Maya Moore Named AP Player of the Year; Geno Co-Coach of the Year

The hardware continues to roll in for UConn Huskies senior All-American Maya Moore as she was named the AP Player of the Year.

Earlier on Saturday, Moore was announced as the winner of the Wade Trophy, Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award and was also named to the 2011 NCAA Division I State Farm Coaches’ All-America Basketball Team.

This is the second time Moore has won the award and joins Seimone Augustus of LSU and Chamique Holdsclaw of Tennessee as the only two time winners of the award. She finished second in the voting during her freshman and junior seasons. Moore’s teammate Tina Charles won the award last year.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma was also honored as the AP Co-Coach of the Year. He shared the award with Miami’s Katie Meier and Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer. This is the first time a major AP award has been shared.

Photo credit: Cloe Poisson – Hartford Courant

NABC Announces 2011 State Farm® Coaches’ Division I All-America teams

2011 STATE FARM® COACHES' DIVISION I ALL-AMERICA TEAMS

HOUSTON, Texas – The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced today the 2011 State Farm® Coaches’ Division I All-America teams. Selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC, these student-athletes represent the finest basketball players across America.

2011 STATE FARM® COACHES’ DIVISION I ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM

Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young, 6-2, Senior, Guard, Glens Falls, N.Y.
JaJuan Johnson, Purdue, 6-10, Senior, Forward/Center, Indianapolis, Ind.
Nolan Smith, Duke, 6-22, Senior, Guard, Upper Marlboro, Md.
Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, 6-9, Freshman, Forward, Columbus, Ohio
Kemba Walker, Connecticut, 6-1, Junior, Guard, Bronx, N.Y.

2011 STATE FARM® COACHES’ DIVISION I ALL-AMERICA SECOND TEAM

Jordan Hamilton, Texas, 6-7, Sophomore, Guard/Forward, Compton, Calif.
Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame, 6-3, Senior, Guard, Poplar Bluff, Mo.
Marcus Morris, Kansas, 6-9, Junior, Forward, Philadelphia, Pa.
Kyle Singler, Duke, 6-8, Senior, Forward, Medford, Ore.
Derrick Williams, Arizona, 6-8, Sophomore, Forward, La Mirada, Calif.

2011 STATE FARM® COACHES’ DIVISION I ALL-AMERICA THIRD TEAM

Kenneth Faried, Morehead State, 6-8, Senior, Center/Forward, Newark, N.J.
Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State, 6-7, Sophomore, Forward, Riverside, Calif.
E’Twaun Moore, Purdue, 6-4, Senior, Guard, East Chicago, Ind.
Jacob Pullen, Kansas State, 6-0, Senior, Guard, Maywood, Ill.
Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin, 6-1, Senior, Guard, Bloomington, Minn.

Maya Moore Wins Lowe’s Senior Class Award

OVERLAND PARK, KS – Maya Moore, one of the most decorated student-athletes in University of Connecticut history, has been selected as the 2010-11 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award winner in women’s basketball. The announcement and trophy presentation were made today by Lowe’s, an official corporate partner of the NCAA®, during open practices for the Women’s Final Four®.

Lowes Senior CLASS Award The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I women’s basketball head coaches, national media and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in NCAA Division I women’s basketball. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

“It is a huge honor to win this award. Just looking at the list of people who have won in the past, it really puts me in great company. Also knowing that this award recognizes more than just performance on the court. It emphasizes the classroom, community and, most importantly, character,” said Moore. “That is why it is such an honor to be recognized for integrity and leadership. Sometimes those are the things that get taken for granted when recognizing great players and teams. So it’s just a huge honor, and I’m grateful that I’m at a program where I’m surrounded by terrific coaches and staff and a group of teammates around me every day pushing me to get better and giving me an opportunity to be consistent for them. I’m most thankful to them for helping me enjoy this during my senior year.”

