The Times of Trenton Sports News

Pro, college & high school sports news

• Thunder to host EL All-Stars
TRENTON -- The Thunder announced officially yesterday they are hosting the 2009 Eastern League All-Star Game, something first reported by The Times in April.

• Gelinas' play keeps TCNJ on NJAC roll
LOCAL COLLEGES

• Linebacker takes Hunt's place
EAGLES

• Maryland is just too strong
PRINCETON TOWNSHIP -- It took a one-minute sequence in the second half to sum up 11 years of frustration.

• Andrews heads 'back' to specialist
PHILADELPHIA -- Maybe the fourth specialist will be more special than the first three.

• Cyclocross clinic set for Oct. 26 at TCNJ
The USGP Mercer Cup, presented by Knapp's Cyclery, will host a cyclocross clinic at the campus of The College of New Jersey on Sunday, Oct. 26 on the Green Lane fields. The 1 p.m. clinic is free, but size is limited to the first 25 riders.

• DYNAMIC DUO
Quarterback Donovan McNabb and head coach Andy Reid won their 76th game as a tandem Sunday, surpassing San Francisco's Bill Walsh and Joe Montana as the winning est head-coach-quarterback tandem who started their careers together.

• Mercer CCC to honor '88 national champs
WEST WINDSOR -- Mercer County Community College will welcome back its 1988 national championship team on Saturday. A ceremony will take place prior to the start of the Vikings' game against Massasoit Community College (Brockton, Mass.) at 1:30 p.m.

• Thompson has best game
Former Rider University star Jason Thompson had his best of three preseason games for the Sacramento Kings in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night.

• Eagles smother Niners late
SAN FRANCISCO -- Since 1933, the Eagles have started 2-4 and made the playoffs only once.

• Disaster to hero for Akers

• Rider win streak reaches five
LOCAL COLLEGES

• Turnovers spell doom for 'Skins
Understand this aspect of turnovers in an NFL game: they can wipe away every other transgression on the football field.

• Phils overcoming good bullpen
PHILADELPHIA -- In the first two games of the 2008 National League Championship Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers' bullpen hasn't allowed an earned run in 8 1/3 innings.

• Princeton can't seal deal vs. Colgate
HAMILTON, N.Y. -- The door to Princeton University football team's locker room remained open while the Tigers met quickly after yesterday's 27-24 loss to Colgate.

• Cubs' publicity stunt was more goat than hero
Notes, quotes and opinions as baseball's postseason rolls merrily along:

• Former Eagle Lewis cashed in with Niners
SAN FRANCISCO -- After five weeks, the Eagles are in no better shape than the 49ers with each fac ing an uphill climb to the playoffs at 2-3 heading into today's NFC matchup at Candlestick Park.

• TCNJ football falls at Brockport
LOCAL COLLEGES

• Flyers take aim to end Cup drought
PHILADELPHIA -- The Flyers' preseason was one extended celebration for their glory days.

• Phillies: It's two down, two to go
PHILADELPHIA -- Halfway home.

• Princeton-Colgate rivalry turns 50

• Celebre propels Rider
LOCAL COLLEGES

• Davidson ties for 25th
For Matt Davidson of West Windsor, it was a day of many plusses.

• EMOTIONAL DAY
The euphoria of the National League Championship Se ries was put on hold early yesterday morning when the Phillies organization learned that June Manuel, 87, the mother of Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, died at Roanoke (Va.) Memorial Hospital after a brief illness.

• Klecko epitomizes Eagles: Step up
Eagles fans tuning into tomor row's game against the San Francisco 49ers will be treated to all sorts of strange sights.

• Phils' bottom third gets it done
PHILADELPHIA -- There is an old baseball maxim stating the pitching staff that does a better job of getting out the bottom of the opposition's lineup invariably wins.

