YSU

YSU
Academics
YOUNGSTOWN -- Fourteen former Youngstown State student-athletes took part in university graduation ceremonies this past Sunday at the Beeghly Center.
The athletes who graduated were Mike Bracken (football), Jeanna Cunningham (track and field), Tara Fleming (women's basketball), Nick Forro (football), Heather Hagood (women's tennis), Eugene Harris (track and field), Norris Kennedy (football), Yancey Marcum (football), Bill Mallernee (men's basketball), Kristen Moffatt (swimming and diving), Jim Phillips (baseball), Ryan Wisecarver (football) Lindsay Wojciak (cross country/track and field) and Damian Wright (football).
Also, assistant baseball coach and former Penguin Kyle Sobecki earned his master's in biology, while former track and field member Lori Ruggles earned her master's in Civil/Environmental & amp; Chemical Engineering.
LOCAL
Phantoms
BOARDMAN -- Mahoning Valley Phantoms right winger and co-captain Marc Menzione has been named the National City Bank player of the week. Menzione recorded five goals and two assists in two games against the U.S. National Team last weekend.
In Friday's 5-3 win, Marc scored a power play goal with 1.8 seconds remaining in the first period, added an assist, and then followed with an empty-net goal with 1:05 left in the game to secure the win.
In Saturday's 5-4 loss in an overtime shootout, Menzione recorded his first career hat trick as a Phantom and assisted on the other goal. He found the net twice in the first period and scored the game-tying goal on the power play with 1:06 remaining in regulation to force overtime.
Menzione is tied for fifth in the North American Hockey League in scoring with 41 points on 16 goals and 25 assists. Menzione, along with defenseman Craig Dulman, also received honorable mention as the NAHL's offensive and defensive players of the week respectively. Dulman finished with three assists over the weekend.
REGION
Penguins pin hopeson gambling company
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins have partnered with a gambling company in hopes of building a new arena the team says it must have to remain here.
Under the agreement announced Wednesday, if Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. lands the license expected to be awarded next year for a Pittsburgh slots parlor, it will build a $290 million arena.
The company, which owns and operates 15 casinos and a race track, would turn the building over to the city-county agency that currently operates 44-year-old Mellon Arena. The Penguins have played in the building since 1967.
As part of Isle of Capri's proposal to acquire the slots license, Columbus, Ohio-based Nationwide Realty Investors would develop the 50-acre site where Mellon Arena now sits with retail stores, residential properties and office buildings.
Nationwide financed Nationwide Arena in Columbus, home to the NHL's Blue Jackets. The total cost of the project, including the arena, is estimated at about $1 billion.
The partnership represents a change of course for the Penguins, who previously planned to pursue the slots license on their own. Instead, Isle of Capri will seek the license, and the Penguins would receive only a new arena in the deal and no gaming revenues.
Crosby bummedabout Olympic snub
PITTSBURGH -- This may be the first time, and perhaps the last, in Sidney Crosby's hockey career that he has been told that he wasn't good enough.
Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins' 18-year-old rookie star, was left off Team Canada for the Torino Olympics -- a decision that disappointed but didn't totally surprise him.
"I'm not going to be thinking about it a whole lot if I don't go," Crosby said before learning Wednesday that he wasn't picked.
Crosby, attending a players-only Christmas party Wednesday night, wasn't immediately available for comment, but his agent, Pat Brisson, said Crosby would have easily fit onto one of Canada's top two lines.
"He's such a competitor, but at the same time he understands Canada has a big talent pool of great players," Brisson said. "He'll continue to work and hopefully he'll be named for the next Olympics and for the next big tournament."
Asked how upset Crosby was, Brisson said, "He wouldn't be normal if he wasn't disappointed. He's a proud competitor."
Crosby had one strong backer: Penguins owner-player Mario Lemieux, who recently pulled his own name out of contention but strongly recommended Crosby to Team Canada executive director Wayne Gretzky.
"He's going to be on Canada's team for the next 15, 20 years," Lemieux said.
Lemieux, currently sidelined by an irregular heartbeat, captained Canada's gold medal-winning 2002 team.
Cavs' Hughesmisses practice
CLEVELAND -- Cavaliers guard Larry Hughes left the team on Wednesday to attend to a family matter and is questionable for the club's game tonight in Chicago.
Vindicator staff/wire reports