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Arizona women's basketball shakes up starting lineup, dominates UCF

The Wildcats started both the first and second quarters on 10-0 runs. They did it by getting the ball inside to Breya Cunningham and turning the Knights over. The Wildcats scored 18 points on 13 UCF turnovers in the first half. They ended the game with 28 points off 23 Knights turnovers. Jones came off […]

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Arizona women's basketball shakes up starting lineup, dominates UCF

The Wildcats started both the first and second quarters on 10-0 runs. They did it by getting the ball inside to Breya Cunningham and turning the Knights over. The Wildcats scored 18 points on 13 UCF turnovers in the first half. They ended the game with 28 points off 23 Knights turnovers.
Jones came off the bench and scored 12 points on 3-for-3 shooting in the first half. She ended the game with a team-high 17 points on 5-for-5 shooting, one rebound, three assists, and one steal. She also had four fouls and three turnovers.
“I thought they did a good job taking care of the ball, played solid defense, and then Sky was great off the bench,” Barnes said. “You know, sometimes when you make a change in lineup, people are really motivated. I thought she did a good job of responding. Paulina wasn’t 100 percent today, so I knew I was playing her limited minutes, but I thought everybody did a really good job. But then the second half was like two different games, and we gave seven offensive rebounds the first half, then gave up seven in the first five minutes of the third quarter.”
Barnes was especially pleased with her young guards in the first half, although she thought the entire team let down in the second half.
“Starting today with Mailien and Lauryn, it spread the floor a little bit because people had to guard them, and that left Breya to go one-on-one,” Barnes said.
Things weren’t as strong for the Wildcats in the second half. Arizona scored the first four points of the third quarter then went cold. Fortunately for the visitors, the Knights were still struggling, too. They also had just four points until the 4:56 mark, but UCF rebounded and outscored UA 16-11 in the quarter.
Swann didn’t have a lot of points in the first start of her career, but her all-around contributions helped the Wildcats to a hot start. She ended with six points, three rebounds, two assists, and three steals.
Jones also started the second half on the bench. Despite not being on the floor to start either half, Jones still ran into foul trouble. She picked up her fourth with just under two minutes to go in the third quarter after just 14 minutes of play.
“Breya got to the free throw line a lot, didn’t convert, and that’s been kind of something we’ve been working on all year, and we’re continuing to work on that because she’s capable of making free throws, but getting there is the main thing,” Barnes said. “We gave up too many in the second half. Second half, we can’t give up offensive rebounds and then fouls and just not disciplined…UCF, give them credit, because they were down, and they were so scrappy. They never gave up, and they were super aggressive and a lot tougher the second half. It’s just they had built themselves a deficit, but they did a really good job outplaying us in the second half.”
Rolf did a strong job of helping run the team in her second career start. She corraled a team-high seven rebounds while scoring three points, dishing out three assists, and grabbing three steals.
It was the second time this year that Jones has come off the bench. The previous was in an exhibition game against Cal State LA.
Cunningham ended the game with 15 points, five rebounds, and four blocks. The Wildcats’ dominant post was able to keep out of foul trouble in the second half. She ended with the same two fouls she had in the first half. She only turned the ball over once.
“The ball moved really good,” Barnes said. “And that showed with we had seven assists on 11 field goals in the first half, and so almost every basket was assisted on. So that’s the positive thing. That means our offense is going well and doing a good job. And that was against man or zone.”
Williams had her 500th career point on a free throw in the fourth quarter. She reached the milestone in 48 games.
She held to that by removing sophomore Skylar Jones and junior Paulina Paris from the starting lineup in favor of freshmen Lauryn Swann and Mailien Rolf. While Paris was out for health reasons, the ongoing body language issues were the primary reason for Jones’ starting the game on the bench.
Despite the big win, Barnes still sees things her young team needs to do.
It paid off in more ways than one. Not only did the Wildcats (11-5, 2-1) get off to a dominant start in a 75-53 win over UCF (7-6, 0-3) in Orlando, Fla., but Jones responded by having one of her biggest games of the season off the bench.
As a team, Arizona shot over 50 percent from the floor—both from inside and outside the arc—in the first half. They held UCF to 27.6 percent overall and 33.3 percent from 3-point distance over the first 20 minutes.
Cunningham had nine points, two rebounds, and a block in eight minutes in the first half, but she also had two fouls and had to go to the bench. In the past, that has meant the opponent is able to cut into the lead. That has happened even against “lesser” opponents that Arizona should dominate. It didn’t happen this time.
“Yeah, you will.”
As a team, the Wildcats tied their season high with 19 assists, a number they matched against Seattle and Weber State earlier in the year.
“What I really liked about today was, with the guards we had on the floor a lot, they did a good job of creating shots for each other,” Barnes said. “And I thought this was the first time (Williams) actually got some one, two-step 3-point shots that were created for her. And I just wanted her to have the confidence to take them. I mean, she did that. So I thought she did a really good job.”
With Rolf taking some of the ballhandling load, Jada Williams had her most efficient game since Dec. 16 against Weber State. Arizona’s sophomore point guard had 15 points on 5-for-13 shooting. She hit three of six 3-point shots. She tied Montaya Dew for the team high with four assists. She added three rebounds and one steal while only turning the ball over once.
When Arizona Wildcats head coach Adia Barnes was asked if fans would see more minutes for the younger players who did well in the second half of the blowout loss to Utah, her answer was quick and to the point.
“The main reason is the way we want to play, the mentality we want, body language and attitude and cohesiveness we want, and that’s the standard,” Barnes said. “And I think Sky did a really good job of responding in a positive way. I thought she was so much more coachable today. I thought her body language was so much better. But those are things that affect your team. These are always teaching moments. And I think I always look at the bigger picture. It’s not just about basketball. It’s about life. So it’s our job as coaches to teach these things that are going to help our players for their lives and long term. I’m proud of the way that she responded. I’m proud of the way that the team responded because it’s not easy. And she could have hung her head, not played hard, and she actually played awesome offense and defense. I thought in every way she was great. She was great on the bench. So that’s the expectation I have for her, that she’s capable of doing.”