• PRINCETON KICKOFF
The matchup-- Princeton (2-1) at Colgate (3-2), 1:06 p.m., Andy Kerr Stadium in Hamilton, N.Y. (WPRB-103.3 FM)

• TCNJ's Zucconi at full strength

• Abiamiri to return to Eagles' D-line
PHILADELPHIA -- Help is on the way for the Eagles' beleaguered run defense.

• Davidson solid again
GOLF

• Kenny lifts Mercer to win over Essex
WEST WINDSOR -- Kasey Kenny had two goals and two assists to pace the Mercer County Community College women's soccer team to a 7-0 victory over Essex yesterday.

• Manuel learned from the best
PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel has often been portrayed as a player's manager, the former bench player who can empathize with every guy on the roster.

• Phils will see Kuo, not Saito
PHILADELPHIA -- There were no surprises as far as the Phillies' roster was concerned when the 25-man team was revealed yesterday morning before Game 1 of the National League Championship Se ries.

• Surprise, a fluke captures Gov. Cup
The 17th annual Governor's Cup Surf Fishing Tournament is in the history books and will go down as another subpar year when it comes to the number of fish taken. In fact, for the first time in tournament history, not a single striped bass was weighed in in the contest, and the number of fish qualified for the contest was the fewest ever since the tournament began.

• Moyer: the Phils' wise old sage
PHILADELPHIA -- It is difficult to review the history of the Phillies -- underlining their greatest glories and most wretched heartbreaks -- without examining their rivalry with the Dodgers, be it in Brooklyn or Los Angeles.

• The Eagles are showing frustration
PHILADELPHIA -- There is no mutiny, but the tide is rising and the ship carrying the Eagles through a treacherous 2-3 start is taking on water.

• AND THE WINNER IS ...
The Phillies celebrated their first-round series win over the Milwaukee Brewers, but didn't act as if that was their final goal. That's important because they'll need every ounce of determination against a Los Angeles Dodgers team that has players with championship pedigree (Manny Ramirez, Derek Lowe) as well as youthful promise (James Loney, Andre Ethier, etc.). The Dodgers were no one's favorites vs. the Cubs and yet almost never trailed in three games in Chicago. This is a tough series that one can imagine going either way. Go with the greater team speed, slightly deeper bullpen and especially better overall bench. Off the field, you won't find a better group of announcers in one series (Harry Kalas, Vin Scully and former Times staffer Tom McCarthy).

• Dobbs loves (to knock off) L.A.
PHILADELPHIA -- One of the central themes running through the National League Championship Series this week is the connection of several Phillies with Southern California.

• Downing wins at Pan Am
BOXING COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Sacred Downing, a light bantamweight boxer from Trenton, won a gold medal Tuesday at the 2008 Women's Pan American Championships.

• Princeton, Kelly must stop great Scott
PRINCETON TOWNSHIP -- Princeton's assignment couldn't be more clear. Stop Colgate tailback Jordan Scott or lose Saturday.

• Selective walks for Ramirez
PHILADELPHIA Don't look for the Phillies to just intentionally walk Manny Ramirez every time he comes to the plate in the NLCS that starts tonight with Game 1 at Citizens Bank Park.

• UMPIRES
NEW YORK -- Mike Reilly was picked as the umpire crew chief for the National League Championship Series and Tim McClelland was selected as crew chief for the American League Championship Series.

• BASEBALL'S POSTSEASON
PHILADELPHIA -- How do you keep Manny Ramirez from being Manny in a league championship series?

• Delusional Birds stuck in neutral

• NJ Cup comes to Mercer in March
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- US Club Soccer is pleased to announce that the fifth edition of the New Jersey Cup, for boys and girls U-11 through U-17 teams, will be held from late March to mid-May in 2009.

• Princeton women stay on roll
LOCAL COLLEGES

• Westbrook 'uncertain' with two fractured ribs
PHILADELPHIA -- Just when the bad karma surrounding the Eagles could not get any worse following Sunday's disturbing 23-17 loss to the Washington Redskins at Lin coln Financial Field, it did.

