Saturday, September 5, 2015

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 13

Only two games on a light schedule day, beginning in...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Juha Metsola are the goalies. Khabarovsk struck first in the first period on a Konstantin Sokolov goal, assisted by Michel Miklik and Tomas Zohorna. Amur added on with a Danil Faizullin goal, passed from Evgeny Grachyov. Vladivostok got on the board with a Dmitry Lugin goal, coming off of Corey Trivino. Admiral tied it on a second period goal from Dmitry Sayustov, via Samvel Mnatsyan and Artyom Podshendyalov. Vladivostok took the lead as Lugin scored his second of the game, made possible by Niclas Bergfors and Trivino. Admiral iced it at 4-2 on an empty net goal by Podshendyalov, going in unassisted. The three stars went to Lugin, Podshendyalov, and Trivino.

The other game sees Metallurg Magnitogorsk host Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Vasily Koshechkin protect the nets. Omsk was first to score in the first period on a Nikolai Lemtyugov goal, assisted by Yury Alexandrov and Michal Kempny. Magnitogorsk got on the board with a Danis Zaripov power play goal in the second period, powered by Wojtek Wolski and Jan Kovar. Avangard took the lead back as Vladimir Sobotka scored an unassisted power play goal. Metallurg tied it again in the third period on a Kovar goal, guided in by Sergei Mozyakin. In the shootout, Mozyakin had the only tally, lifting Metallurg to a 3-2 win. The three stars were Kovar, Mozyakin, and Furch (40 for 42 in saves).

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Friday, September 4, 2015

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 12

Seven games for today, beginning with...

Metallurg Novokuznetsk hosting Spartak Moscow. Evgeny Ivannikov and Andrei Kareyev are in the blue paint. Novokuznetsk began in the first period on a Ryan Stoa goal, assisted by Maxim Kazakov and Kirill Kaprizov. Moscow tied it on a Maxim Potapov goal, via Dmitry Korobov and Sergei Shmelyov. Metallurg took the lead back in the third period on an unassisted Ilya Musin goal. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars given to Musin, Kareyev (33 for 34 in saves), and Stoa.

Nearby, Sibir Novosibirsk welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Alexander Salak face their former teams. Novosibirsk started in the first period on a David Ullstrom power play goal, powered by Alexei Kopeikin and Ivan Vereshchagin. St. Petersburg tied it on an Anton Burdasov goal, fueled by Dinar Khafizullin and Evgeny Artyukhin. Sibir took the lead on a Maxim Shalunov goal, going in unassisted. Novosibirsk added on in the second period with an unassisted goal from Stepan Sannikov. Sibir extended the lead as Damir Zhafyarov scored an unassisted goal in the third period. Novosibirsk padded the lead with an Oleg Gubin power play goal, with a lone assist provided by Zhafyarov. SKA got one back on a Dmitry Kalinin goal, passed from Joakim Lindstrom. This made it 5-2, the final, with the three stars going to Zhafyarov, Sannikov, and Salak (40 for 42 in saves).

To the west, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk brings in Lada Togliatti. Ivan Kasutin and Georgy Gelashvili are the underrated goalies. Togliatti led off in the first period on an Anton Shenfeld power play goal, helped along by Mark Flood. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it in the second period on a Vitaly Sitnikov goal, guided in by Andrei Ivanov. Yugra pulled ahead on a Grigory Zheldakov goal, going in unassisted. Lada tied it again with an unassisted goal by Alexei Mastryukov. Khanty-Mansiysk ended up winning 3-2 in overtime on an Igor Bortnikov unassisted goal. The three stars went to Bortnikov, Zheldakov, and Gelashvili (32 for 34 in saves).

Continuing along, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg hosts Ak Bars Kazan. Jussi Rynnas and Jakub Kovar are between the pipes. Kazan was first to score in the first period on a Stepan Zakharchuk goal, passed from Albert Yarullin and Justin Azevedo. Yekaterinburg tied it on an Ondrej Roman goal, via Tommi Kivisto and Vitaly Popov. Avtomobilist took the lead as Alexei Dostoinov scored, thanks to Petr Koukal. Yekaterinburg added on with a power play goal by Koukal in the second period, powered by Alexei Vasilevsky and Dostoinov. Avtomobilist extended the lead as Oleg Saprykin scored, with the help of Nikolai Timashov. Emil Garipov replaced Rynnas in goal. Yekaterinburg padded the lead on another Saprykin goal, assisted by Dostoinov and Eero Elo. Ak Bars got one back on an Alexander Svitov goal, with helpers provided by Yakov Rylov and Oscar Moller. Kazan pulled closer with a Mikhail Varnakov goal, made possible by Moller and Azevedo. This only made it 5-3, the final, with the three stars going to Saprykin, Koukal, and Dostoinov, while Moller and Azevedo get the honorable mentions.

Out west, CSKA Moscow brings in Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Alexander Sudnitsin and Viktor Fasth are the masked men. Moscow struck first in the first period on a power play goal by Nikita Zaitsev, powered by Stephane Da Costa and Denis Denisov. CSKA added on with a Geoff Platt goal, via Jan Mursak and Simon Hjalmarsson. Nizhnekamsk got on the board in the third period on an Igor Polygalov goal, passed from Evgeny Lapenkov and Evgeny Ryasensky. Moscow shot back with a Hjalmarsson goal, assisted by Mursak and Bogdan Kiselevich. CSKA iced it at 4-1 with a shorthanded and unassisted empty net goal from Sergei Andronov. The three stars were awarded to Hjalmarsson, Mursak, and Fasth (15 for 16 in saves).

