The Buffalo News - Sports

Heat force Game Seven

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:08:18 -0400

MIAMI — LeBron James led a title-saving charge, and now his crown will be on the line one more time in Game Seven.

James powered Miami to a frantic fourth-quarter rally and overtime escape as the Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs 103-100 on Tuesday night to extend the NBA Finals as far as they can go and keep Miami’s repeat chances alive.

Losing his headband but keeping his cool while playing the entire second half and overtime, James finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, making the go-ahead basket with 1:43 remaining in the extra period.

“If we were going to go down tonight, we’re going to go down with me leaving every little bit of energy that I had on the floor,” James said.

Tim Duncan scored 30 points for the Spurs, his most in an NBA Finals game since Game One in 2003, but was shut out after the third quarter. He added 17 rebounds.

Game Seven will be here Thursday, the NBA’s first do-or-die game to determine its champion since the Lakers beat the Celtics in 2010.

“They’re the best two words in sports: Game Seven,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The Spurs looked headed to a fifth title in five chances when they built a 13-point lead with under 4 minutes left in the third quarter, then grabbed a five-point edge late in regulation after blowing the lead.

But James hit a 3-pointer and Ray Allen tied it with another. Just 5.2 seconds remained in regulation. The Heat were that close to the edge.

James was just 3 of 12 after three quarters, the Heat trailing by 10 and frustration apparent among the players and panic setting in among the fans.

Nothing to worry. Not with James playing like this.

He finished 11 of 26, even making a steal after his basket had given Miami a 101-100 edge in the OT.

Before that, he was 12 minutes from hearing the familiar criticisms about not being able to get it done, from having to watch a team celebrate on his home floor again.

Then he changed the game and erased that story.

The Heat, who haven’t lost consecutive games since Jan. 8 and 10, had too much defense and way too much James for the Spurs in the final 17 minutes. They are trying to become fourth team to win the final two games at home since the NBA went to the 2-3-2 format for the finals in 1985.

James came in averaging 31.5 points in elimination games, highest in NBA history, according to a stat provided through the NBA by the Elias Sports Bureau.

This wasn’t quite the 45-point performance in Game Six of last year’s Eastern Conference finals in Boston, but given the higher stakes may go down as more important — if the Heat follow it with another victory Thursday.

The Heat were in the same place as they were in 2011 at the end of their Big Three’s first season together, coming home from Texas facing a 3-2 deficit in the finals.

This is a different team. And oh, what a different James.

They said they welcomed this challenge, a chance to show they how much mentally tougher they were than the team the Dallas Mavericks easily handled in Game Six that night.

James made sure they did, looking nothing like the player who was so bad in the fourth quarters during that series.

He was simply unstoppable down the stretch of this one.

Kawhi Leonard had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs. Tony Parker had 19 points and eight assists, but shot just 6 of 23 from the field.

The Spurs had one final chance down 103-100, but Chris Bosh blocked Danny Green’s 3-pointer from the corner as time expired.

Bosh had said Green wouldn’t get open the way he has all series – and he didn’t.

Green finished 1 of 5 from behind the arc after going 25 of 38 on 3-pointers (65.8 percent) in the first five games.

The Heat, the NBA’s 66-win powerhouse during the regular season, will be playing a seventh game for the second straight round, having needed to go the distance to beat the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.

“See you in Game Seven!” the public address announcer hollered as Heat fans either left with or tossed their usual white T-shirts that hang on chairs in the arena. These read “First to 16 Wins,” meaning the number of victories it takes to win the championship.

The race will go down to a final day.

The Heat are 13-0 after losses over the last five months, though this was nothing like the previous 12 that had come by an average of nearly 20 points. Nor was it like the previous four games of this series, which had all been blowouts after the Spurs pulled out a four-point victory in Game 1.

San Antonio had an 11-0 run in the first half, then a 13-3 burst in the third quarter for a 71-58 lead, and a final flurry late in regulation that seemed to have them ready to walk off with another title.

Parker’s 3-pointer over James tied it at 89 with 1:27 left. He then came up with a steal, spinning into the lane for a 91-89 lead with 58 seconds to go. Miami coughed it up again and Manu Ginobili made two free throws, and he made another after a third straight Miami turnover to put the Spurs ahead 94-89.

James nailed a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left, and the Heat had one more chance after Leonard made just one to give the Spurs a 95-92 edge. James missed but Bosh got the rebound out to Allen, the league’s career leader in 3-pointers, who made another one from the corner to even it up.

The Spurs went ahead by three again in overtime, but James found a cutting Allen for a basket, then scored himself to put the Heat on top. They clinched it when Bosh blocked San Antonio’s final two shot attempts.

Bosh finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

The home team has won the last five Game Sevens in the Finals. The last time the road team to win a Game Seven for the title was Washington in 1978.

Sabres owner Pegula states his case for Regier

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:25:02 -0400

Terry Pegula says he talks to Darcy Regier more than his own wife. The chats have convinced the Buffalo Sabres’ owner he has the right general manager despite a playoff history that suggests otherwise.

“When you look at the history, even with the Sabres, what’s he done wrong?” Pegula said Tuesday during an appearance on the Sabres’ radio show. “Help me out here. I’m going to ask the question. You gonna talk about some of the past deals. Maybe someone was holding the painter’s hand while he was doing the painting.

“He is a very qualified person. I don’t want to talk about prior ownership. I have a different management style, and Darcy has a chance to flourish under our management style. I’m giving him, I believe, more latitude in the way we operate the team with less financial restrictions.”

The Regier-built Sabres have missed the postseason two straight years under Pegula’s ownership. Buffalo has sat out the playoffs four of the last six seasons and seven of 11 with Regier in charge of the roster.

“I’m going to do things my way, and one of the things that I like about what I see is there’s a very capable person there, a lot of knowledge under Al Arbour, very knowledgeable person,” Pegula said. “I built a pretty good company for my life, and one of my main areas in life is you start with a good person, good people, and you work from there. Darcy is in that category.”

Regier is set to oversee his 17th NHL Draft and free agency period. It could be a tumultuous offseason as goaltender Ryan Miller and leading scorer Thomas Vanek have made it known they’d be accepting of trades as they head into the final year of their contracts.

Pegula, appearing on “Sabres Hockey Hotline” on WGR-AM 550, made it sound as if the players’ desire to relocate will be a driving factor in all decisions.

“I can tell the fans I’m concerned, too,” said Pegula, who has turned down numerous interview requests by The Buffalo News. “Yes, we want them here. They have a say in that decision. What that decision is, no one’s been re-signed yet, so we’re still working. … Don’t forget, they’re part of that decision.”

Failed contract talks have taught Pegula what has long been known around Sabreland: Buffalo has a recruiting problem.

“When you go after a free agent, the Buffalo Sabres go after a free agent, I get a kick out of some comments, ‘Why didn’t they get this guy? Why didn’t they get that guy?” Pegula said. “Does anyone ever think that maybe that other person has a say in the decision? And maybe he didn’t or doesn’t want to come to Buffalo. You can’t force people to do things.

“I can tell you that every free agent, major, some of the minor ones that have come down the pipe the last couple of years, we’ve been heavily involved with them. … As far as I know we set the standard and won the war, but they made the decision and I think last year’s market was a pretty good example of that. Why don’t we get this guy? Well, guess what, he’s got a brain in his head, and he makes a decision based on where he wants to go. Players have a lot to do these days in the way you take your team.”

The free agency failures – both in missed signings and bad contracts like Ville Leino’s six-year, $27 million deal – have forced the Sabres to adopt a “build through the draft” philosophy.

“You have a course of action you’re taking, and it gets changed,” Pegula said. “It changes when certain players when you don’t win the bid on them, they don’t come to your organization, they go somewhere else. You just revise your plans and shift in another direction.”

Pegula hinted that his arrival as owner in February 2011 hasn’t been universally accepted.

“I think if you probably talk to other owners around the league, they might think that I may spend too much money,” Pegula said. “You may hear that or whatever, but that’s my style. … You might talk to some of the other owners around the league, and they’ll tell you, ‘Who’s this new owner? What is he, crazy? Why did you give this guy money or that guy?’ Hey, it’s my decision. It was something I wanted to do.”

email: jvogl@buffnews.com

Wheatley brothers will attend Canisius High School

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:22:17 -0400

The Canisius High School football team will have two major additions this fall.

Tyrone Wheatley Jr., one of the most sought-after football recruits in the country, and his younger brother Terius, will play high school football at Canisius, The News has learned.

It is one of the most significant arrivals in Western New York high school football history.

