Last Week around the Leagues

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Major League Soccer

Last Week around the Leagues

by Fran Stuchbury
October 1, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)


This past week the Sugar Land Space Cowboys won the Triple-A National Championship, LAFC captured the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and two Women's National Basketball Association teams fired their head coaches. Highlights from this week come from the Pacific Coast League, International League, Texas League, Eastern League, Southern League, Atlantic League, Major League Soccer, National Women's Soccer League, USL Super League, Canadian Premier League, MLS NEXT Pro, Women's National Basketball Association, NBA G League, Canadian Football League, Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, North American Hockey League, United States Hockey League, Premier Lacrosse League, and Ultimate Frisbee Association.

BASEBALL

Pacific Coast League

For the first time in franchise history, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (96-59) are Triple-A National Champions as they defeated the Omaha Storm Chasers (91-61) in the winner-takes-all Triple-A National Championship game at Las Vegas Ballpark by a score of 13-6. Sugar Land will begin the 2025 season as reigning Triple-A National Champions on March 28 at home against the Oklahoma City Baseball Club.

In a game that they led from the first inning, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (2-0) defeated the Reno Aces (0-2) 5-2 to clinch their first Pacific Coast League Championship.

Best MiLB action includes Sugar Land winning the Triple-A National Championship Game

International League

With a 7-3 win over the Columbus Clippers at Werner Park, the Omaha Storm Chasers won the franchise's first International League Championship, securing a best-of-three series two games to one, the club's eighth Triple-A league title and fourth trip to the Triple-A National Championship Game since 2011. With the victory, Kansas City's Triple-A affiliate is the first Triple-A team to win a title in three different leagues, having also won league championships in the American Association and Pacific Coast League prior to joining the International League in 2021.

Alliance Sports, owner of the Omaha Storm Chasers, announced today they have entered into an agreement to sell the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), a company that owns and operates select Minor League Baseball (MiLB) teams affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB). The Storm Chasers will remain in Omaha, and the team's front office staff, led by President Martie Cordaro, will also remain in place and continue to operate the club under DBH. The club will continue playing at Werner Park as the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The Storm Chasers proudly own the longest-standing affiliation of all 30 Triple-A teams and the third oldest in all of MiLB; their relationship with the Royals began in 1969 and has remained steady for 55 years. Alliance Sports co-founders Gary Green and Larry Botel, who purchased the club in 2012, are entrusting DBH to further strengthen its connection with Sarpy County. DBH is committed to enhancing both the fan and player experience at Werner Park, home to the seven-time league champions since 2011.

Omaha Storm Chasers are being sold to Diamond Baseball Holdings

Texas League

Alberto Rodriguez hit a walk-off single with one out in the ninth inning making the Arkansas Travelers the Texas League Champions for 2024 with a 5-4 win over the Midland RockHounds in front of a raucous crowd of 5,661 at Dickey-Stephens Park. The Travelers won the TL title for the seventh time in history and first time since 2008. The heroics by Rodriguez were only necessary because Midland erased a three-run Arkansas advantage in the eighth inning. A three-run third inning staked the Travs to an early lead and they never trailed in the game. Ben Williamson paced the offense with three hits including a double and three runs batted in. Starter Logan Evans was dominant, firing six innings allowing just a run while scattering five hits and two walks with a career-high tying nine strikeouts.

Arkansas Travelers win first Texas League title in 16 years

Eastern League

The Erie SeaWolves, the Tigers' Double-A affiliate, cap off a two-game Eastern League Finals sweep to repeat as champions

Southern League

For the first time since 2013, the Birmingham Barons are Southern League champions!

Atlantic League

The York Revolution are the 2024 Atlantic League champions. For the first time since 2017

SOCCER

Major League Soccer

LAFC won the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City in extra time on iin front of a capacity crowd at BMO Stadium. Olivier Giroud scored his first-ever goal at BMO Stadium in regulation time before substitutes Omar Campos and Kei Kamara broke a 1-1 tie by scoring in extra time to help LAFC lift the Open Cup for the first time in club history. This is the fourth major trophy in LAFC's seven-year history, joining the 2019 and 2022 Supporters' Shields and the 2022 MLS Cup.

Here are the highlights.

Inside NYCFC'S First Soccer-Only Stadium! Discover the future of sports with an inside look at NYC's groundbreaking $780 million soccer-only stadium! Explore the innovative design, eco-friendly features, and transformative impact on Queens. From its cutting-edge technology to its role in revitalizing a community, get an exclusive peek at this game-changing venue.

National Women's Soccer League The Futobl W crew of Sebastian Salazer, Ali Krieger and Jeff Kassouf react to the news of Trinity Rodman's back injury as they question how the Washington Spirit will do without her.

USL Super League

Anna Witte sits down with Carolina Ascent FC defender Addisyn Merrick ahead of Week 7 in the USL Super League Inaugural Season.

Canadian Premier League

KJ sat down with The Cavs boss Tommy Wheeldon Jr, to talk about the business end of the season, how his side have been this year, and what we can expect from Cavalry heading into the playoffs

MLS NEXT Pro

Chattanooga Football Club announced that it has parted ways with Rod Underwood as sporting director and head coach effective immediately. "The club would like to express its deep gratitude to Rod Underwood for his commitment to our club. He is a class act and I wish him the best in all of his future endeavors," said Davis Grizzard, CFC Primary Owner. uring his three seasons with Chattanooga FC, Underwood led the club to second and first-place finishes in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA). He then led the team through its transition to MLS NEXT Pro. Through 26 matches in MLS NEXT Pro, the team accrued eight wins, nine losses and nine draws with seven shootout wins. Overall during his tenure at CFC in competitive matches, Underwood led the team to a 41W-17L-25D.

