wyoming Area. Beaver County Radio will have live coverage of the game from Hershey Pa.

Check out the pictures of these weeks edition of “Thru the Eyes os Sly” below….

Central Valley Shuts Out Bald Eagle Area 45-0

In this semi-final match-up, Central Valley started scoring early and never looked back. The defense got the party started with a safety on Bald Eagle Area’s second drive, making the score 2-0. On the ensuing possession, Jalen Guy ran the ball 9 yards up the left side for the score, but after a missed extra point, the score was 8-0. the Bald Eagles fumbled the kick-off, leading to a 30 yard TD catch by Juwan Hall, bringing the score to 15-0. Bald Eagle Area managed to put together a drive as the game was getting out of hand, but a missed field goal stopped them from gaining any momentum. On the next 2 drives, Miles Walker caught a TD and Michael Barbuto ran for a TD on a double reverse, leading to a score of 28-0 at half time.

The Warriors had the mercy rule on the mind when they came out of the locker room in the 3rd quarter. Reed Fitsimmons picked a pass off, which resulted in a 6 yard TD run from Ameer Dudley. With the mercy rule now in effect, Central Valley started to pile it on with a 30 yard field goal and a 90 yard interception return for a TD by Matt Merritt. The final score was Central Valley- 45 and Bald Eagle Area- 0.

CCBC Players of the Game, Friday 11/29/19

Friday, Novemebr  29, 2019:

WBVP, WMBA and 99.3 FM

Bald Eagle-Gavin Eckley
Central Valley- Ameer Dudley

Central Valley Quarterback Ameer Dudley, CCBC Player of the Game, November 29, 2019. Photo by Sly Washington.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link For PIAA 3A Semi-final Bald Eagle vs. Central Valley on WBVP/WMBA/99.3 FM/TribLive Friday November 29, 2019

 

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1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, and 99.3 FM’s Bob Barrickman and Tom Hays have the call from Moon High School of this 2019 PIAA Class 3A Semifinals high school football state playoff game as the WPIAL champion Central Valley Warriors battle the District 6 champion Bald Eagles. Beaver County Radio’s Zach Ulrich will have the Freedom United Federal Credit Union sideline reports. After the game look on beavercountyradio.com and our Facebook page at wbvp-wmba for a recap of the game and for another edition of “Thru the Eyes of Sly”. the action all gets underway at 6:30 pm with the pregame and kick-off is scheduled for 7 pm. If you can’t tune into the broadcast and would like to hear it streaming Live on the Trib-Live High School Sports Network click the button below after 6:30 pm.

Mike Piazza presented as manager of Italy’s baseball team

Mike Piazza presented as manager of Italy’s baseball team
By ANDREW DAMPF AP Sports Writer
ROME (AP) — Coaching Italy’s national baseball team fits in perfectly with Mike Piazza’s current lifestyle.
The Hall of Fame catcher and his family have been living in Italy for several years since Piazza’s brief stint as owner of a local soccer club.
Speaking at his introduction at the Italian Olympic Committee on Friday, Piazza says “my heart is in Italy now. … Italy is a part of me.”
The 51-year-old Piazza, who was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, is of Italian ancestry. While his contract expires at the end of next year, Piazza is expected to manage Italy at least through the 2021 World Baseball Classic.
Piazza played for Italy at the 2006 Classic and was Italy’s hitting coach at the 2009 and 2013 WBC tournaments.
In 2016, he bought control of third-division soccer club Reggiana, which dropped out of Serie C after the 2017-18 season.
Piazza replaces Gilberto Gerali, who resigned when Italy failed to qualify for next year’s Tokyo Olympics.
Piazza says “we need to re-establish our place as one of the elite programs in Europe. So we have a lot of work to do.”
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Derek Shelton: The New Pittsburgh Pirates Manager

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pirates’ leadership overhaul is complete.

Pittsburgh hired longtime major league coach Derek Shelton as manager on Wednesday, the final piece of a new-look leadership following a last-place finish in the NL Central. Shelton replaces Clint Hurdle, who was fired on the final day of the regular season.

“We are confident Derek will help lead an elite playing and coaching environment at the major league level and be a true partner to all of baseball operations as we challenge each other to get better every day,” Pittsburgh general manager Ben Cherington said in a statement.

Shelton was the third high-profile hire by the Pirates since the end of a 69-93 season marred by issues both on and off the field. Travis Williams replaced Frank Coonelly as president in October. The team brought in Cherington this month after Neal Huntington was let go after 12 years on the job.

Shelton filled the eighth and final manager vacancy, joining Joe Maddon (Los Angeles Angels), Joe Girardi (Philadelphia), David Ross (Chicago Cubs), Jayce Tingler (San Diego), Mike Matheny (Kansas City), Carlos Beltrán (New York Mets) and Gabe Kapler (San Francisco). Beltrán was the only minority hired for a manager opening.

The 49-year-old Shelton spent the last two seasons as the bench coach for the Minnesota Twins. Shelton’s previous stops include a season as the quality control coach for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017 — his tenure overlapping Cherington’s stint as Toronto’s vice president of baseball operations — and seven years as a hitting coach with the Tampa Bay Rays. Shelton broke into the majors as hitting coach for the Cleveland Indians from 2005-09.