Backtracking to Cherepovets, where Severstal welcomes Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vasily Demchenko faces a lesser foe in Sergei Magarilov in goal. Chelyabinsk got going in the second period with a Dmitry Pestunov goal, coming off of Yegor Martynov. Traktor added on with a Maxim Yakutsenya power play goal in the third period, going in unassisted. Chelyabinsk extended the lead on a Vyacheslav Osnovin empty net goal, a shorthanded tally set up by Ilya Davydov. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars handed to Demchenko (29 save shutout), Pestunov, and Yakutsenya.

Finally, Dynamo Moscow hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Alexander Lazushin guard the cages. Moscow opened in the first period on a Mat Robinson power play goal, powered by Alexei Tsvetkov and Maxim Karpov. Dynamo added on with a Tsvetkov goal in the second period, with a lone assist by Gleb Koryagin. Podolsk got on the board with a Maxim Afinogenov goal, assisted by Alexei Makeyev and Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi. Vityaz tied it with another Afinogenov goal, courtesy of Nikita Vyglazov. Podolsk took the lead with a shorthanded goal by Georgy Berdyukov, set up by Yury Koksharov. This produced the eventual final of 3-2, with the three stars given to Afinogenov, Tsvetkov, and Berdyukov.

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Thursday, September 3, 2015

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 11

Only four games for today, beginning with...

Metallurg Magnitogorsk hosting Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Vasily Koshechkin protect the nets. Astana began in the first period on a Dustin Boyd goal, fueled by Nigel Dawes and Brandon Bochenski. Barys added on with a Dawes goal, via Bochenski and Boyd. Magnitogorsk got on the board in the second period as Evgeny Biryukov scored, thanks to Viktor Antipin and Oskar Osala. Metallurg tied it with a Sergei Mozyakin power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Jan Kovar. Metallurg took the win in the shootout, as Danis Zaripov tallied for a 3-2 win. The three stars still went to Dawes, Boyd, and Bochenski.

Up in Ufa, Salavat Yulaev welcomes Avangard Omsk. Denis Kostin and Niklas Svedberg are in the creases. Omsk opened in the first period on a power play goal by Anton Kuryanov, powered by Denis Parshin and Sergei Shirokov. Avangard added on with an Ilya Zubov goal, guided in by Parshin and Yury Alexandrov. Ufa got on the board in the second period with a power play goal by Linus Omark, made possible by Sami Lepisto and Teemu Hartikainen. Salavat Yulaev tied it as Igor Grigorenko scored, with the help of Omark and Kirill Koltsov. Omsk took the lead back in the third period on a Vladimir Sobotka goal, via Shirokov and Parshin, the latter getting a sock trick for three assists. Avangard held on to win 3-2, with the three stars going to Parshin, Omark, and Shirokov.

To the west, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl brings in the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Alexei Murygin are between the pipes. Yaroslavl started in the first period with a Sergei Konkov goal, assisted by Emil Galimov and Andrei Loktionov. Lokomotiv added on with a Daniil Apalkov goal, passed from Jiri Novotny and Denis Mosalyov on the power play. Yaroslavl extended the lead in the second period on a Patrik Hersley goal, courtesy of Staffan Kronwall and Galimov. The score stayed at 3-0 to the end, with the three stars handed to Murygin (29 save shutout), Galimov, and Konkov.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb hosts Dinamo Riga. Joacim Ericsson and Gasper Kroselj are the inexperienced goalies. Zagreb got going with a second period power play goal by Stefano Giliati. Riga tied it in the third period on an Andris Dzerins goal, coming off of Mikelis Redlihs and Tomas Kundratek. Medvescak won 2-1 in overtime with a power play goal by Marek Kvapil, powered by Simon Gysbers and Tuukka Mantyla. The three stars were given to Kroselj (21 for 22 in saves), Kvapil, and Giliati.

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Wednesday, September 2, 2015

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 10

Only two games on today as the first major travel portion of the season comes upon the league. We begin with...

Jokerit Helsinki welcoming Dinamo Minsk. Jeff Glass and Henrik Karlsson man the nets. Minsk got going in the third period on a Ryan Vesce goal, made possible by Nick Bailen and Charles Linglet. This stood for a 1-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Glass (39 save shutout), Karlsson (25 for 26 in saves), and Vesce.

The other game sees Severstal Cherepovets bring in Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov and Jakub Stepanek are in goal. Cherepovets began in the first period with a Yury Trubachyov power play goal, powered by Andrei Shefer and Dmitry Kagarlitsky. Severstal added on with a shorthanded Kagarlitsky goal, set up by Pavel Chernov. Nizhny Novgorod got on the board with a Carter Ashton power play goal, assisted by Alexei Pepelyaev and Andrei Kostitsyn. Torpedo tied it on a power play goal by Evgeny Mozer in the second period, fueled by Oleg Piganovich and Linus Videll. Nizhny Novgorod grabbed the lead on a Videll goal, going in unassisted. Cherepovets retied it on a third period goal by Anatoly Nikontsev, guided in by Trubachyov and Pavel Buchnevich on the power play. The tie went to a shootout, where Trubachyov and Buchnevich scored for Severstal, lifting them over a lone tally by Torpedo's Kostitsyn. The three stars of the 4-3 game were Kagarlitsky, Trubachyov, and Videll, while Buchnevich gets an honorable mention.

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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 9

Nine games for the ninth day of the season, beginning in...

