YSU

YSU

Soccer team bows
to Albany, 2-1

YOUNGSTOWN — Carrie Wack scored her first goal of the season in the opening night of the of the Penguin Classic at Stambaugh Stadium.

The Penguins battled through heavy rains and even had a lightening delay in the close match-up against Albany.

In the end, a penalty kick and a goal early in the second half gave the Great Danes the 2-1 win.

Both teams played strong defensively in the first half.

YSU only gave up one score off a penalty kick from Teresa Boring at 35 minutes into play.

Albany allowed YSU to take just three shots in the first 45 minutes. Freshmen Lauren Brennan and Taylor Pickens were credited with the shots.

At the end of half time, both teams had to endure a 45 minute lightening delay before the start of the second period.

Albany proved ready to play after the extended time by scoring its second goal of the night just 57 seconds into play. Boring scored the unassisted goal off of a fast break.

YSU rallied its offensive efforts and took charge of scoring opportunities. Wack drove the ball out of Penguin territory past several Albany defenders to net YSU's first goal of the night making the score 2-1.

YSU continued to stop Albany's scoring attempts for the remainder of the night to keep the game within one point. Goalkeeper Caitlin Bodzioney finished with nine saves for the evening.

 The tournament concludes today when Indiana State and Albany square off at 11 a.m. while Howard and YSU play the later match at 1 p.m.

Volleyball team falls

YOUNGSTOWN — For the second straight match, the Youngstown State volleyball team pushed a Horizon-League opponent to five games.

Unfortunately for the Penguins it was their second straight five-game loss as YSU dropped a tough 26-30, 30-28, 22-30, 30-17, 9-15 decision to Wright St.

Leading the way offensively for the Penguins was senior Jessica Fraley who recorded a match-high 22 kills. Also for YSU, Ebony Barbosa had 15 kills and 25 digs while Allison Heinz contributed 13.

Fraley and Karla Everhart each finished with four service aces. The Raiders had four players record double figures in kills.

In the decisive fifth game, both teams finished with six kills, but six hitting errors proved costly for Youngstown State in the 15-9 loss.

With the setback YSU falls to 6-7 overall and 0-2 in the Horizon League while Wright State is now 4-9 and 2-0.

AREA

Phantoms down
Hitmen, 6-5

WAYNE, NJ — Brent Dexter and Miles Winter scored the only two goals of the shoot out Saturday afternoon and vaulted the Mahoning Valley Phantoms to a hard-earned 6-5 win over the New Jersey Hitmen.

The Phantoms' Chad Boeckman tallied three points, including two goals while centering Dexter and Winter on the team's most productive line.

The Phantoms jumped out to a 3-1 lead after one period of play, but were not able to shake a pesky New Jersey squad. Aided by fortunate bounces and a number of power play opportunities, the Hitmen seemed to have an answer every time the Phantoms looked to have put the game away.

New Jersey's Bill Day tied the game with just under a minute to play in regulation, forcing overtime. Both goaltenders stood strong in the extra session, before Dexter and Winter put the game away in the shootout.

The Phantoms play today 10 a.m. against the Boston Junior Bruins at the Ice Vault in Wayne, NJ.

The audio webcast can be heard at www.mvpphantoms.com.

NATION

Shock vs. Mercury:
WNBA championship

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Diana Taurasi and Swin Cash have won three championships together.

Today, one of them will add another.

The college and Olympic teammates will face each other in Game 5 of the WNBA finals. Cash and the Detroit Shock will be going for their third title in five seasons. Taurasi’s Phoenix Mercury are looking for their first.

“We really have to be focused because their house is going to be crowded, and their players are going to be extra energized,” Taurasi said after Phoenix’s 77-76 win in Game 4. “We have to find a way to match that.”

When Cash and Taurasi were winning a pair of NCAA titles at Connecticut and gold medals in Athens, they shared the spotlight. But things have been different in the finals. While Taurasi remains the Mercury’s focal point, Cash’s role with the Shock has become more symbolic than important.

Cash starts every game for the Shock and remains the captain and unquestioned face of the franchise, but she is rarely on the floor in key situations. In the final seconds of Game 4, with the Shock facing a possession that could have won the title and All-Star Cheryl Ford on the bench with a knee injury, Cash remained anchored to the bench.

Instead, Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer went with troubled Kara Braxton and 33-year-old Shannon Johnson. Johnson ended up taking the game’s final shot, missing badly.

Officially, Cash is limited because of a back injury, but her feud with Laimbeer dates at least a year, to her benching in Game 1 of the 2006 Finals. This year, she is averaging just 20 minutes a game in the finals, down 11 from the regular season.

Today, though, Laimbeer might have to give Cash more leeway, because he probably won’t have Ford. The All-Star Game MVP is expected to miss the game after teammate Deanna Nolan fell on her bad knee in the last minute of Game 4.

“We’re not sure if she’s going to suit up or not, but we are pretty pessimistic,” Laimbeer said. “This is the worst she’s been.”

Ford missed the final 13 games of the regular season with cartilage damage in her knee, then sat out Game 1 of the finals. Even while less than 100 percent, she has averaged 10 rebounds in the postseason, but Nolan fell into her knee while trying to block Cappie Pondexter’s winning shot.

Ford, Braxton and Plenette Pierson have helped the Shock dominate the boards against Phoenix, but the Mercury don’t plan to change their run-and-gun system.

“My team is going to come out shooting and firing and making baskets,” Phoenix coach Paul Westhead said. “This is the fitting cap to the season, and we’d play this game anywhere. We’re going in expecting to win a championship.”

Vindicator staff⁄wire reports