Shelton’s managerial experience is limited to minor league stints in the Yankees’ organization in the early 2000s.

“It is going to be an exciting change of culture in our clubhouse,” Shelton said in a statement. “It is going to be a fun environment in which we will all be held accountable to each other. It will be a player-centric culture built on strong communication and relationships with our players, our staff and the entire organization.”

Shelton inherits a team that finished below .500 in three of the last four seasons, though the on-field product during a miserable 25-48 second half proved to be just part of Pittsburgh’s issues. Relievers Keone Kela and Kyle Crick were suspended for their roles in separate dust-ups with members of the team’s coaching and support staff. All-Star closer Felipe Rivera was arrested in September on felony charges stemming from an alleged illegal sexual relationship with a minor.

Cherington said shortly after his hire the Pirates need to do a better job of continuing to develop players once they reach the major leagues. Owner Bob Nutting expressed frustration at seeing prospects the Pirates let go flourish elsewhere, including Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Austin Meadows and pitcher Tyler Glasnow.

Amid the losing, there were bright spots. First baseman Josh Bell became an All-Star while hitting 37 home runs. Rookie outfielder Bryan Reynolds hit .314 while finishing fourth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting and shortstop Kevin Newman hit .308 in 130 games after being elevated to the starting role following an early season injury to Erik Gonzalez.

The pitching staff, however, is in tatters. Ace Jameson Taillon is out for 2020 after Tommy John surgery on his right (pitching) elbow for a second time. Pittsburgh finished with a team ERA of 5.18, next-to-last in the NL and 26th in the majors.

College Basketball History To Be Made Tonight As Robert Morris Hosts Geneva.

Chris Shovlin, play by play host of Robert Morris Basketball.

(Moon Township)  For the first time ever, two local institutions of higher learning, who both have very rich traditions in basketball, will play each other on the hardwood.  The Geneva College Golden Tornadoes will travel to the brand new UPMC Events Center on the nearby campus of Robert Morris University in Moon Township for a non conference game later tonight.  WBVP, WMBA and 99.3 F.M. will carry the game broadcast anchored by veteran broadcaster and member of the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame, Chris Shovlin.   The Robert Morris Colonials compete in NCAA division 1 and have made eight appearances in the NCAA national tournament, winning a couple of early round games through the years.  Geneva College competes in NCAA division 3,  and for their part, has a program with many accolades as well.  Most notably,  Geneva can lay claim to being the birthplace of college basketball, when they played their  first game against the New Brighton YMCA in April of 1893.

 

Tune in this evening as two local, storied college basketball teams, just 29 miles apart, with a great deal of history and tradition on either side, play each other for the first time .  Pregame  with Chris Shovlin and Jim Elias from the Robert Morris Colonials network on 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA and 99.3 F.M. is at 6:45 P.M.

 

Polamalu among the 25 semifinalists of the modern era for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Polamalu, Wayne, Willis 1st year eligible for Hall of Fame
By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer
Safety Troy Polamalu, wide receiver Reggie Wayne and linebacker Patrick Willis are first-year eligible players among the 25 semifinalists of the modern era for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Also on the list, which will be cut to 15 on Jan. 2, are previous finalists John Lynch, Steve Atwater, Tony Boselli, Steve Hutchinson, Isaac Bruce, Edgerrin James and Alan Faneca.
Five former players will be elected to the class of 2020 on Feb. 1, the day before the Super Bowl. They will be inducted into the Canton, Ohio, shrine in August.
The hall also will induct 10 senior candidates, three contributors and two coaches in a special centennial class in 2020.
There are 14 defensive players, 10 on offense, and one special-teamer, Steve Tasker, who also played wide receiver for Buffalo.
Four players make the semifinals for the first time: linebacker Carl Banks, running backs Fred Taylor and Ricky Watters, and defensive tackle Bryant Young. Every other semifinalist for 2020 has gotten this far before.
There are six defensive backs in the group: Polamalu, Lynch, Atwater, Ronde Barber, LeRoy Butler and Darren Woodson.
Five receivers make the list: Wayne, Bruce, Torry Holt, Hines Ward, and Tasker. There also are five linebackers: Willis, Banks, Clay Matthews, Sam Mills and Zach Thomas.
Hutchinson, Faneca and Boselli are the offensive linemen. Taylor, Watters and James are the running backs. Defensive linemen are Young, Richard Seymour and Simeon Rice.
The semifinalists, in alphabetical order:
Steve Atwater, safety
Carl Banks, linebacker
Ronde Barber, cornerback/safety
Tony Boselli, tackle
Isaac Bruce, wide receiver
LeRoy Butler, safety
Alan Faneca, guard
Torry Holt, wide receiver
Steve Hutchinson, guard
Edgerrin James, running back
John Lynch, safety
Clay Matthews, linebacker
Sam Mills, linebacker
Troy Polamalu, safety
Simeon Rice, defensive end
Richard Seymour, defensive end/defensive tackle
Steve Tasker, wide receiver/special teamer
Fred Taylor, running back
Zach Thomas, linebacker
Hines Ward, wide receiver
Ricky Watters, running back
Reggie Wayne, wide receiver
Patrick Willis, linebacker
Darren Woodson, safety
Bryant Young, defensive tackle
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