Saturday, September 19, 2015

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 26

Three games on a slow day for the league, beginning with...

Jokerit Helsinki hosting Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Riku Helenius are the goalies. Helsinki started in the first period on a power play goal by Pekka Jormakka, powered by Peter Regin and Philip Larsen. Podolsk retied it on a Mario Kempe power play goal in the second period, via Dmitry Kostromitin and Roman Horak. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Vityaz's lone tally from Alexander Kucheryavenko provided them all they needed for a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Sateri (46 for 47 in saves), Kucheryavenko, and Helenius (19 for 20 in saves).

Out in Croatia, Medvescak Zagreb welcomes SKA St. Petersburg. Ilya Ezhov and Calvin Heeter receive the starting nods in goal. St. Petersburg opened with a Joakim Lindstrom goal, coming off of Jarno Koskiranta. Zagreb tied it on a Radek Smolenak goal, courtesy of Marek Kvapil and Tomas Mertl. SKA retook the lead on an Evgeny Dadonov goal, passed from Vadim Shipachyov in the second period. Medvescak retied it on another Smolenak goal, made possible by Kvapil and Mertl. Zagreb pulled ahead when Smolenak finished his hat trick on a third goal, guided in by Mertl, who got a sock trick, and Ilya Arkalov. St. Petersburg retied it in the third period as Shipachyov scored, thanks to Dadonov and Anton Burdasov. SKA took the lead again on an Anton Belov power play goal, with helpers provided by Burdasov and Shipachyov. The final stood at 4-3, with the three stars going to Shipachyov, Smolenak, and Mertl, while Dadonov, Kvapil, and Burdasov receive the honorable mentions.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava brings in Spartak Moscow. Atte Engren and Michael Garnett are between the pipes. Moscow led off in the first period with an unassisted goal by Gleb Klimenko. Spartak added on in the third period with an Igor Levitsky goal, passed from Vyacheslav Ipatov. Moscow extended the lead as Charles Genoway scored, thanks to Evgeny Bodrov and Andrei Yermakov. Bratislava got on the board with a Tomas Surovy goal, assisted by Lukas Kaspar. Spartak shot back with another Genoway goal, via Klimenko. Slovan pulled back on a Ladislav Nagy goal, fueled by Ivan Svarny and Ziga Jeglic. Moscow finished it at 5-2 on a Lukas Radil goal, with a lone helper by Grigory Shafigulin. The three stars belonged to Genoway, Klimenko, and Levitsky.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Friday, September 18, 2015

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 25

Ten games for today, beginning with...

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg hosting Avangard Omsk. Dominik Furch and Jakub Kovar guard the cages. Yekaterinburg struck first in the first period on an Alexei Dostoinov power play goal, powered by Oleg Sparykin and Petr Koukal. Omsk tied it with a Denis Parshin goal in the third period, via Sergei Shirokov and Denis Kulyash. Avangard took the lead on an Ilya Mikheyev goal, courtesy of Alexander Chernikov. Avtomobilist retied it as Anatoly Golyshev scored, thanks to Alexander Torchenyuk and Alexander Pankov. In overtime, Yekaterinburg won 3-2 with a Saprykin power play goal, made possible by Dmitry Megalinsky and Alexei Vasilyev. The three stars went to Saprykin, Golyshev, and Dostoinov.

Over to Chelyabinsk, where Traktor welcomes Admiral Vladivostok. Igor Bobkov and Vasily Demchenko are set to start in goal. Vladivostok began with a first period shorthanded goal by Konstantin Makarov, set up by Alexander Kuznetsov. Chelyabinsk tied it on a Francis Pare goal in the second period, coming off of Alexei Kruchinin. In the shootout, Dmitry Lugin scored for Admiral, but Traktor saw tallies from Alexander Rybakov and Maxim Yakutsenya lift them to a 2-1 win. The three stars went to Demchenko (30 for 31 in saves), Bobkov (26 for 27 in saves), and Pare.

Back east a bit, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk brings in Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Vladislav Fokin are between the pipes. Khanty-Mansiysk dented the scoreboard on a third period power play goal by Igor Volkov, powered by Andrei Ivanov. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with the three stars going to Fokin (38 save shutout), Laco (31 for 32 in saves), and Volkov.

Next up, Salavat Yulaev Ufa hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Vladislav Podyapolsky and Niklas Svedberg get the nods in goal. Ufa led off with a first period goal by Nikolai Prokhorkin, assisted by Kirill Koltsov and Igor Grigorenko. Salavat Yulaev added on with an Alexander Nesterov goal in the second period, passed from Nikita Setdikov. Ufa extended the lead as Grigorenko scored, thanks to Prokhorkin and Zakhar Arzamastsev. Salavat Yulaev padded the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Ivan Vishnevsky, powered by Teemu Hartikainen and Koltsov. Novokuznetsk got on the board with an Alexander Romanov goal, fueled by Viktor Postnikov and Alexander Komaristy on the power play. The final remained at 4-1, with the three stars belonging to Prokhorkin, Grigorenko, and Koltsov.