• Aburdmand's goal sends Mercer men to 8th win
WEST WINDSOR -- Amit Aburdmand scored the game-win ner off an assist by Rob Cabrera with 17 minutes left to send the Mercer County Community College men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Burlington County College last night.

• BANGED UP BRIAN
Documented injuries sus tained by Eagles' running back Brian Westbrook, 29, during his NFL career.

• Chiarello leads Drew defense on diverse team
It seems like such a long time ago that Marc Chiarello thought he wanted to go to a large-enrollment school. A junior at Drew University, Chiarello is receiving a well-rounded education in Madison, N.J.

• Eagles stumble again
PHILADELPHIA -- The NFC East is the best division in professional football, and after five weeks REDSKINS 23 EAGLES 17 of the regular season the last-place Eagles are the only team failing to pull their own weight.

• Laubach, Coyle win features at New Egypt
NEW EGYPT -- Rick Laubach of Quakertown, Pa., and Chris Coyle of Wilmington, Del., both won feature races on the first day of the season finale Rocktoberfest weekend Saturday night at New Egypt Speedway.

• Princeton field hockey up to 9-1
LOCAL COLLEGES

• Texans' two-step to ruin
Kudos go to the Indiananpo lis Colts for their fantastic comeback yesterday, but is there a more disappointing team in the NFL than the 0-4 Houston Tex ans?

• Westbrook fails to shake too much
PHILADELPHIA -- Back-to-back plays involving Brian Westbrook late in the third quarter proved to be the most ominous of all for the Eagles while on their way to a dismal 23-17 loss to the Washington Redskins.

• Anderson leads Tigers to victory
NEW YORK -- As injuries test the Princeton University football team's depth, quarterback Brian Anderson is showing he may be the Tigers' most indispensable player.

• Eagles realize urgency to win
PHILADELPHIA -- Fourth- quarter failures in Dallas and Chicago mean the Eagles could be fac ing serious trouble in the NFC East once again should they falter today at home in a division game against the Washington Redskins (1 p.m., Channel 29).

• Brewers' voice Schroeder reflects on roots
PHILADELPHIA -- Not everyone with Mercer County roots has been rooting against the Milwaukee Brewers in their National League Division Series with the Phillies this week.

• Doom and gloom in nation's capital
Tough times these days in Washington, D.C., and, no, we're not writing about the leadership void at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The Washington Nationals just completed their fourth season in the nation's capital after the franchise was relocated from Montreal, and a palpable gloom is hanging over what many had hoped would be a model organization.

• Peteraf's fifth goal carries Princeton past Dartmouth
LOCAL COLLEGES

• Tennis structure at park is latest jewel for Mercer
The day that much of the area tennis community has been waiting for has finally arrived.

• Kean rocks TCNJ with late heroics
EWING -- It happened again to The College of New Jersey football team at Lions Stadium.

• Area five Top 10 at Senior Am
The Times Area did not produce a champion in the New Jersey State Golf Association's Women's Senior Amateur champion, but five players made the top 10 in a field of 53.

• PRINCETON KICKOFF
The matchup-- Princeton (1-1, 0-0 Ivy League) at Columbia (0-2, 0-0), Wien Stadium, New York, 1:30 p.m. (WPRB-103.3 FM)

• Princeton needs teams to be even more special
It's not often a head football coach mentions special teams play first when discussing his keys to a game, but Columbia University's Norries Wilson did just that earlier this week when he broke down Princeton's visit to Wien Stadium today in New York.

• TCNJ's Dicheck collects 100th win
LOCAL COLLEGES

• Westbrook looks ready to play against Redskins
PHILADELPHIA -- Brian Westbrook made it through yesterday's entire practice without a problem, and although he is listed as questionable for tomorrow's NFC East battle against the Washington Redskins, the All-Pro run ning back appears to be ready after missing last week's 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears with an ankle strain.

