Local Sports Digest

YSU

Ben Nowicki gains
Gateway honors

YOUNGSTOWN — Punter Ben Nowicki of Youngstown State was named Gateway Conference special teams player of the week.

Nowicki, a sophomore from Gilbert, Ariz., had four punts for an average of 46.8 yards and placed two inside the 20-yard line in YSU’s 24-17 loss at Southern Illinois.

Nowicki had punts of 42, 55, 46 and 44 yards. One of his punts was downed at the SIU 2-yard line.

Missouri State quarterback Cody Kirby was named the conference’s offensive player of the week, and Chauncey Mixon of Southern Illinois was named defensive player of the week.

Soccer team bows

MILWAUKEE — Heather Roadhouse scored a late goal as Milwaukee defeated the YSU soccer team 2-1.

YSU goalkeeper Caitlin Bodzioney stopped 15 shots by the Panthers.

Milwaukee is 7-3-3, 3-0-1 Horizon. The Penguins are 1-11-1, 0-2.

Kate Megna gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead but Lauren Brennan of YSU tied the score at 1-1 before the half.

Carrie Wack and Natalie Brady each assisted with Brennan's goal.

YSU kept the game within one until the 74 minute mark when Roadhouse's goal from 10 yards sealed it.

The Penguins will play host to Horizon League opponent Cleveland St. Friday at 7 p.m.

LOCAL

Phantoms win
with 5 in third

ALPENA, MICH. — The Mahoning Valley Phantoms scored five goals in the third period Sunday night to defeat the Alpena Ice Diggers 6-4 Sunday.

Derek Graham had four assists, and Brent Dexter and Adam Snead scored two goals each as the Phantoms overcame a 2-1 deficit.

Mahoning Valley (5-3-0) scored three goals in the first 4 minutes, 15 seconds of the third period. Alden Hirschfeld started the scoring at the 1:42 mark, chipping the puck past Ice Diggers goalie Nate Pellegrino to tie it at 2. Dexter and Snead followed with goals to make it 4-2.

After Jon Puskar scored for Alpena, the Phantoms answered with a power play goal by Adam Snead with 8:37 remaining. Alpena’s Carl Neilsen cut the lead to 5-4 with just under three minutes to play before Dexter scored an empty netter.

After going 0-for-7 with the man-advantage Saturday night, Mahoning Valley went 3-for-8 on the power play Sunday.

Robert Harrison’s first goal of the season gave the Phamtoms a 1-0 lead less than two minutes into the game, but Alpena’s Andy Yarber scored later in the first period and Erik Peterson scored with the Ice Diggers on a two-man advantage in the second.

Phantoms goalie Jordan Tibbett stopped 35 shots.

The Phantoms play the U.S. National U-17 team in Ann Arbor, Mich., Friday and Saturday. Friday’s game begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on www.mvpphantoms.com.

Locals get aces

CORTLAND — James Pytlik of Cortland made his first hole-in-one on the No. 5 hole at Tamer Win Golf Course.

He used a 7-iron on the 153-yard hole and witnesses were Frank Pytlik and Jim Squire.

Scott McDonald aced the No. 4 hole at Reserve Run using a gap wedge on the 169-yard hole. It was witnessed by Jim Reuff, Mickey McDowell and Dave Hillman.

Revella is picked

YOUNGSTOWN — Ross Revella of Ursuline High School was picked the Steel Valley Conf. football player of the week.

In a win over Columbus St. Charles Friday, Revella recorded 12 tackles including one for a loss.

He also returned two kickoffs for a total of 100 yards.

NATION

Galaxy holds off
Houston, 2-1

HOUSTON — Gavin Glinton gave Los Angeles the lead in the 77th minute, and the Galaxy held off Houston 2-1 on Sunday in front of 30,588 fans, the Dynamo’s first sellout in team history.

Houston (14-8-6, 48 points) opened the scoring in the 21st minute on Nate Jaqua’s goal, and Carlos Pavon tied it for Los Angeles (8-13-6, 30 points) just before halftime.

Glinton scored off Cobi Jones’ header.

Golf in review

•Texas Open

SAN ANTONIO — Justin Leonard won for the third time Sunday, beating Jesper Parnevik with a 10-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a playoff.

Leonard, also the 2000 and ’01 winner at LaCantera Golf Club Resort Course, closed with a 5-under 65 to match Parnevik at 19-under 261. Parnevik, who opened with a 61 and led after each of the first three rounds, finished with a 69.

Leonard had plenty of opportunities to win before finally finishing off Parnevik for his 11th PGA Tour title and first since 2005.

•Longs Drugs Challenge

DANVILLE, Calif. — Suzann Pettersen put her name above top-ranked Lorena Ochoa’s at long last, sinking a birdie putt from about 6 feet on the second playoff hole to win the Longs Drugs Challenge.

Pettersen, who began the day with a bogey, watched as Ochoa just missed a long putt from more than 20 feet before calmly making the winner and pumping her fist several times. They both birdied the first playoff hole, with Ochoa make an 18-footer.

Pettersen finished with a 1-over 73 to match Ochoa (71) at 11-under 277. Pettersen earned $165,000 for her third victory of the season.

Pettersen, who held a one-shot lead over Canadian Lorie Kane heading into the final round and was two strokes ahead of Ochoa, had consecutive bogeys on Nos. 9 and 10 to fall three strokes back of Ochoa. For the Norwegian, beating Ochoa had to be sweet: She trails the 25-year-old star from Mexico on every major LPGA Tour list.

•Senior Players

TIMONIUM, Md. — Loren Roberts made four straight birdies during a sizzling front nine and cruised to victory in the Senior Players Championship, shooting a 3-under 67 to beat Tom Watson by six strokes.

Roberts began the day with a three-shot lead and increased the advantage with five birdies in the first nine holes. He finished with a 13-under 267 total.

Tied for the lead after the first 18 holes, Roberts moved atop the leaderboard late in the second round Friday and remained in front to the end. He and Watson were the only players in the field to have four sub-par rounds.

•Dunhill Links Championship

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — England’s Nick Dougherty won the Dunhill Links Championship for his second European tour title, closing with a 1-under 71 at St. Andrews for a two-stroke victory over countryman Justin Rose.

Dougherty finished with an 18-under 270 total. Rose shot a 69, and 18-year-old Rory McIlroy of the Northern Ireland had a 67 to finish third at 15 under.

The final round was played at the Old Course after three rounds at Kingsbarns, Carnoustie and St. Andrews.