Penalty kick in 87th minute defeats Dash
CARY, N.C. — Midfielder Samantha Mewis converted a penalty kick in the 87th minute to give the North Carolina Courage a 1-0 victory over the Dash on Tuesday night and clinch a spot in the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs.
With the match scoreless in the waning minutes, North Carolina (134-4, 43 points) was awarded a penalty after Dash midfielder Kristie Mewis was judged to have fouled Courage forward Crystal Dunn inside the penalty area. Mewis was issued a yellow card moments later for disputing the call.
Samantha Mewis’ gamewinning kick was the only ball to get past Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell, who finished with four saves.
The Dash (7-10-4, 25 points) play at Portland on Saturday night.
OLYMPICS Federer to decide soon on ’20 Games
Roger Federer said he will decide “in the next month or so” whether he will play in next year’s Tokyo Olympics.
Federer said his 2020 schedule is set through Wimbledon, which ends July 12. The week-long Olympic tournament starts July 25 and ends a few days before his 39th birthday.
“I guess I’m going to be deciding on the Olympic Games in the next few weeks, hopefully in the next month or so,” he said.
Federer is a four-time Olympian. He met his wife at the 2000 Sydney Games and twice carried Switzerland’s flag at the opening ceremony.
PRO BASKETBALL Mystics, Sun win semifinal openers
Washington and Connecticut opened their WNBA semifinal series with victories, with the Mystics defeating visiting Las Vegas 97-95 and the Sun beating visiting Los Angeles 84-75.
Elena Delle Donne scored 24 points and hit a crucial turnaround jumper late, and Emma Meesseman added a career postseason-high 27 points for Washington. A’ja Wilson scored 23 points for the Aces, who twice got the deficit as close as two points in the final moments. Liz Cambage added 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Alyssa Thomas had 22 points and 10 rebounds as the Sun won their first playoff game since 2012. Candace Parker had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Nneka Ogwumike added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Sparks, who knocked off defending champion Seattle in the second round.
In other news:
• The New York Liberty won the WNBA lottery and will have the first selection in next spring’s draft. It is the first time in franchise history that New York will have the first pick. The team had a 44.2 percent chance of winning the lottery after finishing with the worst combined record over the last two years. The Liberty had the No. 2 pick last season and drafted Asia Durr. Dallas will pick second, Indiana third and Atlanta fourth. Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu and Baylor forward Lauren Cox are among the leading prospects to be selected No. 1.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL 3 Vandy players lost for season
Vanderbilt will be without a trio of players for the rest of the season because of injuries.
Coach Derek Mason said backup running back Jamauri Wakefield, linebacker Colin Anderson and wide receiver Amir Abdur-Rahman will not return.
Wakefield was carted off the field late in the Commodores’ 30-6 loss to No. 3 Georgia with a leg injury in the season opener. The junior ran for 353 yards and two touchdowns last season while starting two games.
Abdur-Rahman also played against Georgia but missed a 42-24 loss at Purdue. Anderson, an inside linebacker, has not played this season, and Mason said a knee injury will keep him out. Anderson missed five games last season with an injured foot after starting the 2018 opener as a freshman. In other news:
• Michigan State offensive lineman Kevin Jarvis is expected to miss six to seven weeks because of a leg injury. Coach Mark Dantonio said Jarvis is not lost for the season but has been removed from the depth chart after starting the first three games at left tackle.
• Maryland right guard lineman Terrance Davis will miss four to six weeks because of a sprained medial collateral ligament, coach Michael Locksley said. The senior, who is the teams’ most experienced lineman, was injured in the second quarter of Saturday’s 20-17 loss at Temple.