Magnitogorsk, as Metallurg hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Georgy Gelashvili and Vasily Koshechkin are the veteran goalies. Magnitogorsk opened in the first period on a Wojtek Wolski goal, passed from Sergei Mozyakin and Jan Kovar on the power play. Metallurg added on in the second period as Viktor Antipin scored, thanks to Mozyakin and Evgeny Biryukov. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with an Alexei Vasilchenko goal, via Igor Bortnikov and Nikita Gusev. Magnitogorsk replied with a Yaroslav Khabarov goal, courtesy of Chris Lee and Evgeny Timkin. Metallurg extended the lead in the third period on a Oskar Osala goal, coming off of Tomas Filippi. Magnitogorsk padded the lead on a Mozyakin goal, made possible by Wolski and Kovar. Yugra got one back on an Alexei Mikhnov goal, guided in by Vitaly Sitnikov and Vasilchenko. Metallurg finished it at 6-2 on a Danis Zaripov goal, with helpers provided by Osala and Lee. The three stars went to Mozyakin, Osala, and Wolski, while Kovar, Vasilchenko, and Lee get the honorable mentions.

West to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor welcomes Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Vasily Demchenko are between the pipes. Chelyabinsk was first to score in the first period with a Semyon Kokuyov goal, assisted by Alexander Ryabakov. Traktor added on in the second period with a Francis Pare goal, fueled by Ilya Davydov and Rybakov. Astana got on the board in the third period with an unassisted power play goal by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Rybakov, Demchenko (21 for 22 in saves), and Pare.

Back east, Salavat Yulaev Ufa brings in Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Igor Ustinsky and Vladimir Sokhatsky are the inexperienced goalies. Yekaterinburg struck first in the first period on an Alexei Dostoinov power play goal, powered by Petr Koukal and Alexei Vasilevsky. Avtomobilist added on with a power play goal by Alexander Loginov, fueled by Koukal and Eero Elo. Ufa got on the board with a Dmitry Makarov goal, passed from Sami Lepisto and Linus Omark. Salavat Yulaev added on with an Andreas Engqvist goal in the second period, coming off of Artyom Chernov and Anton Lazarev. Yekaterinburg retook the lead with an Andrei Alexeyev goal, made possible by Sergei Yemelin and Alexander Pankov. Avtomobilist extended the lead in the third period on a Vasilevsky goal, via Alexander Torchenyuk. Yekaterinburg padded the lead with an Oleg Saprykin goal, fueled by Pavel Turbin and Torchenyuk. Ufa pulled back on a Denis Khlystov goal, with assists from Nikolai Prokhorkin and Yegor Dubrovsky. Salavat Yulaev chipped closer on a Teemu Hartikainen goal, guided in by Omark and Sergei Soin. They couldn't get an equalizer, and the game ended at 5-4. The three stars went to Vasilevsky, Torchenyuk, and Koukal, while Omark got an honorable mention.

Way to the west, Slovan Bratislava hosts Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Michael Garnett guard the cages. Novosibirsk dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Maxim Shalunov goal, assisted by Sergei Gimayev and Damir Zhafyarov. Sibir added on with a Sergei Shumakov goal, passed from Konstantin Okulov. Bratislava got on the board with an Andrej Stastny goal, with a lone helper by Ziga Jeglic. Slovan tied it with a Lukas Kaspar goal, courtesy of Vaclav Nedorost. Novosibirsk gained the lead in the third period on a shorthanded goal by Shalunov, his second of the game, set up by Calle Ridderwall. This gave them a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Shalunov, Shumakov, and Salak (31 for 33 in saves).

Back in Russia, CSKA Moscow welcomes Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Stanislav Galimov protect the nets. Moscow started in the first period with a Jan Mursak goal, assisted by Simon Hjalmarsson. CSKA added on in the second period as Geoff Platt scored, thanks to Nikita Zaitsev and Alexander Radulov on the power play. Moscow extended the lead on a Bogdan Kiselevich goal, via Dmitry Kugryshev and Mursak. CSKA padded the lead in the third period with an Alexander Kutuzov goal, made possible by Roman Lyubimov. Moscow kept going on a Kugryshev goal, fueled by Mursak and Hjalmarsson. The final stood at 5-0, with the three stars handed to Mursak, Kugryshev, and Galimov (17 save shutout), while Hjalmarsson gets an honorable mention.

A little to the south, Vityaz Podolsk brings in Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Harri Sateri are the Finnish goalies. Podolsk got going in the second period with a Vyacheslav Solodukhin power play goal, powered by Dmitry Shitikov and Alexander Kucheryavenko. Khabarovsk tied it with a Tomas Zohorna goal, with a lone assist by Konstantin Sokolov. Vityaz took the lead back with a Yury Koksharov goal, fueled by Igor Musatov and Nikita Vyglazov. The scoring stopped here, with the final standing at 2-1, with the three stars going to Sateri (25 for 26 in saves), Koksharov, and Solodukhin.

Back in the city proper, Dynamo Moscow hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Alexander Sharychenkov receive the starting nods in goal. Vladivostok led off in the first period on an Oskars Bartulis goal, courtesy of Jonathon Blum and Niclas Bergfors on the power play. Admiral added on with a Dmitry Lugin goal, assisted by Bergfors and Mikhail Fisenko. Vladivostok extended the lead as Denis Osipov scored, thanks to Fisenko. Alexander Lazushin replaced Sharychenkov in goal. Moscow got on the board in the second period on a Denis Kokarev goal, via Yury Babenko. Dynamo pulled closer with an Alexander Osipov goal, fueled by Konstantin Gorovikov and Ansel Galimov. Moscow tied it in the third period on a Martins Karsums goal, made possible by the goalie Lazushin and Maxim Pestushko. The tie went to a shootout, where Nikita Filatov scored the only goal for a 4-3 Admiral win. The three stars belonged to Filatov, Bergfors, and Fisenko.

