Last Week around the Leagues

by Fran Stuchbury
September 26, 2023 - Premier Lacrosse League (PLL)

This past week the Archers won their first Premier Lacrosse League Championship, the National Women's Soccer league added an expansion team to Boston for the 2026 season, and reports have surfaced that the XFL and the United States Football League will be merging. Highlights from this week come from the Premier Lacrosse League, National Women's Soccer League, Major League Soccer, United Soccer League Championship, United Soccer League One, Canadian Premier League, XFL, Canadian Football League, European League of Football, Pacific Coast League, Carolina League, Midwest League, South Atlantic League, Women's National Basketball Association, NBA G League, Southern Professional Hockey League, Western Hockey League, North American Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Professional Women's Hockey League, and American Ultimate Disc League.

LACROSSE

Premier Lacrosse League

Tom Schreiber, the Premier Lacrosse League's Jim Brown Most Valuable Player this season, picked up a grounder, evaded a swarming Waterdogs defense and scored the go-ahead goal with 1:37 remaining, willing the Archers to a 15-14 win at Subaru Park. The Archers, one of the league's original six members, are Premier Lacrosse League champions for the first time.

Here are the second half highlights of the championship

SOCCER

National Women's Soccer League

The National Women's Soccer League announced that Boston has been awarded expansion rights for the league's 15th team to Boston Unity Soccer Partners (BUSC), an all-female core ownership group led by a diverse and dynamic leadership team with deep local ties. The new club is set to kick off in the 2026 season, bringing world-class women's soccer back to the country's #9 media market to play in a region with a championship legacy for a fan base that has earned a reputation as one of the most passionate in all of global sport. "I'm excited to expand the NWSL's footprint and continue its transformative growth in our return to Boston, one of the world's most iconic sports cities," said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. "We are very proud to welcome Boston Unity Soccer Partners to our ownership group. They bring an impressive roster of business leaders committed to continuing Boston's legacy of sports excellence and delivering a successful team to a very passionate fanbase. We are thrilled for their entry to the league in the 2026 season and add a new chapter to the storied history of Boston sports. ‚¬Â

Boston will be the National Women's Soccer League's 15th team. It doesn't have a name yet, but the expansion franchise will begin play in 2026. WBZ-TV's Louisa Moller reports.

Major League Soccer

Robert Taylor beats 3 defenders for SENSATIONAL Inter Miami goal

United Soccer League Championship

The USL Championship announced the Team of the Week for Week 28 of the 2023 regular season with Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC goalkeeper Christian Herrera voted the Championship Player of the Week presented by Konami eFootball after recording an eight-save shutout in his side's 1-0 victory against Orange County SC last Friday night at Championship Soccer Stadium.

United Soccer League One

USL League One announced the Team of the Week for Week 27 of the 2023 regular season with Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC goalkeeper Lalo Delgado named Player of the Week presented by Konami eFootball with his six-save shutout victory on the road against Central Valley Fuego FC.

Canadian Premier League

Cavalry FC of the Canadian Premier League (CPL) officially clinched the Canadian Premier League Shield as winners of the regular season. By winning the CPL's regular season title, Cavalry has also secured a berth in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup. Cavalry's 1-0 win at York United FC coupled with Forge FC's 2-1 win over Pacific FC mathematically secured the league title for the club. Cavalry have so far accumulated 14 wins, 7 draws, 5 losses, in 2023, for 49 points overall.

At long last, a trophy is heading to Calgary for the first time. Here, Cavalry FC players discuss what their head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr means to them and the club, and how much they wanted to win for him

'It's been an incredible journey': Vancouver FC reflect on foundation-building inaugural season

FOOTBALL

XFL and USFL

XFL/USFL MERGING!?!? MarkCast Host Reid Johnson breaks down the latest news!

XFL

The XFL has announced that St. Louis Battlehawks quarterback A.J. McCarron has signed a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. In nine games, McCarron led the XFL with 24 passing touchdowns and 26 touchdowns overall. He also posted an XFL-best 68.8% completion rate and ranked 2nd in the league with 203 completions and 2,150 passing yards.

Canadian Football League

The Toronto Argonauts Football Club announced the team has extended the contract of General Manager Michael "Pinball" Clemons. Clemons was named the 20th general manager in Argonauts history in October 2019. Since then, he's led the Argonauts to a Grey Cup championship victory in 2022, three consecutive East Division regular-season titles, and the best start in Argonauts history at 11-1 this season. The Canadian Football Hall of Famer took over a Double Blue team that had won a total of eight games in two seasons and helped turn it into a nine-win team in 2021 (14-game season), 11-win team in 2022, and an 11-win team in 2023 through just 12 games.

