AREA

AREA

M/U hockey now 1-2

CANTON — The Mooney/Ursuline Thunder Hockey Club split two matches to stand at 1-2 on the season.

After defeating Archbishop Hoban 6-5 in overtime Saturday, the team lost to North Royalton Sunday 6-3.

In the win over Hoban, Phil Tate scored twice while Dean Macklen, Eric Davignon, Brian Styers, Bronson Lamoncha and Alex Figuly had solo goals.

In the loss to North Royalton, Brian Styers had two goals and Dean Macklen another.

Rock bows in 2OT

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. — The Slippery Rock Univ. men’s basketball team (1-4) fell in double overtime 81-77 Sunday to unbeaten Millersville (5-0).

Millersville is the reigning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion and the preseason favorite to win this year’s Eastern Division title. The Rock was picked to finish last in the seven-team PSAC-West.

The Rock led by 13 points (57-44) with seven minutes left in regulation Sunday and held a six-point (66-60) advantage with 90 seconds remaining before Millersville converted three straight SRU turnovers into six points and sent the game into the first overtime period.

Millersville prevails

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. — The Slippery Rock Univ. women’s basketball team dropped its second Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference “crossover” game in as many days Sunday as Millersville handed SRU a 72-45 setback.

Haley Gaidosh and KellyAnn Staudinger each scored eight points for The Rock (3-3).

Staudinger also shared team-high rebounding honors with four.

The Marauders came out of the locker room and opened the second half with a 21-6 run.

NATION

US wins Davis Cup

PORTLAND, Ore. — James Blake defeated Dmitry Tursunov 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 and the United States wrapped up its Davis Cup victory 4-1 over Russia on Sunday.

Igor Andreev gave the Russians their only win in the final by defeating Bob Bryan 6-3, 7-6 (4) earlier in the day, after United States had already clinched the title for the first time in 12 years.

Bryan and his brother Mike defeated the Russian duo of Andreev and Nikolay Davydenko 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday to give the Americans an insurmountable 3-0 advantage.

The first match on the hard court at Memorial Coliseum was supposed to be between sixth-ranked Andy Roddick and Mikail Youzhny, but the captains for Russia and the United States each made substitutions.

Andreev claimed the first set, and then the crowd tried to spur Bryan with chants of “Go Bob Go!” At one point he got frustrated and dropped his spinning racket to the court, but he saved serve on a pivotal game that went to deuce four times, evening the second set at 3-3.

The second set would go to a tiebreak, which Andreev won with a forehand that sailed past Bryan at the net.

Nelson wins with
another son

ORLANDO, Fla. — Larry Nelson won the Del Webb Father-Son Challenge for the second time with a different son, teaming with 29-year-old Josh for a second straight 12-under 60 and a two-shot victory Sunday. The Nelsons’ eagle-par-birdie finish gave them a 24-under 120 in the scramble format at ChampionsGate Resort.

WORLD

AC Milan’s Kaka
wins Golden Ball

PARIS — AC Milan midfielder Kaka won the Golden Ball award Sunday after his standout performances helped the Italian club win the Champions League title this year. The 25-year-old Brazilian scored 10 goals in the competition, with his two-goal performance at Manchester United in the semifinals hailed as one of the best of the tournament.

“It has been a special year for me; this award underlines that,” Kaka said. “The only way to win an award like this is to belong to a team which fights. I have to thank the players, the coach.”

Kaka received 444 points from France Football magazine, which organized the vote. Portugal and Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo was second with 277, while Argentina and FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi finished third with 255.

Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro won the award last year, when the field was limited to European club players. This year’s format featured a shortlist of 50 players worldwide.

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast was fourth with 108 points, and Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo of Italy finished fifth with 41. Brazilian Ronaldinho, the 2005 winner, finished 12th.

Vindicator staff/wire reports