Roy Williams.North Carolina has a 23-14 all-time record against Kentucky but it might not have mattered how well the Tar Heels played in this one as the No. 1 Wildcats played their best game of the year and ran by a scrappy but error-prone Tar Heel team 84-70 in Lexington.
Kentucky was hot and played physical and aggressively on the defensive end. Some believe the Wildcats will go undefeated this season – at least in the regular season.
Carolina took a lot of hits in this one – figuratively and literally – but kept coming back.
Marcus Paige hit four threes in the second half to help. The Tar Heels actually outrebounded the Wildcats by seven and had an impressive 18 offensive rebounds.
But Kentucky scored 24 points off Carolina’s 19 turnovers and scored 13 more points from the foul line.
UNC coach Roy Williams shouldn’t be happy with a loss; however, in light of how hard the Tar Heels played, I was surprised he was angry enough to cuss. We usually just hear the “dad gums” and such from him.
When asked to remember something he had said before the game about keys to the game, he said, “I’m too ticked off to think about any bullsh*t like that.”
Attendance at Carolina Hurricanes’ games are the lowest they’ve been in any season since coming to Raleigh in 1999. With the team having lost twice as many games as it has won, attendance is just over 12,000 a game with the trend being even more downward.
Is the love affair with hockey over in North Carolina? Attendance is down 3,000 per game from last season and 5,000 per game from two years ago.
When the Hurricanes lost to the New Jersey Devils 2-1 at home recently, they fell to 8-16-3 overall and 1-4 on the home stand. Attendance was 9,815 – about half of capacity.
Certainly a couple of down years can hurt attendance, so can the economy. Injuries and youth have hurt the Canes. A lot of coaching and front office changes slows development as well, even if it becomes a positive.
Right now the Hurricanes really need to score more goals – even if they lose – and they need to play with enthusiasm. Of course, boisterous crowds help with the excitement so it’s a chicken or egg situation.
“It’s all about scoring goals,” the Hurricanes’ Nathan Gerbe said. “You have to score more than the other team to win, and that’s what we didn’t do.”
The Hurricanes have been taking more shots than their opponents but not scoring. Why is that?
“That’s the million-dollar question right now,” head coach Bill Peters said. “We’ve got to find the answers and be solution-based.
The Hurricanes’ Jeff Skinner says the team isn’t working hard enough. “Everyone in here wants to win,” Skinner said. “When you find ways to lose, it’s tough and frustrating.”
There are lots of ways for families to spend their money, especially during the Christmas season. If the Hurricanes don’t start scoring some goals and winning some games, the question is going to get louder and louder – will North Carolina continue to support hockey?
It would be as a shame for the Hurricanes – a team that brought tailgating to the NHL and a team that has had perhaps the loudest fans during Stanley Cup runs – to leave Raleigh. But as things are now, how long would it take for the average person to know they are gone?
Tyus Jones.Freshman point guard Tyus Jones earned the first ACC Rookie of the Week award of his college career Monday, as announced by the conference office and voted on by a select panel of media members. Teammate Jahlil Okafor earned the honor the previous three weeks, making it four consecutive weeks a Duke freshman received the accolade.
The Apple Valley, Minn., native helped lead the fourth-ranked Blue Devils to an 80-70 road victory over No. 2 Wisconsin Wednesday, scoring a team-high 22 points, while also leading Duke in rebounds (six) and assists (four). Jones shot 7-of-11 from the field, including 2-of-3 from three-point range and 6-of-8 from the foul line as Duke won its eighth straight game by 10-or-more points. In the victory over Wisconsin, Duke shot an impressive 65.2 percent from the field, marking the first time in the 18-year history of the Kohl Center that a Wisconsin opponent shot over 60 percent.
Duke returns to competition Monday, Dec. 15, welcoming Elon to Cameron Indoor Stadium. The contest, scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff, is set to air live on ESPNU.
Earl Edwards Jr. saved Warren Marshall’s penalty in the eighth round of a shootout to send No. 2 seed UCLA through to the NCAA Men’s College Cup after a 3-3 draw with North Carolina Saturday evening at Drake Stadium.
Carolina, which played more than 90 minutes with 10 men after a straight red, rallied from a 3-1 second-half deficit on goals by Tyler Engel and Andy Craven to force penalties. Omar Holness’ first-half free kick goal gave UNC a 1-0 lead before the Bruins scored three times in six minutes after halftime.