Moving along, Metallurg Magnitogorsk welcomes Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Vasily Koshechkin tend the twines. Magnitogorsk got going with a Sergei Mozyakin goal in the second period, guided in by Jan Kovar. Novosibirsk tied it on a Rinat Ibragimov goal, via Konstantin Okulov and Calle Ridderwall. Metallurg retook the lead on a Danis Zaripov goal, assisted by Mozyakin and Kovar. Sibir tied it again on an Oleg Gubin goal, helped along by Sergei Shumakov and Maxim Shalunov. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Shalunov got cancelled out by Chris Lee, and then Zaripov scored to lift Metallurg to a 3-2 win. The three stars went to Mozyakin, Zaripov, and Kovar.

Westward to Togliatti, where Lada brings in Severstal Cherepovets. Jakub Stepanek and Ivan Kasutin man the nets. Cherepovets got started in the second period with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, coming off of Yury Trubachyov and Andrei Shefer. Severstal added on in the third period on a Maxim Trunyov goal, fueled by Anatoly Nikontsev. This produced the 2-0 final, with the three stars awarded to Stepanek (23 save shutout), Buchnevich, and Trunyov.

Continuing along to Kazan, as Ak Bars hosts CSKA Moscow. Stanislav Galimov and Emil Garipov protect the nets. Kazan was first to score in the first period with a shorthanded goal by Artyom Lukoyanov, set up by Justin Azevedo. Ak Bars added on in the second period with a power play goal by Igor Mirnov, powered by Vladimir Tkachyov. Moscow got on the board with an Alexander Radulov goal, via Grigory Panin. CSKA tied it on a Jan Mursak power play goal, assisted by Dmitry Kugryshev and Simon Hjalmarsson. Kazan retook the lead on an Oscar Moller goal, passed from Mattias Sjogren and Azevedo. Ak Bars extended the lead as Fyodor Malykhin scored a power play goal in the third period, made possible by Yakov Rylov and Azevedo, the latter getting a sock trick for his third assist. Kazan padded the lead on an Azevedo goal, with a lone helper by Moller. Moscow pulled back with another Radulov goal, helped along by Hjalmarsson. Ak Bars iced it at 6-3 on an unassisted goal by Albert Yarullin. The three stars were Azevedo, Moller, and Radulov, while Hjalmarsson gets an honorable mention.

Up to Nizhnekamsk, as Neftekhimik welcomes Amur Khabarovsk. Juha Metsola and Alexander Sudnitsin are in the blue paint. Khabarovsk opened in the first period on an Artyom Zub power play goal, powered by Dmitry Tarasov and Tomas Zohorna. Amur added on with a Danil Faizullin goal, made possible by Tom Wandell. Nizhnekamsk got on the board as Pavel Zdnuov scored, thanks to Maxim Berezin and Alexander Kitarov. Neftekhimik tied it in the third period on a power play goal by Maxim Rybin, coming off of Mikhail Zhukov and Alexander Yevseyenkov. Nizhnekamsk took the lead on a Kitarov goal, via Pavel Kulikov and Zdunov. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars being Kitarov, Zdunov, and Rybin.

Down south, the Sochi Leopards bring in Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Mikhail Biryukov and Konstantin Barulin are the veteran goalies. Nizhny Novgorod drew first blood in the second period on a Maxim Kondratyev goal, guided in by Vladimir Galuzin. This made it 1-0, the eventual final. The three stars were awarded to Biryukov (37 save shutout), Kondratyev, and Barulin (24 for 25 in saves).

Finally, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hosts Dinamo Minsk. Jeff Glass and Alexei Murygin are the masked men. Yaroslavl started in the first period on a Yegor Averin goal, with a lone assist by Daniil Apalkov. Lokomotiv added on with an Alexander Polunin goal, assisted by Mikhail Pashnin and Kirill Kapustin. Yaroslavl extended the lead as Ilya Lyubushkin scored, with the help of Kapustin and Polunin. Lokomotiv padded the lead on a Denis Mosalyov shorthanded goal in the third period, set up by Ilya Gorokhov and Andrei Loktionov. The final was 4-0, and the three stars went to Murygin (17 save shutout), Polunin, and Kapustin.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 24

A little bit late to post, but four games for today, beginning with...

Jokerit Helsinki hosting Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Henrik Karlsson are the goalies. Helsinki got going in the second period on a power play goal by Peter Regin, powered by Brandon Kozun. Jokerit added on with a Mathis Olimb goal, coming off of Topi Jaakola and Pekka Jormakka. Moscow got on the board in the third period as Maxim Pestushko scored, thanks to Dmitry Vishnevsky and Denis Kokarev. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Karlsson (21 for 22 in saves), Olimb, and Regin.

Out in Latvia, Dinamo Riga welcomes Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Jakub Sedlacek tend the twines. Podolsk dented the scoreboard in the second period on a power play goal from Alexei Makeyev, powered by Alexander Kucheryavenko and Teemu Eronen. Riga tied it on a power play goal by Tim Sestito, assisted by Tomas Kundratek and Steven Seigo. Vityaz took the lead back in the second period on a Nikita Vyglazov goal, via Roman Horak and Mario Kempe. Podolsk added on with a Maxim Afinogenov goal, guided in by Georgy Berdyukov and Makeyev on the power play. Vityaz extended the lead on a third period goal by Olli Palola, courtesy of Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi and Igor Musatov. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars being Makeyev, Sateri (40 for 41 in saves), Vyglazov.

