Submit basketball stats

Submit basketball stats

Area basketball coaches and statisticians are encouraged to submit their school’s season statistics to the Vindicator sports department.

Stats, through the previous Saturday’s games, should be submitted each week by 5 p.m. Monday. Please email the statistics do dchapin@vindy.com or fax them to 330-747-6712, attention Doug Chapin.

Canfield hockey has rematch with Nordonia

BOARDMAN

The Canfield Cardinals ice hockey team takes on Nordonia Saturday at 4:15 p.m. at the Ice Zone in Boardman. The Cards fell 5-4 in overtime on Dec. 15 to Nordonia, a Greater Cleveland High School Hockey League opponent.

The Cardinals (2-6) are led by senior Nick Crescimanno with eight goals and three assists and senior TJ Sakkas with three goals and five assists. Canfield netminder Patrick Byrne comes off his best performance of the season, stopping 32 of 35 shots against Brush in a 3-1 loss. Admission is $6 at the door.

Hall of Fame: Changes up to baseball writers

NEW YORK

The Hall of Fame says it’s up to baseball writers to propose any changes in the selection process. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America has voted on Hall of Fame candidates since 1936, and elections have become more controversial in recent years.

Writers are limited to a maximum 10 votes, and some say there’s a logjam. The Hall electorate includes anyone who has been a BBWAA member for 10 consecutive years at any point. Some say the voting group should be expanded.

Dan Le Batard was kicked out of the BBWAA for one year and barred from future Hall votes on Thursday after he turned over his 2014 ballot to the website Deadspin, which allowed readers to choose the selections.

“The BBWAA regards Hall of Fame voting as the ultimate privilege, and any abuse of that privilege is unacceptable,” the organization said in a statement.

Djokovic benefits from Australian Open draw

MELBOURNE, Australia

As three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic held the Australian Open trophy in a photo shoot before Friday’s draw, he joked that having his fingerprints on it may in some way help him win the title for a fourth consecutive year. The draw certainly didn’t dent Djokovic’s chances, with top-seeded Rafael Nadal, No. 4 Andy Murray, No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro and No. 6 Roger Federer all stacked in the opposite half.

On the women’s side, top-ranked Serena Williams has 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur and two-time finalist Li Na in her half. Two-time defending Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova are in the opposite half.

Castelli, Shnapir lead after short program

BOSTON

Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir found out the U.S. figure skating championships in an Olympic year would be held in their hometown of Boston and thought, “Oh, no.” All that pressure, all those hopes from the friends and family who would watch them try to qualify for the Sochi Games. But when they took the ice Thursday for the pairs short program, the two New Englanders staked themselves to a huge lead of 6.63 points.

The real competition during Saturday’s free skate could be for the United States’ second Olympic spot. Felicia Zhang and Nathan Bartholomay lead third-place DeeDee Leng and Timothy LeDuc by 0.1 points. Caydee Denney and John Coughlin, the 2012 champs, returned after missing last year’s nationals as he recovered from hip surgery. They stand fourth, a point behind Leng and LeDuc.

Tanaka in US to meet with interested teams

NEW YORK

Free agent Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has arrived in the United States to meet with major league teams. Big league clubs have until 5 p.m. on Jan. 24 to sign the star 25-year-old right-hander who was 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA last year in Japan.

Staff reports/Associated Press