Carolina (15-5-2) had the upper hand in the early going before referee Alex Gorin showed Alex Olofson a straight red card after a challenge near midfield in the 20th minute. UCLA (13-4-5) benefitted from the extra man immediately, and Brendan Moore was forced into several saves from close range.
It appeared that the teams would head to halftime with no score, but Alan Winn won a free kick in a dangerous area on 40 minutes. With the opportunity to go for goal from the right side, Holness made no mistake with a low line drive into the bottom left corner to give Carolina an unexpected 1-0 lead.
The Bruins threatened early and often to open the second half, with Leo Stolz ringing a free kick off the woodwork in the 58th minute. The man advantage finally paid off in the 69th minute as Brian Iloski followed his own shot and converted from close range to make it 1-1.
Christian Chavez made it 2-1 just moments later, and Abu Danladi’s goal on the counter saw the Bruins go up two in the 74th minute.
But just as quickly as Carolina fell behind, the Tar Heels rallied. Engel capitalized on a goal mouth scramble after a corner kick in the 78th minute to make it 3-2 before Raby George’s inch-perfect through ball to Craven was turned home for the equalizer 24 seconds later.
It was an incredible turn of events, but it took more heroics from Moore to force the penalty shootout. The senior keeper stopped Andrew Tusaazemajja’s free header in the 95th minute before coming up big again after a corner late in the first period of overtime. After 10 more scoreless minutes, it was up to a shootout to decide the final team in the Men’s College Cup.
Moore saved Iloski’s effort to open the shootout before eight straight kickers converted, with George, Rob Lovejoy, Verneri Valimaa and David October finding the net for the Tar Heels. But Edwards saved Glen Long’s potential winner in the fifth round and then stopped Marshall in the eighth to send the Bruins through in dramatic fashion.
It was a bitter end to the careers of the UNC seniors, including captain Boyd Okwuonu, goal-scorers Engel and Craven, and standout goalkeeper Moore.
UCLA will face Providence in one of two national semifinal games next weekend in Cary, with Virginia and UMBC contesting the other College Cup contest.
Sylvia Hatchell.Sylvia Hatchell, the UNC women’s basketball coach, will be the guest speaker at Wednesday’s Raleigh Sports Club luncheon Wednesday, Dec. 10.
Hatchell missed all of last season after being diagnosed with leukemia. Now cancer-free, Hatchell is back on the sidelines.
The club meets at Bradley Hall in Highland United Methodist Church at 1901 Ridge Road. Buffet lines open at 11:30 a.m. and the meeting is from noon until 1 p.m. Attendance fee for members is $15 while guest fee is $25.
Emily-Kate Wallace, a junior captain of the North Raleigh Christian Academy basketball team, will be honored as the RSC’s Student Athlete of the Week.
The annual membership fee is $70, which helps to fund the club’s scholarship fund. Each week from late August to early April meetings include a Southern buffet, door prizes, pick sheets and introduction to a deserving Student Athlete as well as hearing from a prominent sports figure as our guest speaker. Raleigh Sports Club Membership Form
The National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes today announced plans to host their fourth-annual Alumni Fantasy Game on Sunday, March 22. The event will provide fans a chance to get an NHL experience, skating in a game that includes Hurricanes alumni on the ice at PNC Arena. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation.
Currently, 12 Hurricanes alumni are scheduled to participate in the 2015 Alumni Fantasy Game: Rod Brind’Amour, Glen Wesley, Niclas Wallin, Sergei Samsonov, Stu Grimson, Bates Battaglia, Jesse Boulerice, Aaron Ward, Shane Willis, Robert Kron, Steve Rice and Tripp Tracy.
Additional participants will be announced as they are confirmed. Fans playing in the game will dress in the Hurricanes’ locker room and enjoy a game atmosphere in the arena, including Hurricanes Play-by-Play Announcer John Forslund’s call on the video board, Stormy, the Eye Care Associates Storm Squad and more.
The Hurricanes’ coaching staff will work the benches for the game, which will be no-hitting, with three running-clock periods and full intermissions. Fans not participating on the ice are welcome to watch the game free of charge, with an optional contribution to the Kids ‘N Community Foundation at the door.
