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NHRA Pro Mod Gatornationals Eliminations Moved To Chicago
GAINESVILLE, Fla. Due to time constraints on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway, eliminations in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Series from the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals have been moved to the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance, which takes place May 15-18 at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago.
The opening two rounds of eliminations will be part of the first two qualifying session on Friday, May 16 with the semifinals and final round taking part during the third and fourth qualifying sessions on Saturday, May 17.
The Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Series returns to action March 21-23 as part of the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix.
Utah Hockey Club goaltender Connor Ingram reentered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program Sunday, saying he has not been himself since his mother died of breast cancer in early December.
Ingram posted a message on social media explaining his thought process a half-hour after the NHL and players' union announced that he would be away from the team indefinitely while he receives care.
"At this point in my life, I need to put my health first and take the proper time I need away to come back at 100%," Ingram said. "Though many view the program as a resource for substance abuse, I want to recognize all that they do. I am once again privileged to have access to their network of world class health professionals to hopefully avoid long-term negative effects of putting your health second. With the program's assistance, I look forward to getting the medical help I need and returning to a happy and healthy life."
Ingram, 27, spent time in the program in 2021 when he was in the Nashville Predators' organization. He has since spoken publicly about his undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder that led him to drink to cope with anxiety that led him into the program then and won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy last season for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey after establishing himself as a full-time NHL player.
Help is offered for such issues as alcohol or drug abuse, mental health, sleeping problems, or a gambling addiction. Confidentiality is guaranteed for players and their family members. An announcement is made only when a player becomes unavailable to his team during the season.
Ingram is the second player to be announced as entering the program since this season started. Detroit Red Wings goalie Jack Campbell went in a few days before opening night. Five players took part last season, the same number who participated over the previous three years combined.
Earlier this season, Ingram took a leave of absence after losing his mother.
When playing, Ingram is 8-9-4 with a 3.27 goals-against average and .882 save percentage. He ceded the starting job to Karel Vejmelka, who just agreed to a five-year, $23.75 million contract extension. Ingram last played Feb. 22.
He was on Nashville's practice squad early in the pandemic-delayed and shortened 2021 season when he went into the player assistance program and left the Predators in late January. He returned to play a handful of games for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League that spring, but it wasn't until he sold his house and cars and moved from his hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to Nashville that summer that he met his fiancée and got back on track.
"I just restarted," Ingram said last year when he won the Masterton. "It was good for me, and it was good to restart."
Ingram made his NHL debut Oct. 24, 2021 -- roughly nine months after going into the program -- and appeared in four playoff games in the spring of 2022 when Juuse Saros was sidelined by injury and David Rittich faltered in the first-round opener. He was claimed off waivers by Arizona in 2022.
Utah recalled goaltender Jaxson Stauber from the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League. Stauber, 25, has posted a 2-1-1 record with one shutout, a 2.23 GAA and .925 save percentage in four games this season with Utah.
The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.
DENVER -- Artyom Levshunov was recalled by Chicago on Sunday, putting the No. 2 pick in last year's NHL draft on the brink of his Blackhawks debut.
Levshunov, a 19-year-old defenseman, has five goals and 17 assists in 50 games with Rockford of the American Hockey League. He missed the start of the season because of a fractured right foot.
The last-place Blackhawks are at Colorado on Monday night. They visit San Jose on Thursday night before closing out a four-game trip at Vancouver on Saturday night.
Levshunov, a Belarus native, had nine goals and 26 assists in his only season at Michigan State. He was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year.
He signed an entry-level contract with Chicago in July. The three-year deal carries a $975,000 cap hit.
Cole Palmer's perfect penalty record came to an end on Sunday when his spot kick was saved by goalkeeper Mads Hermansen during Chelsea's Premier League clash with Leicester City.
The 22-year-old, who Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca later said was unwell, saw his low effort well-saved by Hermansen who fell to his left to keep out Palmer's strike after Jadon Sancho was fouled in the box.
Chelsea eventually took all three points thanks to Marc Cucurella's daisy-cutter that arrowed into the bottom corner in the 60th minute.
