Phantoms’ Connor ranks 15th as prospect

Phantoms’ Connor ranks 15th as prospect

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown Phantom center Kyle Connor is ranked 15th in the latest ISS Hockey ranking of Top Prospects for the 2015 NHL Draft.

Connor is playing in his third USHL season with the Phantoms (0-1-0), whose next game is Friday against Team USA’s Under-17 team in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Erie center Connor McDavid of the Ontario Hockey League is ranked number one, followed by center Jack Eichel (Boston University), defenseman Noah Haflin (Boston College) and center Mathew Barzal (Seattle, Western Hockey league).

Weather stops YSU streak in tournaments

Aurora

Mother nature was unkind to the Youngstown State men’s golf team on Tuesday wiping out the final round of the Cleveland State Invitational at the Barrington Country Club leaving the Penguins one stroke shy of winning a third consecutive tournament.

YSU posted a two-round score of 580 at the event and was within one shot of Appalachian State following Monday’s second round. However, on Tuesday, an hour-long heavy downpour made the course unplayable to end any hopes of completing the third and final round.

Bill Gaffney and Brandon Pluchinsky led the way by finishing in the top 10. Gaffney ended the tournament in third place with a 142 following a second-round 73.

Pluchinsky shot a pair of even-par 72’s and his total of 144 put him in ninth place.

Rangers interview Maddux, Buechele

ARLINGTON, Texas

The Texas Rangers have interviewed internal candidates Mike Maddux and Steve Buechele in their search for a new manager.

The team said in a statement that Maddux, the club’s pitching coach, and Buechele interviewed Tuesday. Buechele, a former Rangers third baseman, was the manager at Triple-A Round Rock this season.

Tim Bogar was the interim manager for the final 22 games after Ron Washington resigned. Bogar will interview within the next two weeks.

Texas general manager Jon Daniels said when the season ended Sunday that he also had some external candidates in my mind and would be watching to see if other big league managers became available.

Australia, Spain, USA, Turkey, reach quarters

ISTANBUL

The United States, Australia, Spain and Turkey all have won their groups at the women’s world championship and earned byes to the quarterfinals, which begin Friday.

The four teams all went unbeaten in pool play and await the winners of the qualifying round games that take place on Wednesday.

Belarus plays China with Spain getting the winner; Serbia faces Cuba with the host nation waiting in the next round. France will play Brazil with the victor playing the U.S.; Canada will meet the Czech Republic with Australia waiting in the quarters.

Japan, Angola, Mozambique and Korea were all eliminated after going winless in pool play. No African nation has ever won a preliminary round game.

Staff reports/Associated Press