FALLS CHURCH The season has ended for the Halifax County High School varsity boys basketball team.

Two rallies by the Comets in the third quarter allowed them to erase all but one point of an 11-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter, but George C. Marshall High School was able to make the plays it needed down the stretch to stave off the Comets 58-45 Monday night in an opening-round game of the 5A North Region Tournament at George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church.

"Hats off to my guys," remarked Comets Head Coach Sterling Williams.

"We had a great season. The guys gave me everything they had every day. This is a really good group of guys, and I'm thankful and blessed to have had the opportunity to coach them."

The Comets (16-9 overall) were led in scoring by James Smith Jr. who tallied a game-high 20 points. Tyliek Powell was next in line with eight points, Shelquon Edmonds chipped in five points and Tysean Dunkley and Ford Morrison scored four points each.

Halifax County High School struggled early, falling behind 15-2 in the first five minutes of the game as the Statesmen hit a trio of three-point shots and got a basket inside from 6-11 center Jack Foley during its early run.

From that point on, the Comets faced a daunting task to get back into contention. With baskets from Powell, Morrison and Jordan Williams in the last 1:55 of the first quarter, the Comets closed the deficit to seven points at 15-8 at the end of the first quarter.

The Statesmen stretched their lead back to 11 points at 25-14 on a basket from Daniel Deaver with 1:35 left in the first half. Smith answered with a couple of baskets, but Deaver hit a 3-point shot at the buzzer to give his team a 29-16 lead at halftime.

Halifax County High School made its best push of the game in the second half, putting together an 11-3 run over the first 3:18 of the third quarter to get to within four points at 32-28 on the last of three baskets from Smith in the run.

The Statesmen's Joseph Lampman broke the Comets' rally with a 3-point basket and teammate Marhel Harrison followed with a basket to put their team up 37-28 with 3:41 left in the third quarter.

Halifax County High School fell behind by 10 points at 40-30, but outscored George C. Marshall High School 7-1 over the last 1:41 of the quarter with a bucket from Edmonds, a three-point play from Bailey and a basket from Powell to close to within four points at 41-37 at the end of the period.

Smith brought the Comets to within a point at 41-40 by completing a three-point play on the Comets's first possession of the fourth quarter. The Comets never got that close again.

Foley answered for the Statesmen with a dunk in the paint, made one of two free throw attempts after a Comets turnover, and after a missed shot by the Comets, hit another basket from deep in the paint to put the Statesmen up 46-40 with 6:22 left in the game.

In that sequence, the Comets failed to score on five straight possessions after having gotten the early play from Smith that allowed the Comets to close to within a point.

It was a gradual descent for the Comets after that as they fell behind by 10 points at 50-40 with 3:10 left in the contest. Over the final two minutes the Comets were forced to foul in an attempt to get the ball back but the Statesmen hit 9 of 10 attempts from the charity stripe over the last 1:46 of the game to seal the win.

Williams said the Comets' slow start to the game was the difference in the outcome.

"I feel if we had battled in the first quarter like we did in the middle of the second quarter, third quarter and part of the fourth quarter it would have been a different outcome," Williams said.

"We came out a little flat. I don't know if it was the long bus ride or long day or what it was, but we came out a little flat. We didn't play hard. Our intensity wasn't there. We couldn't get the stops defensively that we normally do. Offensively, the shots weren't going in. We used so much energy to get back into the game that we couldn't seal the deal on those possessions that we needed to score.

"Hats off to Marshall," added Williams.

"They ran their stuff offensively and kept getting the ball inside to the big guy (Foley). They kept running it until we broke down defensively."

Lampman led the Statesmen in scoring with 14 points. Foley followed with 13 points and Ryan Robinson chipped in 11 points.

With the win, George C. Marshall High School (19-7 overall) advances to Tuesday night's quarterfinal round where it will face Potomac High School in Dumfries.

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Comets' season ends in 58-45 loss in opening round of 5A North ... - YourGV.com

Ben Birnell

The Utica Comets special teams clicked at the right time against the Albany Devils.

For the second time in as many days, Uticas penalty kill and power-play units each scored goals. This time, though, strong efforts from Darren Archibald and Jordan Subban helped key a comeback against their North Division rival.

Subbans power-play blast which busted the water bottle on the net with 6:37 remaining helped cap a two-goal third period and help the Comets rally past the Devils 3-2 in a rare Monday afternoon game in front of an announced crowd of 2,469 at the Times Union Center in Albany. It was the fourth time in 23 games the Comets won when trailing after two periods.

The defensemans heavy shot followed Archibalds game-tying goal and helped the Comets (21-23-6-2, 50 points) score an important win over Devils (30-23-1-1, 62 points). The Comets, who snapped a two-game skid with the victory, are 3-7-1-1 in their last 12 games. The Comets are five points back of St. Johns in the division with 24 games remaining in the regular season.

The Comets, who are 4-1-1 against the Devils this season, finished 1-for-6 on the power play, while stopping each of Albanys six power-plays.

Borna Rendulic continued a five-game point streak with a goal to help support goaltender Richard Bachman, who turned in a solid performance with 33 saves to improve his record to 12-11-2-1 this season. It was the eighth one-goal game for the Comets, who are 13-8-6-2 in such contests this season.

First period

Utica controlled play for much of the opening 20 minutes, but couldnt find a way to put one of its 14 shots past Mackenzie Blackwood (32 saves).

Bachman wasnt tested much, but had solid stops on back-to-back chances with about seven minutes remaining, including one from Ryan Kujawinski.

However, the Devils took a 1-0 lead on their sixth shot of the game not long after the Comets second power play ended. After a solid Comets chance against Blackwood, the Devils went the other way and Carter Camper scored past Bachman with 3:07 left.

Second period

The battle continued with the teams trading goals 21 seconds apart and the Devils keeping their one-goal advantage. The teams combined for 28 shots.

For the fifth consecutive game, Rendulic figured into the Comets first goal of the game. After a turnover at center ice, Marco Roy back in the lineup after 11 games as a healthy scratch pushed the puck to Rendulic, who broke into the zone and scored his eighth of the season over Blackwoods glove with 11:56 remaining.

The Devils answered on the ensuing faceoff, though when Kujawinski scored to put Albany up 2-1 with 11:35 left.

Both Bachman and Blackwood were solid the rest of the frame, turning aside some solid chances.

Third period

The Comets' comeback started less than five minutes into the frame.

Archibald's career-season continued when hemade it 2-2 with his team-best 16th goalwith 15:36 remaining.On the goal, the forward snapped a five-game goalless streak when he broke into the zone shorthanded and stuffed the puck just past Blackwoods skate on the left side of the crease. It was the fourth consecutive Comets' game a shorthanded goal was registered.

The Comets grabbed the lead on their sixth power play of the game with under seven to play. With Andrew MacMillian off after boarding Archibald, Evan McEneny sent a pass to Subban, who busted the water bottle, sending the puck past Blackwood from the top of the left circle. It was Subbans team-best eighth goal on the man-advantage.

The Devils pulled Blackwood late, but Bachman and the Comets shut the door for the win.

Up next

A busy schedule Utica plays a total of five games this week continues Wednesday when the Comets play their second game this season in an NHL arena against the Rochester Americans at 7 p.m. at KeyBank Arena in Buffalo. The game is scheduled to be on MSG (channel 16 in the Utica area). In the last meeting between the teams Dec. 31, Rochester picked up a 6-3 victory in Utica.

NOTES: Rendulic has five goals and two assists in the last nine games. McEneny has a four-game point streak. Cody Kunyk had a four-game point streak end. The Devils have allowed nine shorthanded goals this season. Derek Hulak (32 consecutive games), John Negrin (19 consecutive games) and Mike Zalewski (two consecutive games) all missed Mondays game with injuries.

Comets 3, Devils 2

Utica 0 1 2 3

Albany 1 1 0 2

1st Period-1, Albany, Camper 5 (Straka, Jacobs), 16:53. Penalties-Stollery Alb (high-sticking), 7:53; Pedan Uti (checking to the head, fighting), 10:13; Quenneville Alb (fighting), 10:13; Gibbons Alb (cross-checking), 14:43; Thomson Alb (tripping), 18:27. 2nd Period-2, Utica, Rendulic 8 (Roy, Pelletier), 8:04. 3, Albany, Kujawinski 4 (Rooney), 8:25. Penalties-Robak Uti (high-sticking), 5:34; Lappin Alb (slashing), 13:36; Pelletier Uti (slashing), 15:50. 3rd Period-4, Utica, Archibald 16 (Cassels), 4:24 (SH). 5, Utica, Subban 12 (McEneny), 13:23 (PP). Penalties-Sexton Alb (slashing), 1:14; Bancks Uti (slashing), 3:34; Cassels Uti (high-sticking), 9:42; MacWilliam Alb (boarding), 12:01; Shields Uti (tripping), 13:52. Shots on Goal-Utica 14-12-9-35. Albany 8-16-11-35. Power Play Opportunities-Utica 1 / 6; Albany 0 / 6. Goalies-Utica, Bachman 12-11-2 (35 shots-33 saves). Albany, Blackwood 11-8-2 (35 shots-32 saves). A-2,469. Referees-Peter Tarnaris (17), Michael Mullen (7). Linesmen-Mike Emanatian (69), Francois Dussureault (60).

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Comets' special teams key in comeback win - Sports - Uticaod ... - Utica Observer Dispatch

Defending champions Comets won their early rematch against the Little Legals, while the NSA Braves coasted to victory over McDonalds as competition in the Major division of the 2017 Saipan Little League Baseball kicked off last Saturday at the Miguel Tan Ge Basa Pangelinan Ballfield.

The first encounter between the Comets and Little Legals since their 2016 title showdown had the former posting a 4-1 triumph in a low-scoring game. The Comets, who cruised to a 12-2 victory over the Little Legals in last seasons finale, scored late in the match to take their season-opening win.

Alvin Hocog and Jesus Sablan each hit an RBI single at the bottom of the fourth inning to put the Comets in front, 2-1, after going scoreless in the first three. Sablan also made it home in the fourth off a Little Legals miscue, while the Comets added one more run in the fifth off another booboo from their foe.

Earlier at the top of the first, Little Legals leadoff batter Anthony Dikito registered the first run of the 2017 season after reaching home off a passed ball. That was it for the Little Legals as Comets pitcher Jason Reyes threw a one-hitter the rest of the way and finished with 13 strikeouts in an impressive debut with the defending champions.

In the Braves-McDonalds tiff, the former got off to a strong start to set up the easy win.

The Braves scored nine runs in the first two innings and were never threatened from thereon. Four of the Braves six runs at the bottom of the first came off passed balls, while three in the second were made from McDonalds defensive lapses.

McDonalds showed some promise in the third when it collected four runs, however the Braves countered with five in the fifth inning for more cushion.

Tyler Sablan, Patrick Celis, and Taisei Desebel scored three runs apiece in the Braves season debut victory, while L.J. Reyes had two runs and went 3-for-4 on a losing effort for McDonalds.

Joining McDonalds and the Comets on the win column in the opening day of the Major division were the Falcons, who topped the OlAces, 11-1.

The Falcons needed only four innings to beat the OlAces, as the formers pitcher Keoni Serrano nearly threw a no-hitter for their teams early win via mercy rule. Serrano allowed a single in the third inning and gave up no earned run, while striking out nine batters.

On offense, the Falcons gained seven runs in the second inning to take full control of the match. Jonathan Renguul went 2-for-2 at bat, scored two runs, and had two RBIs and a double. Noah Aguon and Serrano also hit 2-for-2 and combined for five runs.

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Comets prevail; Braves ease past McDonald's - Saipan Tribune

The long win streak of the North Stanly mens basketball team continued on Wednesday night with a blowout win over the Union Academy Cardinals, 78-42, in the semifinals of the Uwharrie Athletic Conference Tournament at Pfeiffer University.

Cameron Lee led North (18-7) with 34 points by hitting 13 shots from the field and 3-of-4 at the free throw line. His performance Wednesday was his fifth game this season of 30 or more points.

Bryson Childress added 19 as the Comets won the teams 15th game in a row.

North also won with three players sidelined due to sickness: Carson Lowder, Hilton Stepp and Jason Doerr.

Derek Young led the Cardinals (14-11) with 14 points.

North finished the game shooting 31-of-63 overall (49.2 percent) and 6-of-9 at the foul line while UnionAcademy was 18-of-51 overall (35.3 percent) and 3-of-6 at the free-throw line.

The Cardinals opened the game with a three-point play, but North answered with a 9-0 run. Union Academy got as close as three points before 3-pointers from Bryson Childress and Lee put the Comets up 18-9 with 1:13 left in the opening quarter.

The Cardinals opened the second period with an 8-2 run and made it a one-point game, 20-19, with 6:08 on the clock.

North answered by outscoring UnionAcademy 10-2 over the next three minutes. The Comets scored the final five points of the first half in the final minute of the second and led at hafltime 35-23.

The Comets offense had its best shooting quarter in the third, hitting 10-of-17 shots (58.8 percent). North opened with a 7-0 run and outscored Union 15-2 over the final 5:56 of the period to lead by 30 after three quarters, 59-29.

In the fourth, the Comets outscored the Cardinals by six, including dunks from Lee and Tate Cord en route to advacing to the tournament finals.

We went zone some tonight to give the guys a break because we didnt have as much depth, North head coach Chris Misenheimer said.

Misenheimer added he was happy with the teams defensive efforts, but he felt the Comets have to rebound better.

UA 11 12 6 13 42

NS 18 17 24 19 78

UA Dillon Harrison 10, Ja. Anderson 2, Jo. Anderson 2, Davidson 3, Derek Young 14, Phonebarger 7, Eilerman 4.

NS Cameron Lee 34, Bryston Childress 19, Rylei Smith 11, P. Childress 5, Cord 6, Talbert 3.

Contact Charles Curcio at (704) 982-2121, ext. 26, or email charles@stanlynews Brpress.com.

Charles Curcio is sports editor of The Stanly News & Press. Contact him at (704) 982-2121 ext. 26, charles@stanlynewspress.com or PO Box 488, Albemarle, NC 28002.

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UAC MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT Comets win 15th in a ... - Stanly News & Press

21 Feb 2017

FIRST baseman Kumuch Francisco fired a three-run triple and left fielder Froilan Camacho hit a two RBI single to boost the Talaabwogh Falcons offense against the Enforcers in the opening game of the Saipan Little League Baseballs junior division at the Francisco Tanko Palacios Baseball Field over the weekend.

With one out in the top of the first, the Falcons had back-to-back base hits and two unearned runs in a row before catcher Nixon Smith drove in a run with a single to put up a strong lead.

Enforcers top of the lineup catcher Tom Agulto doubled and first baseman Jonathan Santos loaded the bases with a walk before short stop Justin Agulto had an RBI walk to keep pace close behind.

The Falcons pulled away in the top of the third with Camachos two RBI single and Franciscos one-run single. They tightened their defense and the

Enforcers could only trim the deficit a bit.

With Franciscos three-run triple backed up by third baseman Zack Reyes two-run double, right fielder Joels RBI walk and second baseman IJ Teigitas RBI double, the Falcons stretched the lead in the fourth.

Santos added another run-scoring single in Enforcers attempt to catch up but the Falcons fielders blanked them out in the sixth to end the game, 16-7.

Comets 11, Braves 6

The Comets wiped out Braves lead in the bottom of the fourth with center fielder Sneak Sumors two RBI double and they went on to seize the game, 11-6.

The Braves established the lead on RBI singles apiece from left fielder Josenio Alvarez and catcher Leveque Iguel. Short stop JP Celis RBI single in the second and right fielder Peter Pangelinans RBI in the third widened the gap.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, catcher Reid Teregeyo blasted a two RBI single and short stop Sab Saures a two RBI double, and the Comets eliminated the Braves advantage and grab the win.

Ol Aces vs. Bank of Saipan rescheduled

The Docomo Ol Aces were leading big time over Bank of Saipan in the top of the fifth inning when the umpire had to stop the game for safety reason.

BOS was in at-bats when Ol Aces catcher Trevon Lieto and first baseman Andray Macaranas collided while trying to catch the foul.

Macaranas gloved the ball but the SBBLs safety officer had to stop the game to ensure safety of the players. The game is rescheduled on a later date.

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Falcons, Comets start strong in junior league - Marianas Variety

Throughout the course of the 2016-2017 season, the West Carter Lady Comets have prided themselves on playing hard over all four quarters of a basketball contest.

So when Aaron Rayburn noticed that attention to detail slipping near the end of the second quarter, he challenged them to regain that focus.

The result? Two blistering runs a 14-0 blitz in the third quarter and an 8-1 spark in the fourth quarter to help lead the Lady Comets to a 64-44 victory over the Lady Rams Wednesday evening in Raceland.

For Rayburn, the second half performance was exactly how he wanted to see his unit responded to the adversity that faced them in the first half of play.

We were a little disappointed with how we ended the second quarter, Rayburn said. We let up in some areas and and made some bad decisions with the basketball. To the girls' credit, they came out in the second half and started to move the basketball really well. It was really fun to see the girls shine in a litany of different areas. That was good. I'm very proud of the girls tonight after this one.

Intially, West Carter looked like it was going to be able to pull away for an easy victory early on as a 7-0 run to start the contest, and an 11-2 spurt between the first and second quarters, had the Lady Comets out to an 23-9 advantage early on in the second quarter of play.

However, Raceland showed some grit of its own.

Behind baskets from Lauren Runyon, Adrianna Flocker, Chloe Collins, and Morgan Curley, the Rams shot out to a 13-3 run that cut the lead down to a 28-24 margin with 34 seconds left in the first half of play.

The heady trio of Stone, Ragan Adkins, and Hannah Bear, however, had other ideas.

Behind Bear's half-ending bucket, the trio and the Lady Comets, as a whole, got on a roll on both ends of the floor.

To start off the second half, there were mid-range jumpers by Stone, Burchett, and Adkins, who supplied two of her own.

By the time Bear added an and-one and Adkins accounted for her final points in the frame with her third three-pointer of the contest, West Carter had jetted out to a 16-0 run including a 14-0 spurt over the first 2:31 of the third quarter to head out to a 44-24 advantage.

In fact, the Lady Comets didn't allow a field goal over the first 5:49 of the frame en route to building its lead to as much as 24 in the quarter.

We had a couple of good things happen tonight, Rayburn said. Ragan Adkins has had a few rough games where it seems like the lid was on her basket, but she's stayed the course. To see her hitting tonight was great. (Allie) Stone was hitting tonight, Hannah (Bear) was just dishing it left and right, and Chyann Zeigler was just crashing those boards left and right. It was good to see all those things that we've been working on and all of those things that we've been trying to do get taken care of tonight.

In the fourth quarter of play, West Carter continued its tear by going on an 8-1 run to push its lead to as much as a 61-35 margin. The Lady Comets emptied their bench following this run, and cruised home to a 64-44 victory for their 17th win of the year.

During the contest, West Carter also showed off some of the younger members on its bench. Kylie Gilliam showed off her impressive ballhandling skills while bringing the ball up as a point forward, while Kara Jordan used her length to create problems for Raceland's bigs in the low post.

It's been 10 games since Maddie (Hanshaw) went out with her ACL tear, Rayburn said. The biggest thing, for me, is to put more trust and patience in Kylie and Kara. They're just eighth-graders, and we're asking them to do big things. Tonight, both of them were great. There's definitely stuff that we can work on and things that we see that we need to get better at, but tonight, they did great coming off of the bench.

Kara's just so tall, and when she gets those arms up, she can really deflect some shots. As for KG, she's got a really good game; it's just a matter of learning how to play to her strengths and play within herself.

With the win, West Carter improved to 17-12 on the year. The Lady Comets tied their decade-high in wins with their 18th tally in a 60-43 victory over Greenup County and will play Morgan County Monday evening at 7:30 p.m. at East Carter High School in an attempt to obtain their fourth consecutive win, their 19th victory of the year, and a berth to the regional tournament.

West Carter 18 12 23 11 64

Raceland 9 15 10 10 44

West Carter Adkins 7-0-17, Bear 4-3-11, Burchett 3-0-6, Gilliam 2-2-6, Haynes 0-1-1, Nichols 1-0-2, Stone 7-1-17, Ziegler 2-0-4, Totals 26-7-64.

Raceland Adkins 2-0-4, Boyd 0-3-3, Collins 3-3-11, Curley 2-1-5, Flocker 1-1-4, Garvin 1-1-3, Maynard 1-0-2, Runyon 4-2-10, S. West 1-0-2, Totals 15-11-44.

3-Point Goals West Carter 5 (Adkins 3, Stone 2); Raceland 3 (Collins 2, Flocker).

Records West Carter 17-12, Raceland 5-20.

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Strong second half leads Lady Comets to 64-44 victory - Journal-Times

The Comets peppered Alex Lyon and the Phantoms with a season-most 47 shots Sunday, but those quality chances werent quite enough to get past the American Hockey Leagues highest scoring team.

UTICA The Utica Comets had their chances against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The Comets peppered Alex Lyon and the Phantoms with a season-most 47 shots Sunday, but couldnt cash in on those quality chances to get past the American Hockey Leagues highest scoring team.

Instead, the Phantoms broke a tie game with two quick goals early in the third period to skate past the Comets for a 7-4 victory on Sunday afternoon in an intense, back-and-forth affair in front of another announced capacity crowd of 3,870 at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

"You get 47 shots, youre doing a lot of good things," said Comets coach Travis Green, whose team allowed two empty-netters late. "We had some good chances. The pucks just arent going in the way we want."

Cody Kunyk continued a recent hot streak with a shorthanded goal and an assist and Jordan Subban, Andrey Pedan and Alex Grenier also scored for the Comets, who had more than 40 shots for the second time in a week. Rookie Thatcher Demko totaled 26 saves for the Comets.

"It is a tough one to lose," said Grenier, whose 15 goals tie him for the team lead. "Obviously, its hard for us. Especially with all the bounces we arent getting."

It equaled another tough loss for the Comets (20-23-6-2, 48 points), who had two leads erased by the Phantoms. The matchup continued a busy stretch for Utica, which remains outside of a playoff spot in the North Division with 25 games remaining. The Comets, who are 2-7-1-1 in their last 11 games, play a total five contests in seven days.

"You cant sit there and start counting games. Its too early for that," Green said. "You cant accept (the loss). We have to come back and put our work boots on."

Lyon, who had allowed two goals in two previous starts against the Comets, finished with 43 saves and T.J. Brennan scored three goals to help pace the Phantoms (34-16-2-0).

First period

The Comets and Phantoms combined for 25 shots in a physical and intense opening frame.

Utica took a 1-0 with help from a patient Borna Rendulic, who has figured into the first goal in each of the last four games. On the play, Rendulic broke in on the left side and found a streaking Subban in the right circle, where the defenseman fired over Lyons glove for his 11th of the season with 4:57 remaining.

Second period

The teams combined for five goals in a wild frame. The Comets had leads of 2-0 and 3-2, but the Phantoms answered.

Three goals were scored less than two minutes apart early with Pedans fourth of the season a blast from the left side of the blue line giving the Comets a two-goal lead with 14:31 remaining.

However, Lehigh Valley countered with a power-play goal and an even-strength tally 54 seconds apart soon after to draw even.

Green said the Comets, who allowed two power-play goals on six opportunities, took too many penalties against one of the leagues power-play top teams.

"Its hard sometimes to stay out of the box," Grenier said. "We cant give them that many chances."

Special teams played a role later in goals scored 26 seconds apart. With Joseph LaBate in the box, Pascal Pelletier sprinted down the right side and backhanded the puck to a streaking Kunyk, who tipped it in the puck with 2:09 left.

Lehigh Valley answered again when Brennans power-play blast with 1:43 remaining knotted the game at 3.

Third period

The offense continued with the teams combining for 30 shots.

The Phantoms took control on goals less than a minute apart by Robert Haag which gave the team their first lead -- and Brennan about seven minutes in.

The Comets, who totaled 16 shots in the period, answered soon after on the power play with 12:26 left. Grenier ended an eight-game goalless streak when he scored from the right circle to make it 5-4.

The game remained that way until late when Demko was pulled and the Phantoms added two empty-net goals to seal the victory.

"Its a hard deficit to come back, especially against a team like that," Grenier said.

Up next

The Comets hit the road for a rare Monday afternoon game when they take on the Albany Devils at 1 p.m. at the Times Union Center. The meeting is the first between the North Division teams since Jan. 6 in Utica. The Comets, who won that game, are 3-2 against the Devils this season.

Notes: Sundays game was the 81st consecutive sellout for the Comets, though there were a few unfilled seats throughout the Aud. Demko also added his third assist of the season on Greniers goal. New Hartfords Mike Zalewski was not in the lineup Sunday due to an injury. He is day-to-day, according to Green. Derek Hulak (31 consecutive games) and John Negrin (18 consecutive games) remain out of the lineup with injuries. Former NHL star John LeClair was at Sundays game. LeClair and Comets president Robert Esche were teammates while playing for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Phantoms 7, Comets 4

Lehigh Valley 0 3 4 7

Utica 1 2 1 4

1st Period-1, Utica, Subban 11 (Rendulic, Carcone), 15:03. Penalties-Pedan Uti (slashing), 8:25; Brennan Lv (slashing), 8:53; Uti (bench minor - too many men), 12:22; Virtanen Uti (slashing), 15:08; Zengerle Lv (hooking), 16:17. 2nd Period-2, Utica, Pedan 4 (Virtanen, Kunyk), 5:29. 3, Lehigh Valley, Conner 16 (Knight, Miele), 6:20 (PP). 4, Lehigh Valley, Hagg 6 (Morin, Fazleev), 7:14. 5, Utica, Kunyk 8 (Pelletier, Shields), 17:51 (SH). 6, Lehigh Valley, Brennan 15 (Sanheim, Martel), 18:17 (PP). Penalties-Hamilton Uti (holding), 6:11; O'Neill Lv (slashing, roughing), 14:05; LaBate Uti (cross-checking), 14:05; Morin Lv (boarding), 15:48; LaBate Uti (holding), 16:38; Hagg Lv (interference), 19:47. 3rd Period-7, