It's Wednesday!

Here's what's happening for another week........

************************************************








After torrential rain washed out Sunday's scheduled running of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Indy Car race, the skies cleared enough on Monday for the race to be held. Will Power dominated, driving to victory with an average speed of 84.975 mph. Power's run, which also included the best lead lap speed of 101.423mph, highlighted a weekend in which the attendance of over 160,000 met or beat all expectations. Justin Wilson finished second, Ryan Briscoe third, Helio Castroneves fourth and Dario Franchitti fifth. The race featured 10 lead changes amongst 8 drivers and Briscoe notched the best improvement in the race, starting 19th and finishing third.

Power leads the Indy Car standings after two races, with 106 points. Wilson and Ryan Hunter-Reay are tied for second with 59. Next on the IZOD Indy Car Series schedule is the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by Legacy Credit Union at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham on Sunday, April 11th. Green flag drops at 3:00pm CDT, with TV coverage available on Versus. For radio listings and more, check out http://www.indycar.com.

************************************************










The Tampa Bay Lightning season continues to spin out of control, as the team went 1-2-0 since our most recent report. The week started with last Wednesday's impressive 5-3 win over the Bruins in Boston. Tampa Bay earned its 500th franchise victory behind a team-record 47 saves from Antero Niittymaki and got two goals in each of the first two period. Steven Stamkos and Paul Szczechura each scored twice, and Martin St. Louis also added a goal for the Lightning, who stretched their modest win streak to two straight.

That win streak came to a resounding end Saturday. Steve Downie scored the only goal, Vinny Lecavalier was tossed from the game after a first-period spearing penalty and Niittymaki and Mike Smith stopped just 19 of 26 shots as Buffalo clinched a playoff spot with a surprisingly easy 7-1 win.

The effort was much better last night in Columbus, but two third period goals lifted the Jackets to a 3-2 win. Mike Lundin scored in the first to stretch his point streak to a personal-best four games, Lecavalier scored a second period power play goal and Niittymaki made 22 saves, but it wasn't enough to prevent Tampa Bay's 7th loss in it's last 10 games.

The Lightning are now 30-34-12 for 72 points and have fallen to 14th in the Eastern Conference, 10 behind the 8th place Bruins and just 2 ahead of 15th (and last) place Toronto. Tampa Bay looks to rebound tonight against the Penguins in Pittsburgh. Faceoff is set for 7:30pn EDT. The game can be heard on 620AM WDAE and seen on both Sun Sports and Versus. The Lightning then return home for their final four home games of the season. They host the New York Rangers this Friday(No TV), Carolina next Tuesday, Ottawa next Thursday and Florida on Saturday, April 10th. All games start at 7:30pm EDT and can be heard on 620AM WDAE and seen(Other than the Ranger game) on Sun Sports. The home game with Florida can be seen on WTOG. The season ends on Sunday, April 11th in Sunrise against the stinkin' Panthers, beginning at 5:00pm EDT on 620AM WDAE and Sun Sports.

************************************************















The Tampa Bay Rays continue their solid spring. Their 18 wins put them atop the AL Spring leaderboard and are just two fewer than the 20 posted by the NL's San Francisco Giants. Yesterday, the Rays scored 4 times in the 7th, and tied Boston 9-9. Justin Ruggiano leads all players with 30 or more at bats, hitting .447. Sean Rodriguez has hit 6 homers, Reid Brignac has driven in 18 runs, while Jeff Neiman has won 3 games, while James Shields has posted a team-best 2.11 era amongst pitchers with 20 or more innings pitched.

The Rays have four games left on their spring schedule: Today at the Twins at 1:05pm EDT, tomorrow vs. the Orioles at 1:05pm, FRiday vs. the Mets in Tropicana Field at 6:10pm, then Saturday at their Triple-A affiliate, the Durham Bulls at 3:00pm. Tampa Bay opens the 2010 American League schedule next Tuesday, April 6th at Tropicana Field, against the Baltimore Orioles. First pitch is set for 7:10pm EDT.

The team looks quite improved over last season's disapointing finish. Let's hope their customer service imporoves as well.

************************************************









The USHL skates to the end of their regular season this Saturday. The only playoff still up for grabs is the number four spot in the West, being contested for by Sioux City and Tri-City. Both teams held the spot last weekend, with Tri-City currently one point ahead of the Musketeers. Sioux City hosts Waterloo on Friday and Lincoln on Saturday, while the Storm hosts Des Moines on Friday and Sioux Falls on Saturday(Why does it seem like, with the season on the line, Tri-City always plays Sioux Falls?).

Green Bay, Cedar Rapids, Indiana and Waterloo have clinched East Division playoff spots, while Omaha, Fargo and Sioux Falls have cliched in the West. Green Bay has also clinched their second straight Anderson Cup title for best regular-season record.

************************************************








There's not many things more exciting in sports than a game 7 in a hockey playoff series, and we've got one tonight in the Western Hockey League, as the Portland Winterhawks are in Spokane to face the Chiefs. Spokane started the series by winning the first two games in Portland, while the Hawks rebounded for three straight wins in Spokane(Where they have not lost a game this season). The Chiefs extended the series with a 4-3 win in Portland two nights ago. Faceoff tonight in Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena is set for 10:00pm EDT.

In other first round series, Calgary topped Moose Jaw 4 games to 3(after losing games 1 and 2 at home), Brandon, the 2010 Memorial Cup hosts, swept out Swift Current in 4 straight, Saskatoon beat Red Deer in 4 straight, Medicine Hat topped Kootenay in 6 games, Tri-City took 6 games to oust Chilliwack, Vancouver bounced Kamloops in 4 straight and Kelowna took 7 games to beat Everett.

In the second round, Calgary meets Medicine Hat, Brandon takes on Saskatoon, Tri-City tangles with Kelowna, while Vancouver meets the winner of tonight's Portland vs. Spokane contest.

In the Ontario Hockey League, Windsor plays Plymouth and Kitchener meets London in second round Western Conference action while over in the East, Barrie meets Brampton and Mississauga St. Michaels Majors (say that fast three times) plays Ottawa.

And, in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League second round, Saint John plays Gatineau, Drummondville tangles with Rimouski, Quebec takes on Victoriaville and Rouyn-Noranda meets up with Moncton.

None of the second round series have started yet in any of the three leagues.

************************************************











Right now, as my lovely bride Kim returns from another job interview(Extend your finger-crossing for good luck time please), Jimmy is in his room, playing in his crib, as he starts another day. Our favorite show on the radio, is listening to Jimmy each morning in the baby monitor. He's such a sweetie!











Snoopy and Smokey continue to hold daily puppy smackdown sessions, while generally taking great advantage of the liberal nap-time policy at our house. They sure are good boys!

************************************************

That's it for now. See ya soon!

Miami of Ohio enters Frozen Four ranked #1

Miami University Retains No. 1 Ranking in
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Miami University, which last weekend defeated the University of Alabama Huntsville and No. 8 University of Michigan in the NCAA Midwest Regional, enters the NCAA Men's Frozen Four as the No. 1 team in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll. The RedHawks, who improved to 29-7-7 on the season, collected 509 points and 33-of-34 first-place votes.

2010 NCAA Men's Frozen Four
Thursday, April 8
No. 1 Miami
vs.
No. 3 Boston College

No. 2 Wisconsin
vs.
No. 9 Rochester Institute of Technology

Saturday, April 10
NCAA Championship Game


The University of Wisconsin (460) moves up three spots to No. 2 after defeating the University of Vermont and No. 4 St. Cloud State University en route to its Frozen Four berth. Boston College (459, one first-place vote), which won the NCAA Northeast Regional after collecting wins against No. 15 University of Alaska and No. 6 Yale University, is No. 3. St. Cloud State (342), which defeated No. 13 Northern Michigan University in the NCAA West Regional semifinal, secures the No. 4 spot, while the University of Denver (340) rounds out the top five after falling to No. 9 Rochester Institute of Technology in the NCAA East Regional semifinal.

After advancing to its first NCAA Men's Frozen Four in program history with a win over No. 11 University of New Hampshire in the NCAA East Regional final, Rochester Institute of Technology makes its first-ever USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll appearance.

The NCAA Men's Frozen Four begins on April 8 in Detroit, with No. 1 Miami facing off against No. 3 Boston College and No. 2 Wisconsin playing No. 9 Rochester Institute of Technology. The winners of the two semifinal match-ups will play on April 10 for the NCAA championship.

NOTES: The USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll will take a one-week break before its last poll of the season on April 12 ... All six NCAA Division I men's ice hockey conference are represented in the poll. The Central Collegiate Hockey Association has five ranked programs, while the Western Collegiate Hockey Association boasts four ranked teams. Both ECAC Hockey and the Hockey East Association have two ranked teams, while Atlantic Hockey and College Hockey America each have one ranked program ... A total of 19 teams received votes.

ABOUT THE POLL: The 15th annual USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men’s College Hockey Poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association. The poll includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the six NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey Magazine, the most widely distributed hockey magazine in the world.

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine
Men's College Hockey Poll - #25
(first-place votes in parenthesis)

Rank School Last Poll's Ranking 2009-10 Record Weeks in Top-15
1 Miami University, 509 (33) 1 29-7-7 25
2 University of Wisconsin, 460 5 27-10-4 18
3 Boston College, 459 (1) 2 27-10-3 22
4 St. Cloud State University, 342 7 24-14-5 14
5 University of Denver, 340 3 27-10-4 25
6 Yale University, 308 8 21-10-3 25
7 University of North Dakota, 290 4 25-13-5 25
8 University of Michigan, 279 11 26-18-1 9
9 Rochester Institute of Technology, 265 NR 28-11-1 1
10 Cornell University, 245 6 21-9-4 25
11 University of New Hampshire, 179 12 18-14-7 10
12 Bemidji State University, 130 9 23-10-4 22
13 Northern Michigan University, 128 10 20-13-8 3
14 Ferris State University, 45 15 21-13-6 15
15 University of Alaska, 35 13 18-12-9 9

Others receiving votes: University of Vermont, 22; University of Minnesota Duluth, 18; Michigan State University, 14; Union College, 12.

Relay for Life coming up in your community

More research means saving more lives. And, just like Relay For Life, more research means more hope.

While we have made great advances in breast cancer and other areas, there are still too many deadly forms of cancer that cannot be prevented or treated. You know the impact that cancer can have on an individual, a family or even a community. That's why we need you to fight back and make your voice heard.

Tomorrow, 1,500 more people will die from cancer. It's time for the federal government to increase funding for cancer research. We must do better in the early detection and prevention of the most deadly cancers.

Tell Congress it's time to fight back against cancer. Sign our petition to Congress and tell them they need to increase funding for cancer research and programs.

ACS CAN, the nation's leading cancer advocacy organization, is working every day to ensure the government does its part in the fight against cancer. But, we can't do it alone. Make your voice heard by signing the petition.

While you might be just one voice, ACS CAN can amplify your voice, together with hundreds of thousands of other volunteers across the nation, to convince lawmakers to take the necessary steps to prevent cancer and find a cure for the most deadly cancers.

If one person can fight cancer, a nation can rise up to defeat it. Help us make cancer history. Sign the petition and share it with your Relay team and other friends. Together, we can win this fight.

Roughriders season ticket sales top 23,000

From http://www.saskriders.com/

Saskatchewan Roughrider President/CEO Jim Hopson announced today that ticket sales for the upcoming CFL season at Mosaic Stadium, has surpassed the 23,000 mark.

“We continue to be overwhelmed by the support of Rider Nation,” stated Hopson. “We find ourselves in a unique position thanks to the dedication of our fans.”

On Monday season ticket sales opened to the public and since that time, new season ticket and flex pack sales have escalated to a level where the team is now looking at capping the amount available.

“We are urging fans to get their season tickets now so that they are not disappointed,” added Hopson. “For the first time we are looking at capping the amount of season tickets available, so that we can ensure there are tickets available for game day sales and flex pack redemption.”

The Roughriders have set a tentative cap mark of 25,000 for season tickets and flex packs which will leave only a limited amount of season tickets available for purchase.

“There are of course still tickets available but we realize that if they continue to sell at this rate, we will have to cap them at 25,000,” Hopson concluded.

