Buckeyes top Spartans 4-1 in men’s hockey
Tanner Laczynski had a goal and an assist, and Ohio State led 4-0 after two periods to win a Big Ten men's hockey game 4-1 at Michigan State on Friday night.
Sasha Larocque and Kevin Miller scored in the first period for the Buckeyes (13-4-4, 6-4-1-0), and Ronnie Hein and Laczynski followed with goals in the first 32 seconds of the second. Sean Romeo had a shutout until Brennan Sanford scored for the Spartans (8-12-1, 2-8-1-1) at 10:10 of the third. Romeo finished with 21 saves for OSU.
John Lethemon gave up four goals, including Hein's power-play tally just 15 seconds into the second. Lethemon gave way to Ed Minney after Laczynski scored at the 32-second mark. Both Spartans goaltenders made 12 saves.
The Buckeyes and Spartans play again at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.
Women's hockey
Penn State blew open the game with a threegoal third period and beat sixth-ranked Ohio State 5-1 in a nonconference women's hockey game at the OSU Ice Rink.
Katie Rankin scored twice for the Nittany Lions, who led 2-0 entering the third. Rankin made it 3-0 with her second goal, before Julianna Iafallo got the Buckeyes (12-5-4) on the board with a power-play goal at 13:49. Ohio State, however, couldn't get the puck past Hannah Ehresmann (31 saves) again, and Aly Hardy and Christy Vetter put the game out of reach for Penn State (5-7-8) with goals in the final three minutes.
Kassidy Suave stopped 21 shots for the Buckeyes, who wrap up the weekend series against the Nittany Lions at 3 p.m. Saturday at the OSU Ice Rink.
Track and field
Sade Olatoye set a school record in the women's shot put with a toss of 56 feet, 10¾ inches at the Ohio State Buckeye Classic at French Field House. Olatoye, of Dublin Coffman, claimed her third school record. She won the weight throw with a toss of 69-11. Cole Gorski also set a school record, clearing 17-8½ in the men's pole vault. He now holds both indoor and outdoor records in the event.
Jon Gruden will be introduced as the Raiders coach Tuesday, per multiple reports.
“I’m in Kansas City freezing. … I have not heard that,” Gruden told the Bay Area News Group on Friday. “I expect to hear something soon. I’m getting ready to go meet (Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator) Dick LeBeau.”
Gruden is in Kansas City to call Saturday’s AFC wild-card game between the Chiefs and Titans for ESPN.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Gruden’s contract is for 10 years — the longest coaching contract in history — and worth around $100 million.
A process that began with the firing of Jack Del Rio on Sunday will culminate with Gruden’s return to where he began his head-coaching career.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Gruden’s coordinators already are in place.
The move comes 20 years after he was hired by late owner Al Davis as the NFL’s youngest head coach at age 34. After four seasons, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for whom he won a Super Bowl against the Raiders and coached until being fired after seven seasons.
Gruden has been the analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football since 2009.
Tennessee at Kansas City, 4:20 p.m. TV: ESPN
Atlanta at Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. TV: NBC (Channel 4)
Buffalo at Jacksonville, 1:05 p.m. TV: CBS (Channel 10)
Carolina at New Orleans, 4:40 p.m. TV: Fox (Channel 28)
Patriots deny ESPN report of rift
The New England Patriots dismissed as “flat-out inaccurate” a report suggesting a rift involving owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
The three released a joint statement hours after an ESPN report, citing undisclosed sources, detailed an array of tension.
The story highlighted purported disputes concerning Brady’s personal body coach, Alex Guerrero, in playermedical affairs. Also mentioned is a supposed difference between Kraft and Belichick over the decision to trade backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
The story implied Brady has taken issue with a lack of praise from Belichick this season.
The statement said the three have had a “very good and
The New York Giants have interviewed New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia for their coaching position.
The Chicago Bears, also in a coaching search, have interviewed McDaniels and Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. Shurmur, in his second full season in that role with the Vikings, coached the Cleveland Browns in 2011-12, going 9-23.
Falcons back after Super Bowl collapse
The Atlanta Falcons meet the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday in an NFC wild-card game, back for their first postseason game since a 25-point collapse to New England in the Super Bowl.
That loss could have broken weaker teams, but now they’re the only member of the six-team NFC field that made the playoffs last season.
“I love the resiliency and the toughness of this team,” coach Dan Quinn said. “When you’ve been through some of the fire together and you come out the other side stronger as a brotherhood, we’re certainly improved.”