College Sports

Curl-Salemme scores twice as Frost evens series

Ottawa, Canada – May 22nd: Game #2 of the Walter Cup Final between the Minnesota Frost and the Ottawa Charge at the TD Place Arena on May 22nd, 2025 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada – (Photo by: Josh Kim / Ottawa Charge) OTTAWA, ON (May 22, 2025) – Britta Curl-Salemme scored late in the third period […]

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Ottawa, Canada – May 22nd: Game #2 of the Walter Cup Final between the Minnesota Frost and the Ottawa Charge at the TD Place Arena on May 22nd, 2025 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada – (Photo by: Josh Kim / Ottawa Charge)

OTTAWA, ON (May 22, 2025) – Britta Curl-Salemme scored late in the third period and again in overtime to lift the Minnesota Frost to a 2-1 series-tying win over the Ottawa Charge, silencing a sellout crowd of 8,206 fans on Thursday night at TD Place. The score remained scoreless for most of regulation until Jocelyne Larocque broke the deadlock at 17:25 of the third period, giving Ottawa the lead. With 15 seconds left in regulation, and the Frost pressing on a power play with their net empty, Curl-Salemme scored the equalizer to send the game to overtime. While both teams traded chances in extra time, it was Curl-Salemme who struck again––scoring with less than four minutes left in the first overtime frame–– to lift Minnesota to the win. Maddie Rooney made 37 saves on 38 shots in her third win of the postseason, while Gwyneth Philips turned aside 22 of 24 shots in her sixth start of the postseason. The loss was Ottawa’s first in four games on home ice this postseason.

Game Three of the best-of-five PWHL Finals, presented by Scotiabank, is set to take place on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET at Xcel Energy Center.



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Northland Outdoors Forecast: Tracking a seasonable Memorial Day weekend – Duluth News Tribune

After this past week has been damp with multiple days of rain around the region, we are tracking some drier weather for Memorial Day weekend. Clouds will still linger around for most of the Northland, but showers with remain isolated in two areas, around the arrowhead and western South Dakota for Saturday. Saturday ShowersStormTRACKER Weather […]

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After this past week has been damp with multiple days of rain around the region, we are tracking some drier weather for Memorial Day weekend. Clouds will still linger around for most of the Northland, but showers with remain isolated in two areas, around the arrowhead and western South Dakota for Saturday.

Saturday Showers

Saturday Showers

StormTRACKER Weather

Through the weekend overall, winds will remain light and variable for most. Winds do not look to pick up much more than 5-15 mph through the weekend.