Season tickets and flex packs will remain on sale until the limited quantities are sold. Flex pack redemption will take place on May 25th until May 31st while single game tickets will be available for purchase beginning on June 1st.

The team will again install temporary seating in the southwest corner in the stadium to accommodate fans and increase seating capacity at Mosaic Stadium for the 2010 season.

UMD #1 in Women's D-1 poll; USAHockey Sled team wins gold; National Championship tournaments underway

University of Minnesota Duluth Finishes Season No. 1 in
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The University of Minnesota Duluth, which last weekend defeated No. 4 University of Minnesota and No. 2 Cornell University en route to its fifth NCAA Division I championship, ends the season as the No. 1 team in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll. The Bulldogs, who collected 190 points and all 19 first-place votes, are just the third team to hold the poll's top spot this season.

Cornell University (161), which capped its season with the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Women's Frozen Four and a berth in the national title game, is No. 2. The remaining two NCAA Women's Frozen Four participants -- Mercyhurst College (157) and Minnesota (138) -- end the season at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, while Clarkson University (108) rounds out the top five.

NOTES: Prior to this week's poll, Mercyhurst held the top spot for 22 straight polls. The University of Wisconsin, which was named the preseason No. 1, was the only other team to hold the No. 1 ranking ... Four teams remained on the poll throughout the entire season (Mercyhurst, Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth and the University of New Hampshire) ... Mercyhurst junior forward Vicki Bendus (Wasaga Beach, Ont.) was named the 13th annual Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient on Saturday (March 20). An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award annually recognizes the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey. More information on the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award can be found at PattyKaz.com ... Hockey East boasts four ranked programs. ECAC Hockey has three ranked teams, while the Western Collegiate Hockey Association has two ranked programs. Mercyhurst is the only ranked College Hockey America team ... A total of 12 teams received votes.

ABOUT THE POLL: The 13th annual USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women’s College Hockey Poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association. The poll includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the four NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey Magazine, the most widely distributed hockey magazine in the world.

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine
Women's College Hockey Poll - #24
(first-place votes in parentheses)

Rank School Last Poll's Ranking 2009-10 Record Weeks in Top 10
1 University of Minnesota Duluth, 190 (19) 2 31-8-2 24
2 Cornell University, 161 4 21-9-6 15
3 Mercyhurst College, 157 1 30-3-3 24
4 University of Minnesota, 138 3 26-9-5 24
5 Clarkson University, 108 6 23-12-5 23
6 University of New Hampshire, 99 7 19-9-5 24
7 Harvard University, 73 5 20-8-5 23
8 Boston University, 52 8 17-9-12 13
9 University of Connecticut, 33 9 21-9-7 11
10 Providence College, 17 NR 15-11-9 8

Others receiving votes: Northeastern University, 12; Quinnipiac University, 5.

************************************************

VANCOUVER, B.C. - The U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team won its second-ever gold medal at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games thanks to a 2-0 shutout victory over Japan this afternoon. Team USA did not surrender a goal in all five of its games at the tournament, outscoring its opponents, 19-0.

With the victory, the U.S. becomes the first-ever team to claim its second Paralympic Winter Games sled hockey gold medal. Team USA last won gold at the 2002 Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"I could not be more proud of our players," said Ray Maluta, head coach of the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team. "These guys have given us so much over the last few years to get to this point. They've grown as athletes, players and men, and I'm lucky to have been a part of this ride."

Team USA took a 1-0 lead four minutes into the first period on the power play. Joe Howard (Kingston, Mass.) fired a shot towards the front of the net, where it was stopped by Japan goalie Mitsuru Nagase. During the ensuing scramble, Alexi Salamone (Grand Island, N.Y.) located the loose rebound, dragged the puck out of traffic and flipped a backhand shot over the sprawling goaltender.

Japan nearly tied the game early in the second period when Andy Yohe (Bettendorf, Iowa) was whistled for interfering with a breakaway, leading to a penalty shot. Japan captain Takayuki Endo snapped a shot towards the top right corner of the net, but was denied by the glove of U.S. goalie Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.).

Following a flurry of chances for Japan in the third period, the U.S. put the game away on the power play with less than two minutes remaining. Howard threw a shot low towards the front of the goal where Taylor Lipsett (Mesquite, Texas) was parked. Team USA's leading scorer redirected the puck under the sled of Nagase for his fifth goal of the tournament and the United States' second power-play goal of the night.

Cash finished the night with five saves, and stopped all 33 shots faced in five games played at the tournament.

NOTES: Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, N.H.) was named the top defenseman of the tournament, while Steve Cash was named the top goaltender by the tournament directorate ... Team USA went 2-for-3 on the power play, while Japan was 0-for-3 with the man advantage ... The U.S. scored a power-play goal in all five of its games ... The U.S. allowed double-digit shots against only once in five games at the tournament (12 - March 18 vs. Norway) ... Team USA, with an average age of 23.8, was the youngest team at the tournament by nearly seven years (Canada - 30.7) ... Sweden (1994), Norway (1998), and Canada (2006) are the other gold-medal winners of past Paralympic Winter Games sled hockey tournaments ... Last night (March 19), Norway defeated Canada, 2-1, to claim the bronze medal ... Several members of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team sent e-mails of support to the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, including Chris Drury, Jamie Langenbrunner, head coach Ron Wilson and general manager Brian Burke ... The U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team captured the bronze medal at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy ... Full coverage of the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, including a team roster, photos, features, and game notes are available at usahockey.com … The 2010 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, consisting of 15 of the 18 members of the 2009-10 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team, was named in December.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

JPN 0 - 0 - 0 - 0
USA 1 - 0 - 1 - 2

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Salmone (Howard, Lipsett), 4:10 (pp). Penalties: JPN, Misawa (interference), 2:22; USA, Yohe (elbowing), 4:44; USA, Howard (roughing), 11:47.

Second Period - Scoring: None. Penalties: USA, Yohe (interference), 1:40.

Third Period - Scoring: 2, USA, Lipsett (Howard), 13:42 (pp). Penalties: JPN, Ishida (roughing), 4:56; USA, Lipsett (interference), 6:31; JPN, Ito (holding), 13:05.



