Rangers Assign Dylan McIlrath To Wolf Pack

 Ryan Reaves #75 of the St. Louis Blues and Dylan McIlrath #42 of the New York Rangers fight during the first period at Madison Square Garden on November 3, 2014 in New York City.

Ryan Reaves #75 of the St. Louis Blues and Dylan McIlrath #42 of the New York Rangers fight during the first period at Madison Square Garden on November 3, 2014 in New York City.

NEW YORK, November 5, 2014 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the team has assigned defenseman Dylan McIlrath to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL).

McIlrath, 22, skated in one game with the Rangers since he was recalled from Hartford on November 2. He was credited with three blocked shots and two hits on November 3 vs. St. Louis.

The 6-5, 220-pounder has skated in eight games with the Wolf Pack this season and leads the team with 21 penalty minutes.

photo credit: getty images

UConn vs. BC Hockey Sold Out Tonight

This just in from UConn:

HARTFORD, Conn. (Nov. 5, 2014) – Tonight’s University of Connecticut vs. Boston College men’s ice hockey game at the XL Center is sold out. The game is UConn’s first-ever home contest as a member of Hockey East Conference. Tonight’s expected crowd will top the 7,500 mark.

logouconnhockeyThe capacity for UConn hockey games at the XL Center is 5,618, which consists of the lower level of the facility. This capacity was identified to create the best collegiate hockey atmosphere possible. The demand for tonight’s particular game resulted in UConn making about 2,000 more seats available – mostly in the upper level corners and behind the goal areas.

UConn has sold over 2,000 season tickets at the XL Center for 2014-15 and a 10-game season ticket package of remaining home games will goal on sale Thursday morning at UConnTickets.com.

Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Huskies Roundup – 11/5/14

UConn Huskies 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 the other sports the student-athletes engage in. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a DAILY basis.

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

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

UConn Football links

Breaking Bread With Bob – 11/4/14 [sox & dawgs]

UConn Huskies Depth Chart for Army Black Knights [sox & dawgs]

UConn’s trip to Yankee Stadium to be special for Myers, fellow New Yorkers [jim fuller – new haven register]

Diaco excited about UConn’s young talent [jim fuller – new haven register]

Leaders beginning to emerge for UConn [jim fuller – new haven register]

Tuesday presser: Army’s a challenge [john silver – sny uconn]

UConn’s Thomas stepped up with big catches [ct post]

UConn Will Try to Keep Army From Marching Down The Field [hartford courant]

Yankee Stadium awaits UConn football team [new haven register]

Thomas is catching on for UConn football [the day]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Stewart, Mosqueda-Lewis Named AP Preseason All-Americans [sox & dawgs]

Chris Dailey And The Power Of Team [john altavilla – hartford courant]

Stewart Looking To Assist This Season [rich elliott – ct post]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Ryan Boatright Named To 2015 Bob Cousy Watch List [sox & dawgs]

Wrapping Things Up From Gampel [dom amore – hartford courant]

Post-game wrapup [david borges – new haven register]

Notes, quotes and observations from exhibition opener [gavin keefe – the day]

UCONN REPORT CARD: Big men attack the glass, shooters miss mark in opener [william paxton – ct post]

No. 17 Huskies Move Past SCSU, 70-62, In Preseason Opener [uconn huskies]

Cassell Jr. digs in, impresses in UConn debut [ct post]

UConn needs energy to dream again [ct post]

UConn Wins, 70-62, But Southern Exposes Some Husky Flaws [hartford courant]

UConn evades upset, edges Southern, 70-62 [new haven register]

Defending champion UConn men slog their way past Southern in exhibition game [the day]

Other UConn related links

M. Ice Hockey. Huskies Finally Come Home, Host #3 Boston College Wednesday Night [uconn huskies]

M. Ice Hockey. Former Husky Todd Krygier and Brian Leetch to Drop Ceremonial First Puck Wednesday Night [uconn huskies]

M. Ice Hockey. UConn-BC Hockey At XL Center: Game Has Finally Arrived [hartford courant]

M. Ice Hockey. UConn’s Cavanaugh Will Face His Mentor As York Brings BC To XL [hartford courant]

W. Ice Hockey. Balanced Offense Leads UConn To 4-2 Win Over Brown [uconn huskies]

Field Hockey. Field Hockey Checks In at No. 3 In Penultimate NFHCA/Penn Monto Poll [uconn huskies]

M. Soccer. Huskies To Hold Three Elite Clinics In January [uconn huskies]

Statement From The American on NCAA Governance Structure [the american]

Girls cross-country: Lindsey Kane of Washington Township commits to UConn [bridgeton news]

Breaking Bread With Bob – 11/4/14

Breaking Bread with Bob Diaco

UConn Huskies head football coach Bob Diaco held his weekly pregame press conference on Tuesday afternoon in anticipation of Saturday’s Homecoming Game against the Central Florida Knights and talked about a myriad of things.