Temperatures will not be too warm this weekend, but by the afternoon they will not be chilly either, as we stay seasonable with 60s for most of the area. The couple spots where we look to be cooler will be along the shore of Lake Superior, where highs look to remain in the 50s, as well as where the showers slide in to western South Dakota and keep temperatures in the 50s as well for the afternoon.

Saturday Highs

Saturday Highs

StormTRACKER Weather

Showers for Sunday will be even more sparse throughout the Northland, as a few sprinkles may make it into parts of North Dakota with the clouds sliding eastward for the afternoon, but for most, the bulk of the rain will remain across South Dakota with continued cloudy skies.

Sunday Showers

Sunday Showers

StormTRACKER Weather

With the increase in clouds, temperatures will be slightly cooler, and stay in the 50s for much of the Dakotas, but with calm winds, it will look to remain a pleasant cool spring day.

Cloudy and Cool Sunday

Cloudy and Cool Sunday

StormTRACKER Weather

And for Memorial Day, much of the region will still see clouds through the afternoon, but the sprinkles that do look to form will be rather spotty. By the afternoon, the clouds will give way a little to a mixture of clouds and sun for the later part of the day.

Memorial Day Clouds and Showers

Memorial Day Clouds and Showers

StormTRACKER Weather

Highs for Memorial Day will look to be a bit warmer around the region, with areas that see the clouds clear out early on getting into the 70s by the afternoon. A few spots across the Dakotas may remain in the 60s for another day, but as we then head into the week ahead we get some warmer temperatures. But for Memorial Day weekend itself, you may want to grab that sweatshirt for any evenings that you plan to enjoy outside.

Memorial Day Highs

Memorial Day Highs

StormTRACKER Weather

Charles Pekar

I grew up in Central Minnesota, and my in weather and storms led me to pursue my passion for meteorology. I got my Bachelor of Science from Iowa State University, and my experiences with forecasting there led me to start my career as a Meteorologist for WDAY as well as The Forum.





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Eagles forward heading to college hockey next season

Benjamin Pouliot will be staying in Michigan for the next part of his hockey career NEWS RELEASE NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE ************************** The Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League have announced another one of their players has committed to attended school and continue his on-ice career playing collegiately in the U.S. […]

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Benjamin Pouliot will be staying in Michigan for the next part of his hockey career

NEWS RELEASE

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

**************************

The Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League have announced another one of their players has committed to attended school and continue his on-ice career playing collegiately in the U.S.

Forward Benjamin Pouliot will attend Grand Valley State University, who are members of the Division I conference of the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

In two NOJHL seasons with the Eagles, the 20-year-old Pouliot, who hails from Howell, Mich, was over a point-per-game producer.

This recently completed campaign saw him collect 53 points in 42 outings, including notching a career single-season best 27 goals.

Back in 2023-24, he had 58 points in 56 contests on 24 tallies and 34 assists.

In all, Pouliot had 111 points in 98 league match-ups with 14 of his 51 career markers coming on the power play, while five came shorthanded. His 12 game-winning goals led his club over those two seasons.

His career point totals over the past two years tied him for seventh-most among all NOJHL skaters.

For his part, Pouliot stated: “Playing two seasons in the NOJHL with the Soo Eagles was an incredible experience. It helped me grow both as a player and a person. The staff; my billets and the quality of competition in the league were all great. I’m excited for the next chapter.”

Located in Allendale, Mich., the Grand Valley State Lakers compete out of the ACHA’s D-I conference.

**************************





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IMG Academy Announces Acquisition of College Recruiting Service SportsRecruits

May 22, 2025 BRADENTON, Fla. (May 22, 2025) – IMG Academy, the world’s leading sports education brand, today announced the acquisition of SportsRecruits, a college sports recruiting service with specialized products for families, club and high school teams, college coaches and event operators. The acquisition brings SportsRecruits alongside IMG Academy’s NCSA College Recruiting to create […]

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BRADENTON, Fla. (May 22, 2025) – IMG Academy, the world’s leading sports education brand, today announced the acquisition of SportsRecruits, a college sports recruiting service with specialized products for families, club and high school teams, college coaches and event operators. The acquisition brings SportsRecruits alongside IMG Academy’s NCSA College Recruiting to create an even more robust college sports recruiting network to help student-athletes and their families navigate the ever-evolving college sports landscape. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition marks a significant milestone for IMG Academy as it continues to expand its reach, with ambition to provide world-class IMG Academy experiences to any student-athlete who believes in the power of sport as a platform for life.