Tyrone Wheatley Jr. is a 6-foot-6, 250-pound defensive end and tight end who will be a junior this fall. He has already received scholarship offers from Alabama, Penn State, North Carolina, Syracuse and his dad’s alma mater, Michigan.

Terius, who will be a sophomore, is a 5-11, 165-pound wide receiver and defensive back.

Local high school fans have been awaiting the destination of the Wheatley brothers since their famous father, University of Michigan great and NFL standout running back Tyrone Wheatley, was hired as the Buffalo Bills running backs coach.

Wheatley Sr. joined head coach Doug Marrone with the Bills after he was an assistant under Marrone at Syracuse University – also as running backs coach.

Both Wheatley brothers earned high marks at this past weekend’s Sound Mind Sound Body Football Academy in Southfield, Mich. At the camp, a picture was taken of Tyrone Sr. and his two sons. In the picture, published at scout.michigan.com’s “Go Blue Wolverine” site (as well as other scout.com sites), Tyrone Jr. is wearing a Canisius T-shirt.

When Canisius football officials were asked about the picture, they confirmed to The News that the Wheatleys had completed their registration paperwork and put down a deposit for the 2013-14 academic year. Canisius coach Rich Robbins was unavailable for comment.

While living in the Syracuse area, the Wheatley brothers attended Fayetteville-Manlius.

This transfer is at least on the level of that of Chad Kelly, who moved back to Western New York with his family from Pennsylvania during his sophomore year before beginning his St. Joe’s quarterbacking career as a junior. While Kelly (nephew of Bills Hall of Famer Jim) would go on to receive many big-time college offers before committing to Clemson, he did not have them prior to his junior season.

The Wheatley brothers might be on the field with Canisius as soon as Saturday, when the Crusaders are schedule to participate at Lancaster’s 7-on-7 passing league camp.

The Wheatleys are the second high-profile transfer for Canisius heading into next season. Brad Zaffram, a first-team All-Western New York selection as a sophomore for Sweet Home this past season, announced he would be transferring to Canisius in May.

email: kmcshea@buffnews.com

Lessons from the pros: Hitting from deep rough

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:34:57 -0400

Many of us heard one like this before: an American golfer is on a golf trip in Scotland. He asks the old caddie “How do you deal with all the tall rough?” In a thick Scottish brogue the caddie replies “don’t hit in there, lad.”

Easier said than done, and the recent U.S. Open at Merion showed us how rough is one of those factors that protect the integrity of a golf course. So if you find yourself in the deep stuff, here are some things to remember.

Start by analyzing your lie and determine how much grass is surrounding the golf ball. If the golf ball is mostly above the blades of grass then let it rip, the grass will have a minor slowing down effect. Should the ball be mostly below the blades of grass then we have some adjustments to make.

• Keep the clubface square. Too many amateurs open the clubface incorrectly and as a result set the hosel as the leading portion of the clubhead during the swing. Grip more firmly. But do so without adding tension in the upper arms and shoulders.

• Swing steeply with the arms. This is why we don’t want tension. Focus on the clubhead making a pronounced upward takeaway in order to have a sharp angle of attack during the strike.

• Give yourself a firm base. Stay solid with your legs and feel them being nice and strong to support the arm swing.

• Use more loft. A lofty club is your friend when getting out of these situations. If you come up short your short game can save you.

Good luck and remember, practice, it helps.

Scott Arnold is the director of golf at Harvest Hill Golf Center. WNY PGA club pros will offer weekly tips in Wednesday’s editions of The News.

Golf by Jay Skurski: Feeman set to embark on a life-changing journey

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:16:02 -0400

Alex Feeman was fed up.

Working for a local insurance behemoth, the 27-year-old Amherst resident was, in his own words, “not living the life that I wanted to live.”

So he is doing what most of us only dream of.

He quit his job to play golf, but not just one round, or even a weekend of 36 holes to blow off some steam, though.

Instead, Feeman plans to throw the clubs in the trunk of his ’09 Volkswagen Jetta and set out on a life-changing journey. In a few short weeks, he’ll embark on a cross-country road trip to play 49 rounds of golf in 49 days across the 48 contiguous states and District of Columbia.

He plans to chronicle his journey on a blog, golfing49in49.wordpress.com, and with updates on his Twitter account,

For the past five-plus years, Feeman had worked in the claims department at a major automobile insurance company in Amherst. While the pay was good, the work left him wanting more.

“It felt like I was living my life according to some undefined set of rules,” he said. “I was very, very stressed out at work, and wasn’t sure it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I felt like my future was running out.

“The only thing that I ever really did that I wanted to do was golf – even though I’m not a very good golfer. I’m just an average player.”

When he was in high school and college, Feeman’s love of golf was matched by a passion for writing. That comes across in his blog. The first few entries explain his motivation for the trip – which will begin on either the first or second Sunday in July – in tones that are at times humorous, poignant and thought provoking (warning: some not-safe-for-work language is also used).

Take, for example, this passage, which explains his frustrations with work: “At 27, I hadn’t done substantial or meaningful writing in five years. I rarely read, and gave only a passing glance to the news. I gained 60 pounds. It’s as if I gave up on life, and really let myself go.

“By the time I got home I didn’t really want to do any of those things I used to thrive on. I became really good at lying on the couch like a beached whale watching sports and drinking beer. I didn’t touch my guitar for months and never played my drums. I was living in a wasteland, and I really hated what I had become.”

When an annual summer vacation with friends to baseball parks across the country had to be scrapped this year, Feeman reached his tipping point.

“I knew that my future was running out,” he said. “After 27, you’re 30. Then you’re 35. Next thing you know, you’re old and your youth has run out. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I knew I had to get out of there.”

Feeman said the idea “just floated into my head” to play a round of golf in each state.

“I have a lot of wanderlust. I love traveling. I love driving, which I’m going to have to love to do this trip, and I can write about it,” he said. “It started out as a very personal thing, sort of the impetus for a new life.”

Feeman started playing golf at the age of 12 – not of his own volition. His mother signed him up for a junior golf program in their hometown of Lebanon, Pa.

“I was really opposed to playing the game,” he said.

Again from his blog, he explains why: “I showed up that first day lacking a single golf club or a sense of what I was supposed to say or do. Looking at the other kids and their parents’ cars, I felt really out of place. … All the other kids looked the part, at least in my eyes. I tucked my shirt in because my mom said I had to – these kids tucked their shirts in because they wanted to.”

But by the end of that first lesson, he was hooked.

Once more, from the blog: “I had seen the beauty of this game. I immediately recognized that, above all, the golf swing is an exercise in precision. However, there was also a rawness about the instructor’s swing, there was an obvious urge to mash. Power, too, I found out, was an exciting element of the game. I was hooked, whether I fit in or not.”

The love of the game was nurtured over countless rounds at Fairview Golf Course in Lebanon, just a few hundred yards from his childhood home, many with his father, Dave.

Feeman didn’t play for his high school team – “I wasn’t good enough, “ he said – but enjoyed the game for what it was: A bonding experience with family and friends, and a chance to escape the stress that sometimes consumed him.

He majored in history at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a 3.99 grade-point average. He moved to Buffalo at 22 to attend graduate school at UB, but lasted only a semester before deciding it wasn’t for him.

He then started working at the same job he held until May 31. The decision to leave was met with applause from his co-workers.

“My friends all thought it was a fantastic idea,” he said with a laugh. “They were happy for me. They thought it was something that fit me. They know I’m a little bit of a free spirit. I can do all these things that I couldn’t do working at an insurance company.”

But there was still the matter of telling his parents. Feeman said he considered waiting until midway through the trip before breaking the news, but then thought better of it.

“I didn’t want to give them heart attacks,” he said. “They were the last people I called. My dad was distraught in the first five minutes. I’m an only child. He only has a high school diploma and has worked in factories most of his life. He was very proud that his only son got a college degree and was having a better life than he did.”

Feeman, though, talked to his father for an hour about his reasons for making the trip, and that he came around.

As for his mother, Rose, she was little bit tougher of a sell.

“She’s always had tremendously high expectations for me, and if I told her I quit work to do this, I thought she was going to go absolutely crazy,” he said. “I struggled with how I was going to tell her, so I just did it like a Band-Aid. I said, ‘Hey mom, I quit my job and I’m going to travel around the country playing golf.’ I didn’t give her a chance to respond and just talked for like 10 minutes straight.”

The reaction on the other end was silence.