Diaco got things kicked off by saying it was nice to start off with another conventional game week for the second week in a row. He said it was also nice to start the week up after a victory.

He stated they face an incredible challenge against Army this week and they are excited to be playing at Yankee Stadium.

He said the culture is taking root and that they talk about how to handle things win or lose. He stated they go to the contest expecting to win.

He said Army plays a mostly run offense and has just a handful of passes on the season. He said it’s an absolute nightmare to defend them. He said when they pass, they are typically point producing passes or ones that set up points.

He said it’s an awesome offense and isn’t sure why more teams don’t run it.

With Army’s primarily run offense, Diaco said that the Huskies can’t squander their opportunities because it could be a while before they get back on the field.

Diaco stated that he enjoys Yankee Stadium. He’s taken many trips with his family who has four season tickets. His favorite memory though is playing football there when he coached at Notre Dame.

He said this is great exposure for UConn.

He stated that they have no plan for when Deshon Foxx goes in at QB. It’s more of a feel thing. He reiterated that Foxx not only practices at WR but also at QB during each practice. He said it takes a certain maturity level for a player to be able to do that. He also said that Foxx can throw the ball well on the move.

When asked about leadership from the younger players, he said it’s time for that group of 4th year players to get moving with real leadership. Andrew Adams, Graham Stewart, Tyler Samra were among the names he reeled off.

He said the young corners did a great job especially with the challenging conditions. They were all very disciplined with their footwork.

He said that facing Army is an incredible challenge for everyone on defense.

Diaco stated that Junior Joseph is primarily the 1st and 2nd down LB. It also depends on what is being called so Jefferson Ashiru could be in their as well. He said that Joseph is great on D at down hill runs.

He said the Army offense is so complex, so fast. They have limited time with game answers and Army usually has an answer for yours.

He stated it’s so disruptive to schedule as far as preparation and then going week to week from facing a team like Army to back to conventional defense. He stated that it’s physically taxing.

I asked him about his past experience of coaching at Yankee Stadium and how that will affect his preparation with the team. He said that it really is a lot different now than when he coached at ND. It was the first time a game had been played there.

He said that Reuben Frank does a great job of getting in the backfield.

He said that Luke Carrezola and Cameron Stapleton are similar bigger body players. Cam has great hold at the point of attack and that he brings another of level of athleticism.

He stated that Geremy Davis has been cleared to participate in practice and should be able to go this weekend.

He said that Noel Thomas is a very talented WR and continues his maturity off the field as well as on it. He said he’s big, fast, has good hands and is very competitive.

He stated that the team has enough players to be a good team but they aren’t a good team yet. But they will be. He said they need to continue to work on things that cause losing and work on things that cause winning.

He stated that the younger group of guys are going to be a nightmare for teams down the road with the experience they’re gaining this year.

He said Jamar Summers blocked field goal was a huge and gave them a big momentum shift.

He stated Army plays a 3-4, they move a lot of players and put a lot of pressure on the offense. He said they more of an attacking 3-4 then a stand alone 3-4. I also asked him if playing running teams this past year has helped in preparation and that it will help.

Diaco said that when he’s recruiting if a player asks him about weather, he’ll move on because he knows that player isn’t right for UConn. He said that recruiters down south plant seeds like that when visiting recruits.

He finished up by basically agreeing with whatever Bill Belichick says about meteorologists when he was asked about what Belichick said last week about them.

We’ll be back this week with more from the press conference as the team prepares to play Army.

I will be at Yankee Stadium this weekend and will be down on the sidelines taking pictures as usual.

UConn Huskies Depth Chart for Army Black Knights

UConn Huskies @ Army Black Knights

Prior to Tuesday’s press conference for Saturday’s game at Yankee Stadium against the Army Black Knights, UConn Huskies head coach Bob Diaco released his depth chart for the game and there is one change to it from last week ‘s game against Central Florida.

With Luke Carrezola most likely out for the season, Cameron Stapleton has moved into the backup spot to Reuben Frank at defensive end.

There could be other changes as things do happen during the week. But we won’t know those until around game time on Saturday.