Over to Croatia, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Spartak Moscow. Atte Engren and Gasper Kroselj are in the creases. Zagreb started in the first period on a Patrick Bjorkstrand goal, made possible by Colby Genoway. Moscow tied it on an Artyom Voronin goal, passed from Charles Genoway and the goalie Engren. Spartak added on with an Evgeny Bodrov penalty shot goal in the second period, after Tuukka Mantyla of Medvescak was caught holding. Moscow added on with a power play goal by Lukas Radil, powered by Vyacheslav Leshchenko. Spartak extended the lead as Matthew Gilroy scored, thanks to Leshchenko. Calvin Heeter replaced Kroselj in the third period. Moscow padded the lead in the third period on a Bodrov goal, with helpers provided by Maxim Potapov and Gilroy. Spartak kept going with a shorthanded Gilroy goal, set up by Leshchenko, who got a sock trick. Moscow made it 7-1, the eventual final, with an Igor Radulov goal, via Alexander Vasilyev and Filipp Toluzakov. The three stars went to Gilroy, Leshchenko, and Bodrov.

Finally, Slovan Bratislava hosts SKA St. Petersburg. Ilya Ezhov and Michael Garnett are the veteran goalies. St. Petersburg opened with a Jarno Koskiranta goal in the first period, courtesy of Alexander Barabanov. Bratislava tied it with a Cam Barker goal in the third period, going in unassisted. SKA won 2-1 with an overtime goal by Evgeny Ketov, with a lone assist by Pyotr Khokhryakov. The three stars were Ezhov (39 for 40 in saves), Ketov, and Garnett (38 for 40 in saves).

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLS Midweek September 16, 2015

Three games on tonight, beginning with...

The New England Revolution hosting the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Bobby Shuttleworth are in goal. New England opened in the second minute with a Diego Fagundez goal, assisted by Juan Agudelo and Lee Nguyen. New York tied it on a Mike Grella goal in the sixth minute. The Red Bulls had three yellow cards in the first half, for dissent by Dax McCarty in the twentieth minute, for a foul by Damien Perrinelle in the twenty-fourth minute, and for persistent infringement by Connor Lade in the thirty-first minute. New York saw a yellow card go to Felipe for his fifty-eighth minute foul. The Revolution's Agudelo received a yellow card for his sixty-third minute foul. New England regained the lead on a sixty-fifth minute goal by Kelyn Rowe, set up by Scott Caldwell. In the eighty-third minute, Matt Miazga of the Red Bulls took a yellow card for a foul. The Revolution had the last two yellow cards, for fouls by London Woodberry in the eighty-sixth minute and Teal Bunbury in the eighty-seventh minute. The final stayed at 2-1, with Rowe's winning making him the man of the match.

Down to New York City FC welcoming Toronto FC. Chris Konopka and Josh Saunders protect the nets. New York City began in the twentieth minute with a Frank Lampard goal, assisted by RJ Allen and Andrea Pirlo. Toronto's Benoit Cheyrou took a yellow card for a fifty-second minute foul. In the sixty-second minute, New York City saw a yellow card for Jason Hernandez's foul. New York City added on with a seventy-seventh minute Patrick Mullins goal, passed from Pirlo. New York City's Saunders took a yellow card for time wasting in the eighty-eighth minute. Toronto's Damien Perquis was booked on a yellow card for his stoppage time foul. The final was 2-0, with the man of the match being Saunders for a seven-save clean sheet.

Finally, the San Jose Earthquakes bring in the Montreal Impact. Eric Kronberg and David Bingham occupy the six-yard boxes. San Jose led off with a thirty-fifth minute goal by Chris Wondolowski. Montreal went down to ten men when Ambroise Oyongo took a straight red card for a forty-ninth minute foul. The Impact tied it on a sixty-fifth minute goal from Kyle Bekker. In the seventy-fifth minute, the Earthquakes saw a yellow card for a foul from Marc Pelosi. Montreal's Kronberg picked up a yellow card in the eighty-fourth minute for time wasting. The final stood at 1-1, with the man of the match being Bekker for the equalizer.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 23

Five games on today, beginning in...

Chelyabinsk, as Traktor hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Andrei Kareyev and Vasily Demchenko are in the blue paint. Novokuznetsk started in the first period on a Ryan Stoa goal, assisted by Maxim Kazakov. Metallurg added on with a Pavel Makarenko goal, guided in by Nikita Yazkov. Chelyabinsk got on the board with a Stanislav Chistov power play goal, powered by Andrei Popov and Yegor Martynov. Traktor tied it in the second period as Popov scored a power play goal, with the help of Chistov and Martynov. Novokuznetsk retook the lead in the third period on a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal, coming off of Roman Manukhov and Stoa. This produced the 3-2 final, with the three stars going to Stoa, Popov, and Chistov, while Martynov gets an honorable mention.

Over in Ufa, Salavat Yulaev welcomes Barys Astana. Jan Laco and Niklas Svedberg are in goal. Ufa got going in the third period with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, passed from Linus Omark. Astana tied it on a Mike Lundin goal, courtesy of Evgeny Rymarev and Keaton Ellerby. In the shootout, Barys had goals from Rymarev and Roman Starchenko, but these were canceled out by Salavat Yulaev's trio of tallies by Denis Khlystov, Omark, and Dmitry Makarov. The 2-1 game had the three stars given to Svedberg (22 for 23 in saves), Omark, and Rymarev.

Back west a bit, Lada Togliatti hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ilya Proskuryakov and Ivan Kasutin receive the starting nods. Togliatti dented the scoreboard in the second period on an Alexei Volgin goal, made possible by Anton Shenfeld and Martin Zatovic. Nizhny Novgorod tied it on a Carl Klingberg goal, via Linus Videll. Torpedo took the lead with an unassisted goal from Vladimir Galuzin. This stood for the 2-1 final, with the three stars belonging to Proskuryakov (16 for 17 in saves), Galuzin, and Klingberg.

Staying nearby, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk brings in Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Alexander Sudnitsin tend the twines. Nizhnekamsk opened with a first period goal by Evgeny Grigorenko, with helpers provided by Jeff Taffe. Novosibirsk tied it in the third period as Maxim Shalunov scored, thanks to Oleg Gubin and Vladimir Roth. In the shootout, Grigorenko and Shalunov scored again, but Sibir's David Ullstrom lifted them to a 2-1 victory. The three stars went to Shalunov, Grigorenko, and Salak (22 for 23 in saves).

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan hosts Dinamo Minsk. Jeff Glass and Jussi Rynnas occupy the creases. Kazan led off in the first period on a power play goal by Justin Azevedo, via Oscar Moller. Minsk tied it on a power play goal by Paul Szczechura, powered by Artur Gavrus and Nick Bailen. Ak Bars retook the lead with an Evgeny Tkachyov goal in the second period, guided in by Artyom Lukoyanov and Yakov Rylov. Dinamo tied it on an Ivan Usenko goal, coming off of Gavrus and Szczechura. Kazan retook the lead again in the third period on an unassisted goal by Damir Musin. Minsk pulled even on a Ryan Vesce goal, passed from Alexander Materukhin and Ryan Gunderson. Dinamo took the lead as Vesce scored again, with the help of Matt Ellison and Jonathan Cheechoo on the power play. Minsk added on with a Szczechura goal, assisted by Gavrus, who had a sock trick. Ak Bars got one back on a Rylov goal, fueled by Moller and Azevedo. The final remained at 5-4, with the three stars going to Szczechura, Vesce, and Gavrus, while Azevedo, Moller, and Rylov get the honorable mentions.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 22

Four games today, beginning in...

Yaroslavl, as Lokomotiv hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin and Alexei Murygin are in goal. Yaroslavl was first to score in the first period on a Denis Mosalyov goal, assisted by Vladislav Gavrikov and Ilya Gorokhov. Lokomotiv added on with an unassisted Yegor Averin goal in the second period. Ilya Samsonov had to briefly relieve Koshechkin after the goal, but Koshechkin returned about a minute later. Yaroslavl iced it at 3-0 with a Daniil Apalkov empty net goal in the third period, going in unassisted. The three stars were Murygin (17 save shutout), Mosalyov, and Averin.

Over in Moscow, CSKA welcomes Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Georgy Gelashvili and Ilya Sorokin make the starts. Moscow dented the scoreboard in the second period on a Jan Mursak goal, coming off of Dmitry Kugryshev and Kirill Vorobov. CSKA added on with a power play goal by Geoff Platt, powered by Stephane Da Costa and Alexander Radulov. Moscow extended the lead as Artyom Blazhiyevsky scored an unassisted power play goal. CSKA padded the lead on a Denis Denisov goal, made possible by Da Costa and Radulov on the power play. The final stood at 4-0, with the three stars handed to Sorokin (20 save shutout), Da Costa, and Radulov.

West to St. Petersburg, where SKA brings in Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Lazushin and Mikko Koskinen guard the cages. Moscow struck first in the first period on an Ansel Galimov goal, guided in by Konstantin Volkov. Dynamo added on with a Maxm Karpov goal, via Alexei Tsvetkov on the power play in the second period. Moscow extended the lead with a Mat Robinson power play goal, powered by Tsvetkov and Juuso Hietanen. St. Petersburg got on the board with a power play goal from Maxim Chudinov, courtesy of Anton Burdasov and Vadim Shipachyov. SKA pulled closer with a third period power play goal from Anton Below, with helpers provided by Burdasov and Chudinov. Dynamo finished it at 4-2 on a Yury Babenko empty net goal, set up by Volkov. The three stars went to Chudinov, Tsvetkov, and Burdasov, while Volkov gets an honorable mention.

Finally, Severstal Cherepovets hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Sergei Magarilov are in net. Cherepovets got going in the second period on an Igor Skorokhodov goal, with a lone assist by Pavel Chernov. Yekaterinburg tied it on a Nikita Tryamkin goal, passed from Alexei Simakov and Anatoly Golyshev. Severstal took the lead back with an unassisted goal from Pavel Buchnevich. Cherepovets added on in the third period on an Ondrej Nemec goal, fueled by Yury Trubachyov on the power play. Severstal extended the lead with a Dmitry Kagarlitsky goal, helped along by Buchnevich. The final stood at 4-1, with the three stars given to Buchnevich, Magarilov (22 for 23 in saves), and Nemec.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Monday, September 14, 2015

2015/16 Premier League Week 5

After the international break, Britain's top flight football is back with a full slate of games. We begin up north with...