With its vision in mind, in addition to the SportsRecruits acquisition, IMG Academy has recently launched a variety of new on-campus and online experiences. On-campus IMG Academy has announced new sports, including softball, and girls and boys volleyball. Online, IMG Academy launched IMG Academy+ Essentials, a low-cost digital product with a focus on personal development through the lens of sport and performance. And as a first-of-its kind hybrid experience, combining campus and online experiences, IMG Academy recently announced IMG Academy Elevate, a new product aimed at providing elements of IMG Academy’s holistic personal development curriculum to school partners globally.

“Our responsibility is to prepare student-athletes for all aspects of college and life, and to positively impact as many lives as we possibly can,” said Brent Richard, CEO of IMG Academy. “The evolving opportunities for student-athletes create a new obligation to teach, support and prepare our families to meet the moment. Through our existing products and services, and now with SportsRecruits, we are helping student-athletes realize their dreams and enjoy the benefits that come from continuing their academic and athletic careers in college.”

“We’ve always been committed to empowering student-athletes and their families,” said Chris Meade, co-founder and CEO of SportsRecruits. “Partnering with IMG Academy amplifies our ability to deliver top-notch resources and opportunities to student-athletes everywhere. The combined strength of our networks and technology will redefine the recruiting landscape for the better.”

“The value of a college roster spot is growing and so too is the need for college sports recruiting,” added Rick McDole, COO of IMG Academy Online. “NCSA and SportsRecruits creates a holistic, best-in-class solution for student-athletes and their families, club coaches, and event operators. Our complementary strengths will more effectively connect student-athletes with college coaches and help student-athletes and their families find the right college fit.”

# # #

About IMG Academy

IMG Academy is the world’s leading sports education brand, providing a holistic education model that empowers student-athletes to win their future, preparing them for college and for life. IMG Academy provides growth opportunities for all student-athletes through an innovative suite of on-campus and online experiences:

  • Boarding school and camps, via a state-of-the-art campus in Bradenton, Fla.
  • Online coaching via IMG Academy+, with a focus on personal development through the lens of sport and performance
  • Online college recruiting, via NCSA and SportsRecruits, providing unmatched college recruiting education and services to student-athletes and their families, club coaches, and event operators, and is the premier service for college coaches.

To learn more about IMG Academy and its on-campus and online experiences, visit www.imgacademy.com.

Contact

Mike Lovecchio / [email protected]



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Bill Muckalt signs 5-year deal to coach Michigan Tech hockey

May 22, 2025, 07:38 PM ET HOUGHTON, Mich. — Michigan Tech has hired Bill Muckalt to lead its three-time national championship college hockey program. The school announced it signed Muckalt to a five-year contract Thursday, bringing back a former assistant coach who led Lindenwood last season. He led the Missouri-based university to wins over Notre […]

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HOUGHTON, Mich. — Michigan Tech has hired Bill Muckalt to lead its three-time national championship college hockey program.

The school announced it signed Muckalt to a five-year contract Thursday, bringing back a former assistant coach who led Lindenwood last season. He led the Missouri-based university to wins over Notre Dame and Wisconsin in its third season of Division I hockey.

Muckalt was the associate head coach from 2017-23 at Michigan, where he was a two-time national champion as a forward before a five-year career in the NHL. He was an assistant coach at Michigan Tech from 2011-15.

The Huskies won national titles in 1962, 1965 and 1975.

“This is a great hockey community and world-class university,” Muckalt said.

Muckalt replaces Joe Shawhan, who was 54-120-29 over eight seasons.



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Four Mavs sign for women's college soccer

May 22—MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Mavericks Liliana Savala, Samantha Escamilla, Maite Betes and Beth Ribellia signed their letters of intent to play college soccer Tuesday evening on Lions Field. Liliana and Samantha Escamilla will be signing with Green River Community College, while Maite and Beth will sign with Columbia Basin College. “I went to […]

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Four Mavs sign for women's college soccer

May 22—MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Mavericks Liliana Savala, Samantha Escamilla, Maite Betes and Beth Ribellia signed their letters of intent to play college soccer Tuesday evening on Lions Field. Liliana and Samantha Escamilla will be signing with Green River Community College, while Maite and Beth will sign with Columbia Basin College.

“I went to go see the campus and I loved the campus,” said Savala on Green River CC. “I absolutely love the environment; it felt basically like a second home to my actual home.”