Further east, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk welcomes Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Ville Kolppanen are in the creases. Omsk dented the scoreboard with a second period power play goal by Denis Kulyash, powered by Jonas Ahnelov and Vladimir Sobotka. Avangard added on with a Nikolai Lemtyugov power play goal, via Alexander Chernikov. Omsk extended the lead with a Sergei Shirokov goal, made possible by Kulyash and Ilya Zubov. Avangard padded the lead in the third period on an Alexander Perezhogin goal, courtesy of Ahnelov and Sobotka. Nizhnekamsk got on the board with a Jeff Taffe goal, coming off of Evgeny Grigorenko and Denis Kuzmin. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars handed to Kulyash, Ahnelov, and Sobotka.

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Filip Novotny and Calvin Heeter make the starts in goal. Zagreb began in the first period with a Patrick Bjorkstrand goal, assisted by Colby Genoway and Stefano Giliati. Novokuznetsk tied it on a shorthanded goal by Maxim Kazakov, going in unassisted. Medvescak took the lead back with Bjorkstrand's second of the game, via Genoway. Metallurg tied it with a Viktor Drugov goal in the second period, made possible by Vadim Mitryakov and Nikita Kamalov. Zagreb gained the lead again in the third period with an Artyom Pugolovkin unassisted goal. Novokuznetsk again tied it as Kazakov scored, thanks to Robert Kousal and Pavel Makarenko. In the shootout, Metallurg got goals from Kousal and Ryan Stoa, but two tallies from Marek Kvapil and a winner from Genoway gave Medvescak the 4-3 win. Genoway, Bjorkstrand, and Kazakov get the three stars.

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Monday, August 31, 2015

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 8

Only four games on today, beginning with...

Lada Togliatti hosting Ak Bars Kazan. Emil Garipov and Edgars Masalskis man the nets. Kazan opened in the first period on a Mikhail Varnakov goal, assisted by Oscar Moller on the power play. Ak Bars added on with another Varnakov goal, passed from Ziyat Paigin and Mikhail Zhukov. Kazan extended the lead in the second period with a Dmitry Obukhov goal, via Stepan Zakharchuk. Ak Bars padded the lead as Moller scored, thanks to Mattias Sjogren. Togliatti avoided the shutout with a late goal in the third period by Alexei Mastryukov, going in unassisted. The final was 4-1, with the three stars going to Varnakov, Garipov (34 for 35 in saves), and Moller.

Along to Sochi, where the Leopards welcome Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Alexei Murygin and Konstantin Barulin are the experienced goalies. Sochi led off with a first period power play goal by Nikita Shchitov, powered by Andre Petterson and Roman Lyuduchin. Yaroslavl got on the board in the second period with a Yegor Averin power play goal, courtesy of Staffan Kronwall. The Leopards gained the lead on a Mikhail Anisin goal in the third period, made possible by Max Warn. This held up for a 2-1 win, with the three stars handed to Barulin (24 for 25 in saves), Anisin, and Shchitov.

Back north, Severstal Cherepovets brings in SKA St. Petersburg. Mikko Koskinen and Jakub Stepanek protect the nets. St. Petersburg began with a first period goal by Anton Burdasov, fueled by Alexander Barabanov. SKA added on in the second period with a power play goal by Maxim Chudinov, powered by Yegor Yakovlev and Vadim Shipachyov. St. Petersburg extended the lead with an Evgeny Ketov goal, guided in by Dinar Khafizullin and Pyotr Khokhryakov. The final stood at 3-0, with the three stars awarded to Koskinen (18 save shutout), Burdasov, and Chudinov.

Finally, Spartak Moscow hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov and Evgeny Ivannikov are in the blue paint. Moscow started in the first period on an Andrei Yermakov goal, via Vyacheslav Ipatov. Nizhny Novgorod tied it in the second period with an Alexander Frolov goal, assisted by Stanislav Yegorshev and Daniil Ilyin. Torpedo took the lead on a Nikita Dvurechensky goal, passed from Alexei Potapov and Vyacheslav Kulyomin. Nizhny Novgorod added on with a Carter Ashton goal, coming off of Linus Videll and Carl Klingberg. Torpedo extended the lead on a Klingberg goal, courtesy of Videll and Potapov on the power play. Spartak got one back with a Matthew Gilroy shorthanded goal, set up by Casey Wellman. Nizhny Novgorod replied in the third period on an Ilyin goal, made possible by Frolov and Andrei Kostitsyn. This produced the 5-2 final score, with the three stars going to Frolov, Klingberg, and Ilyin, while Potapov and Videll get the honorable mentions.

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Sunday, August 30, 2015

Major League Soccer Week 26

The slate is full with ten games this week, beginning with...

The Cali Clasico, as the San Jose Earthquakes host the Los Angeles Galaxy on Friday night. Donovan Ricketts and David Bingham draw the starts in goal. San Jose began with a Shea Salinas goal in the eighteenth minute. Los Angeles went down to ten men in the forty-seventh minute when Leonardo received a straight red card for his professional foul. The Galaxy saw a yellow card for a seventy-fourth minute foul by Robbie Rogers. In the ninetieth minute, Victor Bernardez of the Earthquakes took a yellow card for a foul. The final stood at 1-0, with the man of the match being Bingham for his four-save clean sheet.

The first of seven games on Saturday has New York City FC welcoming the Columbus Crew SC. Steve Clark and Josh Saunders are between the posts. Columbus opened with a tenth minute goal by Federico Higuain, via Wil Trapp. New York City tied it in the twenty-ninth minute with an Andrew Jacobson goal, assisted by Patrick Mullins. In the fifty-ninth minute, the Crew took a yellow card for a Tony Tchani foul. Columbus had a yellow card go to Kei Kamara for a handball in the eighty-second minute. The Crew took the lead in the eighty-third minute on a Justim Meram goal, set up by Higuain. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the man of the match being Higuain for his goal and assist.