Palmer had the best penalty record in Premier League history before his effort was denied at Stamford Bridge. His 12-out-of-12 penalty record meant he sat above Premier League legends Yaya Touré (11 out of 11) and Dimitar Berbatov (nine out of nine) in the all-time list.
"Cole, yesterday didn't train," Maresca told a post-match news conference. "During the night [he] didn't feel well. And the reason why he didn't train yesterday is because he didn't feel well. So, this morning he woke up and he asked me: 'I want to be on the pitch to help this team, this club to play [in the] Champions League.'
"So in the last two days, he was completely out [with] fever and I don't know if it's something I can say in English ... Diarrhea. So in the last 48 hours, he didn't train and he was very bad with the fever and this kind of bad feeling.
"But this morning he asked to play the game and this shows how these players want to bring this club where this belongs."
The England international has struggled for form of late. He has failed to score in his last eight games in all competitions and missed a host of presentable chances in the process.
He netted 27 goals and bagged 15 assists in a breakout campaign last season.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea's game against Leicester, Maresca said Palmer is not concerned by his lack of goals.
"When you score a goal you are more happy because your goals help the team to win. But overall Cole is fine. He's happy," Maresca told a news conference on Friday.
"He knows he's struggled to score goals in this moment but that it's something normal that during the season can happen. Watching him during the training session you don't think it's affecting him, he's fantastic."
Before the weekend, Palmer was one of two players with a 100% penalty conversion rate in the last five Premier League seasons -- Callum Wilson being the other.
Information from ESPN's Global Sports Research contributed to this report
Carlo Ancelotti defended Real Madrid's performance in their 2-1 LaLiga win over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, pointing to the struggles of a number of teams balancing Champions League football with domestic duties.
Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior put Madrid 2-0 up in the first half at the Santiago Bernabéu, before Pedro Díaz pulled a goal back for Rayo to ensure a nervous second half.
Madrid disappointed after the break, but took all three points to go level with Barcelona -- who have a game in hand -- at the top of the LaLiga table.
"The feeling is good, because the target is to pick up points," Ancelotti insisted in his post-match news conference. "We had a very good first half... When you get to 70 or 75 minutes at 2-1, you have to do one thing, which is defend well.
"A lot of teams played in the Champions League and suffered [this weekend]. It was difficult for Inter against Monza [in Serie A]. Liverpool against Southampton [in the Premier League]. [Bayer] Leverkusen lost, Bayern [Munich] lost [in the Bundesliga. It's difficult to prepare for these games, against teams like Rayo which play with intensity. I'll repeat myself: the first half was very good."
Madrid had been on a poor run of form in LaLiga, with one win in five games going into the Rayo match.
However their title hopes were buoyed by Atletico Madrid slipping to a 2-1 defeat at Getafe earlier on Sunday.
Ancelotti praised the performances of Mbappé and Vinícius, who had received some criticism for their showings against Atletico in their Champions League last 16 first leg in midweek.
"Vinicius and Mbappé scored two spectacular goals," Ancelotti said. "They did well, and then when I thought we had to defend, I took the forwards off. It's not a problem, they played fewer minutes and that will be good for the [second leg] on Wednesday."
Ancelotti said goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois -- who didn't make the squad against Rayo -- had a "little problem" but should be fit for the Champions League, adding that defender Antonio Rüdiger, who has the flu, should also be available.
The Premier League will again stage a four-team Summer Series across three cities in the United States from July 26 to Aug. 3, featuring AFC Bournemouth, Everton, Manchester United and West Ham, it was announced on Saturday.
This second edition of the preseason tournament will be held in New Jersey, Chicago and Atlanta.
A double-header will be played on July 26 at MetLife Stadium when Everton take on Bournemouth and Manchester United face West Ham.
The four teams will then compete at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 30 before they play at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Aug. 3.
Pre-sale of tickets opens on March 13 and a single ticket purchase will give fans a seat for both matches at each double-header.
This is the second Premier League Summer Series to be held in the United States. In July 2023, more than 265,000 fans watched Premier League clubs play with Chelsea the inaugural winner.