• HISTORIC NIGHT
How the Phils forged a 5-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the National League Division Series to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

• Phillies in command vs. Brewers
PHILADELPHIA -- If the Phillies continue to get starting pitching like they have received in the first two games of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, they will be playing deep into October.

• AFL invites have Thunder ties
TRENTON -- The Yankees have filled their allotment of seven players for the Arizona Fall League.

• Akers is staying positive
PHILADELPHIA -- Almost every explanation -- save Arlen Specter's single-bullet theory -- has been offered as a possible reason behind the demise of David Akers' long game.

• Gacos, Young tied for second at Senior Am
GOLF

• Mercer and Brookdale play to a tie
LOCAL COLLEGES

• Myers triggers Sabathia meltdown
PHILADELPHIA -- Things can unravel in a hurry if you're an opposing pitcher in the postseason in Philadelphia.

• TCNJ KICKOFF
The matchup: Kean (2-1, 1-1 NJAC) at TCNJ (2-1, 2-0 NJAC), 7 p.m.

• There's no slowing TCNJ's deZutter as his toughness leads WR corp

• BASEBALL'S POSTSEAS ON
PHILADELPHIA -- It has been dubbed The Battle of the Droughts this National League Division Se ries.

• Smoltz praises Myers in handling transition
PHILADELPHIA -- Now the Phillies turn to Brett Myers, and if there's someone familiar with the transition from starter to closer and then back again, it's a face the nation is seeing a lot of this week on TBS television, Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz.

• 2008-09 Rider Men's Basketball Schedule Date
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• 2008-09 Rider Women's Basketball Schedule Date
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• Davidson stumbles in Columbia Open
Playing in a tournament for the first time since he got through the PGA European Tour's Q School Stage 1 two weeks ago, Matt Da vidson of West Windsor came up short.

• Eagles are not learning from past mistakes
PHILADELPHIA -- The Eagles are 21-17, including a playoff win, since the start of 2006.

• HOT COLE
Yesterday's 3-1 four-hit vic tory by Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge over the Milwaukee Brewers matched the low-hit game in Phillies postseason history (Game 3 of the 1983 NLCS vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers, Char lie Hudson complete game).

• INJURIES, INJURIES
Princeton football has suf fered enough key injuries that any more would come back with a Tiger's bite.

• Princeton hopes poll is incorrect another season
PRINCETON TOWNSHIP -- The fact Ivy League co-favorites Harvard and Yale lost their first league games this past Saturday didn't shock Princeton University senior wide receiver Will Than heiser.

• Princeton to retire uniform number(s) of Kazmaier, Bradley
Dick Kazmaier and Bill Brad ley, two of the greatest icons in the history of American college athletics, will be honored by the Princeton University Department of Athletics by having their shared uniform number retired at a ceremony Oct. 24 in Jadwin Gym.

• TCNJ falls in one-goal game
CAMDEN Sophomore back Matt Lanouette of Hopewell headed in the only goal of the game late in the second half to power Rutgers University-Camden over The College of New Jersey, 1-0, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference men's soccer game at Rutgers- Camden Community Park.

• THUNDER ALUMNI IN MLB PL AYOFFS
Thunder fans watching the Major League Baseball postseason will see familiar faces in each of the first- round match-ups. The Thunder have six former players, two former broadcasters and one former manager taking part in this year's October baseball. Catcher Dioner Navarro (Tampa Bay) Navarro split the 2003 and 2004 seasons with the Thunder. He hit .341 in 58 games for the Thunder in 2003. He had four home runs and 37 RBIs. In 2004, he had a .271 BA with three home runs and 29 RBIs in 70 games.

• Utley's key double enough to carry Phils offense in win
PHILADELPHIA -- When the Phillies dropped three straight to the Colorado Rockies in last season's National League Division Se ries, the offense (or the lack thereof) was the culprit.