Offense

LT: 71 Richard Levy (RSo., 6-6, 305)
74 Paul Nwokeji (RJr., 6-6, 287)

LG: 65 Gus Cruz (RSr., 6-4, 296)
77 Trey Rutherford (Fr., 6-5, 289)

C: 73 Alex Mateas (RSr., 6-4, 309)
70 Kyle Bockeloh (RSo., 6-3, 284)

RG: 60 Tyler Samra (Jr., 6-2, 288)
63 Ryan Crozier (Fr., 6-4, 297)

RT: 53 Andreas Knappe (RSo., 6-8, 300)
62 Thomas Hopkins (RFr., 6-6, 298)

TE: 49 Sean McQuillan (RJr., 6-3, 239)
80 Tommy Myers (RFr., 6-5, 238)

WR: 85 Geremy Davis (RSr., 6-3, 216)
8 Thomas Lucas (RFr., 6-2, 198) OR
5 Noel Thomas (So., 6-1, 187)

QB: 10 Chandler Whitmer (RSr., 6-0, 192)
14 Tim Boyle (So., 6-3, 216)

FB: 34 Jazzmar Clax (RFr., 5-11, 241)
36 Matt Walsh (So., 6-1, 227)

TB: 22 Arkeel Newsome (Fr., 5-7, 180) OR
3 Ron Johnson (Fr., 6-0, 217)
44 Max DeLorenzo (RJr., 5-11, 210) OR
26 Joshua Marriner (RFr., 5-9, 193)

WR: 4 Deshon Foxx (Sr., 5-10, 172)
1 Dhameer Bradley (So., 5-9, 166)

Defense

DE: 95 Kenton Adeyemi (RJr., 6-4, 268)
57 Cole Ormsby (RFr., 6-3, 248)

NG: 90 Julian Campenni (RJr., 6-0, 299)
92 Mikal Myers (RSo., 6-1, 312)

DT: 97 B.J. McBryde (RSr., 6-5, 304) OR
93 Folorunso Fatukasi (RFr., 6-4, 307)

DE: 47 Reuben Frank (RSr., 6-4, 246)
10 Cameron Stapleton (RFr., 6-4, 226)

LB: 46 Marquise Vann (RJr., 6-0, 226)
55 Jon Hicks (RSo., 6-2, 236)

LB: 32 Jefferson Ashiru (RSo., 6-2, 233)
39 Junior Joseph (RFr., 6-1, 242)

LB: 2 Graham Stewart (RJr., 6-1, 227)
59 Vontae Diggs (Fr., 6-4, 207)

CB: 21 Jamar Summers (Fr., 6-0, 180)
7 John Green (RSo., 5-10, 179) OR
11 Javon Hadley (So., 5-10, 164)

S: 22 Andrew Adams (RJr., 6-0, 197)
28 Jordan Floyd (RSo., 6-0, 206)

S: 20 Obi Melifonwu (RSo., 6-3, 210)
23 Junior Lee (RJr., 6-0, 214)

CB: 6 Jhavon Williams (RSo., 5-10, 190)
33 Brice McAllister (Fr., 5-11, 191)

Special Teams

K: 17 Bobby Puyol (RSo., 5-10, 174)
94 Chase Briley (Fr., 5-11, 165)

P: 42 Justin Wain (RSo., 6-3, 204)
94 Chase Briley (Fr., 5-11, 165)

HL: 82 Blake Feagles (RFr., 5-10, 205)
42 Justin Wain (RSo., 6-3, 204)

KR: 22 Arkeel Newsome (Fr., 5-7, 180)
26 Joshua Marriner (RFr., 5-9, 193)

PR: 4 Deshon Foxx (Sr., 5-10, 172)
18 Brian Lemelle (So., 5-10, 165)

LS: 66 Dominick Manco (RJr., 6-0, 213)
67 Adam Mueller (RSr., 6-1, 212)

College Football Playoff Rankings Week 2 (Nov. 4)

The College Football Playoff Committee rankings are out for the second time this season and like they are in the other polls, the Mississippi State Bulldogs remain on top.

With the Ole Miss Rebels losing, the top four looks a little different this week. Mississippi State is followed by the Florida State Seminoles, Auburn Tigers and Oregon Ducks, who moved up one spot. The Alabama Crimson Tide are on the outside looking in for the fourth and final playoff spot.

With the East Carolina Pirates losing, there are no teams from the American Athletic Conference ranked. There are no teams from outside the Power Five in the top 25 either.

College Football Playoff Rankings
RK TEAM REC PREV
1 Mississippi State 8-0 1
2 Florida State 8-0 2
3 Auburn 7-1 3
4 Oregon 8-1 5
5 Alabama 7-1 6
6 TCU 7-1 7
7 Kansas State 7-1 9
8 Michigan State 7-1 8
9 Arizona State 7-1 14
10 Notre Dame 7-1 10
11 Ole Miss 7-2 4
12 Baylor 7-1 13
13 Nebraska 8-1 15
14 Ohio State 7-1 16
15 Oklahoma 6-2 18
16 LSU 7-2 19
17 Utah 6-2 17
18 UCLA 7-2 22
19 Arizona 6-2 12
20 Georgia 6-2 11
21 Clemson 6-2 21
22 Duke 7-1 224
23 West Virginia 6-3 20
24 Georgia Tech 7-2 NR
25 Wisconsin 6-2 NR
Dropped from rankings:
East Carolina 23, Louisville 25

