LOCAL

LOCAL
Phantoms prevailin exhibition game
DETROIT -- The Youngstown Phantoms Junior-A hockey club notched its second straight victory by defeating the Central States League All-Star Team, 7-3, in the North American Hockey League's Showcase Tournament.
Brian Moore contributed a pair of goals to the winning effort, Rob Rassey had a goal and an assist, and Aaron Rhyner chipped in with a pair of assists.
Tyler Simms registered the win in goal, making 14 saves as Youngstown out-shot the CSHL All-Stars by a wide margin, 38-17.
The NAHL Showcase Tournament, a three-day, 10-team event, concludes today with Youngstown scheduled to square off against the Toledo Ice Diggers at 11 a.m.
All contests played this weekend are exhibition games and therefore the results do not count toward the NAHL's regular season standings.
The NAHL's regular season officially gets underway Friday. However, Youngstown is idle next weekend.
The Phantoms will open their 56-game regular season slate with 7 p.m. games in Ann Arbor, Mich., vs. the USA 18-and-Under National Team on Sept. 19 and the USA 17-and-Under National Team on Sept. 20.
Youngstown's first home games at the Ice Zone in Boardman are set for Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 28 at 3 p.m. against the USA 17-and-Under National Team.
Tickets for the Sept. 27-28 games and all Phantoms home games are available by calling (330) 965-7500.
Baseball Old-timershold golf outing
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown Baseball Old-timers Association will hold its fall golf outing Sept. 24 at Tanglewood Golf Course for paid members only. Tee times are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Contact Nick Granitto at 330-782-6520 for reservations.
There will also be a regularly scheduled meeting at 3 p.m. on Thursday at the Holiday Bowl.
Golf fund-raiserneeds teams
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Mercer County Habitat for Humanity is seeking teams and sponsors for its charity golf scramble fund-raiser Sept. 27 at the Hickory VFW Golf Course.
The event begins with registration at 10 a.m. and tee off at 11 a.m. Dinner and awards are at 5 p.m. Fees include 18 holes with cart, prizes, a sleeve of golf balls, a participant gift, turn-around lunch and steak dinner.
Call (724) 347-3587 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays for more information. The deadline to register a team is Sept. 15. All proceeds go to Mercer County Habitat for Humanity.
Modelski contributesto Fordham's victory
Former Poland High football standout Pete Modelski caught a touchdown pass in Fordham's 63-28 win over Rhode Island Saturday.
Modelski, a wide receiver, finished with four catches for 41 yards. The senior also rushed once for 22 yards.
NATION
Bryant attorneysfocus on accuser
DENVER -- For the first time, Kobe Bryant's attorneys have hinted at their strategy by focusing attention on the woman who accused the NBA superstar of rape.
They have asked the court for medical and psychological records of the woman, who was treated for mental health problems. And they have asked for a hearing on their request, which could open the door wider.
Colorado has strict laws against releasing such records, even for private review by a judge, and attorneys for the 19-year-old woman said she has no intention of waiving confidentiality rights.
Still, the request could plant seeds of doubt about the woman's credibility among Eagle County residents who may be jurors if the case goes to trial, legal analysts said.
"If they can't get into attacking her credibility by saying she's crazy one way or another, then the next best thing, and it probably works just as well, is to make sure the entire potential jury pool knows that she's had emotional or mental difficulties," said jury consultant Howard Varinsky of Oakland, Calif.
"They'd love to get the records, but they don't care. They just want the media to broadcast that the records exist," Varinsky said.
Neither Bryant's attorneys nor an attorney for the woman returned calls seeking comment. A spokeswoman for prosecutors said they have not taken a position on the defense request.
Bryant, 25, is free on $25,000 bail on a charge of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old hotel employee June 30 in his suite at a resort in nearby Edwards. He says the sex was consensual.
An Oct. 9 preliminary hearing is set to determine is enough evidence exists for a trial.
In cases that hinge on statements from the accused and the accuser, defense attorneys typically attack an alleged rape victim's credibility, analysts said.
In 1991, attorney Roy Black defended William Kennedy Smith, a nephew of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, on a charge of raping Patricia Bowman at the Kennedy estate in Palm Beach, Fla.
Black hired private investigators to look into Bowman's background, obtained medical records and suggested Bowman was mentally disturbed and promiscuous. The judge excluded the evidence, but the controversy shifted attention to her background. Smith was acquitted.
Black believes rape is the only crime in which the state of mind of the accuser is more important than that of the defendant because the jury's decision hinges on whether the alleged victim refused or withdrew consent.
"When you make a criminal charge in which somebody could be sentenced to life imprisonment, you necessarily give up certain rights to privacy," Black said.
WORLD
France backs up'favorite' status
LULEA, Sweden -- Tariq Abdul-Wahad of the Dallas Mavericks scored 16 points to lead France to an 85-52 victory over Italy on Saturday at the European Basketball Championships.
With new Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird watching from the VIP section at Coop Arena, the 2000 Olympic silver medalists showed why they're one of the favorites win the Euro title, building a three-point lead in the first quarter and a 39-27 advantage by halftime.
Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs finished with 10 points and spent most of the fourth quarter on the bench.
Nikola Radulovic led Italy with 18 points.
WORLD
Larsen suffersfirst loss in ring
ERFURT, Germany -- Sven Ottke kept his IBF and WBA super middleweight titles, winning a close decision Saturday over previously undefeated Mads Larsen of Denmark.
German Ottke, now 32-0, successfully defended his WBA crown for the 19th time and his IBF title for the second. Two judges had him ahead 115-113, and a third scored it 115-115.
Larsen fell to 44-1.
Vindicator staff/wire reports