YSU

YSU
Raul Pepino namedathlete of week
INDIANAPOLIS -- Youngstown State senior Raul Pepino was named Horizon League Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week.
Pepino helped the Penguins to a 5-2 win over Cleveland State last Saturday. He won his No. 1 singles match, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, and teamed up with Kevin Schaffert for YSU's only doubles win, 8-6. Pepino is 1-1 at No. 1 singles this season.
Radio deal extended
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State extended its radio broadcasting rights agreement with ClearChannel Radio Youngstown through June 30, 2008.
The agreement is a two-year extension of the original rights deal signed in May 2002 and includes football, men's and women's basketball, Olympic sports, coaches shows and special athletic events.
Penguin football games will continue to be broadcast on WBBG-FM (106.1) and WNIO-AM (1390).
Men's basketball and select women's basketball games will be carried on WNIO, as will the "Penguin Playbook Coaches Show" throughout the football and basketball seasons.
Bob Hannon (football), Robb Schmidt (men's basketball) and Chad Krispinsky (women's basketball) will continue play-by-play duties.
LOCAL
Poland beats Jackson
AURORA -- Jim Pasquine scored four goals to lead the Poland ice hockey club team to a 5-3 victory over Jackson in the first round of the Blue East Tournament.
Jack Crish scored an empty-net goal to seal the victory.
Brett Pitzulo had four assists while goalie Joel Hodge stopped 20 shots.
Phantoms' Tyler Simsselected by NAHL
BOARDMAN -- Youngstown Phantoms goaltender Tyler Sims was named North American Hockey League North Division defensive player of the week.
Sims, winning the award for the second time this season, led the Phantoms to a 3-0 win last Friday over the Springfield Junior Blues for his fourth shutout of the season.
Sims also defeated Springfield 3-2 on Saturday. He has a 12-8-5 record with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage this season. Sims is tied for the NAHL lead in shutouts and is third in save percentage.
The Phantoms visit the Springfield (Ill.) Junior Blues Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7. The Phantoms return for home games Feb. 13 and 14 against the Toledo Ice Diggers. Both games start at 7.
Bowladrome winsYBA city event
YOUNGSTOWN -- Every Extreme rolled 3,330 to overcome Strikes-R-Us for sixth place in the upper division as the Proprietor's squad segment of the 72nd Youngstown Bowling Association city tournament came to a close. Strikes-R-Us had rolled 3,318. Bowladrome Lanes won with 3,440.
In the lower division, Molly's rolled 3,382 to finish fourth, Depizzo Sausage had 3,381 to place fifth, Jack's Auto Body had 3,328 followed by Korner Restaurant's 3,318. Massage Therapics won the lower division with 3,469.
The singles and doubles competition of the YBA city tournament continues at Amron Lanes.
In the upper division, Marty Sharisky and Ralph Learn were leading doubles with 1,388, while Jim Dimuzio-Steve Dimuzio and Jonathan Mamrich-Nick Mamrich were tied for the lower division lead with 1,465.
Bob Rosenberg's 738 and Drew Chorba's 791 are currently the singles event's upper and lower division leaders, respectively.
In all-events, Don Kane's 2,104 leads the upper division, while Joe Haus stands on top in the lower divisions with 2,125.
NATION
NFL news
* HONOLULU -- The NFL is changing the Pro Bowl's halftime show because of Janet Jackson's breast-baring at the Super Bowl. Singer JC Chasez was dumped from the program for the all-star game Sunday after fellow 'N Sync member Justin Timberlake's stunt with Jackson at the championship game.
* OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel joined the coaching staff of the Baltimore Ravens as a senior consultant.
* TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green released Jeff Blake, saying Josh McCown showed at the end of last season that he was the quarterback of the future.
* BRISTOL, Conn. -- ESPN canceled "Playmakers" after one season, ending a show that drew criticism from the NFL and some players.
NBA news
* NEW YORK -- Chicago Bulls coach Scott Skiles was fined $7,500 by the NBA for criticizing veteran referee Jess Kersey after a loss to Seattle earlier this week.
* SOMERVILLE, N.J. -- Jayson Williams won key pretrial rulings in his manslaughter case as a state judge refused to allow prosecutors to introduce evidence that the retired NBA player killed his dog with a shotgun and then ordered a witness at gunpoint to bury the animal.
WORLD
Repeat champions
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin of Russia won the pairs title at the European Figure Skating Championships for the third straight year.
Vindicator staff/wire reports