Dustin Pedroia Garners Fourth Gold Glove

From the Boston Red Sox:

BOSTON, MA – Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia won his second straight American League Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2014. The Rawlings Sporting Goods Company announced the winners tonight.

gold-gloveThis honor marks the fourth of Pedroia’s career, passing Frank Malzone (3 at third base, 1957-59) and George Scott (3 at first base, 1967-68 and 1971) for the most ever by a Red Sox infielder. Pedroia also received Gold Gloves in 2008, 2011, and 2013.

Since the award’s inception in 1957, only three other Red Sox have totaled as many as four Gold Gloves, all in the outfield: Dwight Evans (8), Carl Yastrzemski (7), and Fred Lynn (4).

In 135 games and 133 starts at second base this season, Pedroia committed a career-low two errors. He led qualifying major leaguers with a .997 fielding percentage at the position, the best-ever mark in Red Sox history at second base. In the American League, only Placido Polanco has ever posted a fielding percentage that high at second base, doing so with the Tigers in 2007 (1.000) and 2009 (.997).

Along with fielding percentage, Pedroia also led AL second basemen in putouts per nine innings (1.87) as well as range factor per nine innings (4.94). According to Fangraphs, he also topped all major league second baseman in Ultimate Zone Rating per 150 games (20.4).

Pedroia is the first Red Sox player at any position to win a Gold Glove in consecutive seasons since Dwight Evans did it in five straight years from 1981-85. The only other Boston infielders to win the award in back-to-back seasons were Malzone and Scott.

No AL second baseman had won back-to-back Gold Glove Awards since Bret Boone took three in a row from 2002-04. Only Roberto Alomar (10), Frank White (8), and Bobby Richardson (5) have won more than Pedroia’s four AL Gold Gloves at second base, while Bobby Grich also collected four at the position.

In addition to Pedroia, Jackie Bradley Jr. was a finalist for the center field award that went to Baltimore’s Adam Jones, and Yoenis Cespedes was a finalist for the left field award that went to Kansas City’s Alex Gordon.

The majority of voting for Rawlings Gold Glove Awards is conducted by major league managers and coaches. A sabermetric component, the SABR Defensive Index, accounts for 25 percent of the overall selection total.

Fan voting for the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award presented by SABR begins tonight at www.rawlings.com and continues through tomorrow, November 5, at 8:00 p.m. ET. The SABR Defensive Index will join the international fan vote to determine the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners in each league. Fans can only select one 2014 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner from each league to take home this “best of the best” honor. The Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winners will be unveiled on Friday, November 7.

2014 AL & NL Gold Glove Winners

Here is the complete list of Gold Glove winners in the American League and National League for the 2014 MLB Season:

gold-gloveAL left fielder: Royals’ Alex Gordon (4)
AL shortstop:  Orioles’ J.J. Hardy (3)
AL first baseman: Royals’ Eric Hosmer (2)
AL catcher:  Royals’ Salvador Perez (2)
AL second baseman:  Red Sox’s Dustin Pedroia (4)
AL third baseman:  Mariners’ Kyle Seager (1)
AL pitcher: Astros’ Dallas Keuchel (1)
AL center fielder: Orioles’ Adam Jones (4)
AL right fielder: Orioles’ Nick Markakis (2)

NL first baseman: Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez (4)
NL second baseman: Rockies’ DJ LeMahieu (1)
NL shortstop: Braves’ Andrelton Simmons (2)
NL third baseman: Rockies’ Nolan Arenado (2)
NL left fielder: Marlins’ Christian Yelich (1)
NL center fielder: Mets’ Juan Lagares (1)
NL right fielder:  Braves’ Jason Heyward (2)
NL pitcher: Dodgers’ Zack Greinke (1)
NL catcher: Cardinals’ Yadier Molina (7)

# of Gold Gloves in parentheses

Mike Napoli’s Surgery A Success

 Mike Napoli #12 of the Boston Red Sox makes diving catch in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates during inter-league play at PNC Park on September 16, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Mike Napoli #12 of the Boston Red Sox makes diving catch in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates during inter-league play at PNC Park on September 16, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

According to a press release from the Boston Red Sox, Mike Napoli‘s sleep apnea surgery went well.

Here’s the release:

BOSTON, MA – Boston Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli today underwent successful surgery to address his sleep apnea. The procedure was performed this morning at Massachusetts General Hospital by Dr. Leonard Kaban, Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. After a brief hospital stay, Napoli is expected to return home later this week.

photo credit: getty images