Shots by Period 1 2 3 Total
JPN 1 0 4 5
USA 5 6 5 16

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
JPN, Nagase 45:00 5-4 6-6 5-4 16-14
USA, Cash 45:00 1-1 0-0 4-4 5-5

Power Play: JPN 0-3; USA 2-3
Penalties: JPN 3-6; USA 3-6
Officials: Petter Vojan Hegle (referee); Steven Richardson (linesman), Toode Maksim (linesman)
Attendance: 5,810


Team USA 2010 Paralympic Winter Games Results
March 13-20 - Vancouver, B.C.


Date Opponent Result
Sat., March 13 South Korea W, 5-0
Sun., March 14 Czech Republic W, 3-0
Tues., March 16 Japan W, 6-0
Thurs., March 18 Norway (Semifinals) W, 3-0
Sat., March 20 Japan (Gold-Medal Game) W, 2-0

************************************************

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The 2010 USA Hockey National Championships begin this week with the Tier III Junior A, B & C National Championships in Marlborough, Mass., on Thursday (March 25) and the Women's National Championships in Green Bay, Wis., on Friday (March 26). In total, 31 champions will be crowned at the youth, girls', high school, junior, women's and adult levels in 13 cities across America.

2010 USA Hockey National Championships Schedule
Tier III Junior National Championships

Date Classification Site
March 25-30 Tier III A, B & C Marlborough, Mass.

Youth, Girls' & Women's National Championships
presented by Easton and McDonald's

Date Classification Site
March 26-28 Women's Green Bay, Wis.
April 7-11 Girls' Tier I (all divisions) Green Bay, Wis.
April 7-11 Girls' Tier II (all divisions) East Lansing, Mich.
April 7-11 Youth Tier I (12U, 14U) Buffalo, N.Y.
April 7-11 Youth Tier I (16U, 18U) Woodridge, Ill.
April 7-11 Youth Tier II 12 & Under Reston, Va.
April 7-11 Youth Tier II 14 & Under Wayne, N.J.
April 7-11 Youth Tier II 16 & Under West Chester, Pa.
April 7-11 Youth Tier II 18 & Under Rochester, N.Y.

Adult National Championships
presented by Labatt Blue


Date Classification Site
April 8-11 U.S. Checking Fond du Lac, Wis.
April 15-18 30 & Over Non-Checking Tampa, Fla.
April 15-18 40 & Over Non-Checking
Tampa, Fla.
April 22-25 50 & Over Non-Checking Tampa, Fla.
April 22-25 60 & Over Non-Checking Tampa, Fla.
April 29-May 2 Women's Recreational 40 & Over Ellenton, Fla.
April 29-May 2 Women's Recreational 50 & Over Ellenton, Fla.

High School National Championship


Date Classification Site
April 14-18 Varsity Bensenville, Ill.


The USA Hockey National Championships welcome teams from various levels and each of USA Hockey’s 12 districts to compete for a national title.

The Youth Tier I and Tier II divisions include competition in the 18 & Under, 16 & Under, 14 & Under and 12 & Under age classifications. Girls’ age levels include 19 & Under, 16 & Under, 14 & Under and 12 & Under. Women’s teams will compete in the Senior A, B, C and 30 & Over categories. Each of the 20 Youth, Girls’ and Women’s National Championships is presented by Easton and McDonald's.

In addition, USA Hockey will host the 2010 Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Adult National Championships. These tournaments will feature seven classifications in three cities across the country, beginning on April 8 with the U.S. Checking National Championship in Fond du Lac, Wis. National championships will also be competed for at the 30 & Over, 40 & Over, 50 & Over and 60 & Over non-checking classifications, as well as the Women's Recreational 40 & Over and 50 & Over divisions.

Also included in this year's national championship slate is a newly created high school national championship.

USAHockey.com will provide live scoring, stats and standings from each of the Youth, Women’s and Girls’ USA Hockey National Championship sites. Additionally, USAHockey.com will also accept user-submitted photos and publish them throughout the tournament. Photos can be submitted at photos@usahockey.org.

USA Hockey, in partnership with FASTHockey, will provide live streaming coverage of the upcoming USA Hockey National Championships. Games will be offered on a pay-per-view basis. FASTHockey uses a unique game-credit system for viewing games, offering discounts to customers who watch multiple games. Users who want to watch one or more games must first sign up for a free account at USAHockey.FASTHockey.com. Users can then buy game credits - a single game ranges from $6.99 (when one game credit is purchased) to $3.99 (when 100 game credits are purchased). Game credits can be used to watch live games or archives on-demand and never expire. In addition, games will be available for purchase on DVD and/or USB sticks at USAHockey.FASTHockey.com.

Happy Wednesday!

It's another week. Here's what's happening....

************************************************










The Tampa Bay Lightning are holding on to flickering playoff hopes these days, but as long as there's life, they'll keep on battling.

The Bolts were 1-3-0 in the past week. Last Thursday, Buffalo built a 4-0 lead and cruised to a 6-2 win. Steve Downie and Vincent Lecavalier(PPG) scored in the third period for Tampa Bay, Antero Niittymaki stopped 22 shots. Attendance was 16,868.

On Saturday, Lecavalier's goal at 6:54 on the first was all the offense the Lightning could muster, as Washington skated to a 3-1 win. Niittymaki made 25 saves.

Sunday, Downie put the Bolts on top 6:04 into the game, then a Steven Stamkos second period power play goal brought Tampa Bay within one, but it wasn't to be, as those stinkin' Florida Panthers won 5-2. Mike Smith made 35 saves. Attendance was 14,831.

Last night, a Marty St. Louis wrister at 4:12 of the second period gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead. Two late goals 18 seconds apart put Carolina on top through 40 minutes at 2-1, before Downie became just the fourth player in the last 13 seasons to score 20 or more goals while also collecting over 200 penalty minutes in a season(Chris Gratton, Keith Tkachuk and Theo Fleury were the others), as he tied the game with a power play goal. Marty St. Louis then stepped up his game, nearly scoring in the final moments of regulation, then scoring 29 seconds into overtime, giving Tampa Bay the 3-2 win. Niittymaki stopped 27 shots, as the Lightning broke a five-game slide with just their third win in their past 15 games. Attendance was just 13,009.

