KSTP radio personalities Joe Soucheray and Patrick Reusse will be the announcers during the middle innings of the Twins-Yankees game on March 9. KSTP and the Twins Radio Network will broadcast 25 spring training games.
Dean Dalton, the former Vikings assistant coach now analyzing the NFL in the media, thinks his old team would make a good decision to retain 36-year-old free agent fullback Tony Richardson whose value includes leadership and mentoring skills. Dalton also told Sports headliners that because of defensive end Kenechi Udeze’s leukemia, the Vikings might be more interesting in retaining defensive end Darrion Scott.
Dalton said it surprised him that former Gopher assistant coach Jim Zorn was selected as Washington’ s new head coach. He respects Zorn but thought that a better approach for the Redskins would have been to stay within the organization and hire an assistant coach.
Randy Moss to Dallas? It might happen since Moss had a one year deal for last season with New England and flamboyant Dallas owner Jerry Jones never has been the sort to back away from risk. Moss, the former Viking who set a new NFL single season record in 2007 for touchdown catches with 23, would stretch defenses in Dallas, plus add further excitement to the Cowboy brand.
Gopher freshman goaltender Alex Kangas has started the last 10 games and played in 13 straight. He allowed a season-high four goals against Wisconsin on Saturday, but also had a season-best 37 saves in the tie game. In the past 10 games, Kangas has a 1.92 goals against average and .930 save percentage, with a 2-3-5 record. For the season, Kangas ranks 16th nationally with a 2.21 goals against average and a .922 save percentage. Both of those numbers rank second among all freshmen goaltenders behind Colorado College’s Richard Bachman. Kangas and the Gophers play at Alaska Anchorage tonight (Friday) and tomorrow night,
Gopher junior forward Gigi Marvin is a top 10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, announced this week by USA Hockey. It is Marvin’s first time as a finalist and the Gopher program’s first since the 2004-05 season. In its 11th year, the award annually recognizes the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey. On March 12, three finalists will be named, and the winner will be announced at a banquet on March 21 as part of the NCAA Frozen Four activities in Duluth. Earlier this week Marvin was tied for the WCHA lead in overall scoring with 45 points.
St. Thomas qualified all four of its hockey and basketball teams for the MIAC playoffs and is a No. 1 or 2 seed in each sport. With a men’s basketball title and a women’s co-championship, UST now has won five conference championships so far in 2007-08 (basketball for men; basketball, cross country, golf and volleyball for women). The Toms are expected to challenge for six more MIAC titles this school year (men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track, softball, baseball).
Concordia University (St. Paul) with a 25-2 record, is ranked No. 8 in the country in the latest USA Today/ESPN Division II coaches’ poll of top 25 women’s teams.
The National Sports Center expects total attendance of 10,000 or more for various events in March including the 14th annual Minnesota Muskie Expo, March 7-9 in the Sports Hall. More information on the expo is available at www.minnesotamuskieexpo.com.