Everton hosting Chelsea. Asmir Begovic and Tim Howard are set to start in goal. Everton began with a seventeenth minute Steven Naismith goal, courtesy of Brendan Galloway. Everton added on with another Naismith goal in the twenty-second minute, passed from Ross Barkley. In the thirty-sixth minute, Chelsea got on the board as Nemanja Matic scored, thanks to John Obi Mikel. Everton had a yellow card for a sixty-fifth minute offense from Galloway. Everton added onto their lead in the eighty-second minute when Naismith completed his hat trick, with the help of Barkley again. In the eighty-seventh minute, John Stones of Everton received a yellow card for his foul. Chelsea had the final two yellow cards for Cesar Azpilicueta's foul in the eighty-eighth minute and Diego Costa's foul in stoppage time. The final favored Everton 3-1.

Down in London, Arsenal welcomes Stoke City. Jack Butland and Petr Cech man the nets. Arsenal struck first in the thirty-first minute on a Theo Walcott goal, made possible by Mesut Ozil. In the thirty-eighth minute, Ozil picked up a yellow card for Arsenal for his foul. Phil Bardsley of Stoke City took a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-first minute. Arsenal added on in the eighty-fifth minute on an Olivier Giroud goal, coming off of Santiago Cazorla. This produced the 2-0 final for Arsenal.

Staying in the city, Crystal Palace brings in Manchester City. Joe Hart and Alex McCarthy receive the starting nods in goal. In the eighteenth minute, Scott Dann of Crystal Palace took a yellow card for his foul. Manchester City had a yellow card given to Yaya Toure in the twenty-sixth minute for a foul. In the sixty-ninth minute, Samir Nasri of Manchester City took a yellow. Crystal Palace saw a yellow card for a Brede Hangeland foul in the seventy-first minute. In the eighty-first minute, Eliaquim Mangala took a yellow card for Manchester City for a foul. In the ninetieth minute, Manchester City dented the scoreboard on a Kelechi Iheanacho goal. This gave Manchester City a 1-0 win.

Continuing along, Norwich City hosts Bournemouth. Artur Boruc and John Ruddy are between the posts. In the twentieth minute, Alexander Tettey of Norwich City took a yellow card for a foul. Bournemouth had yellow cards go to Simon Francis in the twenty-third minute and Adam Smith in the twenty-fifth minute, the first for a foul and the other unspecified. In the thirtieth minute, Wes Hoolahan of Norwich City took a yellow card for a handball. In the thirty-fifth minute, Norwich City started on a Cameron Jerome goal, guided in by Hoolahan. Norwich City added on in the fifty-second minute with a Hoolahan goal. Matt Ritchie of Bournemouth took a yellow card for a sixtieth minute foul. Norwich City extended the lead in the sixty-seventh minute on a goal from Matthew Jarvis, set up by Jonny Howson. Bournemouth got on the board with a Steve Cook goal in the eighty-first minute, with an assist from Francis. This made it a 3-1 final score for Norwich City.

Next up, Watford welcomes Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and Heurelho Gomes are the goalies with interesting names. In the fifty-ninth minute, Watford opened on an Odion Ighalo goal, coming off of Troy Deeney. Watford went down to ten men when Valon Behrami took a straight red card for violent conduct. Swansea City took a yellow card for a sixty-seventh minute foul by Ki Sung-Yueng. Watford had a yellow card given to Etienne Capoue in stoppage time for a foul.

A little north, West Bromwich Albion brings in Southampton. Maarten Stekelenburg and Boaz Myhill are the gloved men. West Bromwich Albion had the only yellow card of the game in the seventy-ninth minute for a foul by Chris Brunt. The scoring never came, with the game ending in a 0-0 draw.

Ending the seven Saturday games, Manchester United hosts Liverpool. Simon Mignolet and David de Gea are the solid keepers. Liverpool took a yellow card for a Nathaniel Clyne foul in the forty-eighth minute. In the forty-ninth minute, Manchester United got going on a Daley Blind goal, via Juan Mata. In the seventieth minute, Manchester United added on when Ander Herrera converted a penalty kick. Matteo Darmian of Manchester United received a yellow card for his seventy-second minute foul. Liverpool had a yellow card given to James Milner for his foul in the seventy-fifth minute. Liverpool got on the board with a Christian Benteke goal in the eighty-fourth minute. Manchester United replied on an eighty-sixth minute goal by Anthony Martial, set up by Ashley Young. This made it 3-1, the final score.

The first Sunday game has Sunderland welcoming Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and Costel Pantilimon are guarding the woodwork. Tottenham Hotspur took a yellow card for a sixteenth minute foul by Jan Vertonghen. Sunderland took two yellow cards, given to Fabio Borini in the twenty-first minute and Billy Jones in the forty-second minute, both for fouls. Tottenham Hotspur got going late with an eighty-second minute goal from Ryan Mason, via Erik Lamela. This stood for a 1-0 win.

The other Sunday game sees Leicester City bring in Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and Kasper Schmeichel are the veteran goalies. In the thirty-ninth minute, Aston Villa struck first with a Jack Grealish goal, assisted by Micah Richards. Leicester City's Marc Albrighton received a yellow card for a foul in first half stoppage time. Aston Villa added onto the lead with a Carles Gil goal in the sixty-third minute, guided in by Gabriel Agbonlahor. Leicester City got on the board in the seventy-second minute as Ritchie de Laet scored, thanks to Riyad Mahrez. In the seventy-seventh minute, Nathan Dyer of Leicester City took a yellow card for a foul. Jordan Amavi of Aston Villa received a yellow card for his eighty-first minute foul. Leicester City tied the game on a Jamie Vardy goal in the eighty-second minute, passed from Daniel Drinkwater. Leicester City took the lead on a Dyer goal in the eighty-ninth minute, set up by Mahrez. This gave Leicester City an impressive 3-2 comeback victory. 