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Liliana had not initially planned on going to college to play soccer, but Green River had reached out to her and after talking to the coach, she realized that this would be a great next step in her soccer career, she said.

Liliana is planning on attending Green River to earn her undergraduate degree and focus on becoming a mechanical engineer when she moves on to a university after community college.

Samantha Escamilla said the coaching staff was a major reason for choosing Green River CC as well. She said that the college’s women’s soccer coach, Kelvin Mizen, seemed confident in what he was trying to build with the team.

“I’m all for building a family and just building goals and achieving them, so that was something that had my eye from the beginning,” said Samantha Escamilla.

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Samantha Escamilla is going to be pursuing a general education at Green River with a goal to possibly move into a business education.

For both Maite and Beth, being close to home was a big reason for choosing to attend Columbia Basin College. They said the soccer program and coaching staff had also impressed and inspired them to commit to the school.

“I wasn’t really ready to go too far from home yet, and they had a good soccer program,” said Beth.

Maite said she is going to be pursuing a general education at Columbia Basin College, but has an interest in hospitality that she might consider more as time passes.

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“I like to travel, so maybe something with that,” she said.

Beth will also be focusing on just getting her AA in general studies. She is considering a degree in psychology but is still undecided on what she really wants to do.

“I’m going to be exploring some other things,” Beth said. “I’m not really sure what I want to do yet.”

The girls played soccer for both the Mavericks and the Basin Sounders club soccer team throughout their soccer careers. Basin Sounders coach Lisha Ribellia said she has spent a lot of time with the players over the years, and they have proved themselves time and time again.

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“They come out, they work hard, and they do the things they need to do to succeed,” said Lisha. “They do it with a pleasant attitude and they’re looking to compete and achieve things so it’s been good working with them.”

Lisha said they have their futures laid out ahead of them as they make their way through junior college and decide whether they want to further their soccer careers into an even higher level.

“I think that’s something that they get to kind of explore for a couple of years in school,” she said. “I know a couple of them are planning on going into helping out with more sports things, which is going to be great.”

Liliana said her time with the Basin Sounders is what resulted in her being scouted by colleges early in the season. Playing for the club was very important in both her development as a player and as a person in general.

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“I started playing with Lisha when I was a freshman,” she said. “I wasn’t fully confident in myself, and she helped push me to be the best version of who I could be and how I could play.

Maite said she had played soccer her whole life, but her time playing as a Mav has been her favorite so far.

“These four girls, they’re really special ones,” said Mavs girls soccer coach Alysha Overland. “I know the whole program is sad to see them go, but very excited to see them to their next endeavor.”

The work ethic of these four girls has been some of the best that the Mavs have had, said Overland. They have consistently shown in both practice and games a great attitude and strong effort that couples with their energy and skill.

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“I definitely think the community colleges that they’re going to are lucky to have them,” she said. “I think they’re going to excel, stand out big time for them and I think that if they choose to, they could play beyond that as well.”

Liliana’s mother, Samantha Savala, described her daughter as an amazing individual and is excited that Liliana is going out in the world and continuing to play soccer.

“That’s what she loves,” said Samantha Savala. “That’s the only thing that we want for her is to do what she loves, and this is something that she’s passionate about and wants to do.”

Brenda Farias, Samantha Escamilla’s mother, said that her daughter is a very dedicated and cheerful person and is very excited for the opportunity for her to continue her journey with soccer and move on to college.

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“I think she’s just trying to grow up and she’s trying to figure out her way,” said Brenda.

Maite has become quite the leader both on and off the field for high school and club soccer, said her mother, Katrina Betes. Katrina coached her daughter since she was younger and always instilled in her the idea that Maite could do anything and to give everything 110%.

“I think whatever she does is a perfect example for that,” said Katrina. “That’s what she’s done through club and high school as well.”

Beth’s parents, Saul and Jennifer, said she is a very kind and driven person who follows her goals and is always a team player. They are excited for her to move on to college and the opportunity she has to do something bigger.

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“The school that they’re heading to is a really good visit, so a great place to land from a parent standpoint,” said her father, Saul. “She’s going to a good place.”

The girls are all excited to see what the future holds, both in academics and for what they can continue to do as soccer players.

“I definitely see myself overcoming the levels of college soccer,” said Samantha Escamilla. “I love competing, so I want to see how far I can compete.”

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