The entry fee for playing in the Alumni Fantasy Game is $3,000, and includes:
Participation in the game on the ice, and the full game-day player experience
Invitation to the “Team Announcement Party” on Friday, March 20
Practice on the ice at PNC Arena on Saturday, March 19, followed by a team lunch
A personalized Hurricanes jersey with special Alumni Game patch
A customized dry-fit 2015 Alumni Game shirt
Two tickets for the Hurricanes’ home game against the New York Rangers on March 21
A DVD of the Alumni Fantasy Game, as called by John Forslund
Access for four people to a post-game cocktail reception following the Alumni Fantasy Game
There are spots for 26 players and three goaltenders to participate in the Alumni Fantasy Game. Those slots will go on sale to season ticket holders, suite holders and corporate partners at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10, and are first-come, first-served, with registration forms available at CarolinaHurricanes.com/alumnigame.
Any remaining spots go on sale to the general public on Friday, Dec. 12. Players must be at least 18 years old and have hockey-playing experience. Any questions about the event prior to the on-sale may be directed to Shane Willis at shanew@carolinahurricanes.com.
The Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation provides much needed funding to children’s charities and education programs throughout North Carolina. The Kids ‘N Community Foundation has funded scholarship programs, youth hockey, educational and literacy efforts, children’s health programs, the arts and other children’s related initiatives. During the 2013-14 season, the Kids ‘N Community Foundation donated $582,000 in grant monies to 32 North Carolina children’s non-profit organizations. Every member of the Hurricanes organization is actively involved in community activities and the Hurricanes take great pride in the ability to have a positive impact in our state.
A spot in the Men’s Soccer College Cup is on the line Saturday night when North Carolina visits No. 2 seed UCLA in the NCAA Quarterfinals. The match will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks starting at 8 p.m. ET.
North Carolina (15-5-1) reached the quarterfinals for the 10th time in school history with a 2-1 win last Sunday at seventh-seed Clemson. Rob Lovejoy scored both goals for the Tar Heels, sending Carolina to the Elite 8 for the sixth time in the last seven years.
Lovejoy was named National Player of the Week by Top Drawer Soccer for his efforts last weekend in the victory over the Tigers.
Unlike Carolina who will play its third-straight road match this weekend, UCLA (13-4-4) has enjoyed the comforts of home with victories over San Diego and 15th-seed California at Marshall Field at Drake Stadium. The Bruins have advanced to the quarterfinals for the fourth time in the past six seasons.
MAC HERMANN SEMIFINALISTS
UNC senior forward Andy Craven was named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy. He leads the nation with eight game-winning goals, and tops the ACC with 14 goals and 33 points.
UCLA senior midfielder Leo Stolz was also one of the 16 players nationwide named to the list. He has totaled nine goals, six assists and 24 points in 2014.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
UCLA AND UNC are ranked 1-2 this week according to Top Drawer Soccer. The Bruins finished the regular season No. 3 in the NSCAA Coaches Poll and garnered the top RPI ranking this season.
AND SO WE MEET AGAIN
Carolina suffered a 1-0 setback to then No. 1 ranked UCLA on Sunday, Aug. 31 during the opening weekend of the 2014 campaign.
Saturday also marks just the second meeting between the two clubs in the NCAA Championship. UNC advanced past the Bruins by penalty kicks in the 2011 College Cup semifinals in Hoover, Ala. Lovejoy scored in the second half to send the match into overtime. The Tar Heels would capture its second national title with a 1-0 win over Charlotte in the championship match.
FINISHING STRONG
Carolina has a 10-1-1 record over its last 12 matches. The Tar Heels have outscored its opponents by a 35-8 margin in the 12 games. Craven has 10 goals and 24 points over this stretch, while Tyler Engel has 13 points, followed by Lovejoy with 12 points and Verneri Valimaa with 10.
TOP SCORING TEAM IN COLLEGE SOCCER
UNC leads the country with 49 goals and 149 points this season. The Tar Heels are also second nationally with 7.1 points and 2.33 goals per game, and 51 assists.