Moore was recently honored by the College Sports Information Directors of America as the Capital One Academic All-American of the Year. She is involved with Athletes in Action and has attended numerous leadership conferences through the organization. She is also a gifted musician. Moore has been involved with the Children’s Hospital, helping with a teleconference to raise money for sick children as well as visiting children several times. She also volunteered at head coach Geno Auriemma’s charity golf tournament and has helped the Salvation Army.

“Being named as the recipient of the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award is one of the top honors a student-athlete can receive and Maya is very deserving,” Auriemma said. “Maya is the consummate student-athlete and her involvement in community service makes her a great representative for our team, our university, our state and our game. Maya’s work ethic matches her talent level, and I love when those who work hard are recognized for their efforts.”

As she finishes her collegiate career, Moore is poised to become the sport’s most decorated student-athlete. Her squad has won two consecutive NCAA titles and posted records of 39-0 during each of those seasons. Moore is a three-time all-American and two-time Wade Trophy award winner. She won player-of-the-year honors as a sophomore and was the 2010 NCAA Women’s Final Four most outstanding player. The Big East player of the year, Moore averages 23 points and 8 rebounds for the Huskies as they compete in postseason play.

“Maya Moore has won player-of-the-year awards, national championships and just about every other accolade a student-athlete can achieve during her four years at Connecticut,” said David Geren, Lowe’s vice president of marketing. “What is most impressive about Maya, though, is her commitment in every aspect of her collegiate career, including academics and community service.”

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Women’s Basketball 2010-11 Winner

Name	Position	School
Maya Moore	Forward	Connecticut

First Team

Name	Position	School
Erin Anthony	Forward	Army
Angie Bjorklund	Guard/Forward	Tennessee
Kayla Pedersen	Forward	Stanford
Danielle Robinson	Guard	Oklahoma

Second Team

Name	Position	School
Dawn Evans	Guard	James Madison
Amber Harris	Forward	Xavier
Sam Quigley	Guard	DePaul
Liz Repella	Guard	West Virginia
Jasmine Thomas	Guard	Duke

Maya Moore Wins Third Straight Wade Trophy

INDIANAPOLIS – University of Connecticut senior Maya Moore is the first-ever three-time winner of The State Farm® Wade Trophy, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today. The prestigious award, regarded as “The Heisman of Women’s Basketball,” is presented annually to the NCAA Division I Player of the Year by the WBCA and the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS).

“For the last four years women’s basketball fans have been blessed with the opportunity to watch one of the greatest talents to ever play this game,” said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. “Maya Moore personifies the purity of the game. She represents the best this game has to offer. But even more importantly, Maya is a true scholar-athlete who has excelled both academically and athletically. I am honored to present to her on behalf of the WBCA and the NAGWS the State Farm Wade Trophy for an unprecedented third straight year.”

Moore, who last year joined Seimone Augustus (2005 and 2006) and Nancy Lieberman (1979 and 1980) as the only two-time recipients of the State Farm Wade Trophy, has posted a 150-3 record at UConn. She has led the Huskies to an NCAA-record 90-game winning streak, four BIG EAST Championships and four NCAA® Women’s Final Four® appearances. Sunday night her team continues its quest for a third national championship in a row, and eighth overall.

A 6-foot forward who is averaging 23.4 points per game this season (19.7 points per game in her collegiate career), Moore became the Huskies’ all-time leading scorer earlier this season and is only the seventh player in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history to score at least 3,000 career points. She is one of only two players to be selected as a First Team All-American four times. She won the BIG EAST Player of the Year Award three times and was voted as the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament in 2010.

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Equally impressive is Moore’s performance in the classroom. She recently was named BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Capital One University Division All-American of the Year by the College Sports Information Directors of America for the second-consecutive year. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native who sports a 3.7 GPA in an individualized major of sports media promotion, is a three-time Academic All-America pick.

“Moore has had an incredible career, and State Farm is honored to recognize her as The 2011 State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year,” said Pam El, Marketing Vice President for State Farm. “Moore’s dedication and commitment to the game of basketball and her outstanding accomplishments as a student-athlete make her truly deserving of this wonderful award.”

