2013 | Honorable mention

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In January, Youngstown boxer Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik retired, citing health concerns.

Bob Bolden guided the Youngstown State University women’s basketball team to a 23-10 record in the 2012-13 season, including two WNIT games. In March, Bolden took over the women’s program at Ohio University.

In August, Canfield’s 13-14-year-old softball team qualified for the Junior League World Series in Seattle. Canfield finished third in the tournament, defeating a team from the Philippines in the consolation game.

Despite a 3-2 start, the Cleveland Browns continued to disappoint their fans by stumbling down the stretch to another last-place finish.

The Pittsburgh Steelers opened the season with four straight losses. Despite being 2-6 at the halfway point and 5-8 on Dec. 8, the Steelers rallied for two wins and remain alive for a playoff berth heading into Sunday’s finale against the Browns.

The Ohio State Buckeyes went unbeaten in the regular season, then fell to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Buckeyes will play Clemson in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3.

Brandon Saad, a Mahoning Valley Phantom in the 2008-09 season, played so well for the Chicago Blackhawks that he was a finalist for the Calder Trophy for NHL Rookie of the Year. Saad didn’t win the award, but his Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup.

J.T. Miller, who grew up in East Palestine and was drafted by the New York Rangers in the first round of the 2012 draft, made his NHL debut. So did Andrej Sustr, a Youngstown Phantom in the 2009-10 season. Sustr signed a free-agent contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

When the NHL lockout ended last January, the Pittsburgh Penguins emerged as the best team in the Eastern Conference. But in the conference final, the Penguins were swept by the Boston Bruins.

The Youngstown Phantoms won their first best-of-five playoff series in their four seasons in the USHL, then pushed the eventual-champion Dubuque Fighting Saints to the brink before falling in five games. In May, the Phantoms and Covelli Centre officials agreed to a fifth season.

Staff report