Friday, April 26, 2024

Sports

ICE HOCKEY

Gambling man, Miller refuses to reveal hand

If Hollywood ever makes a sequel to the gambling flick “Rounders,” I would vote for Ryan Miller to replace Matt Damon as the lead actor. First of all, having someone with Miller’s wiry stature succeed on the big screen would give hopes of stardom to all skinny kids - like me, Mike Chappell and Grover from “Sesame Street.” But I digress. On a more “serious” note, I’d endorse Miller for the role because he’s got a great poker face.

SPORTS

Lugnuts fail to sweep Bees, held to four hits in 5-0 loss

Lansing - The Lugnuts failed to sweep Burlington on Tuesday, falling to the Bees 5-0 at Oldsmobile Park.Lansing (28-18 second half, 65-50 overall) ended the home series with a 3-1 record against Burlington (21-23, 54-59).In the first, second, sixth, seventh and eighth innings the Lugnuts failed to reach base, managing only four hits for the game.Lugnuts manager Julio Garcia said his team struggled against Burlington right hander Chris Tierney.Tierney froze the Lansing bats and improved his record to 7-12 with the win.

BASKETBALL

Top guard verbally commits to U

The best guard of the 2003-04 recruiting class has verbally committed to MSU. “I think I made a choice my parents like, I like and even my little brother liked,” said Shannon Brown, of Proviso East High in Maywood, Ill.

ICE HOCKEY

Safety nets expected to return

Rink manager Tom Campbell said it’s “99 percent certain” that MSU will reinstate safety nets behind both goals at Munn Ice Arena this year - one season after the university removed the safeguards.The move is largely in response to an NHL initiative to put safety nets in every member arena following the death of 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil at a Columbus Blue Jackets game in March.

SPORTS

Hoops team releases 2002-03 schedule

The MSU women’s basketball team missed out on the 2002 NCAA Tournament, but it will get a sufficient dosage of last year’s qualifiers in the upcoming season. Of the 27 games the Spartans are slated to play in the 2002-03 season, 11 - five at home - will be against teams that were in the Big Dance last March. The schedule features 14 games at Breslin Center.

SPORTS

Same songs, but whole new energy

Remix albums are all the rage among rappers and hard-rockers these days, but usually prove to be complete flop or an album with only one or two decent songs. And to make a remix a band should have a few albums to its name to have enough good songs to actually remix. So a band has got to have a lot of guts to remix its debut album and put it out two years later.

FOOTBALL

New season promising for U football

Chicago - One thing is becoming more clear as MSU’s Aug. 31 kickoff approaches - the Spartans are a fixture on everyone’s radar screen. At this weekend’s annual Big Ten football Kickoff Luncheon, media members picked MSU to finish third in the conference and named junior wide receiver Charles Rogers the preseason Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

FOOTBALL

U-M, OSU, U top Big Ten

Chicago - Although record-breaking wide receivers - instead of smash-mouth running backs - are receiving most of the preseason hype, the media seems to think the conference will return to the “Big Two, Little Eight” days of the Big Ten. The league’s preseason poll, released at the 31st annual Big Ten Conference Kickoff Luncheon last week, tabbed Michigan and Ohio State to finish first and second, respectively, in the Big Ten football standings.

SPORTS

Icers stockpile in net as goalie commits

The Spartan hockey team will have a logjam in the crease a few years from now, thanks to the recent verbal commitment of goaltender Dominic Vicari.Vicari, a 5-foot-10, 170-pounder from Clinton Township, told MSU coaches several weeks ago that he intends to join the Spartans in fall 2003.

BASKETBALL

Spartans schedule filled with tradition

Once again MSU head coach Tom Izzo has ensured a nonconference schedule that will force the men’s basketball team to prove themselves. “I think we’ve done a good job of putting together a very difficult schedule,” Izzo said in a statement.

ICE HOCKEY

Spartans release Icers schedule

The MSU hockey team released its 2002-03 schedule Thursday, and there is no shortage of intriguing games on the docket. Among the highlights, the Spartans will face nonconference powers Boston University and Denver in regular-season tournaments.

SPORTS

Lugnuts sweep division leaders

Lansing - The Lugnuts broke out the brooms Sunday on the division-leading Dayton Dragons.Lansing (19-12 second half, 56-44 overall) defeated Dayton 10-1 at Oldsmobile Park, 505 E.