The State Farm Wade Trophy, now in its 34th year, is named after the late, legendary three-time national champion Delta State University coach, Lily Margaret Wade. The award debuted in 1978 as the first-ever women’s national player of the year award in college basketball.

The first recipient of the Wade Trophy was Carol Blazejowski of Montclair State in 1978. Other Wade Trophy/NCAA Division I Player of the Year recipients include many standouts such as Teresa Weatherspoon (1988), DeLisha Milton-Jones (1997), Candace Parker (2007), Ticha Penicheiro (1998), Sue Bird (2002) and Diana Taurasi (2003).

The WBCA and the NAGWS first partnered in June 2000 and for the past ten years have worked together to present The State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year Award. A committee composed of coaches, administrators and media from across the United States selects the winner.

Moore will be formally presented the award during the WBCA Awards Show, which will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, April 4, in the Indiana Convention Center’s Sagamore Ballroom. This event is part of the WBCA National Convention and is held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women’s Final Four® in Indianapolis.

2011 NCAA Division I State Farm Coaches’ All-America Basketball Team

INDIANAPOLIS – The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and State Farm® announced today the 2011 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I State Farm Coaches’ All-America Basketball Team. The 10-member team was decided from a group of 40 finalists by the selection committee at an in-person meeting held during the 2011 WBCA National Convention.

The members of the 2011 NCAA Division I State Farm Coaches’ All-America Basketball Team are as follows:

Name	Institution	Year	Pos.	Height
Danielle Adams	Texas A&M University	Sr.	F-C	6-1
Skylar Diggins	University of Notre Dame	So.	G	5-9
Brittney Griner	Baylor University	So.	C	6-8
Amber Harris	Xavier University	RS-Sr.	F	6-5
Shenise Johnson	University of Miami	Jr.	G	5-11
Jantel Lavender	Ohio State University	Sr.	C	6-4
Maya Moore	University of Connecticut	Sr.	F	6-0
Nneka Ogwumike	Stanford University	Jr.	C	6-2
Shekinna Stricklen	University of Tennessee	Jr.	F	6-2
Courtney Vandersloot	Gonzaga University	Sr.	G	5-8

“The coaches who were selected by their peers to choose this year’s State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team debated for one-and-a-half days, which is the longest deliberation I can recall in my 15 years with this organization,” said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. “Their commitment and hard work is a testament to the forethought, conscientiousness and professionalism of the committee. Because of their effort I know, without a doubt, that these 10 players are the best in women’s basketball for 2011 and are truly deserving of this great honor.

“The committee’s job isn’t getting any easier,” Bass continued. “And that is a good thing because it means the number of truly outstanding players they must consider each year is increasing. It speaks volumes about where our sport is and where it’s going.”

“State Farm is truly honored to recognize these outstanding student-athletes for their wonderful achievements, their dedication to the game of basketball and their commitment to their communities,” said Pam El, Marketing Vice President for State Farm. “The State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team represents true excellence in the sport of women’s basketball, and we are extremely proud to be associated with these remarkable student-athletes.”

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The following have been recognized as State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team Honorable Mentions for NCAA Division I:

