YSU

YSU
Tailgating
YOUNGSTOWN -- The YSU Football Alumni Group will hold their annual "Football Blast" tailgate party at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 9.
The Penguins will play host to Maine at 4 p.m. that day.
Reservations are $10 for adults and $5 for kids ages 12-under. Call 330-941-2351.
STEELHOUNDS
Hounds moves
YOUNGSTOWN -- Defenseman Jeff Alcombrack and forward Dan Buccella will return to the SteelHounds next season.
Both but had their seasons cut short due to injuries last year.
Alcombrack, 26, will play his fifth season in the CHL. In 28 games with the Hounds last season, the Kincardine, Ont., native registered three goals and 19 assists along with 22 penalty minutes. The 6-0, 200-pound blueliner led all Hounds defensemen in scoring.
Buccella, 23, missed 19 games with a shoulder injury and 34 with a knee injury. The Woodbridge, Ont., native appeared in nine games for the Hounds, registering three assists and 23 penalty minutes.
LOCAL
Boardman swimming
BOARDMAN -- Boardman High's boys swimming team was ranked 23rd in the country by the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association of America.
Also, Boardman's 200-yard freestyle relay received honorable mention All-America with its state-qualifying time of 1 minute, 29.76 seconds.
The relay members were sophomores Mike Barringer and Conner O'Halloran, junior Brian Worhatch and senior Chad DeAngelo.
Boardman has received 10 All-America recognitions since 1984.
Seniors Lauren Blase, David Shilling and Chad DeAngelo earned national academic honors by posting GPA's of at least 3.75 and earning two or more letters in swimming.
Boardman has earned 30 academic All-Americans.
Thunder football
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The Thunder minor league football team has signed nearly 40 players to three-year contract extensions.
The Thunder is also instituting a fan appreciation ticket sale. Tickets purchased from players, coaches or staff are available for $8 each.
Youth football players can attend games for free with a paying adult. For details, call (724) 654-8970.
The Thunder is 3-1 with victories over the Eastlake Vikings, Ohio Cardinals and Ohio Invaders. Their loss was to the Pittsburgh Colts.
Their next game is against the undefeated Columbus Fire in Columbus on Saturday.
Prep bowling
AUSTINTOWN -- Fitch High students Mike Johnson, Staci Balkan and Katie Fekety were recently ranked among the top 50 boys and girls high school bowlers in the country by Bowlers Journal International magazine.
Youth bowling
TOLEDO -- Two Arrowhead Lanes youth teams placed in the Ohio state bowling tournament at Interstate Lanes last month.
The team of Courtney Yoder, Bailey Lowry, Anna Miller and Stephanie Lowry finished second, while the boys team of Aaron Yoder, Philip Fusetti, Drew Wilson and J.T. Swagger placed fifth.
Figure skating
BOARDMAN -- The Mahoning Valley Phantoms skating club has been granted accreditation by the United States Figure Skating Association.
The skating club has more than 50 members of all ages and skill levels. Call the Ice Zone at (330) 965-1423.
Sharon Speedway
HARTFORD, Ohio -- Sharon Speedway will host the Fantastic Four on Saturday night, along with a Pit Stop Scramble featuring three Green Flag Sprint Cars.
Gates open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6.
Soccer matches
STRUTHERS -- Valley Sports Ltd. will host two professional United Soccer League soccer matches this weekend in conjunction with the Simon Memorial High School Tournament.
Internationals USL W-League team will take on the West Michigan Firewomen at 7:30 p.m. Friday, while the Internationals USL Professional Development League team takes on the Kalamazoo Kingdom in a league match-up at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
For reservations, e-mail joedemay@vslsoccer.com or call 330-755-1661.
REGION
Browns signings
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns signed defensive back Demario Minter and defensive tackle Babatunde Oshinowo to four-year contracts Wednesday.
Minter, a fifth-round pick, played in 49 games, including 26 starts, at Georgia where had two career interceptions and 23 deflections.
Oshinowo, a sixth-round pick, started 34 games at Stanford and finished with 143 tackles, 15 sacks and two forced fumbles.
The Browns have four of their 10 draft picks signed. Fullback Lawrence Vickers and safety Justin Hamilton signed Friday.
The team is hoping to get first-round pick linebacker Kamerion Wimbley to training camp on time Wednesday. It would mark the first time Cleveland had its top pick signed for the start of camp since Courtney Brown in 2000.
The Browns also signed NFL Europe defensive lineman Ulrich Winkler on Wednesday. The Munich, Germany, native played the last two seasons with the Frankfurt Galaxy.
Vindicator staff/wire reports