"We are delighted to be bringing the Premier League Summer Series back to the United States," Premier League CEO Richard Masters said. "We know from our previous tournament and Premier League Mornings Live events that we and our clubs have incredibly loyal and passionate fans in the U.S. who get up early to follow their teams during the season.
"In these four clubs we have world-class players and managers who will undoubtedly give supporters a fantastic Premier League experience just before the season starts."
Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior scored in the first half to give Real Madrid an easy 2-1 win over neighbours Rayo Vallecano on Sunday that helped them draw level at the top of the table in the battle to retain their LaLiga crown.
Only one point separates Spain's three biggest clubs in one of the closest title races in recent years with Barcelona leading the pack on 57 points, ahead of second-placed Real on goal difference with Atletico Madrid in third on 56 points after a 2-1 loss at Getafe earlier on Sunday.
Barça, who will face Atletico next Sunday, have a game in hand after their match against Osasuna on Saturday was postponed due to the sudden death of their team doctor.
Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti rested several key starters including goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Antonio Rudiger ahead of the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against rivals Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
Yet Real were still the better side and dominated proceedings from early on at their Bernabeu stadium.
Burak Akbulut/Anadolu via Getty Images
They got a two-goal lead with quickfire strikes, as Mbappé finished a counter in the 30th minute and Vinícius extended their advantage with a fine individual goal four minutes later.
Vinícius also hit the post with a strike from just outside the box that could have extended their lead even further.
Rayo reduced the deficit in added time before the break with a tremendous shot from the edge of the area by Pedro Díaz, which hit the crossbar before bouncing over the goalline and then out again, with the VAR awarding the goal after it was not given by the referee.
Real did just enough to manage their lead after the break against a Rayo side that fought hard and created good chances but lacked firepower to pose a real threat to the LaLiga champions.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice struck in the second half to cancel out Bruno Fernandes's free kick but Mikel Arteta's men could only muster a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday in a big blow to their Premier League title chances.
Second-placed Arsenal trail leaders Liverpool by 15 points but with a game in hand, while Manchester United are 14th on 34 points.
The first half was far from a classic with Arsenal dominating possession but with few chances for either side before Fernandes finally broke the deadlock seconds before half-time and against the run of play with a brilliant free kick that sailed over the wall and past the outstretched hands of goalkeeper David Raya.
The second half was far more entertaining with near misses for both sides before Rice levelled in the 74th minute when he latched onto a ball from Jurrien Timber and unleashed a blistering shot from the edge of the box past Andre Onana.
Rohit, Rahul, spinners lead India to third Champions Trophy title
India 254 for 6 (Rohit 76, Iyer 48, Rahul 34*, Bracewell 2-28) beat New Zealand 251 for 7 (Mitchell 63, Bracewell 53, Kuldeep 2-40, Varun 2-45) by four wickets
New Zealand defended with all their might against heavy favourites India. But in the end, India had just too much quality and depth to end their second straight ICC tournament unbeaten. They now hold two of the four ICC trophies, having lost in the final of the other two. In the last three ICC tournaments alone, India have won 22 of their last 23 completed matches.
It was a final to rescue the tournament that has been short on close contests. India came in with much more ammunition for the conditions than New Zealand, but the toss proved to be a bit of an equaliser. Rachin Ravindra, leading run-getter of the tournament, batted like a dream against the new ball, the best conditions all day long. Without breaking a sweat or taking a risk, he scored 37 off 29 in a start that stunned the crowd.
Under the pump, India went to their likeliest wicket-takers as opposed to the usual formula of bowling Axar Patel with the new ball. Varun beat Will Young with drift on a legbreak, but the natural variation provided the telling blow to trap him lbw. Kuldeep, just five wickets so far, announced himself on the final with two of the biggest wickets: Ravindra to a wrong'un first ball, and Kane Williamson beaten in the air with big dip and offering a return catch.
Three wickets had fallen to reduce New Zealand to 75 for 3, and it was now up to Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell to keep wickets in hand for the final push. Mitchell struggled to score fluidly, which meant Latham - a stalwart in the middle overs of ODI cricket - had to take a risk. And when you take a risk against the metronomic Jadeja - 10-0-30-1 - you better not miss because he will get you lbw.