“For like, 30 seconds,” Feeman said. “I’m like, ‘Mom, are you still there? Do I need to call an ambulance?’ She was really not receptive at first, but I talked to her the next day, and I think she figured out it was something I really wanted to do. As much as she doesn’t want to say it to my face, she ultimately is happy for me.”

Feeman isn’t making the trip just for himself. He hopes to make it a charitable endeavor, as well.

He has an agreement in place to help raise funds for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

“I struggled with that ever since I was child. The first time I was in therapy, I was 9 years old,” he said. “A lot of my friends struggled with it. I think it’s an increasing problem given the pace and pressures of the digital age. Things move an incredible amount faster now than they did even 20 years ago. It’s just a lot for young people to all take in. There’s this huge stigma that comes with those conditions, and that’s why I wanted to support them.”

Feeman had wanted to leave June 30, but has been delayed slightly in finalizing similar agreements with other charitable organizations. Once that process is complete, people will be able to donate through PayPal by clicking the “support” page on his blog. Those interested can choose to help Feeman with the cost of his trip, donate to the charity of their liking, or make a single donation to do both, with 25 percent of the money going to the trip and 75 percent being split across the final participating charities. A description of the available options will also be available soon on the “support” page.

Feeman, who as you can guess is single (what wife would sign up for this?), has been able to save enough money for the cost of the trip over the past five years. He’s budgeted about $60 a night for lodging, and will save money by staying with friends or crashing in his car from time to time along the way.

“Before I quit, I looked at the bank account and did the budget about three times,” he said. “If I don’t get a single donation, I can still pay for the trip. I can still travel the whole country, blog about it, have an amazing experience. I’d rather not, though. I’d rather get some donations to help with that.”

Feeman plays about 50 rounds a year now – twice a week during the season – and currently maintains an 11.2 handicap.

“It’s hovered between 8.5 when I’m at my best and 13 or 14 when I’m not playing so well,” he said.

His first round will be in Batavia on a Sunday with friends, then he’ll drive to Vermont to begin in earnest. In his most recent blog post, he mapped out his entire 10,000-mile route, which he estimates will take 172 hours of driving time.

While the entire journey will take 49 days, there are several days in which he plans to play 36 holes. That will give him time for travel, to write, and to guard against potential pitfalls like weather or car problems.

“I’m going to get really tired,” he said. “I’ve played 36 holes in a day numerous times, but there’s a couple times on the trip where I’m scheduled to do that three days in a row. That’s grueling.”

In mapping out his route, Feeman selected mid-size cities that would offer a decent combination of available golf courses to choose from that fit into his budget, which is for about $40 a round. He plans on sticking with mostly municipal courses but will go over budget in California to play at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

“I did want to work one round in somewhere on a beautiful, gorgeous, amazing course,” he said. “It’s very expensive, but it’s not expensive like Pebble Beach. I have some friends in San Diego and they said as a single player, it’s not that hard to get on. You show up, get in the bag line and they’ll get you on somewhere, so that’s the course I’m most looking forward to.”

Feeman said in a perfect world, he’d play about half the rounds by himself, and half paired with others.

“Solo rounds are going to be key, because with a cart, you can finish in 2 or 2 ½ hours,” he said. “That’s going to be crucial. But, of course, part of the fun is going to be meeting up with people in another part of the country, playing golf with them. That’s part of the charm of public golf.”

The final state in which Feeman will play is Pennsylvania. On Day No. 49, he’ll tee it up at his home course, along with his father.

As for what will happen when Feeman returns home in the fall, that’s yet to be determined.

“I’d like to do something related to golf,” he said, “maybe work for the First Tee or some other golf program for kids. I don’t know exactly what it’s going to be. I’ll probably get home, sleep for two weeks, and then figure out what’s next.”• Jamie Mandell, sales director at Endeavor Services Group, has been named General Chairman of the 2013 Porter Cup, which will be held from July 23-27 at Niagara Falls Country Club. The Porter Cup qualifying tournament is Monday at NFCC with the low eight scores earning a spot in next month’s field.

• University of Rochester senior Nick Palladino won the 73rd Monroe Invitational Championship over the weekend, defeating Duke sophomore Motin Yeung with a par on their first playoff hole after both shot 4-under 206 for 54 holes (one round was cancelled because of weather) at Monroe Golf Club. Josh Stauffer, a sophomore at St. Bonaventure, finished tied for 53rd in the 78-player field at 13-over after rounds of 72-72-79.

email: jskurski@buffnews.com

Bisons flirt with another no-hitter but lose to Gwinnett

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:15:54 -0400

For most of the season, the starting pitching for the Buffalo Bisons has been, well, much maligned. The Herd has the worst earned-run average in the International League, but lately the rotation has started to turn a corner. Case in point, Tuesday’s outing by Dave Bush.

The right-hander pitched a beautiful game, no-hitting Gwinnett into the seventh inning. But the first hit he surrendered proved costly – an RBI single by Brandon Boggs, and the Braves went on for a 2-0 win at Coca-Cola Field.

Bush pitched 6∑ innings, giving up just the one run on one hit. He struck out five, issued two walks and hit two batters. In all, he allowed five baserunners before giving up the hit.

It was the first outing for Bush in nine days, but he picked up where he left off. On June 9 in Scranton, he pitched six shutout innings to pick up the win. Until that run in the seventh inning, Bush had pitched 12 scoreless innings, dating back to a relief effort against Lehigh Valley on June 5.

Even with the layoff, Bush felt some momentum in his work. “I’ve been feeling pretty good when I’ve been out there and throwing a lot of strikes,” Bush said. “That’s probably the most important thing for me.

“I don’t throw it very hard so I’m working on corners. I can’t just throw balls down the middle, so for me, throwing strikes is not just as simple as getting it over the plate. It’s throwing effective strikes, working the corners, keeping the ball down, moving in and out. That kind of stuff.”

Bush’s performance comes three days after Thad Webber threw seven no-hit innings in Pawtucket. The Herd lost the bid for the combined no-hitter with two outs in the eighth when Buddy Carlyle gave up the only hit, a home run, in a 2-1 win.

“I think guys are starting to understand what they need to do and not overdo things,” Bison manager Marty Brown said of the starting pitching. “We’ve seen that out of a lot of starts here of late. It’s a good sign.”

Bush threw 101 pitches, 61 of them for strikes. It was his first time throwing over 100 pitches since May 20 against Charlotte.

“I’m sure I was getting a little fatigued,” Bush said of the seventh inning, which started with a walk, fielder’s choice and hit batter. “Usually I try to avoid putting runners on base. But I felt like I wanted to stay out there as long as I could. I still felt strong. I thought the hit was pretty good pitch and sometimes things like that just happen.”

Meanwhile the Herd struggled to find hits against Gwinnett’s Cody Martin, who made his Triple-A debut on Tuesday. The 23-year-old righthander was ranked as the No. 13 prospect in the Atlanta Braves system and started the season with Double-A Mississippi. Martin had an impressive debut, striking out seven, walking one and yielding one hit in seven innings.

...

Andy LaRoche started the game at second base, but left after the top half of the second inning. “He made a throw and had some tightness in his arm so we got him out of there,” Brown said. “Hopefully it’s nothing too serious.” … The series continues tonight (7:05 p.m., Radio 1520) with lefty Ricky Romero (0-1, 8.22 ERA) scheduled to start for the Herd. In his last outing, Romero pitched six shutout innings. Yohan Flande (3-6, 5.82) is scheduled for Gwinnett.

email: amoritz@buffnews.com

UB hoops hires Oats as assistant

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:15:46 -0400

University at Buffalo men’s basketball head coach Bobby Hurley rounded out his coaching staff Tuesday, announcing the hiring of Nate Oats as an assistant coach. Oats comes from Romulus High School in Michigan, where he taught and coached one of the top high school basketball programs in the region.

In his 11th season at Romulus, he coached the team to its first state title in 27 years. Romulus posted a 27-1 record and Oats was named State Coach of the Year by both the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press as well as the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan.

His overall record at Romulus was 222-62 with seven straight conference championships, the last four with undefeated records. His teams made the Michigan Class A final five times. He oversaw a program that had a 100 percent graduation rate and 40 of his 42 seniors continued on to college.

“Nate is as well respected as any scholastic coach in the Midwest after what he has accomplished at Romulus,” Hurley said. “He’s coached a number of Division I players, and Michigan is an important area for us in recruiting, so Nate’s tremendous contacts in the area will be an immediate impact for our program.”

