UMaine men’s hockey team plays Blue-White scrimmage Sunday
ORONO, Maine — The University of Maine men’s hockey team will play an intrasquad Blue-White game on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Alfond Arena. The Black Bears will play two 20-minute halves.
The game will be preceded by a 3 p.m. cookout. Both events are free and there is an autograph session after the game.
Maine will use the scrimmage as preparation for next Friday’s 8 p.m. season opener at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland against Michigan State in the Ice Breaker Tournament. Maine will play North Dakota the following night at 8.
Commonwealth Coast Conference to add men’s ice hockey
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts— The Commonwealth Coast Conference on Friday announced that it will begin sponsoring men’s ice hockey as a championship sport beginning in 2016-17.
The University of New England in Biddeford is among seven CCC institutions that will compete during the inaugural season. The league champion will earn automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.
UNE, Curry College, Endicott College, Nichols College, Salve Regina University, Wentworth Institute of Technology and Western New England University will be joined by associate members Becker College, Johnson & Wales University and Suffolk University.
Former NFL star Fryar jailed over mortgage scam
Former NFL receiver Irving Fryar was sentenced to five years in prison by a judge in Mount Holly, New Jersey for his role in a mortgage scam.
The five-time Pro Bowler who played 17 NFL seasons was convicted in August of applying for multiple mortgage loans in quick succession while using the same property as collateral.
Fryar’s mother, Allene McGhee, was sentenced to three years probation.
Authorities said Fryar and his mother provided false wage information on the loan applications.
Fryar, 53, played for New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins during his lengthy NFL career. He also was a star player at Nebraska before being the No. 1 overall pick by the Patriots in the 1984 draft.
Dozing fan’s $10M ESPN lawsuit thrown out
NEW YORK — A New York state judge has thrown out a baseball fan’s $10 million defamation lawsuit claiming that ESPN announcers poked fun at him after he dozed off during a New York Yankees game against the Boston Red Sox.
Andrew Rector sued the Walt Disney Co unit, the Yankees and Major League Baseball’s Internet arm for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress over comments by Dan Shulman and John Kruk during the April 13, 2014 game, in a video clip that was later posted online.
The announcers discussed Rector’s appearing to sleep through a standing ovation after a Yankee home run, missing a chance to consume chicken fingers with the man next to him, and comparing his physical appearance to that of Kruk.
Bronx Supreme Court Justice Julia Rodriguez, however, said the comments were not defamatory, and at worst, reflected hyperbole or a looseness of words. She also said Rector was on camera for just 31 seconds of the three-hour game.
Valentine Okwara, a lawyer for Rector, on Friday said he had advised his client that “there is room for appeal.”
Klitschko-Fury fight now Nov. 28
LONDON — World heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko’s bout against Briton Tyson Fury has been rearranged for Nov. 28 after the Ukrainian was given the green light to fight following a calf injury.
Klitschko said in a statement on his website on Friday that the bout would take place in Duesseldorf at the end of November, five weeks after the fight was originally scheduled.
“My injury will heal quickly enough for me to enter the ring on Nov. 28,” said the Ukrainian, who postponed the fight last week after tearing a calf tendon in training.
The 39-year-old Klitschko’s WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO crowns will be on the line when the pair finally get into the ring.
Klitschko has not lost for 11 years and has a record of 64 wins and three defeats while the 26-year-old Fury is unbeaten at 24-0.