For the second time in this tournament, India bowled just spin through the middle overs. It was a slow track but offered minimal turn. It is a testament to the quality and the accuracy of India's spinners that New Zealand were choked through the period. It took them 21 overs to double their 10-overs score of 69. Varun came back to get Glenn Phillips in the 38th over, again pushing back their charge.
Bracewell brought back memories of how fluidly Ravindra batted as India went back to pace on ball at the back end. Mitchell, who followed Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill into scoring his slowest fifty, now tried an assault but a slower ball from Mohammed Shami got the better of him. Bracewell, though, hit three fours and two sixes to give New Zealand what only looked like respectability at that time.
Even that respectability looked dodgy the way Rohit started the chase. Some sensational hitting off the fast bowlers - including Nathan Smith, the replacement of Matt Henry, the leading wicket-taker of the tournament who injured his shoulder - pushed Santner's hand. He brought himself on in the ninth over, but the best he and Ravindra could manage was a few relatively quiet overs.
In the first over after the drinks break, Phillips produced his third unbelievable catch of the tournament, leaping high at extra cover and plucking a one-hander to send Gill back. With his first ball, Bracewell trapped Kohli lbw for one. Now the easy runs stopped. Rohit slowed down, looking like he was setting himself up for an old-fashioned Rohit knock. Then, though, after a spell of eight overs for 19 runs and two wickets, he charged at Ravindra, looking to hit his fourth six of the night, and was stumped.
Iyer, two half-centuries to his name already, and Axar then repaired the damage with a 61-run partnership from 122 for 3. Iyer was the edgier of the two. Young caught him at the deep midwicket fence but touched the boundary skirting, Jamieson dropped him as he tried two consecutive sixes off Phillips, the sixth dropped catch between the two teams.
When Iyer fell in the 39th over, caught off Santner at short fine leg, India needed 67 off 68. The asking rate only hovered around a run a ball - the biggest difference between the balls and runs was four with six overs left. Confident in their depth, India kept taking the odd risk and kept hitting sixes. When pace finally came back on, the calm Rahul took India ahead. Jamieson provided one final stumbling block with Pandya's wicket off a nasty bouncer in the 48th over, but India still had Jadeja in the bank.
Sidharth Monga is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo
Kohli: We have a squad ready to take on the world for the next eight years
"When you leave, you want to leave the team in a better place, I feel we've a squad that's ready to take on the world for the next eight years," Kohli said. "Shubman [Gill] has been outstanding, Shreyas [Iyer] beautiful, KL [Rahul] has finished games, and Hardik [Pandya] has been superb with the bat."
Kohli said the Champions Trophy triumph somewhat made up for India's Test series loss in Australia. "It's been amazing, we wanted to bounce back after a tough Australian tour, and wanted to win a big tournament and we ended up doing that so it's an amazing feeling."
Standing beside Gill during the celebrations, Kohli was asked for his thoughts on leaving the dressing room a better place when he eventually retires. "There's so much talent in the dressing room," he said. "They're trying to take their game further and we're [seniors] just happy to be of help, sharing our experience and that's what makes this Indian team so strong.
"These are the things you want to play (for titles), playing under pressure and putting your hand up. The whole team, everyone has put their hands up sometimes or other during the course of the tournament. Everyone has put up impactful performances, we've been part of an amazing team, the amount of work we've done in the practice sessions, it feels great."
Kohli had words of appreciation for his opponents, New Zealand. "Amazing, we've always been in awe with what they can do with the limited number of players they've had over the years, and just maximise their talent," he said. "Every time we played against them in big games, we knew they were going to come with a set plan. No team in world cricket executes plans as well as they do.
"Every fielder knows where the bowler is going to bowl, you can sense it, they're all attacking the ball, they know the bowler is going to be accurate. Credit to them for being the most consistent team in the last few tournaments. The reason for that is the immense belief in their skills, and the amount of talent they have they utilise that to the maximum.
"They're easily the best fielding side in the world, a huge shout out to them. They continue to display why they're one of the top teams in the world. Again a great campaign. It's sad to see a very good friend [Kane Williamson] on the losing side, but I've been on the losing side a couple of times when he has been on the winning side, so only love between us."
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