Third-period goal sinks Phantoms

Third-period goal sinks Phantoms

PLYMOUTH, MICH.

Team USA’s Jake Pivonka broke a scoreless stalemate in the third period as the Youngstown Phantoms took a 1-0 loss Saturday night.

Both teams combined to go 0-for-9 on the power play and Phantoms out shot the nation’s development team, 31-23.

Youngstown’s Ivan Kulbakov made 22 saves in defeat. His USA counterpart, Erik Gordon, made 31.

The Phantoms (17-10-2-1) sit in fourth place in the USHL’s Eastern Conference. The Phantoms return home Friday to face the Sioux City Musketeers at 7:05 p.m.

Ohio State’s Brown declares for draft

Redshirt-junior wideout Noah Brown will forego a senior season in favor of declaring for the NFL draft, the player announced on Twitter.

In his first season as a starter, Brown caught 32 passes for 402 yards and seven touchdowns. Four of those touchdowns came in a 45-24 win against Oklahoma.

The most memorable of those TDs was when he reached around Sooners defensive back Michiah Quick’s back and caught the ball, keeping control of the ball while hugging Quick.

Rams seek big name in coaching search

LOS ANGELES

The Los Angeles Rams are casting a wide net to find their next head coach.

The Rams’ front office is talking to most of the popular candidates for the NFL’s half-dozen coaching vacancies as they begin rebuilding from their 4-12 season.

The Rams already have interviewed Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, Arizona offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin, Washington offensive coordinator Sean McVay, and Carolina assistant head coach Steve Wilks. They plan to speak with New England coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia this weekend, along with Buffalo interim coach Anthony Lynn and other candidates.

Los Angeles lost its final seven games and fired fifth-year head coach Jeff Fisher last month with three games remaining. The Rams have had 13 straight non-winning seasons and haven’t made the playoffs since 2004.

McDaniels, the former Denver Broncos head coach, was the Rams’ offensive coordinator in St. Louis in 2011, when they went 2-14. After coach Steve Spagnuolo was fired, McDaniels returned to the Patriots.

New commish wants to broaden PGA’s appeal

KAPALUA, Hawaii

A week into his job as the fourth PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan is looking to broaden golf’s appeal.

Whether that means a new schedule is too early to tell.

Monahan said Saturday that a meeting last summer with social media companies in Silicon Valley revealed that the PGA Tour needed to produce more video content and be open to new ideas for the sport and its players.

As for ending the FedEx Cup playoffs before the NFL season starts, Monahan says that includes support of all golf organizations. He says it’s too early in the process to know if such a scheduling shift would even work.

Malaysian ‘knuckleball’ up for Puskas Award

GEORGE TOWN, Malaysia

With one stunning goal, Faiz Subri has given himself the chance to put his name beside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and James Rodriguez on the honor roll for Puskas Award winners.

The Penang player is on a shortlist of three to pick up the FIFA prize, which came into existence in 2009, for the most beautiful goal of 2016. The winner will be announced next week in Zurich.

His free kick in a Malaysia Super League game against Pahang last February gained global attention because of its wild swerve and dip from a distance of 32 meters. It was dubbed ‘The Knuckleball’ free kick after a kind of baseball pitch. In football terms, it means the ball is hit with little or no spin and moves unpredictably.

Staff/wire report