On Monday, West Ham United hosts Newcastle United. Tim Krul and Darren Randolph are in goal. West Ham United got started on a Dimitri Payet goal in the ninth minute, assisted by Mark Noble. Newcastle United saw a yellow card go to Jack Colback for his thirtieth minute foul. West Ham United added on as Payet scored again in the forty-eighth minute. Newcastle United's Daryl Janmaat took a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-seventh minute. The final favored West Ham United 2-0. 

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 21

Eight games on for today, beginning with...

Amur Khabarovsk hosting Jokerit Helsinki. Henrik Karlsson and Juha Metsola are the goalies. Khabarovsk led off in the first period on a Dmitry Tarasov goal, assisted by Tomas Zohorna. Amur added on with a power play goal by Vladislav Ushenin, powered by Vyacheslav Ushenin and Oleg Li. Helsinki got on the board with an unassisted goal by Brandon Kozun on the power play. Jokerit tied it with a Peter Regin power play goal, coming off of Philip Larsen and Kozun. Helsinki took the lead as Regin scored again on the power play, with a lone assist by Kozun. This held up for a 3-2 win, with the three stars going to Regin, Kozun, and Metsola (31 for 34 in saves).

Down in Vladivostok, Admiral welcomes Dinamo Riga. Joacim Eriksson and Ivan Nalimov are in the blue paint. Riga was first to score on a Roberts Bukarts goal, via Armands Berzins and Tomas Kundratek in the first period. Vladivostok tied it on a second period power play goal from Dmitry Lugin, powered by Nikita Lisov and Ivan Glazkov. Dinamo retook the lead with an unassisted goal by Mikelis Redlihs. Riga added on in the third period with a power play goal by Ville Leino, with a lone assist from Tim Sestito. Dinamo extended the lead on a Krisjanis Redlihs goal, passed from Kundratek and Lauris Darzins on the power play. Admiral got one back with a power play goal by Niclas Bergfors on the power play, guided in by Denis Osipov and Pascal Pelletier. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Kundratek, Leino, and Eriksson (40 for 42 in saves).

To the west, Avangard Omsk hosts the Sochi Leopards. Konstantin Barulin and Dominik Furch are the masked men. Omsk struck first in the first period with an Anton Kuryanov goal, courtesy of Ilya Dervuk and Ilya Mikheyev. Avangard added on with a Sergei Shirokov goal, passed from Alexander Perezhogin and Denis Kulyash. Omsk extended the lead on a Vladimir Sobotka goal, fueled by Alexander Popov and Kulyash. Avangard padded the lead in the second period as Pavel Valentenko scored, thanks to Alexei Glukhov and Nikolai Lemtyugov. Omsk continued in the third period on a Perezhogin goal, made possible by Michal Kempny and Ivan Lekomtsev. Sochi got on the board with a power play goal by Ilya Krikunov, powered by Andre Petersson. This made it 5-1, the final, with the three stars awarded to Perezhogin, Furch (22 for 23 in saves), and Kulyash.

Continuing along, Traktor Chelyabinsk brings in Sibir Novosibirsk. Alexander Salak and Vasily Demchenko protect the nets. Chelyabinsk got going in the second period on a Deron Quint goal, assisted by Stanislav Chistov. Novosibirsk tied it in the third period as Damir Zhafyarov scored, with the help of Dmitry Monya. Sibir won 2-1 in overtime on a Stepan Sannikov goal, with a lone helper from Oleg Gubin. The three stars belonged to Sannikov, Salak (30 for 31 in saves), and Demchenko (41 for 43 in saves).

Up in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik hosts Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Andrei Kareyev and Alexander Sudnitsin are between the pipes. Nizhnekamsk dented the scoreboard on an Andrei Stas goal in the third period, fueled by Mikhail Zhukov and Dmitry Ogurtsov. This was all they needed for a 1-0 win, with Sudnitsin (25 save shutout), Stas, and Kareyev (34 for 35 in saves) receiving the three stars.

Into Moscow, Spartak welcomes Dinamo Minsk. Jeff Glass and Atte Engren guard the cages. Minsk began in the first period on a Matt Ellison goal, assisted by Ryan Vesce and Jonathan Cheechoo on the power play. Dinamo added on with an Alexander Pavlovich goal in the second period, going in unassisted. Minsk extended the lead as Artur Gavrus scored an unassisted goal. Dinamo padded the lead on an Alexander Materukhin goal, via Dmitry Znakharenko. Moscow got on the board in the third period on a power play goal by Matthew Gilroy, powered by Dmitry Korobov. This produced the 4-1 final, with the three stars going to Glass (30 for 31 in saves), Pavlovich, and Gavrus.

Down in Podolsk, Vityaz hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan Lisutin and Harri Sateri are set to start in goal. Podolsk won 1-0 in overtime on a Teemu Eronen goal, fueled by Maxim Afinogenov and Igor Golovkov. The three stars went to Sateri (31 save shutout), Eronen, and Lisutin (14 for 15 in saves).