HITTING THE BACK OF THE NET
Carolina is led on offense by a trio of fifth-year senior forwards – Craven, Engel and Lovejoy have combined for 75 goals in their collegiate careers. Craven tops the group with 30 goals (20 with UNC and 10 at College of Charleston), Engel has 25 career goals (13 at UNC and 12 in two seasons at SMU) and Lovejoy has all 20 of his goals with the Tar Heels.
UP NEXT
The winner of UNC-UCLA will take on either Michigan State or Providence in the College Cup semifinals on Friday, Dec. 12 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. UNC has reached the College Cup six times in program history, while UCLA has advanced to the final four 13 times.
David Helton.For the third year in a row, a Blue Devil has won the same Atlantic Coast Conference award honoring the concept of student-athlete. Duke senior linebacker David Helton has been named the recipient of the 2014 Jim Tatum Award, ACC Commissioner John Swofford announced Thursday.
The Tatum Award is given annually in memory of the late Jim Tatum to the top senior student-athlete (in athletic eligibility) among the league’s football players. Tatum, a two-time ACC Coach of the Year, coached in the 1950s at both Maryland and North Carolina and believed strongly in the concept of the student-athlete.
The 2014 Tatum Award will be presented at the ACC’s Night of Legends event, which will be held Friday (5:30 p.m.) at the Charlotte Convention Center as part of the festivities held around the Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game.
Helton, a Psychology major who holds a 3.64 career grade point average, is one of 17 recipients of the prestigious 2014 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Awards and a finalist for the NFF’s Campbell Trophy as the top football scholar-athlete in the nation. Helton was also named a Lott IMPACT Trophy finalist on Wednesday.
“David epitomizes the true student-athlete, and we couldn’t be prouder of him as the recipient of the 2014 Tatum Award,” Duke head coach David Cutcliffe said. “His core values, instilled in him by his incredible parents, are what make him as fine a young man as we’ve had in our program. This is a tremendous honor for David and his family.”
The Chattanooga, Tennessee, native was named to the All-ACC Football Academic Team each of his first three seasons (with this year’s selections still pending) and is also a three-time member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll. He earned first-team Capital One Academic All-District III accolades in both 2013 and 2014, and is among 10 national semifinalists for the 2014 Lott IMPACT Trophy.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound senior played a key role in Duke posting a 9-3 overall record and is a major reason the Blue Devils are headed to a bowl game for a school-record third straight season. An All-ACC first-team selection, Helton leads the ACC in tackles with 10.4 per game and keys a Duke defensive unit that ranks fifth in the conference is scoring defense (20.6 points per game).
Helton is the third consecutive Duke student-athlete to receive the Tatum Award after Blue Devil quarterback Sean Renfree was honored in 2012 and offensive lineman Perry Simmons was recognized last year.
North Carolina shot worse than it has in several years in a rare non-conference loss at home as the Tar Heels fell to Iowa 60-55 Wednesday night.
The Tar Heels had lost just three home non-conference games during the Roy Williams era but shot a miserable 28 percent from the floor in the loss.
Late in the game, Iowa also got seven offensive rebounds on six trips down the floor. The Hawkeyes broke a 51-51 tie with five minutes to go on a 9-4 run to take the win.
“They had one offensive rebound in the first half and 16 in the second half,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “They made plays.”
Iowa’s Mike Gesell, an AAU teammate of fellow Iowan Marcus Paige of UNC, broke a 55-all tie with 1:16 left as he drove the lane, scored and was given a foul on Tar Heel Isiah Hicks.
The three-point play was all the Hawkeyes needed as Paige committed a charge and then missed a long three with five seconds left.
North Carolina senior libero Ece Taner has been named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, and North Carolina’s Joe Sagula was named Coach of the Year as the All-ACC Volleyball Team was announced Wednesday.
Miami senior outside hitter Savanah Leaf has been selected as the 2014 Atlantic Coast Conference Volleyball Player of the Year.
Duke’s senior setter Kelsey Williams was named Setter of the Year, and Miami’s Haley Templeton was chosen as the Freshman of the Year. Templeton headlines the nine-person All-Freshman Team. The awards were decided based on a vote of the league’s 15 head coaches.
Leaf, a native of San Anselmo, California, ranks first in the conference and 16th in the nation with 4.56 kills per set. She is just the second student-athlete from Miami to earn Player of the Year honors and the first since Lane Carico in 2011. Leaf led the Hurricanes to a third place finish in the conference with a 14-4 record.