Up in Canada, Toronto FC brings in the Montreal Impact. Eric Kronberg and Chris Konopka get the starting nods in goal. Toronto had a yellow card for a twenty-fourth minute foul by Collen Warner. Toronto took the first lead on a thirty-fifth minute goal by Michael Bradley, coming off of Jonathan Osorio and Sebastian Giovinco. Laurent Ciman of Montreal took a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. In the fifty-fifth minute, Jozy Altidore added on for Toronto with his goal. In the fifty-sixth minute, Victor Cabrera of the Impact received a yellow card for a foul. The Impact got on the board with a seventy-fourth minute Dominic Oduro goal, made possible by Andres Romero. Montreal went down to ten men in the seventy-seventh minute as Ciman picked up his second yellow card for a foul, earning an ejection. Montreal took a yellow card in second half stoppage time for dissent from Oduro. The final stood at 2-1 favoring Toronto, with the man of the match being Altidore for his game-winner.

Back stateside, the Phildelphia Union host the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth faces a lesser foe in Andre Blake in goal. Philadelphia had a yellow card given to Tranquillo Barnetta in the thirty-eighth minute for dissent. Vincent Nogueira of the Union took a yellow card for his forty-ninth minute foul. New England dented the scoreboard in the fifty-first minute with a Diego Fagundez goal, assisted by Charlie Davies. Jermain Jones of the Revolution had a yellow card assessed in the fifty-eighth minute. Brian Carroll of Philadelphia took a yellow card for an eighty-seventh minute foul. The Union went down to ten men in stoppage time due to a red card given to Cristian Maidana for violent conduct. The final stood at 1-0, and Fagundez was the man of the match for his winner.

Down in Florida, Orlando City SC welcomes the Chicago Fire and a lot of weather issues. Sean Johnson and Tally Hall will be in goal once things get started. Chicago was first to score in the thirtieth minute on a David Accam goal, made possible by Razvan Cocis. Luke Boden of Orlando City took a yellow card for a foul in the thirty-second minute. Orlando City tied it in the thirty-seventh minute as Eric Gehrig put the ball in his own net for an own goal. Gehrig's night got worse when he took a yellow card for dissent in the forty-third minute for the Fire. Chicago saw a yellow card go to Kennedy Igboananike in the seventy-seventh minute for a foul. In the eighty-third minute, Carlos Rivas of Orlando City received a yellow card for his foul. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with the man of the match being Accam for his goal.

Out west, the Colorado Rapids bring in Sporting Kansas City. Tim Melia and Clint Irwin handle the goalkeeping responsibilities. In the thirty-fourth minute, Kansas City took a yellow card for a foul by Saad-Abdul Salaam. Sporting began with a forty-seventh minute goal by Dominic Dwyer, via Krisztian Nemeth. Colorado tied it on a fifty-third minute goal by Maynor Figueroa, passed from Vicente Sanchez. In the fifty-eighth minute, Axel Sjoberg took a yellow card for persistent infringement for the Rapids. In the sixtieth minute, Seth Sinovic of Kansas City took a yellow card for a foul. Colorado's Marcelo Sarvas received a yellow card for his seventy-second minute foul. The Rapids gained the lead with a Kevin Doyle goal in the seventy-sixth minute, courtesy of Sanchez. Colorado had a yellow card given to Drew Moor for time wasting in the ninetieth minute. The final stood at 2-1, with the man of the match being Doyle for his winner.

Backtracking to Texas, as FC Dallas hosts Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando faces a lesser foe in Jesse Gonzalez in goal. Salt Lake saw yellow cards given to Luke Mulholland for a thirty-eighth minute foul and Demar Phillips for a foul in the fortieth minute. Javier Morales of Real took a yellow card for dissent in the fifty-first minute, but it didn't do anything to help, as Dallas started with a penalty kick goal by Tesho Akindele. In the sixty-sixth minute, Dallas had a yellow card for Matt Hedges' foul. Tony Beltran of Salt Lake received a yellow card for his sixty-seventh minute foul. In the seventy-ninth minute, Fabian Castillo added on for Dallas, with the help of Michael Barrios. Dallas saw a yellow card go to Je-Vaughn Watson in the eighty-fourth minute for time wasting. The final remained 2-0, with the man of the match being Gonzalez for his four-save clean sheet.

Ending Saturday, the Houston Dynamo welcome the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Tyler Deric are the solid goalies. Vancouver had a yellow card for a Matias Laba foul in the twenty-seventh minute. Houston stuck first in the thirty-fourth minute on a Ricardo Clark goal, set up by Erick Torres and Sheanon Williams. In the fifty-first and fifty-sixth minutes, the Whitecaps saw Kendall Waston take two yellow cards for fouls, earning an ejection that put Vancouver at ten men. In the sixty-fourth minute, the Whitecaps went to nine men as Laba received a second yellow card for a foul, also getting ejected. The Dynamo capped it with a Raul Rodriguez goal in the eighty-seventh minute, made possible by Brad Davis. Houston took the game 2-0, with the man of the match being Clark for his game-winner.

The first of two Sunday games has the Seattle Sounders FC bring in the Portland Timbers. Adam Larsen Kwarasey and Stefan Frei are the gloved men. Seattle opened with a sixth minute goal by Obafemi Martins. The Sounders saw a yellow card go to Brad Evans for his foul in the twenty-fourth minute. Seattle added on with a forty-second minute goal by Evans on a penalty kick. Portland's Liam Ridgewell took a yellow card in the forty-fourth minute for his foul. The Timbers got on the board with a Jack Jewsbury goal in the fifty-eighth minute, set up by Diego Valeri. In the sixty-first minute, Oniel Fisher of the Sounders took a yellow card for a foul. Portland's Valeri took a yellow card for a sixty-ninth minute foul. In the eighty-third minute, the Timbers' Dairon Asprilla took a yellow card for a foul. The final held at 2-1 for Seattle, with the man of the match being Frei for making five saves on six shots on goal.