Tampa Bay, with a record of 29-32-12 for 70 points, trails Boston by 8 points in the race for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, with just nine games remaining in the regular season. The Lightning travel to meet the Bruins tomorrow night(7:00p.m. EDT on 620 AM WDAE and Sun Sports), then head to Buffalo on Saturday(7:00p.m. EDT on 620AM WDAE and Sun Sports), Columbus next Tuesday(7:00p.m. EDT on 620AM WDAE) and then head to Pittsburgh next Wednesday(7:30p.m. EDT on 620AM WDAE and Sun Sports).

************************************************














Tampa Bay Rays are 14-7 and hold the best spring record in the American League. Yesterday, shortstop Jason Bartlett was 3-for-4 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI, powering the Rays past Toronto 5-3. Bartleff also hit a pair of solo homers, in the 4th and 6th innings. He also stole two bases.

The San Francisco Giants are an NL best 16-6.

************************************************








Because of a gathering of tall guys who can't skate, the Spokane Chiefs were forced to open their first-round playtoff series with two guys at Portland. It mattered little, as the Chiefs skated to two wins, 5-4 last Saturday and 4-2 the next night. Game three is tonight in Spokane, with games 4 and 5 in Spokane on Friday and Saturday. Game 6 will be back in Portland on Monday, the 29th and if game 7 is needed, it will be in Spokane next Wednesday. All remaining games in the series start at 10:00p.m. EDT.

In the other first-round WHL playoff matchups, Moose Jaw has a surprising 3-1 lead over Calgary, Brandon is up 3-0 on Swift Current, Saskatoon is up 2-0 after two straight shutouts of Red Deer, Kootenay leads Medicine Hat 2-1, Tri-City is up 2-1 on Chilliwack, a pair of overtime wins have put Vancouver up 3-0 on Kamloops and 5 is the lucky number, as that's what it's taken to win in the Everett-Kelowna series, with Everett holding a 2-1 lead in the series.

Click the link to the right in the upcoming action section for the upcoming schedule in the WHL.

************************************************










In the USHL, Green Bay, Cedar Rapids and Indiana have clinched playoff spots in the East, while Waterloo(5 games left) is holding onto 4th, 6 points ahead of a surging Team USA(4 games left) and 8 points ahead of Chicago(6 games left). Youngstown has been eliminated.

In the West, Omaha, Fargo and Sioux Falls have clinched playoff spots. Tri-City(4 games left) leads Sioux City(4 games left) by just one point. Des Moines and Lincoln have been eliminated. Tri-City has road games with Omaha and Lincoln on their schedule, with home games still to play against Des Moines and Sioux Falls. Sioux City has home games yet to play with Chicago, Waterloo and Lincoln, plus a road game against Omaha. The regular season ends on Saturday, April 3rd.

************************************************











My lovely bride has had three job interviews this week. We're very hopeful one of those will produce a job offer.











Jimmy, Snoopy and Smoke continue to be the main stars of the Meissner entertainment committee. Jimmy is apparently cutting more teeth, as he has been a bit cranky/fussy lately. But, he remains the happiest toddler in town and we love him very much!

************************************************

That's it for this week. Y'all have fun now, ya hear?!?!

Muskies under new ownership

From http://www.ushl.com/
The United States Hockey League and Jim Kronschnabel, the principal owner of Siouxland Sports and the Sioux City Musketeers, today announced approval for the transfer of ownership of the Musketeers to a new ownership group headed by Donn Lux, Chairman and CEO of St. Louis-based Luxco, Inc.

Mr. Lux will serve as Chairman of SCM, LLC, the ownership entity that will operate and manage the Sioux City Musketeers organization. Luxco, his company, is a renowned manufacturer, bottler, processor, and distributor of beverage alcohol products in both the domestic and international marketplace. He holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management (1985) and a Bachelor of Science in Business from Tulane University (1982).

"I feel privileged to have the opportunity to become part of the United States Hockey League," said Lux, "and especially to be able to do so as the owner of an organization like Sioux City. The League continues to grow on and off the ice and has a group of owners that is second to none – and nowhere does USHL hockey shine brighter than with the Musketeers, with their rich hockey tradition, loyal fan base, and supportive community."

USHL Commissioner Skip Prince was similarly pleased. "Jim Kronschnabel and Siouxland Sports made hockey 'must-see' entertainment in Sioux City for the past eight years, and the Musketeers have become a keystone of both the USHL and this community. The transition to Donn and his group confirms the team's commitment to Sioux City – and the commitment of our Board of Directors to insure that the USHL stands not only for extraordinary hockey, but exemplary business and civic responsibility."

A first order for new ownership was extension of the current lease agreement with the Tyson Events Center, which has hosted home games for the Sioux City Musketeers since it opened in 2003, for at least three future seasons. The organization will also host the USHL Fall Classic in September through at least 2011, having been awarded that extension by the USHL during its All-Star meetings. This coming September will mark the fourth straight season the "most scouted event in hockey" comes to Sioux City.

"My years with the Musketeers and the USHL have been some of the best of my life," said Kronschnabel. "I believe in this league and what it does for the young men in it, and the communities in which we work and play. This is one of those rare opportunities in life to be involved in something where everyone wins. I will truly miss the day-to-day interaction with our supporters, fans, and the owners and GM's around the league. I have made many great friends and for that I am very thankful."

Kronschnabel and Siouxland Sports purchased the Musketeers organization in 2002, the first year the USHL was recognized as the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league. He also served as the Chairman for the USHL Board of Directors for three seasons (2006-09), as well as on numerous League committees. He will remain as a consultant to new ownership through December of this year to insure a smooth transition of team and business operations.

"All of us would be amiss not to recognize Jim for his extraordinary achievements on behalf of both the Musketeers, and as a leader in building this league," added Prince. "Without him, not only the Musketeers, but the USHL might not be here to celebrate today's transition."

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the USHL celebrates eighth season as the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league in 2009-10. With over 210 players already committed to NCAA Division I schools and 13 NHL Entry Draft picks currently on League rosters, the USHL is the nation's foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.USHL.com.