Name	Institution	Year	Pos.	Height
Kachine Alexander	University of Iowa	Sr.	G	5-9
LaSondra Barrett	Louisiana State University	Jr.	F	6-2
Kelsey Bolte	Iowa State University	Sr.	G	6-1
Cierra Bravard	Florida State University	Jr.	F	6-4
Victoria Dunlap	University of Kentucky	Sr.	F	6-2
Dawn Evans	James Madison University	Sr.	G	5-7
Keisha Hampton	DePaul University	Jr.	F	6-2
Tiffany Hayes	University of Connecticut	Jr.	G	5-10
Celeste Hoewisch	University of Wisconsin, Green Bay	Sr.	G	5-7
Adrienne Johnson	Louisiana Tech University	Sr.	F	6-1
Glory Johnson	University of Tennessee	Jr.	F	6-3
Kalisha Keane	Michigan State University	Sr.	F	6-1
Alex Montgomery	Georgia Institute of Technology	Sr.	G-F	6-1
Natalie Novosel	University of Notre Dame	Jr.	G	5-11
Kayla Pedersen	Stanford University	Sr.	F	6-4
Devereaux Peters	University of Notre Dame	Sr.	F	6-2
Porsha Phillips	University of Georgia	Sr.	F	6-2
Ta’Shia Phillips	Xavier University	Sr.	C	6-6
Jeanette Pohlen	Stanford University	Sr.	G	6-0
Lauren Prochaska	Bowling Green State University	Sr.	G	5-11
Samantha Quigley	DePaul University	Sr.	G	5-5
Elizabeth Repella	West Virginia University	Sr.	G	5-11
Angel Robinson	Marquette University	Sr.	G	5-8
Danielle Robinson	University of Oklahoma	Sr.	G	5-9
Sugar Rodgers	Georgetown University	So.	G	5-11
Odyssey Sims	Baylor University	Fr.	G	5-9
Carolyn Swords	Boston College	Sr.	C	6-6
Jasmine Thomas	Duke University	Sr.	G	5-9
Tyra White	Texas A&M University	Jr.	G	6-0
Riquna Williams	University of Miami	Jr.	G	5-6

Red Sox News & Notes – 4/2

Boston Red Sox' David Ortiz(notes) connects for a solo home run off of Texas Rangers' Darren Oliver(notes) in the eighth inning of an MLB baseball game as Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba(notes), right, looks on Friday, April 1, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers won 9-5.

This was not the start of the season anyone in Red Sox Nation was expecting yesterday from the Boston Red Sox. After all, they were picked to win the AL East and some of the pundits predicted the Red Sox would win 100 games this season.

It was an implosion by Daniel Bard in the 8th inning that would end up costing the Red Sox the game in a 9-5 loss to the Texas Rangers on Friday afternoon. And this came after David Ortiz had tied it up with a solo home run in the top half of the inning.

Bard did make a great pitch to David Murphy, a slider down and away. But Murphy got to it and put it down the left field line, hitting the chalk, to start the four run onslaught with two RBIs.

You can’t place the total blame on Bard though. Jon Lester wasn’t exactly his best either. The thoughts of the Nation on Twitter were the same ones we hear every year. Lester’s having a rough April. We know he’s a slow starter but saying he’s going to have a rough April again probably isn’t the right thing just yet.

If he struggles in his coming starts, then yes, Houston, we have a problem. But right now, it’s one start.

His command wasn’t there and his fastball was flat as evidenced by the three home runs he gave up yesterday. He went 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits and a walk. And for just the second time in his career, he didn’t strikeout anyone. IAs a matter of fact, the Red Sox pitching staff struck out only one and that was by Bard.

Matt Albers walked one in an inning of work while Dennys Reyes faced one batter, throwing four pitches and walking the batter. Dan Wheeler needed just six pitches to record two outs and Tim Wakefield bailed out Bard by getting the final out of the 8th inning after walking the first batter he faced.

Adrian Gonzalez had a stellar Red Sox debut as he knocked in three runs in his first two at-bats. He also picked up just the second stolen base of his career. Carl Crawford would probably rather forget his debut in a Red Sox uniform as he was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, leaving runners in scoring position in all four at-bats.

Jacoby Ellsbury’s hot spring training rolled over into the opener as he was 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base. One of his hits was a rare extra base-hit from a lefty batter off of Rangers starter C.J. Wilson. Kevin Youkilis had a double and RBI and Dustin Pedroia had the other Red Sox hit.

The Red Sox will look to get into the win column tonight when Texas native John Lackey takes the hill against Colby Lewis. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m.

Before we get on to the links, don’t forget to enter to win a $25 SeamlessWeb gift card.

