area

area

Curbstoners

BOARDMAN — YSU men’s basketball coach Jerry Slocum will be the guest speaker when the Curbstone Coaches Association meets Monday at noon at the Blue Wolf Catering on Lockwood Blvd.

The luncheon is open to the public.

Bowling

• WARREN — Echo Lanes will be the host for a Keystone Junior Tournament today at 11 a.m.

Bowlers may register one-half hour before the event. Entry fee is $15.00. An additional $5 may be paid to qualify for scholarships.

The tournament is open to girls and boys, who will roll in separate average divisions. Call Echo at (330) 372-1378.

• GIRARD — Closing date for the Youngstown USBC Junior Bowling Association’s 30th Junior/Adult Handicap Tournament at Kay Lanes is Nov. 3.

Cost is $20.00 per couple. The tournament will run Nov. 14-15 and Nov. 21-22 and finish on Nov. 23. The event is open to all Youngstown USBC youth and an adult partner. Entries are available in the centers.

• STRUTHERS — The Youngstown Senior Bowling Tournament’s season-opening team event resumes Nov. 8 & 9 at Holiday Bowl.

The tournament is open to men aged 55 and women aged 50. Cost is $70 per four-person team. Individuals may bowl multiple times provided at least two partners change.

For more, contact team chairman Ted Bundy (330) 770-8161 or e-mail: tbundy1234@neo.rr.com.

Other 2008-09 senior events scheduled are for mixed doubles, singles, masters, doubles and senior-adult.

state

Tucker out for season

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns have placed offensive lineman Ryan Tucker on injured reserve for the rest of the season due to a knee injury.

The injury kept Tucker out of the previous two games. He missed the first four games of the season because of a hip injury and only started in one game this season — the Browns’ Oct. 13 win against the New York Giants.

Tucker’s knee will be examined by a doctor next week.

The Browns also signed wide receiver Steve Sanders to the active roster on Saturday.

Sanders, a Cleveland native, played in the team’s first four games, including his NFL debut in the season opener on Sept. 7 against Dallas. He had one reception for 18 yards in the game.

nation

NASCAR Nationwide

FORT WORTH, Texas — Kyle Busch overpowered the field in the NASCAR Nationwide Race at Texas Motor Speedway, winning in the second-tier series for a record-tying 10th time this season.

Busch, whose first victory of the season came on the same 1.5-mile oval in April, matched Sam Ard’s season record set in 1983. He held off a charging Carl Edwards in the final laps of the O’Reilly Challenge on Saturday.

The strong run by Edwards, combined with Clint Bowyer’s sixth-place finish, moved Edwards within 91 points of the series leader with two races remaining.

MLS playoffs

SANDY, Utah — Yura Movsisyan scored in the 90th minute for the second straight game to lead Real Salt Lake to a 1-0 victory over Chivas USA in the opening game of their playoff series.

The teams were poised for a tie, but with the time winding down, midfielder Javier Morales took a quick throw-in from defender Robbie Russell inside the box, and negotiated a pass to Movsisyan near the far post.

Racing past Chivas defender Shavar Thomas, Movsisyan flicked the ball past goalkeeper Zach Thornton, giving the home team a stunning goal for the second straight week. Movsisyan scored in the 90th minute in the regular-season finale at Colorado last week to lift Real Salt Lake into the playoffs.

Real Salt Lake can win the two-game playoff series with a win or tie at Chivas next weekend.

Long Island Handicap

NEW YORK — Criticism won the Long Island Handicap by a length at Aqueduct on Saturday, holding off a late run by J’ray.

The 4-year-old has spent most her career in France and was ridden in customary fashion by Javier Castellano in the 11‚Ñ2-mile turf race for fillies and mares.

Criticism, trained by Tom Albertrani, won in 2:29.76. She has a win and a second in two starts in the U.S and improved her overall record to 5-for-14.

Criticism earned $90,000 for the Darley Stable and paid $10.40, $5.60 and $3.20. J’ray returned $6.50 and $3.50. Astrologie, part of an entry with Shake the Moon, paid $2.20 as the 3-2 favorites.

Sunshine for Life was fourth followed by Hostess, Shake the Moon, Marzelline, La Hernanda and Sentimental Union.

world

Skate Canada

OTTAWA — Russians Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov edged Canadians Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison to win the pairs competition at Skate Canada on Saturday.

The Russians finished with 176.97 points to 176.54 for the Canadians, who won the free skate with a routine performed to “Carmen.” Americans Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker finished third with 161.51 points.

Dube and Davison were third after Friday’s short program.

Bell Challenge tennis

QUEBEC CITY — American Bethanie Mattek gained her first WTA Tour final at the Bell Challenge on Saturday, and will finish her breakthrough year in a matchup against Russian Nadia Petrova.

The sixth-seeded Mattek defeated fifth-seeded Aleksandra Wozniak 7-6 (4), 6-3 of Canada in one semifinal, while top-seeded Petrova defeated first-time tour semifinalist Angela Haynes of the United States 6-1, 6-3.

Petrova, who hasn’t dropped a set this week, will meet Mattek for the first time.

Petrova, ranked among the top 10 for most of the last four years, will be playing in her fourth final this year.

Hirvonen stays in lead

SAPPORO, Japan — Mikko Hirvonen of Finland won two of the final four special stages Saturday to maintain his lead at the Rally Japan.

Championship leader Sebastien Loeb of France remained in third place.

Hirvonen, driving a Ford, was 15.5 seconds ahead of second-place Jari-Matti Latvala of Finland.

Loeb, who has won the last five races and can wrap up a fifth world championship with a win on Sunday, was 53.5 seconds behind Hirvonen.

Vindicator staff/wire reports