USA Hockey Paralympic Sled Team advances, Mercyhurst unanimous #1 in Women's college poll

VANCOUVER, B.C. - The U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team defeated Japan this afternoon, 6-0, in its final preliminary-round game of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. With the win, Team USA improved to 3-0-0-0 overall and earned Group A's top seed entering Thursday's (March 18) semifinal round.

Six different players scored for Team USA, which will face the loser of tonight's preliminary-round showdown between Canada and Norway for the right to play in the tournament's gold-medal game.

"We're continuing to improve with each passing game," said Ray Maluta, head coach of the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team. "We connected on more of our prime chances tonight, and only committed a handful of mistakes."

Team USA jumped out to a 1-0 lead just one minute into the game. After receiving a pass from Tim Jones (Mt. Ephraim, N.J.) at the offensive blue line, captain Andy Yohe (Bettendorf, Iowa) skated to the top of the right circle and slid a pass to Adam Page (Lancaster, N.Y.) in the high slot. Page's first shot attempt failed to get through, but he collected the rebound and snapped the puck low to the far post for his first goal of the tournament.

Greg Shaw (Park City, Utah) gave Team USA a 2-0 lead late in the opening period. After intercepting a pass at the U.S. blue line, Taylor Lipsett (Mesquite, Texas) broke through the neutral zone on a two-on-one rush with Shaw. When the Japanese defenseman engaged with Lipsett, he slipped a pass to Shaw, who fired a shot past the glove of Japan goaltender Mitsuru Nagase.

Five minutes into the second period, Alexi Salamone (Grand Island, N.Y.) notched his third goal of the tournament on the power play, cutting through traffic between the faceoff circles and scoring over Nagase's glove to give the U.S. a 3-0 lead. Lipsett collected his team-leading fourth goal of the tournament eight minutes later, holding onto the puck on a two-on-one rush and shuffling a shot past Nagase's blocker for an unassisted tally.

U.S. goalie Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.) turned aside a breakaway chance by Japan's Daisuke Uehara to send Team USA into the second intermission with a 4-0 advantage. Cash made five saves in 30 minutes of action before being replaced by Mike Blabac (Buffalo, N.Y.) at the start of the third period.

Team USA extended its lead to 5-0 four minutes into the third period on the first goal of the tournament by Joe Howard (Kingston, Mass.). The four-time Paralympian escaped a defender at the Japanese blue line and fired a hard wrist shot over Nagase's blocker. Nikko Landeros' (Berthoud, Colo.) first career goal five minutes later closed out the scoring.

NOTES: If Norway defeats Canada later this evening, Team USA will face Canada on Thursday (March 18) at 12 p.m. PDT. If Canada beats Norway, the U.S. will take on Norway at 7 p.m. PDT on Thursday ... Team USA went 1-for-4 on the power play, while Japan was 0-for-4 with the man advantage ... In seven meetings with Japan during the 2009-10 season, Team USA posted a perfect 7-0-0-0 record, outscoring Japan, 29-2, in those games ... In earlier action, the Czech Republic knocked off South Korea, 4-2, while Sweden edged Italy, 1-0 ... The U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team captured the bronze medal at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, and earned gold at the 2002 Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah ... No team has won gold more than once in the four Paralympic Winter Games of which sled hockey has been a part (Sweden-1994; Norway-1998; United States-2002; Canada-2006) ... Full coverage of the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, including a team roster, photos, features, and game notes are available at usahockey.com … The 2010 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, consisting of 15 of the 18 members of the 2009-10 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team, was named in December.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

JPN 0 - 0 - 0 - 0
USA 2 - 2 - 2 - 6

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Page (Yohe, Jones), 1:05; 2, USA, Shaw (Lipsett), 12:01. Penalties: USA, Page (hooking), 6:01; USA, Chace (elbowing), 13:31.

Second Period - Scoring: 3, USA, Salamone (Yohe), 5:13 (pp); 4, USA, Lipsett (unassisted), 13:22. Penalties: JPN, Ishida (hooking), 3:57; USA, Lipsett (charging), 6:27; JPN, Sudo (holding), 6:36; JPN, Ishida (holding), 7:23.

Third Period - Scoring: 5, USA, Howard (Chace), 4:10; 6, USA, Landeros (unassisted), 8:54. Penalties: USA, Jones (interference), 5:54.

Shots by Period 1 2 3 Total
JPN 4 1 1 6
USA 6 7 6 19

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
JPN, Nagase 34:10 6-4 7-5 2-1 15-10
JPN, Fukushima 10:50 -- -- 4-3 4-3
USA, Cash 30:00 4-4 1-1 -- 5-5
USA, Blabac 15:00 -- -- 1-1 1-1


Power Play: JPN 0-4; USA 1-4
Penalties: JPN 3-6; USA 4-8
Officials: Petter Vojan Hegle (referee); Lodewijk Beelen (linesman), Eric Dagenais (linesman)
Attendance: 5,468


Team USA 2010 Paralympic Winter Games Schedule
March 13-20 - Vancouver, B.C.


Date Opponent Time (PDT)/Result Broadcast
Sat., March 13 South Korea W, 5-0
Sun., March 14 Czech Republic W, 3-0
Tues., March 16 Japan W, 6-0 ParalmpicSport.tv
Thurs., March 18 Semifinals 12 p.m. / 7 p.m. ParalmpicSport.tv

Fri., March 19 Bronze-Medal Game 7 p.m. ParalmpicSport.tv
Sat., March 20 Gold-Medal Game 12 p.m. ParalmpicSport.tv

************************************************

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Mercyhurst College, which defeated No. 8 Boston University in the NCAA tournament quarterfinal round last weekend, enters the NCAA Women's Frozen Four as the unanimous No. 1 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll. The Lakers, who hold the top spot for the 22nd straight poll, accumulated 190 points and all 19 first-place votes.

2010 NCAA Women's
Frozen Four
Friday, March 19
No. 1 Mercyhurst
vs.
No. 4 Cornell

No. 2 Minnesota Duluth
vs.
No. 3 Minnesota

Sunday, March 21
NCAA Championship Game



The University of Minnesota Duluth (171) is No. 2 after defeating No. 7 University of New Hampshire in the NCAA tournament, while the University of Minnesota (150), which topped No. 6 Clarkson University, retains the No. 3 spot. Cornell University (135), which advanced to its first NCAA Women's Frozen Four in school history after defeating No. 5 Harvard University, climbs to No. 4.

The NCAA Women's Frozen Four takes place this weekend at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minn., with No. 1 Mercyhurst playing No. 4 Cornell and No. 2 Minnesota Duluth facing off against No. 3 Minnesota on Friday (March 19). The winners of the two semifinal games will play on Sunday (March 21) for the NCAA championship.

NOTES: The last USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women’s College Hockey Poll of the 2009-10 season will be on Tuesday (March 23) ... The 2010 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey, will be awarded for the 13th time at the University of Minnesota's McNamara Alumni Center on Saturday (March 20). The top three finalists include Vicki Bendus (Wasaga Beach, Ont./Mercyhurst College), Kelly Paton (Woodstock, Ont./Univ. of New Hampshire) and Noora Räty (Espoo, Finland/Univ. of Minnesota). More information on the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award can be found at PattyKaz.com ... Hockey East boasts four ranked programs. ECAC Hockey has three ranked teams, while the Western Collegiate Hockey Association has two ranked programs. Mercyhurst is the only ranked College Hockey America team ... A total of 14 teams received votes.

ABOUT THE POLL: The 13th annual USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women’s College Hockey Poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association. The poll includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the four NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey Magazine, the most widely distributed hockey magazine in the world.

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine
Women's College Hockey Poll - #23
(first-place votes in parentheses)

Rank School Last Poll's Ranking 2009-10 Record Weeks in Top 10
1 Mercyhurst College, 190 (19) 1 30-2-3 23
2 University of Minnesota Duluth, 171 2 29-8-2 23
3 University of Minnesota, 150 3 26-8-5 23
4 Cornell University, 135 5 20-8-6 14
5 Harvard University, 97 4 20-8-5 22
6 Clarkson University, 92 6 23-12-5 22
7 University of New Hampshire, 86 7 19-9-5 23
8 Boston University, 63 8 17-9-12 12
9 University of Connecticut, 24 9 21-9-7 10
10 Northeastern University, 16 NR 17-9-7 16

Others receiving votes: The Ohio State University, 8; Providence College, 7; Quinnipiac University, 4; St. Cloud State University, 2.

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday everyone. Here's what's happening....

************************************************










The playoff hopes for the Lightning are rapidly fading. Tampa Bay has lost 9 of their last 11, to fall 6 points behind Boston for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. Since our last report, the Lightning have played four one-goal games, losing three of them. Last Thursday, Phil Kessel scored at 3:33 of overtime, to push Toronto to a 4-3 win. Steven Stamkos, Kurtis Foster and Steve Downie scored for Tampa Bay, Mike Smith had 34 saves. On Friday, Brandon Bochenski, Matt Walker and Vinny Lecavalier scored goals, and Antero Niittymaki made 28 saves, as the Lightning beat the Capitals 3-2, stopping a long losing streak in Washington. On Sunday, two third goals for Pittsburgh offset a second period goal by Lecavalier plus Niittymaki's 37 saves, sending the Penguins to a 2-1 win in front of a sell-out crowd at the St. Pete Times Forum. And last night, Todd Fedoruk's second period goal wasn't enough, as Phoenix beat Tampa Bay 2-1. Niittymaki had 26 saves for the Lightning and allowed 2 goals or less for the 12th time in his last 16 starts.

Tampa Bay is now 28-29-12 for 68 points. As mentioned earlier, Boston holds the 8th playoff spot in the East with 74 points, 3 ahead of the Rangers, 5 ahead of Atlanta and 6 in front of the Lightning. Tampa Bay has 13 games left on their regular season schedule, starting with tomorrow night's home game with Buffalo and Saturday's home game with Washington, both at 7:30pm EDT. Tampa Bay is on the road Sunday against the Florida Panthers at 5:00pm EDT, returning home to host Carolina next Tuesday at 7:30pm EDT. All games can be heard on 620AM WDAE and seen on Sun Sports. Making the playoffs will be tough, but the Lightning are playing well right now, and anything is possible.

************************************************














The Tampa Bay Rays continue their hot spring, with a major league-best 10-3 record. Several players, none of them named Longoria, are making solid cases to be included on the team's opening day roster. Current indications are, if the Rays can find a way to hang on to the majority of these plays for the long-term, the franchise could be A.L. East contenders for the next several years. That, more than anything, could help provide the momentum needed for a new ballpark.

"My team," the San Francisco Giants, also have 10 spring wins, most in the N.L., but just the 4th best win percentage, because they also have 6 losses. I'm still hoping for either a San Francisco-Tampa Bay or San Francisco-Seattle World Series. Why are the Giants my favorite team? Well, my parents met and we're married in San Francisco, my older sister was born there and my grandparents lived there as well. It pained me a lot recently, when I realized that the Giants(New York, then San Francisco) last World Series title came in 1954, the year before I was born. Oh well, not too bad, when you consider it's been over 100 years since the Cubs won the series. (BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!....Just kidding) The Giants open the regular season on Monday, April 5th at Houston. The Rays open on Tuesday, April 6th at home against Baltimore.

************************************************









In the USHL East, Green Bay and Cedar Rapids have clinched playoff spots, with 83 and 69 points respectively. Indiana has 64 points, Waterloo 56, Chicago 49, Team USA 46 and Youngstown 37. In the West, Omaha with 77 points, Fargo with 73 and Sioux Falls with 67, have all clinched playoff berths. Tri-City is fourth with 58, Sioux City is fifth with 50, Des Moines sixth with 41 and Lincoln seventh (BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!) with 36. All teams have 9 or fewer games remaining in the regular season, which ends Saturday, April 3rd.

Speaking of the USHL, the defending Clark Cup champion Indiana Ice beat Team USA 6-2 on February 28th, in the Ice's annual "Pack the House for Charity" game at Conseco Fieldhouse, home of the NBA's Indiana Pacers. The annual contest, which began 16 years ago, saw five dollars from each ticket donated to the charity, which includes the Lupus Foundation of America, Make a Wish, Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent, The Villages, and the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. As is their tradition, the Ice wore jerseys specially designed by patients at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St.Vincent and throughout the game, fans had the opportunity to bid on their favorite players jerseys in a special "blind bid" auction. Attendance at this year's game was 11,092.

