Last Week around the Leagues
by Fran Stuchbury
April 26, 2022 - United States Football League (USFL)
This past week the Atlantic League's Staten Island FerryHawks player Kelsie Whitmore made history when she became the first woman to play in a league partnered with MLB, Fort Wayne Komets forward Will Graber was named the ECHL's Most Valuable Player, and the Philadelphia Stars scored the first three-point conversion in United States Football League history. Highlights from this week come from the Atlantic League, Eastern League, ECHL, American Hockey League, North American Hockey League, Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, United States Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, United States Football League, Canadian Football Leagues. Fan Controlled Football, National Lacrosse League, Premier Lacrosse League, NBA G League, Major League Soccer, National Women's Soccer League and Major League Rugby.
BASEBALL
Atlantic League
Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League pitcher, Kelsie Whitmore, joins Nancy Newman to discuss her experience so far, pitching arsenal, goals, and so much more!
Eastern League
Massive brawl between Double-A Portland and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies
Top 10 Plays
HOCKEY
ECHL
Fort Wayne Komets forward Will Graber has been named the ECHL's Warrior Hockey Most Valuable Player for the 2021-2022 season. He becomes the ninth player in franchise history to win league MVP honors. Graber, 25, is the first player in ECHL history to lead the league in points (83) and plus-minus (+37) in the same season. The 6'5 right-hander also led the league with 57 assists in 59 games. He was named to the All-ECHL First Team, twice awarded ECHL player of the week, and took home Player of the Month honors in March.
Will Graber ECHL MVP 2022
The ECHL announced that Jeff Pyle of the Atlanta Gladiators is the 2021-22 recipient of the John Brophy Award as the league's Coach of the Year. Pyle led the Gladiators to a second-place finish in the South Division with a record of 43-23-5, the team's first 40-plus win season since 2012-13, and their first appearance in the Kelly Cup Playoffs since 2018. Atlanta finished the regular season tied for the league lead with 25 home wins (25-10-1).
The ECHL announced that Kris Bennett of the Iowa Heartlanders has been named ECHL Rookie of the Year and the recipient of the John A. Daley Memorial Trophy. Bennett, who was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team and the All-ECHL Second Team last week, finished the season tied for the league lead with 35 goals and was tops among first-year players with 73 points, which ranked fifth overall. He is the first rookie to have at least a share of the lead the league in goals since Dayton's Darren Colbourne scored a league-leading 69 goals in 1991-92.
American Hockey League
Stefan Noesen and Vasili Ponomarev scored two goals apiece to pace the Chicago Wolves to a 6-2 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins at Allstate Arena. Captain Andrew Poturalski and rookie forward Noel Gunler also scored for the Wolves (48-16-5-5), who clinched the best regular-season record in the franchise's 28-year history. The Central Division champions will finish with no worse than a .697 points percentage, which nudges ahead of the 2000 Turner Cup championship team that finished at .695.
Chicago Wolves Stefan Noesen's league-leading 44th goal of the year.
North American Hockey League
Western Hockey League
WHL Top 10
Ontario Hockey League
Plays of the Week
United States Hockey League
WATCH as hockey players team up to help a fan donate a very large BEAR during the Green Bay Gamblers' annual Teddy Bear Toss. The stuffed animals are donated to kids in local hospitals and charities.
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
2022 NHL Draft - Under the Microscope: Moncton Wildcats goaltender Vincent Filion
Premier Hockey Federation
The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) announced a series of updates pertaining to team roster building for the 2022-23 season including free agency details that prioritize an athlete's freedom of choice, and enhancements to new standard player agreements that affirm a strengthened commitment to current and prospective PHF athletes.
FOOTBALL
United States Football League
The First 3 Point Conversion In USFL History by the Philadelphia Stars Is GOOD!
Every single touchdown from week 2
New Orleans Breakers wide receiver Jay Adams with a one-handed grab.
Indoor Football League
Week 6 Plays of the Week!
Fan Controlled Football League
LACROSSE
National Lacrosse League
Jeff Teat has the nice feed Jake Fox who adjusts and slams home a behind-the-net dunk for the Riptide!
This weekend Lyle Thompson of the Georgia Swarm and Jeremy Thompson of Panther City Lacrosse Club played against each other. It was a special night for the two players as they are brothers - Jeremy is the oldest and Lyle is the youngest of four Thompson brothers who grew up playing the game of lacrosse from an early age. All four Thompson brothers - Jeremy, Miles, Jerome and Lyle - have achieved great success in college and now professional lacrosse ¬Â¦ but for this family, lacrosse is more than a game.
Premier Lacrosse League
Best of Redwoods Faceoff TD Ierland
BASKETBALL
NBA G League
2022 NBA G League Finals: Game 2 Mini-Movie
Best Of 2022 All-NBA G League First Team
BIG3
The BIG3 announced CBS is returning as the league's primary broadcast partner for the 2022 season. CBS will air 28 hours of live games across the CBS Television Network and stream live on Paramount+ throughout a 12-week season tipping-off June 18th. "BIG3 is a unique and exciting brand of basketball," said Dan Weinberg, Executive Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports. "The level of competition is incredible and the league continues to grow. We are pleased to have the BIG3 back on our network for the third straight year and are looking forward to all that the 2022 season holds. ¬Â
Relive one of the greatest upsets in BIG3 history. Frank Nitty and Donte Greene speak about handing the reigning champs their first loss of the 2021 season.
SOCCER
Major League Soccer
Two Goals in 46 Seconds to Spark an Epic Comeback in San Jose
National Women's Soccer League
The Chicago Red Stars announced the departure of assistant coach Julianne Sitch who will be joining the University of Chicago as the head coach of their men's soccer team. Sitch joined the Red Stars coaching staff in 2019 serving as an assistant coach for the first team and head coach for the Red Stars Reserves. In Sitch's first year coaching the Red Stars Reserves, the team finished in first place in the Women's premiere Soccer League Lake Michigan Conference with seven wins, one loss and two draws for a total of 23 points for the 2021 season.
Budweiser Player of the Week - Hina Sugita, Portland Thorns FC
OTHER SPORTS
Major League Rugby
Chris Mattina stared it all off receiving the kick from the Jackals, then offloading it to Marcel Brache who times the pass perfectly to Sidney Shoop who finishes it off for the Rhino Try of the Week!
MLR Biggest Hits - Week 11
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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United States Football League Stories from April 26, 2022
- Kyle Sloter, Vontae Diggs Named USFL Week 2 Players of the Week - USFL
- USFL Week 2 Power Rankings: Breakers Grab Top Spot - USFL
- 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.