Taner earns the second Defensive Player of the Year honors after helping the Tar Heels earn the 2014 ACC Volleyball Title. Taner ranks second in the conference with 4.48 digs per set and becomes the second libero from North Carolina to earn the award since its inception in 2009.
Williams is awarded the first-ever Setter of the Year honor after ranking first in the conference and sixth nationally in assists per set with 11.70. The inaugural winner was instrumental in the Blue Devils’ ACC leading 14.18 assists and 14.97 kills per set.
Templeton is the second Miami student-athlete and the first since Carico in 2008 to be named ACC Freshman of the Year. As a rookie, Templeton ranked second in the conference with 11.02 assists per set and played a key role in Leaf’s conference leading kills per set average.
North Carolina’s Sagula led the Tar Heels to a 26-2 overall and, 17-1 ACC record in earning his fourth ACC Coach of the Year honor (1998, 2002, 2005, 2014). Overall, Sagula has been at the helm for six (1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2014) of North Carolina’s 16 conference titles in program history. Under his guidance during the 2014 season, North Carolina saw four players named members of All-ACC teams, a ranking as high as No. 7 in the AVCA poll and the No. 7 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Eleven different schools are represented on the All-ACC Team, led by Duke and Florida State’s five student-athletes. Four from North Carolina were recognized, followed by three from Louisville, Miami and Pitt, two from Virginia and Virginia Tech and one apiece from Clemson, Syracuse and Wake Forest.
Joining Templeton on the All-Freshman Team are Clemson’s Kate Federico, Florida State’s Milica Kubura, Louisville’s Tess Clark and Maggie Dejong, NC State’s Kaitlyn Kearney, Notre Dame’s Sam Fry and Wake Forest’s Kylie Long and Caroline Wolf.
ACC teams will begin play in the 2014 NCAA Championship on Thursday, Dec. 4, with Florida State in action, while Duke, Miami and North Carolina will get their postseason underway on Friday, Dec. 5.
2014 ACC Volleyball Individual Awards
Player of the Year: Savanah Leaf, Sr., OH, Miami
Defensive Player of the Year: Ece Taner, Sr., L, North Carolina
Setter of the Year: Kelsey Williams, Sr., S, Duke
Freshman of the Year: Haley Templeton, Fr., S, Miami
Coach of the Year: Joe Sagula, North Carolina
2014 All-ACC Volleyball First Team
Jeme Obeime ! Sr. OH Duke
Emily Sklar ! Sr. OH Duke
Kelsey Williams Sr. S Duke
Sarah Burrington So. MB Florida State
Katie Mosher ! Sr. L Florida State
Nicole Walch ! Jr. OH Florida State
Katie George Jr. S Louisville
Janelle Jenkins So. OH Louisville
Savanah Leaf ! Sr. OH Miami
Emani Sims # Sr. MB Miami
Chaniel Nelson # Sr. OPP North Carolina
Paige Neuenfeldt ! Jr. MB North Carolina
Ece Taner Sr. L North Carolina
Amanda Orchard Jr. MH Pitt
Kathryn Caine ! Sr. MB Virginia Tech
Lindsey Owens So. OH Virginia Tech
2014 All-ACC Volleyball Second Team
Karis Watson Sr. MB Clemson
Sasha Karelov So. L Duke
Jordan Tucker So. MB Duke
Katie Horton So. OH Florida State
Kiara Wright Jr. MH Florida State
Tess Clark Fr. MB Louisville
Haley Templeton Fr. S Miami
Victoria McPherson ! Jr. MB North Carolina
Delaney Clesen Sr. L Pitt
Kate Yeazel Sr. RS Pitt
Silvi Uattara So. OH Syracuse
Jasmine Burton ! So. OPP Virginia
Lauren Fuller ! Jr. S Virginia
Jazmen Russell Sr. OH Wake Forest
2014 All-ACC Freshman Team
Kate Federico S Clemson
Milica Kubura RS Florida State
Tess Clark MB Louisville
Maggie Dejong MB Louisville
Haley Templeton S Miami
Kaitlyn Kearney MB NC State
Sam Fry MB Notre Dame
Kylie Long OH Wake Forest
Caroline Wolf L Wake Forest
! – Two-time selection
# – Three-time selection
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