Finally, the New York Red Bulls host DC United. Bill Hamid and Luis Robles guard the woodwork. DC saw a yellow card for Steve Birnbaum for an eighth minute foul. In the thirty-third minute, Lloyd Sam scored to put New York on the board first, with the help of Bradley Wright-Phillips and Kemar Lawrence. The Red Bulls added on with a forty-second minute goal by Wright-Phillips, via Mike Grella and Felipe. New York extended the lead with another Wright-Phillips goal, passed from Sacha Kljestan. Conor Doyle of United had a yellow card for his sixty-fifth minute foul. The final remained at 3-0, with the man of the match being Wright-Phillips with his brace and an assist.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

2015/16 Premier League Week 4

The league is back in action with ten games over Saturday and Sunday. We begin up north with...

Newcastle United hosting Arsenal. Petr Cech and Tim Krul are the goalies. Newcastle United saw a yellow card given to Moussa Sissoko in the third minute for a foul. In the sixteenth minute, Aleksandar Mitrovic of Newcastle United took a straight red card for his foul, putting his team at ten men for the majority of the game. Newcastle United took two more yellow cards in the first half, for fouls by Chancel Mbemba in the nineteenth minute and Florian Thauvin in the twenty-sixth minute. Newcastle United had more discipline issues in the second half, with Vurnon Anita taking a yellow card for his forty-eighth minute foul. In the forty-ninth minute, both Arsenal's Santiago Cazorla and Newcastle United's Georginio Wijnaldum received yellow cards, for a foul and an argument, respectively. In the fifty-second minute, Newcastle United's day got worse when Fabricio Coloccini put the ball in his own net to give Arsenal the lead. In stoppage time, Coloccini took a yellow card. The final favored Arsenal 1-0 in a bit of a pitiful game.

South a bit to Aston Villa welcoming Sunderland. Costel Pantilimon and Brad Guzan protect the nets. Sunderland started in the eighth minute on a Yann M'Vila goal on a free kick. In the eleventh minute, Aston Villa tied it on a penalty kick goal taken by Scott Sinclair. In the thirty-seventh minute, Ciaran Clark of Aston Villa had a yellow card for a foul. Aston Villa took the lead as Sinclair scored in the forty-first minute, with the help of Jordan Amavi. Sunderland retied it in the fifty-second minute with a Jeremain Lens goal, passed from Ola Toivonen. Aston Villa had a yellow card in the seventy-ninth minute for a foul by Carles Gil. In the ninetieth minute, Pantilimon of Sunderland had a yellow card. The 2-2 score held as a final.

Moving along, Bournemouth brings in Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel and Artur Boruc are between the posts. Bournemouth had a yellow card given to Max Gradel for a foul in the first minute. Leicester City saw a yellow card given to Rickie de Laet for his foul in the thirteenth minute. In the twenty-fourth minute, Bournemouth led off on a goal by Callum Wilson. Leicester City took another yellow card in the thirty-sixth minute for an Andy King foul. Leicester City saw a yellow card go to Robert Huth in the forty-eighth minute for a foul. Eunan O'Kane of Bournemouth received a yellow card for a foul in the seventy-fifth minute. In the eighty-sixth minute, Jamie Vardy converted a penalty kick to tie the game for Leicester City. Jeffrey Schlupp of Leicester City took a yellow card for his foul in stoppage time. The score remained at a 1-1 draw for the final.

Down in London, Chelsea hosts cross-town rivals Crystal Palace. Alex McCarthy and Thibaut Courtois man the nets. Crystal Palace got going in the sixty-fifth minute with a Bakary Sako goal. In the seventy-first minute, Gary Cahill took a yellow card for Chelsea for his foul. Crystal Palace saw a yellow card go to In the seventy-third minute, Yohan Cabaye of Crystal Palace received a yellow card. In the seventy-ninth minute, Falcao scored for Chelsea, with an assist from Pedro. Crystal Palace retook the lead on an eighty-first minute goal by Joel Ward, guided in by Sako. This made it 2-1, which ended up as the final for Crystal Palace.

Up north again, Liverpool welcomes West Ham United. Darren Randolph and Simon Mignolet receive the starting nods in goal. West Ham United began in the third period with a Manuel Lanzini goal, assisted by Aaron Cresswell. West Ham United added on in the twenty-ninth minute with a Mark Noble goal. Noble took a yellow card in the thirty-eighth minute for his foul. In first half stoppage time, Philippe Coutinho took a yellow card for a foul for Liverpool. Liverpool went down to ten men in the fifty-second minute as Coutinho was sent off on his second yellow card for a foul. Lucas Leiva of Liverpool had a yellow card assessed in the seventieth minute for his foul. In the seventy-eighth minute, Noble took his second yellow card for violent conduct, putting West Ham United at ten men. Lanzini of West Ham United took a yellow card in the eighty-first minute. Liverpool had a yellow card for a Danny Ings foul in the eighty-sixth minute. Nathaniel Clyne of Liverpool received a yellow card in second half stoppage time for his foul. In the next minute, Diafra Sakho scored for West Ham United, making it a 3-0 final score.