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To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

Pitching imperfect: Opening Day loss offers Sox a reminder [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]

Lou Gorman; general manager built contending Red Sox teams [Boston Globe]

In tough business, he managed to be sweet [Boston Globe]

Starting block [Boston Globe]

They stumbled over initial hurdle [Boston Globe]

Deep thoughts not for Lester [Boston Globe]

Crawford’s debut a real dud [Boston Globe]

Ortiz gets his timing right [Boston Globe]

Former Sox GM Lou Gorman built great teams, better friendships [Boston Herald]

Arms backfire as Red Sox miss target in Texas [Boston Herald]

Steal reinforced deal [Boston Herald]

Carl Crawford moves on after forgettable debut [Boston Herald]

David Ortiz a bright spot [Boston Herald]

Sure bets Jon Lester, Daniel Bard let Red Sox down [Boston Herald]

Team not so perfect after all [Boston Herald]

Red Sox remember ex-GM Lou Gorman [Boston Herald]

Fans hyped for Red Sox start, resigned to 161-1 record [Boston Herald]

With Rangers, Adrian Gonzalez never had a chance [Clubhouse Insider]

Sox get off on wrong foot with loss to Rangers, 9-5 [CSNNE.com]

One of those days for Red Sox [CSNNE.com]

Everything goes wrong in game Sox need to forget [CSNNE.com]

Rapid Reaction: Rangers 9, Red Sox 5 [ESPN Boston]

PawSox release their Opening Day roster [ESPN Boston]

Francona stresses Salty is No. 1 Sox catcher [ESPN Boston]

Sox have most expensive average ticket: $53 [ESPN Boston]

Reliable arms falter [ESPN Boston]

Gonzalez shines in debut [ESPN Boston]

Bard didn’t follow the blueprint [Extra Bases]

Season’s underway, and spring training stats are meaningless [Full Count]

Charlie Hough on Tim Wakefield: ‘He’s kind of a landmark’ [Full Count]

Postgame Red Sox reaction: Quotes from the clubhouse [Full Count]

Rangers GM discusses ‘error’ that led to dealing Adrian Gonzalez [Full Count]

Lou Gorman Built Red Sox Into Winning Organization, Helped Start Red Sox Hall of Fame [NESN]

Lou Gorman Traded for Bill Buckner and Dave Henderson, Drafted Mo Vaughn and Trot Nixon [NESN]

Daniel Bard Stumbles Out of the Gate in Rare Poor Outing [NESN]

Jon Lester’s April Woes Continue in First Career Opening Day Start [NESN]

Peter Gammons: Red Sox ‘Cruise Control’ Mode From Spring Training Lingers on Opening Day [NESN]

Rangers win with offense and bullpen [Providence Journal]

Texas roughs up Bard as Boston drops opener [Providence Journal]

Gonzalez shows he can hit, field … and steal a base [Providence Journal]

Lou Gorman, former Red Sox GM and proud Rhode Islander, dies at age 82 [Providence Journal]

Red Sox Journal: Lester shrugs off tough start [Providence Journal]

For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSNNE, ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal and WEEI websites.

And if you must check out the enemy news, head over to the Dallas Morning News, ESPN Dallas and Ft. Worth Star Telegram websites.

Photo credit: AP Photo

Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 4/2

Paw Prints The Daily Roundup

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

It’s game day for the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team as they will take on the Kentucky Wildcats in the Final Four at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX. The game is scheduled to begin at approximately 8:49 p.m. and the game will be nationally-televised on CBS. The game is also available online at March Madness on Demand. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the WTIC/UConn Radio Network.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Miller Interested in Colgate Job [David Borges – New Haven Register]

Putting the ‘D’ in DeAndre Liggins [David Borges – New Haven Register]

UConn-Kentucky, the final countdown [Ed Daigneault – The Republican-American]

Final Four Friday [Gavin Keefe – The Day]

UConn responds to Miles story [Gavin Keefe – The Day]

Mike Anthony has a plethora (10) of blog posts up [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Huskies Run Open Practice At Final Four [UConnHuskies.com]

Calhoun’s experience relevant in this Final Four [CT Post]

Report: Recruit at center of UConn violations ready to talk to NCAA [CT Post]

UConn vs. Kentucky: The matchups [CT Post]

Walker vs. Knight: The matchup to watch [CT Post]

UConn’s 9 great days in March: History and Hollywood [CT Post]

