SPORTS DIGEST || Phantoms’ Malone named to Team USA
Phantoms’ Malone named to Team USA
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown Phantoms forward Jack Malone has been picked by USA Hockey to compete with the U.S. Junior Select Team in the 2018 World Junior A Challenge in Bonnyville, Alberta.
Malone, a Madison, N.J., native, is second in scoring for the Phantoms with seven goals and eight assists in 17 games.
The Cornell commit has recorded a point in each of the Phantoms’ seven wins and has 12 points in the last 10 games.
“Our staff and organization is excited for Jack and the opportunity he has earned with being placed on this roster and participating in this event,” Phantoms’ General Manager Jason Koehler said Thursday.
The World Junior A Challenge is scheduled from Dec. 9-16 at R.J. Lalonde Arena. Team USA will be joined by Canada East, Canada West, Czech Republic and Russia.
Malone will miss four games for the Phantoms. The Team USA World Junior A Challenge roster is made up of USHL players who are not part of the United State National Team Development program in Plymouth, Mich.
Team USA will open against Canada West on Dec. 9 at 9 p.m.
The other games are: Czech Republic, Dec. 11, 9 p.m.; Canada East, Dec. 12, 4 p.m.; and Russia, Dec. 14, 4 p.m.
The semifinal games will be played on Dec. 15 and the gold and bronze medal games will be contested on Dec. 16.
A live stream of all World Junior A Challenge games will be available at HockeyCanada.ca.
South Range to host Holiday Hoops Classic
BEAVER TOWNSHIP
South Range High School will host a Holiday Hoops Classic for eight girls basketball teams on Dec. 28-29.
On Dec. 28, West Branch will play Howland at 1 p.m., followed by Akron Hoban vs. Tusky Valley at 2:30 p.m. At 7 p.m., Ursuline will play Hathaway Brown, followed by South Range vs. Salem at 8:30 p.m.
On Dec. 29, varsity games will be played at 1, 2:30, 5 and 7 p.m.
Vanderbilt TE Cockrell dies of cancer at 21
NASHVILLE, Tenn.
Vanderbilt tight end Turner Cockrell died Thursday at home after battling cancer for more than a year. He was 21.
Cockrell was surrounded by family in Acworth, Ga., when he died. The Commodores were told of Cockrell’s death at a team meeting Thursday afternoon, Vanderbilt spokesman Larry Leathers said.
The tight end noticed two lumps on the right side of his neck last fall and was diagnosed with melanoma in November.
He had surgery in December to remove cancerous lymph nodes from his neck and later had radiation therapy.
After a full-body scan showed unusual growths in Cockrell’s lungs, doctors said in July that his cancer had spread.
Texas Tech hires Wells as head football coach
LUBBOCK, Texas
Texas Tech hired Matt Wells as its new football coach Thursday night after he was part of an impressive turnaround at Utah State, his alma mater.
Wells had a 44-34 record in six seasons as coach of the Aggies, who are 10-2 this year and headed to their fifth bowl in that span. He was an assistant at Utah State the previous two years, going to bowls both times, including a school-record 11 wins in 2012 when he was offensive coordinator.
The 45-year-old Wells replaces Kliff Kingsbury, the former Texas Tech quarterback who was fired after his third consecutive losing season and a 35-40 overall record in six seasons as head coach.
The Red Raiders were 5-7 this year, losing their finale 35-24 to Baylor last Saturday with a chance to become bowl eligible.
Texas Tech said Wells is bringing offensive coordinator David Yost and defensive coordinator Keith Patterson with him from Utah State.
For Texas Tech fans used to big-scoring offenses, the Aggies this season are third nationally with 47.2 points a game to trail only Oklahoma and Alabama.
Staff/wire report