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Sports | 1000

ICE HOCKEY

League changes playoff format

Eric Fish
April 26, 2005

The CCHA is in the process of revising the league's playoff system, which will shorten the regular season by one week and extend the postseason from two to three rounds. The new playoff system will give the top four teams in the regular season first-round byes, and the remaining eight teams would play a best-of-three series with their corresponding seeds. The winners of the eight-team first round will then advance to face the top four teams in the division that were awarded the first-round byes.

SPORTS

WEB ONLY: Spartans place third in championships

Matt Bishop
April 25, 2005

The final round of the 2005 Big Ten Women's Golf Championships in Ann Arbor was canceled because of the weather. This meant MSU finished in third place with a three-round score of 933. Sophomore Heather Rose led the Spartans with a fourth-place finish.

FOOTBALL

Quarterbacks have options with receivers

Eric Fish  and  Chris Barsotti
April 25, 2005

After two seasons of dropped passes and inconsistency at wide receiver under MSU head coach John L. Smith, the position that gave the Spartans trouble in the past looks to be one of their greatest strengths entering the 2005 season. With wide receivers Aaron Alexander, Kyle Brown, Agim Shabaj and Matt Trannon all entering their senior years of play and junior Jerramy Scott and sophomore Terry Love returning to the program as well, the Spartans might have one of the best lists of wide receivers in the Big Ten. Alexander said the group is coming together well, but there still is work to be done before the fall.

FOOTBALL

Spartans finish 4-week spring practice

Chris Meagher
April 25, 2005

The MSU football team ended spring football with a scrimmage Friday, moving indoors to the Duffy Daugherty Football Building because of poor weather. The scrimmage concluded the Spartans' 15 practices during a four-week period, a spring session MSU head coach John L.

SPORTS

2 days of NFL draft too long for viewers

I woke up this morning and thought, "I better check ESPN to see if the NFL Draft is still going." I was shocked that it was finally over. It was the second-longest first round ever - thanks to the Detroit Lions, since they only took two minutes to make their selection.

SPORTS

1st day of NBA playoffs has comebacks, Webber hitting some shots

Saturday proved to be a most interesting day of basketball. It was a day of monster comebacks and elation on my part. The day started with the Detroit Pistons against the Philadelphia 76ers on ABC. To say the least, the Pistons didn't get off to a great start, being outscored 28-16 in the first quarter. Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala threw down a sick reverse jam after Allen Iverson saved the ball from going out of bounds.

FOOTBALL

4 Spartans selected in draft

Laura Collins
April 25, 2005

When former MSU running back DeAndra Cobb was 9 years old, his mother signed him up for a local little league football team with encouragement from her brother, even though she knew little about football. "We signed him up, and they actually called him 'Turbo' and we have been running with him ever since," Cobb's mother, Terri Cobb-Harden, said. She had no idea that years later, she would watch her son be drafted into the NFL on national television and share in the excitement. Four Spartans were drafted in the sixth and seventh rounds of the NFL Draft on Sunday afternoon.

FOOTBALL

Seeking: NFL job

Chris Meagher
April 22, 2005

Former MSU place-kicker Dave Rayner lined up for a 45-yard field goal at the Duffy Daugherty Building on Tuesday with no one rushing, yelling or attempting to block his kick. It was just him and the ball. This has been the scenario for Rayner during the past couple months, preparing for the 2005 NFL Draft. "I come in here kicking at least twice, sometimes three times a week," said Rayner, who is MSU's all-time leader in scoring, field goals and extra points.

SPORTS

State News sports desk NBA Playoff picks:

The State News sports desk predicts this year's NBA Playoffs: Brian Charlton Eastern Conference Finals Detroit over Miami in six games Western Conference Finals Phoenix over San Antonio in seven games NBA Finals Detroit over Phoenix in six games MVP Chauncey Billups, Detroit Chris Meagher Eastern Conference Finals Miami over Detroit in six Western Conference Finals Seattle over Dallas in six NBA Finals Miami over Seattle in six MVP Dwyane Wade, Miami Matt Bishop Eastern Conference Finals Detroit over Miami in seven Western Conference Finals Dallas over Phoenix in six NBA Finals Detroit over Dallas in seven games MVP Tayshaun Prince, Detroit J.

FOOTBALL

49ers' No. 1 overall pick could be Smith

Eric Fish
April 22, 2005

MSU football head coach John L. Smith said Tuesday he doesn't know where his nephew Alex Smith -?the potential No.1 pick in the 2005 NFL Draft on Saturday - will go. "I know where I'd like to see him go, but I have no clue where he's going to go," Smith said of the former Utah quarterback. John L.

SOFTBALL

WEB ONLY: Spartans complete doubleheader sweep

Chris Barsotti
April 21, 2005

The MSU softball team recorded 4-0 and 5-0 victories at Oakland on Tuesday, its first doubleheader sweep against the same opponent since the 2002 season. Sophomore Rachel Turney and Freshman Lesley Noel each pitched the complete-game shutouts in the doubleheader sweep. Turney's shutout was the second time in her last three starts that she has blanked an opponent.

SPORTS

Career of one of Spartans' top players winding down

Brian Charlton
April 21, 2005

Plagued by a college career filled with injuries, Andrew Formanczyk set big goals for his senior season to beat some of the nation's best tennis players. But the 6-foot-2 senior struggled most of the fall season, battling chronic strep throat and tonsillitis. After having his tonsils removed, Formanczyk had to work to get back to top form. But now his hopes are starting to come true. He's knocked off four ranked opponents and played the No.

SPORTS

Wrestling team signs Palmieri for 2005-06

Esther Gim
April 20, 2005

The MSU wrestling team inked Nick Palmieri to a National Letter of Intent for the 2005-06 season, head coach Tom Minkel announced Tuesday. In his senior season at Mayfield High School in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, Palmieri complied a 43-4 record at 215 pounds.

SPORTS

Spartans pleased with week of success

Matt Bishop
April 20, 2005

It was a weekend of triumph for the MSU baseball team. First, the Spartans became only the second team to win a series at Ohio State in the nine-year-old Bill Davis Stadium. Second, because of their performances against the Buckeyes, sophomore catcher Sean Walker was named the Big Ten's co-Player of the Week along with Minnesota's Andy Hunter, and junior pitcher Tim Day was named the league's Pitcher of the Week after a complete game shutout Friday. "It was great, well deserved," MSU head coach Ted Mahan said Tuesday.

SPORTS

Nick Simmons named outstanding wrestler

Matt Bishop
April 19, 2005

Sophomore Nick Simmons was awarded the MSU wrestling team's 2005 Outstanding Wrestler Award at the team's banquet held Sunday at Kellogg Center. Simmons went 32-4 this season, including a fourth-place finish at the 2005 NCAA Championships.