Last Week around the Leagues
by Fran Stuchbury
April 4, 2023 - Major League Rugby (MLR)
This past week St. Louis SC of Major League Soccer saw its record of five straight wins for an expansion team to start the season end with a 1-0 loss to Minnesota United, Long Island Nets Coach Ronnie Burrell was named NBA G League Coach of the Year, and Major League Rugby's Dallas Jackals won its first ever game, topping the Toronto Arrows, after losing 22 games in a row. Highlights from this week come from the National Women's Soccer League, Major League Soccer, United Soccer League Championship, United Soccer League One, NBA G League, Major League Rugby, American Ultimate Disc League American Hockey League, ECHL, North American Hockey League, Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, XFL, United States Football League, Canadian Football League, National Lacrosse League, Premier Lacrosse League, and International League
SOCCER
Major League Soccer
St. Louis CITY SC taste defeat for first time this season, after falling 1-0 to Minnesota United at home. With chances coming at a premium, Minnesota capitalized on a penalty kick that was scored by Luis Amarilla in the 78th minute. Despite the loss, CITY SC remains atop of the Supporters' Shield table with 15 points. After a perfect 5-0-0 start to the season, St. Louis CITY SC were upended for the first time this season. The match also marked the first time this season that CITY SC went the entire game without scoring a goal. Prior to this game, CITY SC scored multiple goals in each match.
Here are the highlights
National Women's Soccer League
The National Women's Soccer League opened its 11th year of play this past weekend, welcoming a record 90,009 fans to matches across the country. The new record marks a 48 percent increase of nearly 30,000 spectators from Week One in 2022. Headlining a historic weekend of attendance records, San Diego Wave FC set a new attendance mark for home openers, hosting 30,854 fans at Snapdragon Stadium as Wave FC edged the Chicago Red Stars, 3-2, off a penalty kick winner from Alex Morgan. The new record passes the previous mark set in 2016 by the Orlando Pride when the club played its inaugural NWSL match against the Houston Dash in front of 23,403 spectators at the Citrus Bowl.
Still can't believe this goal. Angel City FC Claire Emslie to Katie Johnson's noggin' to steal all three points!
Don't believe you can hit it better than this, Racing Louisville FC Ary Borges!
United Soccer League Championship
The USL Championship announced the Team of the Week for Week 3 of the 2023 regular season with San Antonio FC goalkeeper Jordan Farr voted the Championship Player of the Week presented by Konami eFootball after recording a five-save shutout that included a stoppage-time penalty kick save in his side's 1-0 victory against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.
Blazing trails for everyone in soccer - USL Embrace's Equity Series: Emma Boyle, San Antonio FC
United Soccer League One
USL League One Save of the Week Winner: Rashid Nuhu
BASKETBALL
NBA G League
Ronnie Burrell of the Long Island Nets has been named the 2022-23 NBA G League Coach of the Year in a vote by NBA G League head coaches and general managers. With Burrell at the helm, Long Island finished with a 23-9 record and No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the NBA G League Playoffs presented by Google Pixel. He also steered Long Island on a franchise-record 16-game winning streak. Long Island ranked second in steals (10.9) and three-point percentage (37.8) under Burrell's direction. The Nets also finished fourth in three-pointers made (462).
Memphis Grizzlies Two-Way forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. has been named the 2022-23 Kia NBA G League Rookie of the Year for his play with the Memphis Hustle. The award, voted on by the league's head coaches and general managers, recognizes the first-year professional who most significantly contributed to his team's success during the regular season. Lofton Jr. averaged 20.2 points and 10.5 rebounds in 17 games for the Memphis Hustle. The rookie led the Hustle to a 23-9 record, securing the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference for the NBA G League Playoffs presented by Google Pixel. He becomes the first Memphis Hustle player to earn this honor.
Stockton Kings General Manager Paul Johnson has been named the 2022-23 NBA G League Basketball Executive of the Year, as selected by his fellow NBA G League team basketball executives. Under Johnson's leadership, Stockton finished with the best record in the NBA G League (25-7) during the regular season. Johnson's player acquisitions included Jordan Ford (14.7 ppg, 4.8 apg) and Deonte Burton (12.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg), who earned a GATORADE Call-Up to the Sacramento Kings.
He's no regular ROOKIE! In March, Darius Days posted 25.7 PPG & 9.9 RPG, while leading the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to an 8-2 record and to the final playoffs spot in the West. As a result, he's our Kia Player of the Month!
BIG3
The BIG3 announced the full schedule for its sixth season that will tip off at United Center Arena in Chicago, IL on June 25, 2023. The 10-week season will bring the full BIG3 experience on and off the court to fans in Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Memphis, Miami, and New York - where the league will play and host an outdoor festival on July 9 in front of more than 23,000 fans at the historic Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. More than 23 hours of live games will be available on CBS and Paramount+.
OTHER SPORTS
Major League Rugby
The Dallas Jackals won their first game in franchise history, defeating the Toronto Arrows 14-11. They went 0-16 in 2022 and were 0-6 in the 2023 season prior to this victory.
Here are the highlights
American Ultimate Disc League
Nothing but pure rejection for 12 minutes with the top defensive plays from the 2022 season.
HOCKEY
American Hockey League
Work hard, play hard. And that hard work payed off for Philippe Myers and the Syracuse Crunch in overtime.
ECHL
Plays of the Week
North American Hockey League
Top Plays of the Week - March 20-26, 2023
Western Hockey League
WHL Top 10
Ontario Hockey League
OHL Plays of the Week
Saginaw Spirit to host 2024 Memorial Cup
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Top 10 Plays of March
FOOTBALL
XFL
XFL San Antonio Brahmas Fred Brown 96-yd kickoff return touchdown
St. Louis Battlehawks Hakeem Butler catch and Hageman 59 yard Field Goal
United States Football League
Memphis Showboats 2023 uniforms are finally here.
Canadian Football League
Marshall Ferguson discusses who turned heads during testing at the CFL Combine in Edmonton, Alberta.
LACROSSE
National Lacrosse League
Andrew Kew goes off with 5G & 5A as the Georgia Swarm dominate Halifax Thunderbirds 17-7.
Mark Matthews put up three goals in a huge OT win for the Vancouver Warriors.
Premier Lacrosse League
The Premier Lacrosse League goes to Japan in this mini-documentary spotlighting the international exhibition between the Japan National Team and PLL All-Stars. An effort to accelerate the game of lacrosse abroad.
BASEBALL
International League
Minor League Baseball announced that the 2023 Triple-A National Championship Game, which will feature the winners of the International League and Pacific Coast League meeting in a single-game format, will be played on Saturday, September 30th in Las Vegas. The Triple-A National Championship Game, which will follow the best-of-three League Championship Series of the two leagues, will crown an overall winner of the highest level of the Minor Leagues.
Ben Gamel goes airborne to make the catch for the Durham Bulls
Janson Junk brought his "A" game for the Nashville Sounds. The No. 16 Brewers prospect fanned five across five innings of one-run ball in his organizational debut Sunday.
Did we miss anything newsworthy or downright fun? Have a nomination for next week's column? Contact us today and let us know.
Major League Rugby Stories from April 4, 2023
- First XV: WK 7 - MLR
- 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.
