Thursday, August 4, 2022

Bees Win on Walk-Off Home Run

By Drew Mals (@MalsDrew)

NEW BRITAIN—The New Britain Bees defeated the Pittsfield Suns, 6-5, courtesy of a Tyler Pettorini (Ohio State) walk-off home run in a Futures Collegiate Baseball League game at New Britain Stadium Wednesday night. Pittsfield got out to an early 1-0 lead when Rob Taylor (New Haven) hit a sac-fly to right field that scored Bo Bramer (Fordham).

New Britain knotted things up in the second when Elliot Good (Central Connecticut State) hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Tyler Pettorini (Ohio State). The Bees took a 2-1 lead in the third on a base hit into left field from Jason Claiborn (Eastern Connecticut State) that drove in Jeff Nicol (Central Connecticut State).

Pettorini drove in his 21st run of the campaign when he knocked in Claiborn (Eastern) in the sixth to make it 3-1, New Britain.

The Bees had control most of the game until the eighth when Pittsfield was able to put up three runs when Pittsfield’s Matt Ryan (University of Maryland Baltimore County) hit a single into right field that scored Brennan Hyde (Nichols), Anton Lazits and Taylor (New Haven) giving the Suns a 4-3 lead. Taylor scored on an overthrow from Mark Coley (Rhode Island).

Coley redeemed himself when he hit a game-tying home run that even the game up at 4-4. The Bees took the lead when Good drove in Colton Shaw (Yale) on a sacrifice fly to right field giving the Bees a 5-4 lead heading into the ninth.

The game kept going back and forth in the late innings as Mike Marella (Fairfield) surrendered the game tying run to Pittsfield as Bramer knocked in Jack Ryan (UMBC).

The Bees were held scoreless in the ninth sending the game to extra innings. Marella was able to make quick work of the Suns, sitting them down one-two-three. Then, in the bottom of the 10th, it took just one batter for New Britain to finish of the game off as Pettorini absolutely crushed a walk-off homer into the night as Bees came out on top after some late inning fireworks.

The Bees are back in action Thursday night at home taking on the Norwich Sea Unicorns for the last matchup between the two Connecticut FCBL teams. It’s Thirsty Thursday presented by Pabst Blue Ribbon at New Britain Stadium with $2 Pabst Blue Ribbons available to fans 21 and older.

The Futures League is a summer circuit consisting of collegiate baseball players—primarily from area colleges and universities. Established in 2011, the Futures League is modeled after the Cape Cod League offering a friendly, fan-friendly environment mirroring the style of a minor league season, with games played from late May through August. The FCBL has garnered the reputation of being one of the most talented and competitive amateur baseball leagues in the country over its first decade of play with more than 150 of its players having been drafted by MLB organizations.

WP—Marella LP—Lazitz

—With Staff Reports

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Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Sun Stymie Mercury

By Bob Phillips

UNCASVILLE—Alyssa Thomas posted her second triple-double in less 11 days to lead the Connecticut Sun to an 97-63 victory over the Phoenix Mercury 87-63 before 6,130 fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Tuesday night. Thomas, who recorded her first triple-double in a win over the Minnesota Lynx on July 22, finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. The No. 4 pick overall in the 2014 draft, the 6-2 Thomas is just the fifth WNBA player with multiple triple-doubles. She joins Candace Parker (Chicago Sky) and Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) as the only players with more than one this season.

Natisha Hiedeman led the Sun in scoring with a 16-point effort. In all, seven Connecticut players scored in double digits—Thomas, Heideman, had 16 points to lead seven Connecticut players scoring in double figures joining DiJonai Carrington and DeWanna Bonner (12 points each), and Brionna Jones (11). In addition, Jonquel Jones, who has made a career out of putting up double-doubles, had another one on Tuesday with 10 points and 10 boards. It was only the 12thh time in WNBA history that seven or more players registered double-digit points in the same game. The Sun have done it three times.

The Mercury jumped out to an early 13-8 lead when Shey Peddy scored with 3:44 remaining in the first quarter. But the Sun turned up the defensive heat at that point and shut the Phoenix offense down for the next seven-plus minutes. The Mercury closed out the opening period with a 5-0 run to knot the score at 13-13 at the first turn.

Brionna Jones opened the second quarter with a layup to stake Connecticut to a 15-13 advantage, and the Sun would not relinquish that lead for the rest of the contest.

Former UConn nemesis Skylar Diggins-Smith and Sophie Cunningham scored 15 points apiece for Phoenix and Kaela Davis added 10. The Mercury, who fell to 13-18, now have dropped two straight games to fall a game behind Dallas for sixth place in the overall WNBA standings. Eight teams will qualify for the postseason.