Next up, Manchester City brings in Watford. Heurelho Gomes and Joe Hart protect the nets. In the fortieth minute, Vincent Kompany of Manchester City took a yellow card for a foul. Watford had a yellow card go to Nyom in the forty-third minute for a foul. In the forty-seventh minute, Raheem Sterling dented the scoreboard for Manchester City, via Bacary Sagna. Manchester City added on in the fifty-sixth minute with a goal by Fernandinho, assisted by David Silva. Watford's Sebastian Prodl took a yellow card for a sixty-third minute foul. The final remained at 2-0 for Manchester City.

Continuing along, Stoke City hosts West Bromwich Albion. Boaz Myhill and Jack Butland are in the six-yard boxes. In the twenty-fifth minute, Craig Gardner of West Bromwich Albion took a yellow card for his foul. Ibrahim Afellay of Stoke City received a red card a few seconds later for violent conduct, putting them at ten men. Stoke City went down to nine men when Charlie Adam was sent off for violent conduct as well in the thirty-first minute. In first half stoppage time, West Bromwich cashed in on the two-man advantage with a goal by Salomon Rondon, passed from Rickie Lambert. Erik Pieters of Stoke City had a yellow card for a sixty-sixth minute foul. West Bromwich Albion took the last three yellow cards, given to Christian Gamboa in the sixty-ninth minute, Gareth McAuley in the eighty-fourth minute, and Lambert in second half stoppage time, all for fouls. The final stood at 1-0 for West Bromwich Albion.

The last of the eight Saturday games is Tottenham Hotspur welcoming Everton. Tim Howard and Hugo Lloris tend the nets. Everton had a yellow card for a thirty-eighth minute foul by Gareth Barry. Tottenham Hotspur took yellow cards for Dele Alli in the fifty-sixth minute, Nabil Bentaleb for a foul in the fifty-ninth minute, Eric Dier for a sixty-first minute foul, and Nacer Chadli in stoppage time. The game ended in a 0-0 draw.

On Sunday, Southampton brings in Norwich City. John Ruddy and Maarten Stekelenburg are the gloved men. Norwich City's Steven Whittaker took two yellow cards for fouls in the twenty-seventh and thirty-first minutes, earning himself an ejection and sending his team down to ten men. Southampton began in first half stoppage time on a Graziano Pelle goal, assisted by Sadio Mane. Southampton added on in the sixty-fourth minute with a Dusan Tadic goal, passed from Mane. Southampton extended the lead on another Tadic goal in the sixty-seventh minute. The final remained at 3-0 for Southampton.

Finally, in Wales, Swansea City hosts Manchester United for the last game until the middle of next month. Sergio Romero and Lukasz Fabianski are the keepers. Manchester United took the first two yellow cards, for Morgan Schneiderlin's thirty-eighth minute foul and Memphis Depay's forty-first minute foul. Wayne Routledge took a yellow card for his foul in the forty-third minute. Manchester United struck first in the forty-eighth minute on a Juan Mata goal, via Luke Shaw. Swansea City tied it on an Andre Ayew goal in the sixty-first minute, assisted by Gylfi Sigurdsson. Swansea City took the lead as Bafetimbi Gomis scored in the sixty-sixth minute, passed from Ayew. Swansea City saw a yellow card given to Jonjo Shelvey for his eightieth minute dissent. The final favored Swansea City 2-1.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 7

Nine games on in a busy day for the league, beginning with...

Metallurg Magnitogorsk hosting Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. Yekaterinburg led off in the first period on an Alexander Torchenyuk goal, via Alexander Pankov. Avtomobilist added on with a Vitaly Popov goal, assisted by Dmitry Megalinsky, coming shorthanded. Magnitogorsk got on the board in the second period on a Jan Kovar goal, passed from Sergei Mozyakin and Alexander Bereglazov. This was as close as they got, with the final sitting at 2-1. The three stars went to Jakub Kovar (22 for 23 in saves), Popov, and Torchenyuk.

Over to Chelyabinsk, as Traktor welcomes Avangard Omsk. Denis Kostin and Pavel Francouz man the nets. Omsk was first to score in the first period on an Anton Kuryanov power play goal, powered by Vladimir Sobotka and Alexander Perezhogin. Avangard added on with a Sergei Shirokov goal, fueled by Michal Kempny and Denis Parshin. Chelyabinsk got on the board as Semyon Kokuyov scored, with the help of Alexander Rybakov. The scoring stopped here, and Avangard took the 2-1 win. The three stars belonged to Kostin (23 for 24 in saves), Shirokov, and Francouz (33 for 35 in saves).

Back east a bit, as Salavat Yulaev Ufa brings in Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Vladislav Fokin and Niklas Svedberg draw the starts in goal. Ufa began in the first period with an Andreas Engqvist goal, coming off of Zakhar Arzamastsev on the power play. Salavat Yulaev added on with a Yegor Dubrovsky goal, made possible by Denis Khlystov and Sami Lepisto. Ufa extended the lead on an Igor Grigorenko goal, courtesy of Sergei Soin and Nikolai Prokhorkin. Georgy Gelashvili took over for Fokin in net for Yugra. Khanty-Mansiysk got on the board with a shorthanded goal by Artyom Bulyansky in the second period, set up by Pavel Medvedev. Yugra pulled closer on a Mikhail Mamkin goal, dished from Andrei Taratukhin and Medvedev. Salavat Yulaev replied on another Grigorenko goal, assisted by Arzamastsev. This held up for a 4-2 win, with the three stars given to Grigorenko, Medvedev, and Arzamastsev.

