Last Week around the Leagues
by Fran Stuchbury
January 22, 2019 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
HOCKEY
ECHL
Maine Mariners goalie Brandon Halverson's flashy pad save in the third period on Newfoundland Growlers forward Zach O'Brien was named to the #2 spot on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays for Wednesday night.
SPHL
The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) announced that Doug Price has been named the league's new Commissioner. Price has a long history with the SPHL and the industry, having spent 25 years in professional hockey. He has been with the SPHL for the past 10 seasons as Vice President of Hockey Administration
BASKETBALL
G League
Canton Charge guard Levi Randolph gets it to go in late in their 118-117 victory over the Long Island Nets.
FOOTBALL
CFL
Every game from the Canadian Football League (CFL) will be available live to fans in the United States through a new multi-year agreement with ESPN and ESPN+ the league announced. A minimum of 20 games, including one Division Final and the Grey Cup, will be televised live on ESPN networks, with more than 65 regular season games available exclusively on ESPN+.
Following a combine in Mexico hosted by Mexico's Liga de Futbol Americano Profesional (LFA), the LFA and the Canadian Football League (CFL) conducted a three-round draft in Mexico City's Crowne Plaza Hotel that saw CFL teams select 27 players from the LFA. With the first overall pick, Edmonton selected wide receiver Diego Jair Viamontes, who plays for the Mexico City Mayas.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have accepted Vice President of football operations, general manager and head coach Chris Jones' resignation request in order to pursue an NFL coaching opportunity. The NFL's Cleveland Browns hired Chris Jones as a defensive specialist. Jones and Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens were together at Alabama in 1997.
National Arena League
The National Arena League Board of Advisors has unanimously approved an expansion team for the Orlando market to play in the 2019 season. The National Arena League expects to hold a press conference later next week at the Amway Center in downtown Orlando, FL where the team will announce its ownership and staff.
American Arena League
It's Official: the American Arena League (AAL) and Midwest Professional Indoor Football League (MPIF) come to terms. The 2018 MPIF Champions, Western Michigan Ironmen, Indianapolis Enforcers, and Chicago Aztces have already committed for the 2019 season. The Midway Marauders (M3I) have committed for the 2020 season and the AAL/MPIF transition team is in discussions with additional potential AAL Central Division teams.
XFL
The XFL plans to reduce penalties from an average of 14.2/game to under 10. Penalties take an average of 36.5 seconds to administer. They will be striving for 15 seconds or less.
Alliance of American Football
Former NFL veteran quarterback Jon Kitna, now the offensive coordinator for the San Diego Fleet in the Alliance of American Football, is expected to become the Dallas Cowboys' quarterbacks coach, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
BASEBALL
International League
The Durham Bulls, in conjunction with the Tampa Bay Rays, have announced Brady Williams as the new manager of the Bulls. Williams takes over for Jared Sandberg, who was hired as a Major League Field Coordinator by the Seattle Mariners in November.
Midwest League
The Cedar Rapids Kernels, in conjunction with the Minnesota Twins, announce that Brian Dinkelman, Ryan Smith, Virgil Vasquez, and Luis Rodriguez will be the Kernels Field Staff for the 2019 season. Brian Dinkelman takes over as the Kernels manager for 2019 in his fourth season with the Kernels. The previous three seasons, he was the Kernels hitting coach and served as the hitting coach for the GCL Twins in 2015.
Pacific Coast league
Memphis native and former St. Louis Cardinals minor league outfielder Ben Johnson will manage the Memphis Redbirds during the 2019 season, the Cardinals announced. Johnson becomes the eighth manager in Redbirds history and replaces Stubby Clapp, who was promoted to the Cardinals staff as first base coach after leading the Redbirds to back-to-back Pacific Coast League championships in 2017 and 2018.
The Memphis Redbirds have been selected to host the 2019 Triple-A National Championship Game at AutoZone Park, which will be played on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 7:00 p.m. (CT) and pit the winner of the Pacific Coast League against the winner of the International League in a one-game, winner-take-all showdown for Triple-A supremacy.
Florida State League
New England Collegiate Baseball League
The New England Collegiate Baseball League is headed to one of the region's most iconic summer communities, as the Martha's Vineyard Sharks will join the New England League as an expansion organization for the 2019 season.
LACROSSE
NLL
The New York National Lacrosse League (NLL) team announced today that Regy Thorpe has been named Head Coach and General Manager for the franchise. A decorated former professional lacrosse player, Thorpe brings more than 20 years experience as a coach and general manager at nearly every level of men's and women's field and box lacrosse to his new position.
Toronto Rock Kieran McArdle with the stuff from behind the net off the unreal feed from Adam Jones:
A wild ending in Vancouver. Frank Scigliano hangs on for his 43rd save of the night as San Diego Seals takes down Vancouver for their third win in a row defeating the Vancouver Warriors 11-10.
SOCCER
MLS
Major League Soccer will become the first major sports league to have a team in the culturally-dynamic city of Austin, Texas as Austin FC will begin play in 2021, Commissioner Don Garber announced on Tuesday.
Atlanta United announced it has signed forward Josef Martinez to a five-year contract extension that will last through the 2023 season. The Venezuela international has been one of the league's most productive players over the last two seasons, scoring 54 goals in 60 MLS games (including playoffs), including an MLS record 31 goals last campaign.
NWSL
The North Carolina Courage announced today that it has inked two-time NWSL Coach of the Year Paul Riley to a multi-year contract. Riley returns to the Courage after completing a historic treble, guiding the team to the inaugural Women's International Champions Cup, a second consecutive NWSL Shield and the 2018 NWSL Championship.
Heading into its fourth season in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), Orlando Pride has named Marc Skinner as its second-ever head coach. Skinner joins the Pride after two and a half seasons as the manager at Birmingham City Women F.C. of England's FA Women's Super League.
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) announced that Amanda Duffy has been named President of the NWSL. Duffy joined the NWSL in January 2017 as Managing Director of Operations prior to being named Managing Director for the league in 2018.
Did we miss anything newsworthy or downright fun? Have a nomination for next week's column? Contact us today and let us know.
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National Women's Soccer League Stories from January 22, 2019
- Last Week around the Leagues - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