Tireless UConn seeks to claim another national title [CT Post]

UConn basketball gives state sense of identity [Danbury News Times]

Kemba, UConn Focus On Happy Ending [Hartford Courant]

Calhoun Vs. Calipari A Show In Itself [Hartford Courant]

Kemba Walker Made His Mark At Rice High In Harlem [Hartford Courant]

Calhoun 6th On All-Time Win List [Hartford Courant]

Malloy declares ‘Husky Weekend’ in Connecticut [Middletown Press]

From ‘The Shot’ by Tate George to Kemba Walker’s incredible run [New Haven Register]

Is this Calhoun’s best coaching performance [New Haven Register]

Liggins next to face task of stopping Walker [New Haven Register]

UConn playing for title game berth [Norwich Bulletin]

Lamb: A star in the waiting [The Day]

A dream come true [The Day]

Calipari compares Kemba’s star power to Danny Manning [The Day]

As UConn Plays On, Once-Prized Recruit Can Only Watch [New York Times]

Local Star Tyler Olander With UConn at Final Four [Ellington-Somers Patch]

Beverly proud to do little things to help make UConn title-worthy [NCAA.com]

Kemba Walker and the upstart UConn Huskies take their winning postseason ways to the Final Four [NY Daily News]

Kentucky v. UConn: Experiment in young talent vs. experience [USA Today]

UConn Set Its Sights on Third Title Game [Wall Street Journal]

AG rooting for the Huskies [Stamford Plus]

Fatigue is no factor at this point for Connecticut Huskies [Sporting News]

Building UConn’s game plan [Eamonn Brennan – ESPN.com]

Final Four Breakdowns: UConn Huskies [Slam Online]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

A trip down memory lane [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Ct. Gov. Malloy-Ind. Gov. Daniels Bet Chocolate [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Finally, It’s Lorin Dixon’s Time [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

After Walker transfer, UConn women have stuck together [CT Post]

Senior Lorin Dixon Finding Her Groove In Nick Of Time [Hartford Courant]

Freshman duo Dolson and Hartley play key role [New Haven Register]

From Kerry Bascom to Maya Moore [New Haven Register]

Moore stands on big stage one final time [The Day]

Dolson realizes dream with spot at Final Four [Times Herald- Record]

Moore than you know [espnW]

UConn Football links

Friday mailbag [Brian Bennett – ESPN.com]

South Jersey (Recruits) In The House Tomorrow [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Jon Wholley Talks Linebackers, Joe Moorhead, Quarterbacks [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

DC also answered a few questions in his mailbag [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

Baseball. Friday Baseball Game Postponed [UConnHuskies.com]

Softball. Saturday Softball Start Time Changed [UConnHuskies.com]

W. Lacrosse. Lapham Scores 100th Goal In 14-12 Loss To Georgetown [UConnHuskies.com]

Providence Bruins 3, Connecticut Whale 2

Providence, RI, April 1, 2011 – Jamie Arniel scored two goals, including the third-period, shorthanded game-winner, to lead the Providence Bruins to a 3-2 win over the Connecticut Whale Friday night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center Providence.

CT Whale With the Worcester Sharks winning 2-0 at home over the Manchester Monarchs, the Whale’s loss, their third straight, cut their lead over Worcester to two points for the fourth-place spot in the Atlantic Division.

Trent Whitfield also scored for Providence, and Michael Hutchinson made 29 saves to get the win in net. Brodie Dupont and Kris Newbury scored Connecticut goals, and Dov Grumet-Morris suffered his second straight loss in goal after seven consecutive wins, stopping 26 shots.

The first period was scoreless, and after Providence had five of the first six shots of the game, the shots on goal ended up even at eight by the end of the period.

An apparent Providence goal, scored by Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman at 1:17 of the second period, was disallowed when referee David Banfield ruled that Kirk MacDonald had made incidental contact with Grumet-Morris.

Just 1:05 later at 2:22, though, the Bruins would break the scoreless tie on a power play, on Arniel’s 21^st goal of the season. Maxime Sauve moved down left wing and centered the puck to Arniel, who redirected it past Grumet-Morris.

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Grumet-Morris prevented Providence from increasing the lead with three sharp saves, including a pair on Sauve, during another Bruin man advantage shortly thereafter, and the score remained 1-0 until the 18:51 mark, when Providence was able to double the lead.

An attempted drop pass by Dale Weise was broken up just inside the Providence line, leading to a three-on-two the other way. MacDonald unloaded a shot from the right side of the slot that Grumet-Morris was able to stop, but Grumet-Morris was bowled over by one of his own defenders, Pavel Valentenko. That allowed Whitfield, named earlier in the day the Reebok/AHL Player of the Month for March, to jam the rebound into the net.

The goal, Whitfield’s 18^th of the year, was his seventh in his last eight games and 13^th in his last 14.

The Whale finally solved Hutchinson at 4:21 of the third period, as Hutchinson couldn’t completely stop a shot from the left point by Valentenko, and the puck came to through to the opposite side of the goalmouth to Dupont, who knocked it into the net.

The Bruins got that one back only 2:25 thereafter, with six seconds left on a hooking penalty to Kyle MacKinnon. Arniel, the Bruins’ leading scorer (22-25-47 in 74 games), got what would turn out to be the game-winner when he worked his way to the right faceoff dot and uncorked a shot that beat Grumet-Morris high to the glove side at 6:46.

Only 2:14 after giving up the shorthander, the Whale cut it back to a one-goal margin at 9:00, on Newbury’s 16^th goal of the season. The Whale’s leading point-scorer (16-41-57 in 65 games) was left alone in front of the goal and put the puck in off of Hutchinson’s pads, after the Whale were just able to keep it in at the blue line.

Connecticut (38-29-2-6, 84 pts.) could get no closer, however, and they finished the ten-game season series against their arch-rivals the Bruins with back-to-back road losses. The Whale’s last action before Friday had been a 4-2 defeat to the Bruins in Providence on Sunday.

The Whale will try to break their losing streak with a trip to Springfield for a Saturday-night get-together with the Falcons (7:00 PM faceoff, WTIC HD-2, www.ctwhale.com, www.wtic.com), before returning home to the XL Center on Sunday afternoon to host Head Coach Kevin Dineen and the Portland Pirates in a 3:00 game. There will be a giveaway of Whale team posters to 3,000 fans that day, courtesy of Supercuts, and it’s a Guida’s Family Value game. Family Value packages start as low as $48 and include three tickets, three hot dogs or pizza slices, three sodas and a Whale souvenir. Guida’s Family Value packs are available at the XL Center ticket office and on-line at www.CTwhale.com. Also, fans are encouraged to bring their skates to Sunday’s game, as there will be a free post-game skate on the XL Center ice, presented by Stone Academy.

Connecticut Whale 2 at Providence Bruins 3
Friday, April 1, 2011 – Dunkin’ Donuts Center

Connecticut 0 0 2 – 2
Providence 0 2 1 – 3

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Redden Ct (tripping), 6:53; Dupont Ct (tripping), 15:34.

2nd Period-1, Providence, Arniel 21 (Sauve, Warsofsky), 2:22 (PP). 2, Providence, Whitfield 18 (MacDonald, LaVallee-Smotherman), 18:51. Penalties-Garlock Ct (interference), 1:45; Bickel Ct (roughing), 3:01; Bodnarchuk Pro (roughing), 3:01; served by Soryal Ct (bench minor – too many men), 5:13; Bickel Ct (fighting), 5:13; MacDermid Pro (fighting), 5:13; Hamill Pro (holding the stick), 6:31; Grachev Ct (boarding), 13:03; MacDermid Pro (boarding), 15:26.