************************************************









The Western Hockey League playoffs begin tomorrow night. First round matchups in the East pit Calgary vs Moose Jaw, Brandon vs Swift Current, Saskatoon vs Red Deer and Kootenay vs Medicine Hat. In the West, Tri City meets Chilliwack, Vancouver tangles with Kamloops, Everett takes on Kelowna and Spokane meets up with Portland. There's one game tomorrow, five on Friday and seven on Saturday.

Two playoff series have interesting angles. In the East, Swift Current's home games vs Brandon will be played in Regina(Can't imagine why the Broncos turned down the chance to play their home games in Kearney, Nebraska), while in the West, Spokane, despite having home ice, opens at Portland, who makes their first post-season appearance since 2006. The Hawks are 149-142 all time in post season play, including 91-56 at home and have won two Memorial Cups, in 1983 in Portland and 1998 in Spokane. Game One vs Spokane is at Portland on Saturday, beginning at 10:30pm EDT.

************************************************











Here's our Jimmy this morning, enjoying his favorite breakfast of Cheerios and bananas. Hard to believe he'll be two years old in another 71 days. We sure love him!











Our four-legged boys, Snoopy and Smoke, just finsihed a spirited round of WWP Puppy Smackdown. It's nice to see two little guys have so much fun together. Despite what others so blindly advised, when things were at their "worst" for our family, there is no way we could EVER split them up, or otherwise remove them from our lives.

************************************************











That's it for now. Have a great day everyone!

Hey gang: Look who's back!

Hi everyone. Sorry I've been gone. A change in job assignments, a move from one home to another and life in general have prevented me from keeping the blog updated. Here's hoping that scenario won't happen again for a long time! With that said, here's what's been happening since I've been away.

************************************************

The New Orleans Saints are Super Bowl champs, after beating the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV 31-17 on February 7th. Read all about it right here:


http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2010020700/2009/POST22/saints@colts/recap#recap-channels:cat-post-recap-full-story

************************************************








Since our last update, the Lightning have gone 6-6-0 and are now 11th in the Eastern Conference, but only 5 points behind Boston for the 8th and final playoff spot. The two brightest spots have been the play of Steven Stamkos(The guy who Barry Melrose said wasn't ready for the NHL at the start of his 16 game stint as Lightning coach at the beginning of last season). Stamkos now has 41 goals and is on pace to finish the season with 51. The other and perhaps brightest spot, is the sale of the team from the fueding Oren Koules and Len Barrie, to Boston hedge fund manager Jeff Vinik. You can read all about that here: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/hockey/lightning/new-tampa-bay-lightning-owner-jeff-vinik-plans-to-restore-the-communitys/1077637

The team made just one move before the trade deadline, picking up Teddy Purcell from the Kings for Jeff Halpern. Purcell may not be well known, but first impressions have been really good ones. He appears to have nudged Vinny Lecavalier out of his funk, and also scored himself on a penalty shot in the Lightning's recent win over Atlanta.

Tampa Bay plays 3 in 4 nights this weekend. They are at Toronto on Thursday and Washington on Saturday, with both games starting at 7:00pm EST. On Sunday, the Lightning host Pittsburgh, beginning at 5:00pm EDT. You can hear the games on 620AM WDAE and see them on Sun Sports.

************************************************












The Saskatchewan Roughriders have been quite busy during the CFL offseason, with several roster moves, plus the push for a new stadium in Regina. You can get the latest news at http://www.saskriders.com/ and http://www.rodpedersen.com/.


************************************************











I am still madly in love with my family. Kim, the most beautiful woman in the world(!!!!) and our son Jimmy, the cutest baby since his mommy(!!!!), are both doing great. Mommy gets to enjoy staying home with da Jim-Jim while she looks for a new job. And Jimmy is now 21 months old. His vocabulary continues to grow at a steady pace, he's now 3 feet tall and 28 pounds and has also made his first steps into the exciting world of potty training.











Our four-legged boys, Smoke and Snoopy, are seen here resting from another busy play day. Boy, oh boy, are they ever fun puppies!

************************************************









The USHL regular season is rounding the turn and heading for home. Green Bay leads the East by 14 points over Cedar Rapids, 17 over defending Clark Cup champion Indiana, who is 8 points ahead of Waterloo. Chicago, Team USA and Yopungstown are on the outside looking in at the moment. In the West, Omaha leads Fargo by 4 points and Sioux Falls by 9. Tri-City holds fourth, 9 points ahead of Sioux City. Des Moines and Lincoln trail far behind.

Two new teams join the USHL next season. Besides the already announced return of the Dubuque Fighting Saints, it was also recently announced that Josh Mervis is reviving the dormant franchise rights he owns, and placing that team in Muskegon, Michigan. The team will take the moniker of the current minor pro team, the Lumberjacks, which will end it's 50 year run in the pros at the end of this season.

************************************************

A really cool thing happened at work recently. I got into talking sports with a guy headed to Calgary named Jason Parker, who was a part of Canada's silver medal winning team in the speed skating team pursuit (or long t5rack) competition. While he didn't skate the finals, he did medal, and he was not only gracious enough to show me his silver medal, but to let me hold it as well. Wow, that was really neat!!!!

Speaking of olympics, the 2010 winter games recently wrapped up in Vancouver, B.C. In perhaps the most hyped event, Canda beat the U.S. in overtime, to win the men's hockey gold medal. The game was the highest rated hockey game in U.S. television history, and the most watched event of any kind in Canadian television history. Impressive.

************************************************

BTW: Rob StHelen rocks!!!!

************************************************














Spring training 2010 is underway in both Florida and Arizona. The Tampa Bay Rays, picked to finish anywhere between first and third in the A.L. East in 2010, lost their first spring game, but have won their last six. They might be for real after all. My favorite team, the San Francisco Giants, are also 6-1. What's the odds on a Rays-Giants World Series this year? Or perhaps the Giants-Mariners? I'd be quite satisfied with either.

************************************************

Well, that's it for now. Thanks for reading, see you soon!