LOCAL

LOCAL
Boardman basketballchanges made
BOARDMAN -- Two changes have been made to Boardman's winter sports schedule.
Tonight, the Boardman girls basketball team will play host to Massillon Jackson in the first round of the Federal League tournament. The junior varsity game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., with the varsity to follow.
Also, the boys basketball game against Woodrow Wilson, scheduled for tonight, has been moved to Wednesday at Boardman High School. The junior varsity game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Hockey
*BOARDMAN -- The Mooney/Ursuline Thunder freshman team defeated the Hess Lightening 6-4 Sunday at the Ice Zone.
Louie Morocco and Zach Jones scored two goals apiece, while Phil Monrean and Jim Hupp scored the others. Stan Miketa had two assists while Justin Burk, Will Baringer and Alex Sieman each had one.
Andy Swansiger stopped 17 shots in goal.
On Saturday, Mooney/Ursuline defeated Ambridge (Pa.), 7-5 at the Ice Zone.
Corey Timming, Phil Monrean and Miketa had two goals each for M/U, while Sieman had a goal and an assist. Jones had two assists, while Corey Timmings, Sesti Boniface, Joe Pikunas, Max Pikunas and Corey Barnhouse all had one.
Swansiger and Ross Phipps shared goaltending duties.
*STRONGSVILLE -- The Mooney/Ursuline Thunder lost their final North Coast High School Hockey League game of the season to two-time defending state club champion Medina, 10-4, Sunday.
Scoring for Mooney/Ursuline were Phil Tate, Eric Davignon, Ryan Carothers and Tyler Eucker. Dean Macklen had two assists, while Phil Tate, Eric Davignon, Corey Gruelle, Landon Rust and Ryan Carothers all had one.
Mooney/Ursuline (2-8) will play Wooster in the league playoffs Feb. 10 in Strongsville. M/U plays host to Ft. LeBeouf (Pa.) Sunday at the Ice Zone.
Alliance basketballto honor former coach
ALLIANCE -- Alliance High School will name its gymnasium after legendary coach Harry Fails Friday before the varsity boys game against Minerva.
All former coaches and players, both for Alliance and those who faced Coach Fails, are encouraged to attend.
Tickets are available by calling (330) 821-3972.
Mountaineer racingcanceled tonight
CHESTER, W. Va. -- Mountaineer's live racing was canceled Monday and today due to poor track conditions.
REGION
Browns hire 3assistant coaches
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns added three assistant coaches Monday, hiring Steve Marshall as offensive line coach, Tom Myslinski as strength and conditioning coach and Alan DeGennaro as assistant strength and conditioning coach.
Marshall was offensive line coach for the Houston Texans from 2004-05 after many seasons coaching lines at the collegiate level.
Myslinski spent three seasons with the Browns as a part-time assistant strength coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach from 2002-04.
Browns coach Romeo Crennel has spent the offseason overhauling his staff and still must hire coaches for special teams, wide receivers and assistant offensive line and offensive quality. Maurice Carthon, who resigned as the Browns offensive coordinator six games into last season, was hired Monday as the running backs coach for Arizona.
Steelers hire twospecial teams coaches
PITTSBURGH -- Mike Tomlin apparently intends to make special teams a priority in his first season as the Pittsburgh Steelers' coach.
Tomlin completed his first staff Monday by hiring five new coaches, including Bob Ligashesky as the special teams coach and Amos Jones as Ligashesky's assistant.
Also added were wide receivers coach Randy Fichtner, running backs coach Kirby Wilson and offensive line coach Larry Zierlein.
Tomlin, hired last week, retained six members of Bill Cowher's final staff -- including new offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who was promoted last week from receivers coach. Also returning are defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, defensive line coach John Mitchell, linebackers coach Keith Butler and tight ends coach James Daniel.
NATION
Kahne fastest
LAS VEGAS -- It didn't take Kasey Kahne long to decide he likes the reconfigured 1.5-mile oval at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
"I actually think it's pretty good. I like these types of tracks," said Kahne, who led the way in the first of two days of testing on the Las Vegas track with a lap of 184.685 mph.
That's considerably faster than Greg Biffle's pole speed of 172.403 for the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup race at LVMS, thanks mostly to the reconstruction that turned a 12-degree banking into a 20-degree banking on the big oval and moved pit lane closer to the frontstretch grandstands, making for a smoother transition from corner to straightaway.
Vindicator staff/wire reports