3rd Period-3, Connecticut, Dupont 15 (Valentenko), 4:21. 4, Providence, Arniel 22 (Chaput), 6:46 (SH). 5, Connecticut, Newbury 16 (Zuccarello, Weise), 9:00. Penalties-MacKinnon Pro (hooking), 4:52.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 8-14-7-29. Providence 8-14-7-29.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 0 / 3; Providence 1 / 5.
Goalies-Connecticut, Grumet-Morris 11-5-1 (29 shots-26 saves). Providence, Hutchinson 11-10-1 (29 shots-27 saves).
A-8,017
Referees-David Banfield (44).
Linesmen-Scott Whittemore (96), Todd Whittemore (70).

Rangers Return Mats Zuccarello to Whale

New York, April 1, 2011 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that forward Mats Zuccarello has been assigned to the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL).

CT Whale Zuccarello, 23, has registered six goals and 16 assists for 22 points, along with four penalty minutes in 41 games this season. He leads the Rangers with nine power play assists, and is tied for sixth with nine power play points. Zuccarello also leads the team and is tied for fifth and second in the NHL, respectively, with five shootout goals and three shootout game-deciding goals, and ranks second on the Rangers with a 55.6% shootout percentage. He has posted four multi-point performances this season, including a career-high, three-assist effort on January 25 vs. Florida and his first career multi-goal game with two goals on March 6 vs. Philadelphia. Zuccarello made his NHL debut on December 23 vs. Tampa Bay, tallying a shootout goal in the contest. He recorded his first NHL point with a power play assist on December 27 vs. the New York Islanders, and notched his first career goal with the overtime game-winner on January 5 vs. Carolina.

Zuccarello returns to Connecticut where he has registered 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points, along with 16 penalty minutes in 33 games this season. He recorded 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in his last 21 AHL games with four goals and five assists in his last seven contests prior to his recall on December 27. He was tied for second among AHL rookies and ranked third on the team in goals, and ranked fourth among league rookies and fourth on Connecticut in points at the time of his recall. He also ranked third on the team with 98 shots on goal, and was tied for fourth in assists and power play goals (three). Zuccarello posted an AHL career-high, four points, including his first career hat trick in a 7-1 win vs. Bridgeport on November 7. He made his AHL debut on October 9 vs. Charlotte, and tallied his first career point with a goal on October 15 at Albany.

The Oslo, Norway native signed with the Rangers as a free agent on May 26, 2010.

Afternoon Red Sox Delight – 4/1

Jon Lester (L), C.J. Wilson (R)

The Boston Red Sox will kickoff the 2011 season this afternoon with a three-game set against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, TX.

First pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 4:05 p.m. and you can watch the game on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Rangers television market, you can watch the game on FOXSports Southwest. And if you don’t live in either market, no need to fret as ESPN will be carrying the game as well. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2011 Red Sox Radio Network.

Jon Lester will make his first career opening day start for skipper Terry Francona and the Red Sox. Lester made 32 starts in 2010 and was 19-9 with a 3.25 ERA. Lester has made seven career starts against the Rangers and is 3-1 with a 2.94 ERA. He’s made two career starts at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and is 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA. He made two starts against the Rangers in 2010 and was 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA. One of those starts was in Arlington where he picked up the win after throwing eight shutout innings.

C.J. Wilson will also be making his first career opening day start for Ron Washington and the Rangers. He made 33 starts last season and was 15-8 with a 3.35 ERA. He has made 15 career appearances (three starts) against the Red Sox and is 3-1 with a 1.42 ERA and four saves. Wilson made three starts against the Red Sox in 2010 and was 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA.

Click the read more button below for the lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and pregame links and if you’re on the home page.

0-0		0-0
1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF	1. Ian Kinsler	2B
2. Dustin Pedroia	2B	2. Elvis Andrus	SS
3. Carl Crawford	LF	3. Josh Hamilton	LF
4. Kevin Youkilis	3B	4. Adrian Beltre	3B
5. Adrian Gonzalez	1B	5. Michael Young	DH
6. David Ortiz	DH	6. Nelson Cruz	RF
7. Mike Cameron	RF	7. Mike Napoli	1B
8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C	8. Yorvit Torrealba	C
9. Marco Scutaro	SS	9. Julio Borbon	CF
Jon Lester	SP	C.J. Wilson	SP