Before coaching at Romulus, Oats played and eventually became an assistant at Maranatha College in Wisconsin from 1997 to 2000 while earning his bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

Top-seeded Ishizu advances in Sargent and Collins event

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:15:40 -0400

Four seeded players, included No. 1 Sachie Ishizu of Japan, were winners in straight sets as first-round matches in the main draw got underway Tuesday in the $10,000 Sargent and Collins, LLP Women’s Tennis Championship at Miller Tennis Center in Williamsville.

Ishizu defeated Julia Moriarty of Australia, 6-4, 6-2. Other seeded players to advance were: No. 5 Brooke Austin of Indianapolis, No. 6, Alexandra Mueller, Abington, Pa., and No. 8 Elisabeth Fournier of Canada. The four other seeded players, including No. 2 seed Jessica Moore of Perth, Australia, will be in action in first round matches starting at 10:30 this morning.

The qualifying draw was completed Tuesday. The eight qualifiers who advanced to the main draw were: Beatrice Captra, Emily J. Harman, Jacqueline Crawford, Denise Muresan, Ariana Rodriguez and Ryann Foster of the U.S. and two Canadians, Charlotte Petrick and Petra Januskova.

Ishizu and Denise Starr, who are seeded fourth, won their first-round doubles match over Marina Danzini of Brazil and Olena Leonchuk of the Ukraine, 6-2, 6-3.

All tournament matches are free to the public and are held at 5959 Sheridan Drive, Williamsville.

Fishing line for June 19

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:15:23 -0400

Summer officially arrives Friday, but summer-like fish phases have shown in varying forms everywhere from the larger lakes to the smaller streams in the area.

Cooler Great Lakes waters have kept Ontario’s trout and salmon moving high and relatively close to shore. Erie’s walleye schools have put on moves that have boaters going in ovals and circles in search of the prize species. On either lake, getting over actively feeding fish can be highly productive, while other boaters within shouting range may go fishless for hours.

Warming inland lakes and ponds activate post-spawn bass and walleye at all hours of the day. The bass bite has been good since early spring in some areas, but this latest hitch into the 60-degree range could increase the bass bustle even more than before.

While most of the attention focuses on bass, the pike and musky bite has been good and steady in weeded and sheltered areas around docks and piers throughout the spring.

So many recent reports have been on great Great Lakes fishing; this week more attention will be paid to larger inland lakes.

Lake Erie

Wind kept walleye and perch anglers off the water most of the past week. Perch depths and movements remain the same; walleye schooling and migrations remain a puzzle for boaters. Perhaps results from the Southtowns Walleye Tournament might make charting a bit easier to read.

Danny Colville at Colville Outfitters and Custom Tackle in Hamburg gets mixed reports on walleye activity in the Buffalo and Erie County area of the lake. Trollers have not had to drop to more than 50-foot depths in waters less than 100 feet deep for the walleye seen so far.

Lake Ontario

North winds move thermal layers up and down, but trollers able to get over working schools of king salmon often do well during morning hours. Dropping less than 100 feet over depths of 200 to 250 could be regal.

Teach Me to Fish Outing

The Erie County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs and Department of Environmental Conservation will co-sponsor a Teach-Me-To-Fish fishing clinic for ages 15 and younger at Chestnut Ridge Park Lake from 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Rods and reels will be provided during this catch-and-release gathering at which accompanying adults will not need a fishing license while assisting kids at fishing. Kids can visit learning stations on knot tying, casting, basic techniques, and aquatic and fauna identification.

After the fishing and clinics, all will be treated to lunch and drawing prizes. To register a youth for this clinic, call the East Aurora Boys and Girls Club at 652-4180.

Inland lakes

• Chautauqua Lake: Bass season got off to a great start. Smallmouths put on the better showing, with top-water baits and live baits working well at depths of less than 12 feet lakewide.

Stacy Sandburg at Fluvanna Outdoors sold out of bass minnows and most of the crayfish supply on opening weekend. Even larger suckers for musky and pike outings saw considerable use.

Capt. Larry Jones has put together a musky tournament set for Saturday, June 29 at Chautauqua. For details, go to mostlymusky.com.

• Conesus Lake: The pike bite continues along weed-edge shallows, but schools of smaller bass outnumber all fish species. Perch have been scarce; smaller bluegill schools still hold close to shore.

• Honeoye Lake: For decades bull-sized bluegills have been the leading panfish species, but super-sized sunfish have taken over along the Honeoye shallows. A float/bobber set to keep a bait close to bottom in 6- to 8-foot depths has been the rig to pull big sunnies from weed-edge shallows around the lake. Some outings result in a few 11- to 12-inch perch, but the catch count will be mainly those “pumpkinseeds.”

• Canandaigua Lake: Perch dominate the lake’s fishery. Even bass fishermen hook into ringbacks while flipping larger plastics and hard baits.

• Seneca Lake: Larry Japp at Roy’s Marina sees a good perch run in the early-morning shallows and at depths of less than 30 feet throughout the day. Big sunfish light up lines at depths as shallow as 4 feet. Live bait is good, but several casters have gone with small plastics (Twister Tails, Finesse baits, Gulp, etc.) in the gray-brown colorations; that “motor oil” coloration has gotten major mention.

Trollers work spoons deep for lake trout, generally at 90 to 100 feet. But side planers running less than 20 feet deep have connected on a great combination of brown trout, landlocked salmon and the occasional rainbow trout.

Japp hears Michigan Stinger spoons have been most effective on the shallow-water troll.

email: odrswill@gmail.com

Area tennis, golf and baseball for June 19

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:15:18 -0400

Area Tennis

Sargent & Collins LLP Women’s $10,000 Championships

A USTA Pro Circuit Event

at Miller Tennis Center, Williamsville

Tuesday’s Results

Main Draw Singles

1-Sachie Ishizu (Japan) def. Julia Moriarty (Aus.), 6-4 6-2.

8-Elisabeth Fournier (Canada) def. Nicole Robinson (US), 6-3 6-4.

6-Alexandra Mueller (US) def. Trelsie Sadler (US), 6-1 6-0.

5-Brooke Austin (US) def. Denise Starr (US), 7-5 6-3.

Luisa Fernandez (US) def. Sherry Li (US), 6-1, 6-4.

Qualifying Singles

Beatrice Capra (US) def. Alexandra Perpa (MDA), 6-2 6-2.

2-Emily J. Harman (US) def. Amy Zhu (US), 6-3 6-4.

5-Jacqueline Crawford (US) def. Kelsey Laurente (US), 6-3 0-6 6-2.

4-Denise Muresan (US) def. Joelle Kissell (US) 6-4 2-6 6-4.

Ariana Rodriguez (US) def. Amanda Rodgers (US), 6-1 6-3.

7-Charlotte Petrick (Canada) def. Maria Patrascu (Canada), 2-6 7-6(1) 6-1.

Ryann Foster (US) def. Tristen Z. Dewar (US), 6-2 4-6 6-0.

Petra Januskova (Canada) def. Olena Leonchuk (Ukr.), 6-2, 4-0 retired.

Main Draw Doubles

Sherazad Benamar (Fra.)-Danielle Mills (US) def. Madeleine Kobelt (US)-Jilliam O’Neill (Canada), 6-3 7-5.

Sachie Ishizu-Denise Starr def. Marina Danzini (Bra.)-Olena Leonchuk, 6-2 6-3.

Julia Moriarty-Caitlin Whoriskey (US) def. Khristina Blajkevitch (Canada)-Edmee Morin, 6-0 6-1.

Emily J. Harman-Alexandra Mueller def. Kelsey Laurente-Nicole Robinson, 6-2 6-2.

Brooke Austin-Brooke Rischbieth (Aus.) def. Elisabeth Fournier-Petra Januskova, 7-5 6-4.

TODAY’S MAIN DRAW MATCHES

Singles

10:30 a.m.— Lauren Embree (US) vs. Stephanie Kent (US); Emily J. Harman (US) vs. Sonja Molnar (Canada); Ariana Rodriguez (US) vs. Jessica Lawrence (US); Charlotte Petrick (Canada) vs. 4-Sherazad Benamar (Fra.). 11:30 a.m. — 3-Nika Kukharchuk (Rus.) vs. Jillian O’Neill (Canada); Jacqueline Crawford (US) vs. Petra Januskova (Canada); 7-Caitlin Whoriskey (US) vs. Ryann Foster (US); Brianna Morgan (US) vs. Beatrice Capra (US). 1:30 p.m .— Emina Bektas (US) vs. 2-Jessica Moore (Aus.); Denise Muresan (US) vs. Veronica M. Corning (US). 4:30 p.m. — Blair Shankle (US) vs. Alisa Kleybanova (Rus.).