Out west, Dynamo Moscow hosts Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Alexander Sharychenkov are in the blue paint. Moscow started in the first period on a Maxim Karpov goal, assisted by Maxim Solovyov and Alexei Tsvetkov. Dynamo added on as Mat Robinson scored, thanks to Maxim Pestushko and Konstantin Glazachev. Moscow extended the lead with a Glazachev goal, going in unassisted. Dynamo padded the lead in the second period on a Tsvetkov goal, made possible by Dmitry Vishnevsky and Robinson. Alexander Pechursky took over for Metsola in goal. Moscow continued their onslaught with a Konstantin Volkov goal, with a lone assist by Solovyov. Dynamo struck again on a Kaspars Daugavins goal, via Juuso Hietanen and Pestushko. Khabarovsk got on the board with a power play goal by Vyacheslav Litovchenko, powered by Vitaly Atyushov and Vladislav Ushenin. Moscow shot back with a Denis Kokarev goal, guided in by Konstantin Gorovikov and Ansel Galimov. Amur replied with a third period Konstantin Sokolov goal, helped along by Michel Miklik and Tomas Zohorna. This made it 7-2, the eventual final, with the three stars going to Glazachev, Tsvetkov, and Robinson, while Solovyov and Pestushko receive the honorable mentions.

Out in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk welcomes Dinamo Riga. Jakub Sedlacek and Dmitry Milchakov are the masked men. Riga got going in the second period on a Gunars Skvorcovs goal, fueled by Armands Berzins and Roberts Locans. Riga added on with a Tim Sestito goal, courtesy of Ville Leino. Riga extended the lead in the third period as Mikelis Redlihs scored, with the help of Guntis Galvins and the goalie Sedlacek. Riga padded the lead on a Gints Meija goal, made possible by Kristaps Sotnieks and Kaspars Saulietis. This was good for a 4-0 win, with the three stars handed to Sedlacek (32 save shutout), Skvorcovs, and Sestito.

Back in Russia, Vityaz Podolsk brings in Admiral Vladivostok. Ivan Nalimov and Harri Sateri protect the nets. Podolsk opened with a Dmitry Shitikov goal, going in unassisted. Vladivostok tied it on a Denis Osipov goal, courtesy of Ivan Glazkov and Yaroslav Alshevsky. Vityaz took the lead back on another Shitikov goal, assisted by Anton Korolyov. Admiral tied it again in the second period on an Alexander Kuznetsov goal, coming off of Nikita Filatov. Vladivostok pulled ahead with an Artyom Podshendyalov goal, made possible by Dmitry Sayustov. Podolsk tied it in the third period on a Maxim Afinogenov goal, fueled by Alexei Makeyev and Georgy Berdyukov. Vityaz took the lead back as Shitikov finished his hat trick, helped along by Dmitry Kostromitin and Berdyukov. Admiral got another equalizer on a Sayustov goal, guided in by Alshevsky. Podolsk took the game 5-4 with a Berdyukov goal in overtime, with a lone assist by Alexander Kucheryavenko. The three stars went to Shitikov, Berdyukov, and Sayustov, while Alshevsky gets an honorable mention.

Further east, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk hosts Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Ville Kolppanen guard the cages. Nizhnekamsk dented the scoreboard with a second period goal by Mikhail Zhukov, assisted by Andrei Stas and Dmitry Ogurtsov. Neftekhimik added on with a power play goal by Tim Kennedy, powered by Kirill Lyamin and Evgeny Grigorenko. Nizhnekamsk extended the lead as Stas scored a power play goal, coming off of Maxim Berezin and Zhukov. Neftekhimik padded the lead with a third period power play goal from Berezin, guided in by Lyamin and Maxim Rybin. Nizhnekamsk continued on a Grigorenko goal, via Lyamin, who got a sock trick, and Kennedy. Astana got on the board with a Dustin Boyd power play goal, with helpers from Talgat Zhailauov and Konstantin Pushkaryov. Barys got closer with a Roman Starchenko goal, from Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev and Martin St. Pierre. The final stood at 5-2, with the three stars going to Stas, Zhukov, and Lyamin, while Kennedy, Grigorenko, and Berezin get honorable mentions.

Back west, Medvescak Zagreb welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Danny Taylor are the starting goalies. Zagreb struck first in the first period on a Mike Glumac goal, assisted by Andreas Jamtin. Medvescak added on with a Simon Gysbers goal, made possible by Gilbert Brule and Stefano Giliati. Zagreb extended the lead in the second period as Geoffrey Kinrade scored, thanks to Tomas Mertl and Radek Smolenak. Nikita Bespalov replaced Salak in goal. Novosibirsk got on the board with a power play goal by David Ullstrom, powered by Rinat Ibragimov and Ivan Vereshchagin. Sibir chipped closer on a Maxim Shalunov goal, passed from Damir Zhafyarov and Oleg Gubin. Medvescak answered in the third period on a Patrick Bjorkstrand goal, guided in by Jesse Saarinen and Edwin Hedberg. The final held at 4-2, with the three stars going to Kinrade, Taylor (36 for 38 in saves), and Bjorkstrand.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava brings in Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Vladislav Podyapolsky and Michael Garnett have the green light in goal. Bratislava led off in the first period with a Ziga Jeglic goal, via Rok Ticar and Andrej Stastny. Slovan added on with an Ivan Svarny goal, passed from Anatoly Protasenya and Milan Bartovic. Bratislava extended the lead as Cam Barker scored a power play goal, powered by Lukas Kaspar. Filip Novotny took over for Podyapolsky in the second period. Slovan padded the lead with a Kaspar goal, made possible by Tomas Surovy. Bratislava kept going in the third period on a Stastny goal, assisted by Ticar and Jeglic. Slovan iced it at 6-0 with a David Skokan goal, courtesy of Bartovic and Barker. The three stars belonged to Jeglic, Stastny, and Kaspar, while Ticar, Bartovic, and Barker get the honorable mentions.

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