CFL Plays of the Week

European League of Football

After a hard-fought game, the Rhein Fire crown themselves champions at the sold-out Schauinsland-Reisen Arena in Duisburg, beating the Stuttgart Surge 53-34. Here are the highlights.

National Arena League

The National Arena League officially reveals Nampa, Idaho as the newest franchise to join the National Arena League for the upcoming 2024 season, which continues the national growth and footprint of the league. The Horsemen become the fifth recent city to join the National Arena League and the first team in Idaho to play in the National Arena League. In 2024, the Horsemen will host their home games at the Ford Idaho Center as the franchise enters its fifth season, launching their first season in 2018. The two-time AWFC league champions will be led by a familiar face, team owner Chris Reynolds. The Horsemen join the Sioux City Bandits, Omaha Beef, Carolina Cobras, Topeka Tropics and Colorado Spartans as current NAL members, with future team announcements coming in the following weeks.

BASEBALL

Pacific Coast League

Veteran outfielder Wynton Bernard records his 1,000th career Minor League hit while playing with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes.

Texas Rangers prospect Wyatt Langford puts together a four-hit night for the Triple-A Round Rock Express

Carolina League

The Charleston RiverDogs scored seven runs in the first inning and made them hold up for the remainder of the contest, defeating the Down East Wood Ducks by a 7-5 score at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The victory allowed the RiverDogs to claim their third-consecutive league championship, the first time a team has achieved that feat in the Carolina League's history. The final out, a strikeout of JoJo Blackmon by Cade Halemanu, sparked a wild celebration on the field as a crowd of 5,314 roared.

The Charleston RiverDogs, the Tampa Bay Rays' Single-A affiliate, celebrate after winning the 2023 Carolina League title.

Midwest League

Behind an Emmanuel Rodriguez grand slam in the top of the second inning, Cedar Rapids opened a 5-0 lead it would never lose Wednesday night as the Kernels knocked off Great Lakes 7-6 in the winner-take-all game three of the Midwest League Championship to win the franchise's first league title since 1994. The title breaks a 29-year championship drought and is the first for the Kernels as a Twins affiliate. Cedar Rapids finishes the year with a total record of 86-52 and with division titles in both halves of the regular season, the West Division postseason championship and the league championship.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels, the Minnesota Twins' High-A affiliate, celebrate after winning the 2023 Midwest League championship.

South Atlantic League

The Greenville Drive claimed the South Atlantic League Championship for the first time since 2017 and for the second time in franchise history, sweeping the Hudson Valley Renegades in the Championship Series, completing the sweep with a 7-3 victory in game two. Deadlocked at 2-2 in the fourth, Ronald Rosario blasted a home run to break the tie, and Kristian Campbell put the game out of reach in the seventh with a three-run homer to put the Drive ahead for good.

The Greenville Drive, the Boston Red Sox's High-A affiliate, celebrate after winning the 2023 South Atlantic League title.

Atlantic League

Attain Sports and Entertainment announced that its Atlantic League Professional Baseball (ALPB) Club, the Spire City Ghost Hounds, will take a hiatus from the upcoming 2024 season. The decision was the result of a thorough evaluation and extensive discussions with ALPB. The Atlantic League, which requires an even number of teams for scheduling purposes, requested a volunteer from its 2024 roster of 11 teams to sit out one year until expansion to 12 teams is completed. Due to scheduling complexities arising from a shared stadium, it was determined that the Ghost Hounds would be the most logical choice for the team to take a one-year sabbatical in 2024. The Frederick Keys will continue to play at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium and will honor Spire City by playing as the Ghost Hounds as an alternate team identify at various times during the 2024 season.

Frontier League

Frontier League announced that its Board of Directors has issued membership for a new team that will play at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton, Massachusetts beginning with the upcoming 2024 season. This continued growth of the Frontier League is especially noteworthy as it creates the league's first team to play in New England. The New England club will play in the Eastern Division of the Frontier League beginning with the upcoming 2024 season and will bring the total number of permanent members of the league to sixteen teams.

BASKETBALL

Women's National Basketball Association

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson has been named the 2023 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. This is the second WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award for Wilson, who also earned the honor last season. In her sixth WNBA season, Wilson led the league with a career-high 2.23 blocks per game, ranked third in defensive rebounds per game (7.5) and was 10th in steals per game (1.40). Wilson grabbed at least 10 defensive rebounds in a game nine times. She also recorded nine games with at least four blocks and 10 games with at least three steals.