Doubles

1:30 p.m. — Brittany Dubins (US)-Deborah Suarez (US) vs. Sonja Molnar (Can.)-Charlotte Petrick (Can.); Roxanne Ellison (US)-Sierra Ellison (US) vs. Stephanie Kent (US)-Ashley Murdock (US). TBA — Angela Haynes (US)-Trelsie Sadler (US) vs. Nika Kukharchuk (Rus).-Blair Shankle (US).

Area Golf

EAST AURORA: Ladies Interclub — Overall winners: Anne Szymanski, Mary Jane Myszka, Carol Johnson, Jane Kaye.

TAN TARA: Ladies 9 Hole Guest Day — 1. Krockenberger/Dobson 37; 2. Lewandowski/Bartha 38 (MOC); 3. Gordon/Lyons (MOC) 38. All ties broken by match of cards.

amateur Baseball

CEBA

Clarence 4, Niagara Fuel 2

SCBA 3, NCAAA 3 (9)

CEBA Collegiate

Dunkirk Boilers 13, Niagara 5

MSBL 35+

Erie Buffalo 6, Magruders 4

AAABA

Ken Hy 8, Mader 8

Meridian Titans 5, Royal Printing 1

New Era 11, Pignataro’s 3

NYSCL

Syracuse Salt Cats 7, Niagara Power 0

NP (5-5): Scott Gillespie 2-4

Job with Sabres allows social media guru Kanalley to return home

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:25:24 -0400

When the Sabres announced they were hiring a social media manager, Craig Kanalley figured it would be a fantastic job for one of his friends or followers.

“I thought it was a great opportunity for someone, so I shared it out,” Kanalley said Tuesday.

The more Kanalley thought about the job, the more he wanted it for himself. The senior editor of the Huffington Post sent in his resume and started dreaming of a return to Buffalo.

No other applicant could match Kanalley’s social media background. He’ll leave New York City at the end of the month and join his favorite team July 1.

“Not everybody gets the opportunity to come back, so I feel very grateful,” said the 27-year-old graduate of Cardinal O’Hara and St. John Fisher College. “I think it’s a good time for something new. I did New York. I did Chicago. It’s cool, but I do miss home.”

Kanalley is considered a signing coup for the Sabres. He generated a substantial following as the founder of Breaking Tweets, a blog that focused on how breaking news was analyzed on Twitter. He parlayed that into a job with Huffington Post, which has more than 3 million Twitter followers.

Kanalley will take a substantial pay cut in the move, but it’s worth it for a Sabres backer who was named after longtime forward Craig Ramsay.

“It was really like a no-brainer to be honest with you,” Kanalley said by phone. “I think everything kind of prepared me for this step, so I’m excited.”

“Social media continues to be one of the more dynamic and ever-growing vehicles to drive brands in sports,” said Brent Rossi, the Sabres’ vice president of brand strategy and marketing. “Craig has a proven track record of staying ahead of trends in social media and creating a powerful presence in the digital space. We are excited to add him to our team and we look forward to implementing his creativity in our organization’s social media platforms.”

Kanalley isn’t planning immediate, sweeping changes to a Twitter feed that includes everything from game updates to plugs for singers on owner Terry Pegula’s record label. Kanalley promises to listen to a vocal fan base that can be extremely critical.

“Even as a fan the last three or four years, I’ve been glued to social media, and I’m well-aware of everything about that with the Sabres,” Kanalley said. “I think there are some good things already happening with the Sabres’ social media. One thing I definitely care a lot about, even with my experience in the past, is listening and definitely using social media as a way to get feedback.

“Listening to everything is a real important part of social media, everything from crowd sourcing ideas on what the Sabres should be doing or just in general getting a sense of what people think of the team. I’ll definitely be listening at all times, and that includes everything from the Buffalo media to the blogs in the community. There’s actually some really excellent sports blogs and some really talented writers in the Buffalo community. I’m excited for all of that, including the critical stuff.”

...

The Sabres are teaming up with Buffalo Place for “Sabres Summer Fan Fest,” a combination of hockey and music July 12. The Sabres will wrap up their prospect development camp with a scrimmage at 4 p.m. in First Niagara Center. The action will move to Canalside at 6 p.m. with an autograph session and a concert by 10,000 Maniacs.

Tickets are $10 and go on sale at 9 a.m. Thursday at the arena box office and Sabres.com. Advance sales include the option to buy a discounted ticket for the Buffalo Bisons’ home game July 13. Sabres season-ticket holders will receive a free ticket for Fan Fest.

...

The Sabres will host a viewing party for the NHL draft at 2 p.m. June 30 in the arena. The free event will feature player appearances, floor hockey events and dressing room tours. Children 12 and under will be required to wear a helmet to participate in floor hockey.

email: jvogl@buffnews.com

Pegula stands by Regier as Sabres’ GM

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:46:53 -0400

By John Vogl

Terry Pegula says he talks to Darcy Regier more than his own wife. The chats have convinced the Buffalo Sabres’ owner he has the right general manager despite a playoff history that suggests otherwise.

“He is a very qualified person,” Pegula said today during an appearance on the Sabres’ radio show. “I don’t want to talk about prior ownership. I have a different management style, and Darcy has a chance to flourish under our management style. I’m giving him, I believe, more latitude in the way we operate the team with less financial restrictions.

“When you look at the history, even with the Sabres, what’s he done wrong? Help me out here. I’m going to ask the question. You gonna talk about some of the past deals. Maybe someone was holding the painter’s hand while he was doing the painting.”

The Regier-built Sabres have missed the postseason two straight years under Pegula’s ownership. Buffalo has sat out the playoffs four of the last six seasons and seven of 11 with Regier in charge of the roster.

“I’m going to do things my way, and one of the things that I like about what I see is there’s a very capable person there, a lot of knowledge under Al Arbour, very knowledgeable person,” Pegula said. “I built a pretty good company for my life, and one of my main areas in life is you start with a good person, good people, and you work from there. Darcy is in that category.”

Regier is set to oversee his 17th NHL draft and free agency period. It could be a tumultuous offseason as goaltender Ryan Miller and leading scorer Thomas Vanek have made it known they’d be accepting of a trade as they head into the final year of their contracts.

Pegula, appearing on “Sabres Hockey Hotline” on WGR-AM 550, made it sound as if the players’ desire to relocate will be a driving factor in all decisions.

“I can tell the fans I’m concerned, too,” said Pegula, who has turned down numerous interview requests by The Buffalo News. “Yes, we want them here. They have a say in that decision. What that decision is, no one’s been re-signed yet, so we’re still working. … Don’t forget, they’re part of that decision.”

Failed contract talks have taught Pegula what has long been known around Sabreland: Buffalo has a recruiting problem.

“When you go after a free agent, the Buffalo Sabres go after a free agent, I get a kick out of some comments, ‘Why didn’t they get this guy? Why didn’t they get that guy?’’ Pegula said. “Does anyone ever think that maybe that other person has a say in the decision? And maybe he didn’t or doesn’t want to come to Buffalo. You can’t force people to do things.

“I can tell you that every free agent, major, some of the minor ones that have come down the pipe the last couple of years, we’ve been heavily involved with them. … As far as I know we set the standard and won the war, but they made the decision and I think last year’s market was a pretty good example of that. Why don’t we get this guy? Well, guess what, he’s got a brain in his head and he makes a decision based on where he wants to go. Players have a lot to do these days in the way you take your team.”

The free agency failures – both in missed signings and bad contracts like Ville Leino’s six-year, $27 million deal – have forced the Sabres to adopt a “build through the draft” philosophy.

“You have a course of action you’re taking, and it gets changed,” Pegula said. “It changes when certain players when you don’t win the bid on them, they don’t come to your organization, they go somewhere else. You just revise your plans and shift in another direction.”

Pegula hinted that his arrival as owner in February 2011 hasn’t been universally accepted.

“I think if you probably talk to other owners around the league, they might think that I may spend too much money,” Pegula said. “You may hear that or whatever, but that’s my style. … You might talk to some of the other owners around the league, and they’ll tell you, ‘Who’s this new owner? What is he, crazy? Why did you give this guy money or that guy?’ Hey, it’s my decision. It was something I wanted to do.”

Manuel has fifth option year in deal

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:05:57 -0400

By Mark Gaughan

The rookie contract signed by EJ Manuel last week is worth $8.88 million over four years. However, it's possible Manuel will be locked up through 2017, not 2016.

In all first-round deals since the 2011 collective bargaining agreement was signed, the club has an option for a fifth year. The club can't exercise the option until after the player's third season. Once executed, the amount is guaranteed for injury, meaning he gets paid that fifth-year money even if he can't play due to injury.

That fifth-year money is guaranteed for skill and cap reasons as well if he's still on the roster on the first day of the league year (in March) that fifth season. That means he gets the fifth-year money at that point, even if the team decides afterward it doesn't want him on the roster.

Because Manuel was drafted between 11th and 32nd, the amount of the option-year salary for him would be equal to the average salary of the third- through 25th-highest-paid quarterbacks in the league at the end of his third season.

If Manuel had been drafted in the top 10, then the amount of the option-year salary would be equal to the top 10 players at his position at the end of his third season. That's a lot higher, obviously.

Because the Bills traded out of the top 10 and took Manuel 16th overall, they would get a less expensive fifth-year option. Obviously that's a benefit because there still could be some uncertainty over his play after his third season.

Of course, if Manuel plays well enough to still be the clear-cut starting quarterback after his fourth season, then it's likely the Bills would want to sign him to a big contract extension before his fifth season rather than have him play out his fifth season.

But you never know. The Baltimore Ravens let quarterback Joe Flacco play out his contract last season, then signed him to a big extension after he won the Super Bowl.

It's a problem the Bills would welcome. If Manuel is still in a Bills uniform in 2017, then it's overwhelmingly likely he will be "The Answer" the franchise has sought.

Strasburg plan looks more like opportunity lost

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:56:56 -0400

It was a year and five days ago I stood in the visitors clubhouse of Toronto’s Rogers Centre and asked Stephen Strasburg The Question. Yes, with capital letters.

He had gone six innings in the Washington Nationals’ 6-2 win over the Blue Jays, struck out eight and improved to 8-1 with a 2.45 earned-run average. The win capped a 6-0 road trip and pushed the Nats’ record to 38-23.

But even though we were less than halfway through the season, a monstrous dilemma was brewing and I asked Strasburg point-blank how much he had thought about having to sit out October if the Nats were still playing.

“I try not to think about it but with the direction that we’re going and everything, it makes it even harder to not think about it,” Strasburg said. “I can’t control that. Hopefully things can change and we get to where we want to be and somehow I’m part of it still.”

As it turned out, the Nationals stayed with their plan. Strasburg was shut down. They went to the playoffs without him but the team that finished with the best record in baseball at 98-64 was ousted by the Cardinals in Game Five of the division series.

It was supposed to be short-term pain for long-term gain. The Nationals would be back many, many more times. I was one of many who said the plan was stupid then, long before the result was known. You look back on it now and it appears even more ridiculous.

When you have a chance to win the World Series, you take it. You never assume you’ll automatically get another one. It’s the height of arrogance.

There’s that famous scene in “All the President’s Men” where one of the foreign editors was questioning Editor Ben Bradlee about the Post’s work on Watergate and broaches the question, “When did the Washington Post suddenly get the monopoly on wisdom?”

It was a fair point. As history turned out, obviously, the Post was right to pursue its story. Maybe the Nationals will turn out to have the last laugh, too, but they’ve won exactly nothing in their history. They have looked like a one-year wonder so far in 2013.

They entered Monday’s game in Philadelphia completely stuck on neutral, at 34-34, and then lost in the bottom of the ninth to fall a game under .500. That’s far from the big expectations of the Florida spring.

Strasburg has been good again but is suffering from a lack of run support and is just 3-6 with a 2.50 ERA. He was 15-6, 3.16 last year in 28 starts and was shut down after 159∑ innings.

At least give GM Mike Rizzo credit. He stuck to his guns in June, through the summer and even after the devastating Game Five collapse against the Cardinals. Washington lost, 9-7, when its bullpen gave up four runs in the ninth after being a strike away from sealing the deal.

Plenty of folks will correctly tell you Strasburg had nothing to do with that. I say the series isn’t in Game Five if Strasburg is a part of it. Others will point to the fact Strasburg was 4-2 with a pedestrian 4.19 ERA in his last eight starts and was wearing down anyway. I say he was wearing down mentally from all the questions. They could have started his season later, skipped starts or ended some earlier.

I’m still baffled by it all.

Strasburg was good Sunday in Cleveland, allowing one run and one hit in five innings after a brief disabled list stint due to a back problem. It was a 2-0 loss, another no-show by an offense that has fewer runs than any team except the pathetic Marlins.

Hitters struggle. Guys like Bryce Harper can’t stay off the disabled list. There’s no sneaking up on the opponent when the Nationals come to town or opponents go to DC. They had their chance in 2012 and didn’t take it. Who knows when their next one will come?

email: mharrington@buffnews.com

Paille, Bruins two wins away from another Cup

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:35:53 -0400

BOSTON — Tuukka Rask shut out the Chicago Blackhawks in Game Three of the Stanley Cup finals on Monday night and got enough help from the Bruins’ offense to do it without another exhausting overtime.

After playing four extra periods in the first two games, the Bruins made an early night of it with second-period goals by Daniel Paille and Patrice Bergeron to win, 2-0, and take a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup finals.

Rask stopped 28 shots for his third shutout of the 2013 playoffs.

Corey Crawford made 33 saves for the Blackhawks.

Game Four is Wednesday night in Boston before the matchup of Original Six teams returns to Chicago for a fifth game. The teams split the first two games there, with the Blackhawks winning Game One in triple-overtime and the Bruins stealing home-ice advantage on Paille’s goal in the first OT of the second game.

But this time the intrigue came before the opening faceoff instead of after the end of regulation.

Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara and Chicago forward Marian Hossa were both injured during warmups. But while Chara needed just some stitches after his collision with teammate Milan Lucic, Hossa was a late scratch with an unspecified injury.

Hossa, who has three game-winning goals in the playoffs this year, was tied for the team lead with 15 playoff points and was third on the Blackhawks with 17 goals during the regular season.

It was a loss the Blackhawks couldn’t afford.

Not with Rask stopping everything that came his way.

The Bruins’ goalie, who was a backup to Conn Smythe-winner Tim Thomas in the team’s 2011 Stanley Cup run, didn’t face as difficult a test as in the first period of Game Two, when the Blackhawks sent 19 shots at him but managed just one goal. But he stymied them all game and got some help from the post on Bryan Bickell’s shot with 42 seconds left in the game.

The puck caromed off the right post and the goal light flickered on briefly, but play continued for another 30 seconds before the whistle blew and the game degenerated into fisticuffs. Chara was on top of Viktor Stalberg, pounding away, and Andrew Shaw got the better of Brad Marchand.

By the time it was all sorted out, the benches were a little emptier but the scoring column for Chicago was still blank.

After a scoreless first period, the Bruins made it 1-0 when Paille slapped in the puck at 2:13 of the second, falling to one knee for extra power. It stayed that way until late in the second, when the Bruins picked up their first power plays of the game on two nearly identical plays, with a Bruin racing to the net and a Blackhawk undercutting his skates and sending him crashing into the left post.

Boston set up their offense during the 11-second two-man advantage, and just five seconds after it expired Jaromir Jagr slid one across the middle, past Lucic in the center to Bergeron on the other side for the easy one-timer.

It was Jagr’s 197th career playoff point in 199 games, fifth on the all-time list.

Bisons open homestand with victory

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:35:43 -0400

The best the Buffalo Bisons can say about their recent road trip is they’re glad to be back home.

Behind the strong pitching effort of starter Todd Redmond, the Bisons began to erase the memory of their road struggles and opened an eight-game homestand at Coca-Cola Field with a 5-4 triumph over lowly Gwinnett on Monday night.

An aggressive Redmond pitched ahead in the count and put pressure on the Braves’ hitters in six innings while yielding just two runs on five hits and striking out three.

“I was just trying to go out there and throw strikes and do what I had to do and keep the guys in the game,” Redmond said. “Our bats were hot and we got the timely hitting when we needed it.”

Indeed, Redmond received a huge boost from the top of the order as Anthony Gose, Jim Negrych, Mauro Gomez, Luis Jimenez and Moises Sierra combined to go 8 for 19 with three runs and three RBIs. Gose was frozen in a 4 for 30 slump until Monday when he went 2 for 4 while leading off. Hitting second, Negrych, the St. Francis grad who is now batting .349 for the season, went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.

“The thing about Negrych is you can hit him anywhere in the order,” Bisons manager Marty Brown said. “I like the way Jimmy swings the bat in the two hole, he makes things happen for sure.”

Andy LaRoche added some insurance in the sixth with his eighth homer that gave the Herd a 4-2 lead. Negrych’s sacrifice fly in the eighth plated LaRoche to give the Herd a three-run lead.

It proved to be much-needed after the Braves scored a pair of runs in the ninth.

“Gose did a great job coming in and Roche also hitting the home run,” Redmond said. “Late in the game, they had some good quality at bats and that was a good thing.”

Last Tuesday in a loss at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Redmond (2-1) struck out seven in only four innings. Redmond, who started his third game for Buffalo, began the 2012 season with the G-Braves and was 6-6 with a 3.58 ERA in 18 starts. The Bisons claimed Redmond on waivers from Baltimore in March.

“It’s always good to face the Braves just because I came from them … four and a half years,” he said. “It’s also good to pitch against them and see some familiar faces. … Just about everyone up there except for about one or two, that I either played against or played with the last couple of years.”

Buffalo got on the board in the second when LaRoche hit a hard shot down the third base line that was fielded cleanly by Alden Carrithers, whose throw to first was wild. That allowed Moises Sierra, who singled to start the inning, to score from second.

In a microcosm of their season, the Braves ruined an opportunity to break the game open in the second with one out because of poor base running.

Todd Cunningham singled with the bases loaded and drove in two runs, but Jose Constanza was caught in a rundown between second and third and was tagged out. Then Cunningham was caught trying to run from first and second to end the inning.

The Herd regained the lead at 3-2 in the third when Jimenez’s RBI double scored Gose before Negrych scored on a fielder’s choice.

Buffalo could have tacked on some insurance in the fifth with two outs and the bases loaded, but Braves starter Omar Poveda fired back-to-back strikeouts of Sierra and Langerhans.

The Bisons (36-33) still trail first-place Pawtucket in the International League North by five games. However, with the win, they moved back into second place, a half-game in front of Lehigh Valley.

From April 20-May 23, the Bisons were either tied or in sole possession of first place and their biggest lead was three games on May 5. They haven’t been in first since.

The Bisons faced the right team to break out of a slump. Since winning seven straight against Toledo and Syracuse from May 23-29, the Braves are 4-13. Monday’s loss was their fifth straight. Their current losing streak is not as hideous as April’s when they dropped 14 in a row.

Gwinnett was 16½ games out of first place in the International League South coming into Monday’s game.

The teams will meet again tonight (7:05 p.m., Radio 1520 AM) with righty Dave Bush (7-4, 4.23) scheduled to start for the Herd. The Gwinnett starter has not been named.

email: rmckissic@buffnews.com

Qualifiers keep on moving along at Sargent and Collins tourney

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:34:07 -0400

Five of the seven remaining seeded players in the qualifying draw advanced Monday in the leadup to the $10,000 Sargent and Collins, LLP Women’s Tournament at the Miller Tennis Center in Williamsville.

Emily Harman, the No. 2 seed, Amanda Rodgers (3), Denise Muresan (4), Jacquelin Crawford (5) and Charlotte Petrick (7) won while Brooke Rieschbieth (8) and Wendy Qi-Wen Zhang (9) were eliminated. Eight matches starting at 10 a.m. today will determine qualifiers to enter the main singles draw with 24 other players.

Among the first round matches in the singles main draw today, No. 1 seed 20-year-old Sachie Ishizu of Japan will face 24-year-old Julia Moriarty, a citizen of both Ireland and Australia, at 11 a.m.

Meanwhile, the teams of Elizabeth Fournier and Petra Januskova of Canada and Marina Denzini (Brazil) and Olena Leonchuk (Ukraine) won qualifiers Tuesday to advance to the main draw of the doubles and be among 12 doubles teams that will play first-round matches today starting at 2 p.m.

Thompson, Casal headline Ring 44 Hall boxing class

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:34:03 -0400

Ross Thompson and Ray Casal headline this year’s class of inductees into the Buffalo Boxing Association Ring 44 Hall of Fame on Aug. 2 during a dinner ceremony from 6-11 p.m. at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens. Boxer and artist Tony Sisti also is a member of this year’s induction class.

Thompson won four national Police Athletic League titles as an amateur and fought for the world light middleweight championship against Fernando Vargas in 2000. Thompson, who lost that title fight to Vargas, won 24 of his first 28 fights as a professional, finishing his 19-year prize fighting career 27-16-3.

Casal has been a boxing trainer since 1971 and operator of his own gym in Niagara Falls since 1996. His gym has produced 22 national champions and four Police Athletic League winners. Perhaps Casal’s best protege is his son Nick, who won a national Junior Olympic championship and a gold medal at the Sweden Cup as an amateur and has posted 22-4-1 mark as a professional.

Sisti mixed art and boxer together in the early 20th century. While he went 6-3-3 as a professional, he painted murals of several boxing greats – including Joe Muscato and Jersey Joe Walcott. Sisti’s portrait of heavyweight contender Phil Muscato, titled as “The Boxer,” won a gold medal at the Buffalo Society of Artists Exhibition in 1953.

Tickets cost $50 and must be purchased by July 26. For tickets, call Jack Green at 856-9365 or send a check to treasurer Jim Brown. Make checks payable to BVBA Ring 44 and mail to Brown at 269 White Oak Lane, Grand Island, N.Y. 14072.

Bulletin Board for June 18

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:33:59 -0400

The second annual Baseball/Softball Underclassmen Showcase Event will be held Aug. 17-18 at the North Collins Sports Complex. This event is limited to players who were first team, second team, or honorable mention divisional/league all-stars. This year’s format is ECIC All-Stars versus Monsignor Martin/Buffalo City/Private School All-Stars and the CCAC All-Stars versus Niagara Frontier/Niagara-Orleans All-Stars. All players must be high school students with a scheduled graduation date of 2014 or later. Thirty-two of 39 participants from last year’s games are planning on playing baseball at the college level next year. Coaches should contact the following if they have players who would like to compete in this contest: Baseball: Rob Catalino, 432-8458 or rcatalino@roadrunner.com; softball: Joe Catalano, 361-3298 or coachca67@yahoo.com or Jan Warren at jmwarren114@aol.com.

...

The fifth Tom Borrelli Memorial Award Golf Tournament presented by the Buffalo Bandits will be held July 1 at Holland Hills. The tournament is a 10 a.m. shotgun scramble and the $100 cost includes golf, cart, lunch at the turn, dinner, one-hour open bar and a souvenir gift. There will also be prizes, auctions, raffles and drawings. There is also limited space for dinner-only guests. Cost for dinner only, which includes the presentation of the boys and girls winners of the Borrelli Awards as the top senior high school lacrosse player in Western New York, is $25. To reserve a spot, email Bob DiCesare at bdicesare@buffnews.com. Those interested in just making a donation to the scholarship fund or purchasing an ad in the event’s souvenir program can do so by contacting Keith McShea at kmcshea@buffnews.com. Checks are payable to the Tom Borrelli Memorial Award and Scholarship Fund. They should be mailed to: Tom Borrelli Memorial Award, c/o Sports Department, The Buffalo News, Box 100, One News Plaza, Buffalo, 14240.

...

BASEBALL: Team New Era will hold tryouts for its fall travel teams at New Era Park, 3950 Broadway, Depew as follows: Ages 9-11 at 6 p.m. Thursday, at 4 p.m. Saturday and June 30; ages 12-14 at 8 p.m. on Thursday and 6 p.m. on Saturday and June 30. See www.teamnewerabaseball.com or call New Era Park (681-3001).

BASKETBALL: Former Traditional High star Jason Rowe will kick off his inaugural “Queen City Classic” pro-am summer basketball league July 7 at Nichols School. The league will run on Sunday nights from 3-8 p.m. through August 16 and is open to adults 18 and over. Registration includes entry fee and team jerseys. The league will take only 10 teams and the demand is very high for team entry. Deadline to register is July 1. For more information or to register, contact QCC716@gmail.com.

CAMPS: Summer Instructional Hitting League will be held at Sports Performance Park July 8 to Aug. 26 every Monday from 10 a.m. to noon. Age groups 8 and up are welcome. Cost is $119 (members), $139 (non-members) for all eight weeks, $20 per week (members) and $25 (non-members). This league is based on average so all ages can compete together. Besides this league, baseball summer camps will also be held by Sports Performance Park. Camps will be held at Beverly Hills Park, 364 McNaughton at George Urban Boulevard, Cheektowaga. Two individual camps are open to all skill levels. Ages 12 and under on 70-foot diamond, ages 13 and up on 90-foot diamond. Dates are July 9-11, July 16-18, and July 30 to Aug. 1. Each camp runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Cost is $109 weekly/$45 daily for members, $129 weekly/$55 daily for non-members. All three camps are $249/member, $269/non-member. Email sppgeddes@gmail.com or call 565-2096. ... Daemen College still is accepting registrations for both weeks of its girls basketball camp June 24 to 28 and July 22 to 26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Cost is $175 for one week or $300 for both. Call 839-8336. ... Niagara University women’s basketball will hold its Elite Summer Camp on Saturday, Aug. 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Gallagher Center. The camp is intended for girls entering grades 9-12, and the cost is $65 per girl. Group rate of $50 for groups of seven or more. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Campers receive lunch as well as prizes and awards. Contact Brianna Lucas at 286-8619 or blucas@niagara.edu.

