AREA

AREA

James to speak
at Kent State

KENT — Former Kent State head football coach Don James will appear on the KSU campus for the sixth annual Starner Distinguished Speaker Series.

The event will take place Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Ballroom.

James posted a 25-19-1 record with the Golden Flashes from 1971-74.

Steelhounds sign
Ryan Bennett

YOUNGSTOWN — Forward Ryan Bennett who has experience in the East Coast Hockey League has signed a contract with the Youngstown SteelHounds.

Bennett, 25, will make his Central Hockey League debut this season after spending time in the ECHL, United and American hockey leagues.

The fifth year pro from Glens Falls, N.Y., started his professional career with his hometown Adirondack IceHawks before receiving his first AHL call-up with the Rochester Americans during the 2004-05 season.

Bennett returned to the AHL during the 2005-06 season with the Portland Pirates.

Throughout his career, the 6-foot, 195-pound right wing has consistently been a scoring threat. In 224 games played, he has accumulated 62 goals and 97 assists.

Bennett also brings playoff experience to the roster. He has appeared in 12 career playoff games, scoring three goals and eight assists. 

“He brings AHL experience along with leadership both on and off the ice and will be a great addition to the ’Hounds locker room,” SteelHounds coach Kevin Kaminski said. “He plays a solid game at both ends of the ice and can score the big goals that I thought we were missing from last year’s team.”

During the 2006-07 season. Bennett split time with the South Carolina Stingrays and the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the ECHL, scoring 15 goals and 30 assists in 75 games.

Bennett joins defenseman Denis Kirstein, goaltender Layne Sedevie and forwards Joel Irving and Erik Johnson as new additions to the SteelHounds roster.

NATION

Cash’s OT layup helps
Shock beat Liberty

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Swin Cash’s layup with 8.5 seconds remaining in overtime lifted the Detroit Shock to a 71-70 victory over the New York Liberty in the decisive Game 3 of their first round Eastern Conference series on Tuesday night.

Deanna Nolan scored 22 points and Cheryl Ford added 17 points and 10 rebounds to help defending champion Detroit advance to the East finals against Indiana. Game 1 is Friday night at Indianapolis.

After Cash’s tiebreaking basket, Janel McCarville had a chance to pull the Liberty even with 3.7 seconds left but missed her second free throw, and Loree Moore couldn’t keep the rebound inbounds.

Catherine Kraayeveld had 16 points and rookie Tiffany Jackson scored 14 for New York, which led by 10 points midway through the third quarter.

Olympic pollution
presents problems

OSAKA, Japan — Athletes will have a tricky choice next year if Beijing’s polluted air doesn’t improve in time for the Olympics: stay away as long as possible, or come in early and get used to it.

“We know how to train for heat and humidity, but not a lot of research has been done on running in the polluted atmosphere we think we’ll find in Beijing,” Kyle O’Brien, an American marathoner who ran at the track and field world championship in Osaka, said Tuesday.

Therein, lies the problem.

Air pollution levels in China’s capital are nearly five times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended safety level. A mix of major pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter are common. Sulfate and carbon also float regularly in the air.

It’s not that officials haven’t noticed. China is spending billions to close dirty factories and build new subways, and in an experiment for the Olympics, the city earlier this month pulled 1 million private vehicles a day off the streets. The congestion eased, but a gray haze remained.

Rocket guard Alston
charged with assault

NEW YORK — Houston Rockets guard Rafer Alston was charged Tuesday with slashing a man’s neck during a ruckus at a Manhattan nightspot — his second brush with the law this month.

Alston was arraigned on felony assault charges before being released without bail. A judge ordered him to return to court Jan. 3.

Vindicator staff⁄wire reports