UConn legend Diana Taurasi appeared to be dinged up and did not score. She was 0-for-6 from the field (including 0-for-4 from downtown) and turned the ball over four times. On the plus side, DT grabbed five rebounds—all off the defensive glass.

Sun Sign Sims

The Sun announced on Wednesday that the team has signed Odyssey Sims to a seven-day contract. Sims, drafted second overall in the 2014 WNBA Draft, has played in the league for eight seasons with Tulsa, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minnesota and Atlanta. In May, she re-signed with the Lynx and appeared in two games before being released. Throughout her238-game WNBA career, the former Baylor standout has averaged 12.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game. While at Baylor she became the program’s all-time leader in assists (with 572) and three-point field goals made (223). She will wear No. 1 for Connecticut and will be available to play on day when the Sun and Mercury play their second game of the week.

Sun Spots

* With one steal in Tuesday’s contest, Alyssa Thomas moved into third all-time in steals in Connecticut Sun franchise history, tying Taj McWilliams-Franklin with 350 takeaways.

* AT notched her second triple-double of the season with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. She also passed the 800-assist mark in tonight’s win, now having dished out 804 in her career.

* With four rebounds, Courtney Williams is now tied with Chiney Ogwumike for ninth all-time in rebounding in Connecticut Sun history, with 712 rebounds.

* Connecticut finished the night shooting 45.9% (34-74), while holding Phoenix to 35.9% (23-64) from the field.

—With Staff Reports

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Bueckers Lost for Season With Torn ACL

STORRS—The UConn women’s basketball season took an enormous hit today when the school announced that junior guard Paige Bueckers, an favorite to earn National Player of the Year accolades for the second straight year, has torn her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and will be sidelined for the entire 2002-23 season.

The 5-11 guard from Edina, MN sustained the injury during a pick-up basketball game and underwent an MRI Monday evening to confirm the injury. She will undergo surgery on Friday at UConn Health. An update on her recovery timetable will be made available following the procedure. Bueckers was a unanimas first-team All-America selection las season and earned AP Player of the Year, USBWA National Player of the Year, and Naismith College Player of the Year along with the John R. Wooden and Nancy Lieberman Awards.

“We’re all devastated for Paige,” said UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma. “She’s worked really hard to get stronger and healthier this offseason, and this is an unfortunate setback. Paige is obviously an amazing basketball player but she’s a better person and teammate and it’s really unfortunate that this has happened to her. We’ll miss her presence on the court, but she’ll do everything she can to still lead and help her teammates this season. Our program will support Paige through her healing process to help her come back better and stronger.”

—Staff Reports

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Monday, August 1, 2022

Sky Sink Sun in OT

By Bob Phillips

UNCASVILLE—All losses hurt, of course, but for the Connecticut Sun, this one cut particularly deep. Behind a 27-point performance by forward Kahleah Copper, the Chicago Storm edged the Connecticut Sun 95-92 before 6,254 fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena and a national television audience on NBA-TV on Sunday.

Chicago led by 17 points after Allie Quigley drained a three-pointer with 6:05 remaining in the first half, but the Sun, who cut the Sky advantage to 11 at intermission, came charging all the way back and tied the game when Courtney Williams (16 points, 8 rebounds) nailed a mid-range jumper with 15.2 seconds left in regulation, tying the contest at 84 points apiece and sending the game into overtime.

In the extra period, the Sun jumped out to a six-point lead, 92-86, before the Sky did what championship-caliber teams do, ending the game on a 9-0 run and sealing the deal on the opponents’ homecourt.

“I thought we didn’t come out the competitive group and it took kind of a punch in the mouth, and then we responded to the competitiveness of the game,” Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller said of the early hole his team dug. “From then on it was a game. Huge response in the second. But I felt like it changed when we got competitive.

“I know we’re disappointed in that locker room,” he continued. “Their fight put them in position to pull out a win. We had opportunities and we just came up short again. ... We’ve lost three or four games now in two years against Chicago when it’s come down to the final possession.”With the victory, the Sky improve to 23-7 while the Sun fall to 20-10. The Sun have one more chance at redemption against the Sky when they travel to the Windy City to take on the Sky on Aug. 7.

Courtney Vandersloot scored 16 points and added 12 assists for the Sky, passing former Sun and Minnesota Lynx star Lindsay Whalen and moving into third place among the WNBA’s all-time assist leaders. Vandersloot now has 2,350 dishes in her career. Quigley scored 13 points and had five assists, while former Duke and UConn standout Azurá Stevens scored 12 with 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Emma Meesseman added 10 points and five assists as all five Chicago starters scored in double digits. Future Hall-of-Famer Candace Parker missed her second game in a row with a non-COVID-related illness.

DeWanna Bonner topped the Sun with 23 points and nine rebounds, while Alyssa Thomas scored 22 with eight assists and five steals. Courtney Williams had 16 points and eight boards.

The Sun are back home on Tuesday when they will face Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury. Tip-off at the Mohegan Sun Arena will be at 7 p.m. The Sun are 1-0 vs. Phoenix this season having stopped the Mercury 92-88 in Phoenix on June 3.

—With Staff Reports

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Friday, July 29, 2022

Sun Hold on for 88-83 Win Over Storm

By Bob Phillips

UNCASVILLE—Anyone wondering why this reporter often refers to the Seattle Storm as “UConn West” need only look at the Storm’s starting lineup last night: Breanna Stewart, Gabby Williams, Tina Charles and, of course, Sue Bird. That’s four former Huskies in the starting lineup. UConn West, indeed.

But the sellout crowd (9,137) at the Mohegan Sun Arena was there to bid adieu to one of their former Husky icons: Sue Bird. The 41-year-old Long Island native and future Hall of Famer, widely considered the best point guard in WNBA history, Bird entered the league in 2002 after winning two national championships with the Huskies and was likely making her final appearance as a player in the state she once considered “home.” And the way she started out—banging home her first three-point shots as Seattle raced out to an early 10-point lead, it looked early on that it was going to be her night—even though the Sun had won the first two meetings between the two teams. But even though Governor Ned Lamont declared the day to be “Sue Bird Day” in the Nutmeg State, the Sun had other ideas on how the night would play out.

In the end, led by a game-high 19-point effort from Alyssa Thomas, the Sun held on for a hard-fought 72-68 victory.

All five Storm starters scored in double digits: Williams (14), Stewart (10), Charles (14), Bird (14) and Jewell Lloyd (14). The Seattle bench, however, proved to be a non-factor as only eight points was put up by non-starters.

The Sun matched the Storm the double-digit parade. In addition to AT’s 19, Brionna Jones put in 13, DeWanna Bonner and Courtney Williams chipped in with 12 apiece, and DiJonai Carrington contributed 11 off the Connecticut bench. And Jonquel Jones just missed joining the Double-D club with a nine-point effort.

Charles added 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Alyssa Thomas had 10 assists for a double-double of her own.

The Sun trailed by three after the first quarter, but rallied to take a 44-40 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The game was hotly contested throughout the second half. A trey by Stewie tied the game at 79-79 with just under six minutes remaining in regulation. A put-back by JJ put the Sun up by two with 5:11 left, and Connecticut never looked back.

With Seattle up by a bucket, Courtney Williams hit a running layup to tie the game at 83 apiece. A three-pointer by Natisha Heideman (six points, three assists) gave the Sun the lead it would not relinquish with 2:42 remaining. Not that the Storm didn’t make things interesting.

Indeed, three missed shots by Stewart—two two-pointers and one trey—ultimately resulted in the Connecticut victory and a sweep of the three-game season series.

After the game, Bird was effusive in her praise for Connecticut fans—the best in women’s basketball. “A lot of times as a UConn player, I feel like the fans look at us like family, and they stay with us through our careers,” she said. “That's something that I treasure, something I've really enjoyed every time I came back here. So, tonight was a perfect way to end that. I would have preferred a win, but I'll take it.”

Next up for Connecticut will be a clash with the Eastern Conference-leading Chicago Sky, whom the Sun trail be 1.5 games, on Sunday. Tip-off is at 1 p.m. ET at the Mohegan Sun Arena, and the game will be televised on NBA-TV and NESN+. The Sun head to our nation’s capital where they will take on the Washington Mystics. Tip-off is at noon ET and the game will be televised on ESPN.

Sun Spots

* It was the Sun’s first sellout at the Mohegan Sun Arena since the 2019 WNBA Finals.

* Geno Auriemma watched the parade of former Huskies from a sky box.

* Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont declared Thursday ''Sue Bird Day'' in Connecticut. “[Bird] is a trailblazer, whose tenacity has elevated the sport of basketball. Connecticut is proud to be part of her journey,'' he tweeted.

* “I appreciate that [the Connecticut crowd] honor and welcome back the UConn players, but through and through they are Sun fans, and I appreciate that balance.”—Sun head coach and Curt Miller

—With Staff Reports

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Tuesday, July 26, 2022

AHL Announces 2022-23 Regular-Season Schedule

By Bob Phillips

SPRINGFIELD–The Hartford Wolf Pack, in conjunction with the American Hockey League, has announced the club’s full schedule for the 2022-23 AHL regular season. This will be the 26th season for the Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers, commencing with a pair of road games against the division rival Charlotte Checkers on Friday, Oct. 14 (7 p.m.) and Saturday, Oct. 15 (6 p.m.). This marks the first time since the 2014-15 season that the Wolf Pack will start on the road. The Pack will host their home opener on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins come to town for the first of three visits on the season.

The club sees three new teams added to the schedule for the 2022-23 season. The Milwaukee Admirals, Grand Rapids Griffins, and Rockford IceHogs will all make rare appearances at the XL Center.

The Admirals come to town on Friday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. Milwaukee’s visit to Hartford will be just their second-ever, and the first since Feb. 14, 2003. The Griffins will visit Hartford on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. It’ll be their first appearance in the Connecticut capital since January 2, 2009. The IceHogs, meanwhile, come to the XL Center for the first time ever on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Once again, the club hosts a home game on the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 25. The Pack will take on the Hershey Bears that night with the first puck dropping at 7 p.m. The club is also home for the last game prior to the holiday break on Thursday, Dec. 23. That night, the ‘Battle of Connecticut’ rages on as the Bridgeport Islanders come to town for a 5 p.m. faceoff.

New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day will see the ‘I-91 Rivalry’ take center stage at the XL Center. The defending Eastern Conference Champion Springfield Thunderbirds roll into town on both December 31 (5:30 p.m.) and March 17 (7 p.m.).

The Pack closes out the 2022-23 regular season on Saturday, April 15, when they visit the Springfield Thunderbirds at 7:05 p.m. The home portion of the schedule concludes on Friday, April 14, when the Penguins return to Hartford for a 7 p.m. puck drop.

The full 2022-23 Hartford Wolf Pack schedule can be viewed here.

For tickets, visit www.hartfordwolfpack.com/tickets.

Bridgeport Islanders Info:

Connecticut’s other AHL team, the Bridgeport Islanders, will open the 2022-23 season with three road contests—two in Providence and one in Springfield—starting on Friday, Oct. 14 in Providence vs. the Bruins. The Islanders home opener will be on Saturday, Oct. 22, vs. the Laval Rocket. First puck drops at the Total Mortgage Arena at 7 p.m. More information on the home opener, as well as the Islanders’ promotional schedule, will be released soon. Meanwhile, what we do know is this: .”

*25 of the team’s 36 home games will be played on weekend dates.

*The home schedule includes 12 Saturday night games, six Sunday afternoon games and six Friday night contests.

*Bridgeport will face 12 different opponents at Total Mortgage Arena in 2022-23.

*62 of the 72 regular-season games (86.1%) are against Atlantic Division opponents.

*Home Games by Month: October (2), November (8), December (5), January (6), February (5), March (5), April (5) .”

For a printable version of the Islanders’ schedule, click HERE.

Season Ticket Memberships for the 2022-23 campaign are currently on sale, as are group tickets, offering discounted pricing along with exclusive benefits such as an opportunity to get a Bridgeport Islanders hat for every member of the group, recognition on the videoboard, and access to exclusive group outing experiences. For more information, please visit www.bridgeportislanders.com. Information on single-game ticket sales will be forthcoming soon.

—With Staff Reports

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Sun To Support Brittney Griner's Heart and Sole Shoe Drive

By Bob Phillips

UNCASVILLE—Today, the Connecticut Sun announced its involvement in BG's Heart and Sole Shoe Drive.

To support Brittney Griner as she endures detainment in Russia and to continue her legacy of care for her community, teams across the WNBA have been carrying on BG's Heart and Sole Shoe Drive. The Connecticut Sun have decided to take the drive a tad further, also encouraging and accepting donations of other necessities for unhoused people. In addition to the shoe and toiletry drive, the Connecticut Sun is hosting a 50/50 raffle. All donations will benefit the New London Homeless Hospitality Center.

Fans who would like to participate can donate new or gently worn shoes and toiletry products at the following Connecticut Sun home games: Thursday, July 28 vs. Seattle Storm; Sunday, July 31 vs. Chicago Sky; Tuesday, August 2 vs. Phoenix Mercury; and Thursday, August 4 vs. Phoenix Mercury. Collection bins will be at both entrances on the Mohegan Sun Arena concourse.

“"For years, BG has led with her heart through ‘BG's Heart and Sole Shoe Drive,’ and we are proud to be able to continue her work of helping others in their time of need,” said Connecticut Sun President Jen Rizzotti. “We hope that BG feels our love and support during this difficult time, and we hope that she comes home soon.”

The Connecticut Sun is celebrating its 20th Anniversary as a franchise this year. For additional information or to purchase tickets, visit https://sun.wnba.com/.

—With Staff Reports

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