FOOTBALL: The Kenmore East football booster club will hold a car wash from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of Sorrentino’s Sports Center on Sheridan Drive in the Town of Tonawanda. ...The next meeting of the Buffalo Bills Booster Club will be at 7:30 p.m. June 25 in the Paul Maguire Suite at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The guest speaker will be John Boutet from the Buffalo Sports Museum.

SOFTBALL: The Gowanda men’s double elimination slow pitch tournament is June 29, beginning at 11 a.m. Entry fee $75 per team and includes prizes and a home run derby. Call Mark Benton at 532-4053 or email hidibenton@aol.com.

The Bulletin Board appears twice weekly, Tuesday and Friday. Information must be submitted by mail (c/o Buffalo News, Sports Dept., One News Plaza, Buffalo, NY 14240), fax (849-4587) or email (sports@buffnews.com). Items are limited to one appearance. There is no charge.

Watch List for June 18

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:33:55 -0400

LIVE EVENTS

Baseball

• Gwinnett at Buffalo, 7:05 p.m., Coca-Cola Field.

Horse Racing

• Fort Erie, 1:15 p.m.

ON TELEVISION

College Baseball World Series

• North Carolina vs. LSU, 3 p.m., ESPN.

• N.C. State vs. UCLA, 8 p.m., ESPN2.

MLB

• N.Y. Mets at Atlanta, 1 p.m., SNY.

• L.A. Dodgers at N.Y. Yankees, 7 p.m., Ch. 67.

• N.Y. Mets at Atlanta, 7 p.m., SNY.

NBA Finals

• San Antonio at Miami, 9 p.m., Ch. 7.

Soccer

• World Cup Qualifying: United States vs. Honduras, 8:30 p.m., ESPN.

ON RADIO

Baseball

• Gwinnett at Buffalo, 7:05 p.m., 1520.

Area tennis, golf, bowling for June 18

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:33:31 -0400

AREA TENNIS

Sargent & Collins, LLP Women’s $10,000 Championships

A USTA Pro Circuit Event

at Miller Tennis Center, Williamsville

Purse: $ 10,000; Surface: Clay

Monday’s Results

Qualifying Singles

Beatrice Capra (US) def. Khristina Blajkevitch (Can), 6-0 6-1.

Amanda Rodgers (US) [3] def. Alexandra Morozova (US), 0-6 6-4 6-4.

Joelle Kissell (US) Deborah Suarez (US), 0-6 6-3 6-1.

Alexandra Perper (MDA) def. Natalie Toporowski (Can), 6-3 6-0.

Amy Zhu (US) def. Nicole Baloescu (Can), 6-2 6-2.

Ariana Rodriguez (US) def. Victoria Dimuzio (Can), 6-0 6-2.

Olena Leonchuk (Ukr) def. Iryna Kostirko (Can), 7-5 2-6 6-4.

Jacqueline Wu (US) def. Nyla Beenk (US), 2-6 6-0 7-6(4).

Ryann Foster (US) def. Sandra Dynka (Can), 7-6(5) 2-6 6-4.

Tristen Z. Dewar (US) def. Brooke Rischbieth (Aus) [8], 6-4 6-3.

Wendy Qi-Wen Zhang (Can) [9] def. Stephanie J. Smith (US), 6-2 6-3.

Maria Patrascu (Can) def. Anna Smith (US), 6-0 6-4.

Jessica Golovin (US) def. Brittany Dubins (US), 6-2 6-7(4) 7-6(4).

Jacqueline Crawford (US) [5] def. Steffi Carruthers (Sam), 6-2 6-2.

Denise Muresan (US) [4] def. Devin Chypyha (Can), 6-1 6-1.

Kelsey Laurente (US) def. Lauren Chypyha (Can), 7-5 4-6 6-3.

Emily J. Harman (US) [2] def. Sonya Latycheva (Can), 7-5 3-6 6-2.

Petra Januskova (Can) def. Jessica Golovin (US), 6-1 6-3.

Ryann Foster (US) Wendy Qi-Wen Zhang (Can) [9], 6-2 7-5.

Charlotte Petrick (Can) [7] Jacqueline Wu (US), 6-4 0-6 7-5.

Kelsey Laurente (US) Brooke Bolender (US), 6-3 6-1.

Qualifying Doubles

Elisabeth Fournier (Can)-Petra Januskova def. Luisa Fernandez (US)-Margarita Kotok (US), 6-4 7-6(8).

Marina Danzini (Bra)-Olena Leonchuk (Ukr) def. Tristen Z. Dewar (US)-Jessica Lawrence (US), 6-3 6-4.

TODAY’S MAIN DRAW MATCHES

Singles

11 a.m. — Sachie Ishizu (Japan) vs. Julia Moriarty (Australia); Nicole Robinson (U.S.) vs. Elisabeth Fournier (Canada); Trelsie Sadler (U.S.) vs. Alexandra Mueller (U.S.); Brooke Austin (U.S.) vs. Denise Starr (U.S.); Olena Leonchuk (Ukraine) vs. Petra Januskova (Canada). 12:30 p.m. — Sherry Li (U.S.) vs. Luisa Fernandez (U.S.).

Doubles

12:30 p.m. — Madeleine Kobelt-Jillian O’Neill vs. Sherazad Benamar-Danielle Mills; 2 p.m. — Marina Danzini-Olena Leonchuk vs. Sachie Ishizu-Denise Starr; Julia Moriarty-Caitlin Shoriskey vs. Khristina Blajkevich-Edmee Morin Kougoucheff; Emily J. Harman-Alexandra Mueller vs. Kelsey Laurent-Nicole Robinson; Elisabeth Fournier-Petra Januskova vs. Brooke Austin-Brooke Rischbieth; TBA — Angela Haynes-Trelsie Sadler vs. Nika Kukharchuk-Blair Shankle.

AMATEUR BASEBALL

NEW ERA MUNY AAA

Orchard Park 7 Leib’s 4

AMERICAN LEGION

West Seneca 5, Orchard Park 3

Allegany 16, Jaworski 4

Eden 12, Falconer 2

Jurek 5, Dolan 3

Mckeever 7, Brounschidle 5

Lancaster 4, Hamburg 3

Lamm 2, Tonawanda 0

MUNY MSBL

Erie Buffalo 2, HR Derby 1

The Tribe 7, Akron Merchants 6 (9)

New Era 2, Panthers 1

Collision Pro 10, Amherst Ale House 0

AREA GOLF

BRIGHTON: Hank Askey & Richie May Memorial Shamble — Palmer Flight: Scott Dean-Doug Zagarrigo-Steve Persico-John Bush 108. Nicklaus Flight: Joe Jansen-Dean Becker-John Wagner-Joe Bowes 110. Player Flight: Tim Dowell-Adrian Voyer-Bill Baum-Pat Logan 112. Trevino Flight: Bob Krieger-Stan Pustulka-Rob Coppola Sr.-Mike Hierl 112.

AREA BOWLING

BROADWAY: Summer 9-pin No Tap — Chuck Jagodzinski 300-300-803, Troy Wozniak 278-793, Steve Gane 276, Mikey Lombard 264, Chris Wroblewski 243, Debbie Janora 267-264-754, Jill Uebelhoer 263.

THRUWAY: Monday H-A-B — Marcus Fischer 263-698.

Bruins, Blackhawks ready for Game 3 in Boston

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:41:20 -0400

By John Vogl

A key question heading into Game Three of the Stanley Cup finals isn't who will win. It's when they will win.

Chicago and Boston have played parts of 10 periods, which normally equates to 3 1/2 games. Instead, the series is tied, 1-1, after Chicago won the opener in triple-overtime and Boston came back with an overtime win in Game Two.

The series shifts to Boston tonight. Chicago has lost Game Three in every series so far.

Here is the hometown look at the game, with the Boston Globe and Chicago Tribune.

poll by twiigs.com