Finally, Medvescak Zagreb brings in Slovan Bratislava. Barry Brust and Gasper Kroselj occupy the creases. Bratislava opened in the first period with a Marek Viedensky goal, coming off of Milan Bartovic and Cam Barker. Slovan added on with a shorthanded goal by Ziga Jeglic, set up by Barker. Zagreb got on the board with a Colby Genoway goal, via Thomas Larkin and Edwin Hedberg. Medvescak tied it on a Marek Kvapil goal in the third period, going in unassisted. Bratislava took the game 3-2 with an overtime goal from Tomas Starosta, courtesy of Lukas Kaspar. The three stars were Barker, Starosta, and Kvapil.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Major League Soccer Week 28

Nine games on for this weekend, beginning with Friday's game in...

New York, where the Red Bulls host the Chicago Fire. Sean Johnson and Luis Robles are the solid keepers. Chicago led off with a fourteenth minute penalty kick goal by Jeff Larentowicz. The Fire added on with a David Accam goal in the twenty-sixth minute. New York got on the board as Bradley Wright-Phillips scored in the twenty-eighth minute, thanks to Sacha Kljestan. The Red Bulls tied it on a Mike Grella goal in the thirty-eighth minute, via Lloyd Sam. Chicago had a yellow card go to Kennedy Igboananike in the fifty-first minute for a foul. The Fire had a yellow card for Matt Polster in the sixty-fifth minute for his foul. New York took the lead on a seventy-first minute penalty kick goal by Kljestan. Chicago's Daneil Cyrus received a yellow card for a seventy-fourth minute foul. The Red Bulls saw a yellow card for an eighty-first minute foul by Wright-Phillips. The Fire's Ty Harden received a yellow card in the eighty-fourth minute for a foul. The final stood at 3-2, with the man of the match being Kljestan for his winner and an assist.

On Saturday, the first of six games has the Philadelphia Union welcoming the Columbus Crew SC. Steve Clark and John McCarthy are in the six-yard boxes. Columbus began in the twenty-first minute with a Kei Kamara goal. In the twenty-sixth minute, Kamara added on with another goal for the Crew, set up by Harrison Afful. Philadelphia got on the board in the sixty-sixth minute with a C.J. Sapong goal, assisted by Sebastien Le Toux. In the eighty-sixth minute, Steven Vitoria of the Union received a yellow card for a handball. In stoppage time, Columbus' goalie Clark took a yellow card for time wasting. The final stood at 2-1 for Columbus, with Kamara's brace earning him man of the match honors.

Down in Texas, FC Dallas brings in New York City FC. Josh Saunders and Jesse Gonzalez are the mediocre goalies. Dallas had a yellow card for a thirtieth minute foul by Atiba Harris. Dallas started in the forty-fifth minute with a goal by Tesho Akindele, passed from Michel. In first half stoppage time, Dallas added on with a goal from Michel. In the sixty-second minute, Chris Wingert of New York City took a yellow card for his foul. Dallas had a yellow card go to Michel for a sixty-fourth minute foul. New York City got on the board with a Patrick Mullins penalty kick goal in the seventieth minute. This only made it 2-1, the final, with Michel being the man of the match.

Staying in the state, the Houston Dynamo host Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Tyler Deric are in the six-yard boxes. In the forty-fourth minute, Sheanon Williams of Houston took a yellow card for a foul. Salt Lake opened in first half stoppage time on a Javier Morales goal. Real added on in the fifty-first minute with a Devon Sandoval goal. Salt Lake's Jordan Allen took a yellow card for a fifty-third minute foul. The Dynamo got on the board with a Brad Davis penalty kick goal in the sixty-fifth minute. Real replied with a sixty-eighth minute goal by Juan Manuel Martinez, via Morales. In the seventy-seventh minute, Salt Lake's Aaron Maund took a yellow card for a foul. Nathan Sturgis of Houston had a yellow card for his foul in the eighty-ninth minute. This made it 3-1, the final, with the man of the match being Morales for his goal and assist.

Northwest to Colorado, as the Rapids welcome DC United. Bill Hamid and Clint Irwin are the veteran goalies. In the twenty-eighth minute, Colorado was first to score on a Bobby Burling goal. In the sixty-fifth minute, Vicente Sanchez of the Rapids had a yellow card for his foul. DC tied it in the eighty-seventh minute on a Steve Birnbaum goal, passed from Fabian Espindola. The score held at 1-1 for the final, with the man of the match being Birnbaum for his late equalizer.

Out in Los Angeles, the Galaxy bring in the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Donovan Ricketts guard the woodwork. Montreal had a yellow card go to Nigel Reo-Coker for his foul in the thirty-seventh minute. In the fifty-second minute, Andres Romero took a yellow card for his foul for the Impact. The score stayed 0-0, and the man of the match was Ricketts for a five-save clean sheet.

Ending Saturday, we head up to San Jose, where the Earthquakes host the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and David Bingham are the keepers. San Jose had a yellow card for a foul by Anibal Godoy in the twenty-ninth minute. In the thirty-seventh minute, Fatai Alashe of the Earthquakes had a yellow card for persistent infringement. In the fifty-fifth minute, Gonzalo Pineda of Seattle had a yellow card for not retreating. In the sixty-ninth minute, the Sounders saw a yellow card given to Oniel Fisher for a foul. San Jose dented the scoreboard in the seventieth minute on an Alashe goal, assisted by Matias Perez Garcia. Seattle tied it in the eighty-second minute with an Obafemi Martins goal. The final stayed at 1-1, with the man of the match being Martins for his equalizer.

On Sunday, the first game featured Toronto FC welcoming the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Chris Konopka are in goal. New England got an early gift when Toronto's Damien Perquis put the ball in his own net in the fourth minute for an own goal. The Revolution saw a yellow card for Jermaine Jones' foul in the twenty-seventh minute. New England extended the lead with a thirty-ninth minute goal from Diego Fagundez, via Lee Nguyen. Toronto saw Robbie Findley take a yellow card for his foul in the fifty-first minute. Toronto got on the board with a Findley goal in the fifty-fifth minute, assisted by Justin Morrow. The Revolution's Andrew Farrell received a yellow card for his foul in the fifty-ninth minute. In the sixty-third minute, Kelyn Rowe of New England had a yellow card for his foul. In the seventy-first minute, the Revolution extended their lead as Rowe made up for his transgression with a goal, set up by Nguyen. Toronto's Ahmed Kantari received a yellow card for a seventy-fourth minute foul. The final score held at 3-1, with Nguyen named man of the match for his two assists.

Finally, Orlando City SC brings in Sporting Kansas City. Jon Kempin is mismatched with Tally Hall in goal. Orlando City was first to score with a third minute goal by Adrian Winter, with an assist from Luke Boden. In the fifty-ninth minute, Kansas City tied it on a Krisztian Nemeth goal, passed from Benny Feilhaber. Orlando City regained the lead on a sixty-sixth minute goal by Bryan Rochez, via Brek Shea and David Mateos. Orlando City added on with another Winter goal, set up by Lewis Neal in the seventy-second minute. In the eighty-third minute, Sporting's Matt Besler received a yellow card for his foul, as did Shea for his dissent for Orlando City. Kansas City had a straight red card given to Dominic Dwyer for his violent conduct in the eighty-seventh minute. The score stood at 3-1, with the man of the match being Winter, who had a brace to lead Orlando City to victory.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

2015/16 KHL Season - Day 20

Four games on today, beginning with...

Lada Togliatti hosting Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Georgy Gelashvili and Ivan Kasutin get the starting nods in goal. Khanty-Mansiysk got going in the second period on an Igor Volkov goal, fueled by Kirill Dyakov. Yugra added on with a Nikita Gusev goal, guided in by the goalie Gelashvili and Yakov Seleznyov. Togliatti got on the board with a third period goal from Alexander Bumagin, passed from Alexei Mastryukov. The final stood from here at 2-1, with the three stars being Gelashvili (22 for 23 in saves), Gusev, and Volkov.

Over in Moscow, CSKA welcomes Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Igor Ustinsky and Viktor Fasth occupy the nets. Moscow began in the first period on an Alexander Radulov goal, coming off of Igor Ozhiganov on the power play. CSKA added on with a Stephane Da Costa goal, courtesy of Geoff Platt and Radulov. Moscow extended the lead with a Dmitry Kugryshev goal, made possible by Artyom Balzhiyevsky. Yekaterinburg got on the board with an Oleg Saprykin goal, going in unassisted. CSKA replied in the third period with an Ozhiganov power play goal, powered by Radulov. The final was 4-1, with the three stars awarded to Radulov, Ozhiganov, and Fasth (25 for 26 in saves).

Backtracking to Cherepovets, where Severstal brings in Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin faces a lesser foe in Sergei Magarilov in goal. Magnitogorsk led off in the first period on a Denis Platonov goal, assisted by Oskar Osala and Yaroslav Khabarov. Metallurg added on with an Evgeny Timkin goal, coming off of Bogdan Potekhin and Tomas Filippi. Magnitogorsk extended the lead in the second period as Jan Kovar scored, thanks to Chris Lee and Danis Zaripov. Cherepovets got on the board with a Yury Trubachyov goal, made possible by Pavel Buchnevich. Severstal chipped closer on an Andrei Shefer goal, via Igor Skorokhodov and Evgeny Kovyrshin. Metallurg replied with a Zaripov goal, with assists provided by Sergei Mozyakin and Kovar. Cherepovets got one back in the third period on a Buchnevich goal, with a lone helper from Anatoly Nikontsev. They couldn't tie it, losing 4-3, with the three stars handed to Zaripov, Kovar, and Buchnevich.

Finally, Ak Bars Kazan hosts Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Niklas Svedberg and Emil Garipov are the masked men. Ufa dented the scoreboard with an unassisted Dmitry Makarov goal in the first period. Salavat Yulaev added on with a Denis Khlystov power play goal, powered by Makarov and Maxim Goncharov. Kazan got on the board with an Oscar Moller goal, guided in by Justin Azevedo in the second period. Ak Bars tied it on a Mattias Sjogren goal, with helpers from Marek Daloga and Azevedo. Kazan took the lead with a Dmitry Arkhipov goal in the third period, courtesy of Fyodor Malykhin and Mikhail Varnakov. Ufa tied it again with a Nikolai Prokhorkin goal, with a lone assist by Kirill Koltsov. In the shootout, Khlystov got matched by Vladimir Tkachyov, and then Linus Omark lifted Salavat Yulaev to a 4-3 win. The three stars went to Makarov, Azevedo, and Khlystov.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.