Before recently signing a first-team contract with Whitecaps FC, WFC2's Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau caught up with Michelle Montaine to talk about what he owes to his recent success on the pitch and what it was like to debut for the first team in front of his friends and family!

BASKETBALL

Women's National Basketball Association

The Los Angeles Sparks announced that they have mutually agreed to part ways with Head Coach Curt Miller. The Sparks will begin their search for a new head coach immediately. On behalf of our ownership group and franchise, I would like to thank Coach Miller for his passion and commitment to the Sparks organization these past two seasons, Governor and Managing Partner Eric Holoman said. We wish him well moving forward. As a team, the Sparks finished 25-55 in Miller's two seasons in LA and did not qualify for the playoffs during his tenure. For his career as a WNBA head coach (2016-2024), Miller holds a regular-season record of 165-141, the 11th-most regular-season wins in WNBA history.

The Chicago Sky announced that Teresa Weatherspoon will not retain the role of Head Coach for the 2025 season.

The WNBA's 13th franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, set to begin play in 2025, will begin assembling the team's inaugural roster when the league conducts the Golden State Expansion Draft on Friday, December 6, on ESPN. Golden State will have the ability to select from a designated pool of available players as designated by each of the current 12 teams.

Connecticut Sun guard-forward DiJonai Carrington has been named the 2024 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player. The 5-11 Carrington, selected by the Sun with the 20th overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm, averaged career highs of 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.56 steals this season, up from 8.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.63 steals in 2023. In addition, she recorded a career-high 25 games with 10 or more points.

Caitlin Clark, on a practice court for the WNBA's Indiana Fever, revealed the biomechanics behind her jaw-dropping three-pointers to 60 Minutes correspondent Jon Wertheim.

On WNBA Countdown, Elle Duncan, Andraya Carter and Chiney Ogwumike react to Minnesota Lynx's Napheesa Collier being named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and Lynx's Cheryl Reeve being named WNBA Coach of the Year.

NBA G League

Wisconsin Herd mourning after assistant coach Joe Wolf passes away unexpectedly

FOOTBALL

Canadian Football League

CFL Plays of the Week

HOCKEY

ECHL

The ECHL announced on that the League's Board of Governors has approved the Transfer of Controlling Interest in the Maine Mariners' Membership from Comcast Spectacor to Dexter Paine. "The ECHL is thrilled to welcome Dexter Paine to the League with his acquisition of the Maine Mariners, as approved by our Board of Governors," said ECHL Commissioner, Ryan Crelin. "Dexter brings a wealth of business and sports experience to the League through his previous endeavors, but more importantly, a passion for hockey in the New England area which will help the Mariners grow and thrive even further. "On behalf of the League, I'd like to thank everyone at Comcast Spectacor for their ownership and original vision to bring the ECHL to Maine, to ensure that Portland and the surrounding communities had a professional hockey team in the market to call their own," Crelin continued.

For the first time ever, AHL hockey comes to Kansas City as the Coachella Valley Firebirds face the Milwaukee Admirals in a two-game preseason series on Friday, October 4th and Saturday, October 5th, both starting at 7:00 PM CST at Cable Dahmer Arena. This marks the third year of affiliation between the Firebirds and Mavericks with the Seattle Kraken. The Mavericks are the only ECHL team hosting their AHL affiliate this season. The Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators, have been partnered with Nashville since 1998.

Fans will see a rematch of the 2023 Western Conference Final, where the Firebirds bested the Admirals in six games. Entering their third season, the Firebirds have already won the AHL Western Conference Championship twice in as many seasons.

Western Hockey League

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced that five Western Hockey League (WHL) clubs - the Brandon Wheat Kings, Kelowna Rockets, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Medicine Hat Tigers, and Spokane Chiefs - have officially submitted their formal written bids in an effort to secure the hosting rights for the 2026 Memorial Cup. The five WHL clubs vying to host the 2026 Memorial Cup represent the largest number of CHL teams bidding for this event since six Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) franchises sought to host the 2009 Memorial Cup. n 2026, a WHL host club will be one of four teams to participate in the 106th edition of the Memorial Cup alongside the playoff champion from each of the WHL, Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and QMJHL.

WHL Top 10 Plays of the Week

Ontario Hockey League

London Knights Commemorate 2024 OHL Championship by Raising Banner

North American Hockey League

The NAHL Stars of the Week for September 23-29, 2024

United States Hockey League

The Fargo Force unveiled their 2023-24 Clark Cup and Anderson Cup banners and reigning USHL Player of the Year Mac Swanson dropped the puck at their home opener

LACROSSE

Premier Lacrosse League

Go under the helmet with PLL players during the 2024 PLL Cash App Championship.

When the Utah Archers drafted Mason Woodward at #8 Overall in May of 2024, it was not the most popular decision. However, Woodward proved himself again and again, especially in the 2024 PLL Championship Game.

OTHER SPORTS

Pro Volleyball Federation

The Omaha Supernovas, Nebraska's professional volleyball team and first Pro Volleyball Champions, will have four players and one coach competing in the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball season. AU returns for its fourth year which is set to go from October 3 to November 4 at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Arizona. Supernovas Brooke Nuneviller, Natalia Valentín-Anderson, Kelsie Payne and Kayla Caffey will compete with Omaha assistant coach Thomas Robson acting as one of four facilitators for the league.

AU features a unique range of scoring innovations with individual athletes earning points based on both team wins and individual performance, with the leaderboard changing constantly. In addition, teams change each week with the top four athletes in the standings serving as captains and drafting their teams. At the end of the five-week season, the player with the most points is crowned as the league's individual champion.

Ultimate Frisbee Association

Full 2024 season highlights from the league MVP Boston Glory Jeff Babbitt!

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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