A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces is named Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, becoming the first player to earn the award back to back since Alana Beard achieved this in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Las Vegas Aces forward Alysha Clark has been named the 2023 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year. She has earned the honor as the league's top reserve for the first time. To be eligible for the award, a player had to play more games as a reserve than as a starter. Overall, she averaged 6.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 22.5 minutes per game. Clark also made 38.6 percent of her three-point shots, ranking 17th in the WNBA in that category.

Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally has been named the 2023 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player. Sabally, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm, averaged career highs of 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals this season, up from 11.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.5 steals in 2022. She ranked ninth in the league in scoring, 10th in rebounding, 13th in assists and fourth in steals. Sabally improved her three-point shooting from 23.3 percent last season to 36.1 percent in 2023. She also raised her overall field goal percentage to a career-best 43.5 percent.

"I realized who I was and what I was capable of. ‚¬Â Betnijah Laney 's career has been all about evolution Check out the New York Liberty guard/forward in episode 4 of 'Legacy - MADE'

NBA G League

Ignite power forward Ron Holland Drops Big Double-Double In Final FIBA ICC Game

HOCKEY

American Hockey League

American Hockey League President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Howson announced that the AHL Board of Governors has approved the transfer of ownership of the Belleville Senators AHL franchise to Michael Andlauer. Andlauer was approved earlier today by the National Hockey League Board of Governors as the new owner of the NHL's Ottawa Senators.

ECHL

The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, announced that forward Brandon Yeamans signed a Standard Player Contract for the 2023-24 season. The team also announced rookie goaltender Mariah Fujimagari signed to a Professional Tryout contract (PTO). Fujimagari, 29, is a 5-foot 11-inch, Markham, ON native entering her rookie season. In 2022-23, the netminder played professionally in Sweden for Allmänna Idrottsklubben (AIK) in the SDHL (W). "Mariah is an athletic goaltender that battles on every shot and reads the play well," Martin said. Prior to joining the K-WIngs, the goaltender spent four years at the University of Maine (2013-2017), sporting a 7-9-2 record with a .898 career save percentage. Following college, Fujimagari joined SKP Bratislava (EWHL/Slovakia) in Slovakia for one season (2017-18: 24 GP, 1.55 GAA, .941 S%), before joining the Worcester Blades (CWHL) in 2018-19.

Southern Professional Hockey League

Huntsville Havoc unveil 20th anniversary jerseys

Western Hockey League

20-year-old Zac Funk scored a hat-trick for the Prince George Cougars in their season-opening game

North American Hockey League

NAHL Top Plays - September 11-17, 2023

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

The Commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), Mario Cecchini, unveiled the Patrick-Roy Trophy during a press conference held earlier today at the Videotron Centre. The new trophy will henceforth honour the Goaltender of the Year. The Patrick-Roy Trophy is a new addition to the League's collection of trophies. The Jacques-Plante Trophy will remain, honouring the goaltender with the best goals-against-average during the regular season.

Patrick-Roy Trophy presentation

Professional Women's Hockey League

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) welcomed 90 of the league's founding players as part of the inaugural PWHL Draft presented by Canadian Tire. The event was hosted at CBC's headquarters in downtown Toronto and streamed live in partnership with CBC Sports and Radio Canada. Taylor Heise was selected first overall by Minnesota, with legendary sports icon Billie Jean King announcing the historic pick. The 23-year-old from the University of Minnesota was one of two forwards and recent NCAA graduates chosen in the first round, joined by Alina Müller (Northeastern University) who went third overall to Boston. The first round featured four defenders, with Jocelyne Larocque chosen second by Toronto, Ella Shelton went fourth to New York, Savannah Harmon was picked fifth by Ottawa, and Erin Ambrose was called sixth by Montreal.

NHL Tonight discusses the new Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) holding its inaugural draft in Toronto and US Women's National Team rising star Taylor Heise's selection as the league's first-ever draft pick!

OTHER SPORTS

American Ultimate Disc League

Jordan Kerr's Best Throws + Assists from the 2023 AUDL Season. Jordan Kerr was dangerous with the disc once again in 2023 for the Salt Lake Shred!

Did we miss anything newsworthy or fun? Have a nomination for next week's column? Contact us today and let us know.

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Premier Lacrosse League Stories from September 26, 2023

• 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.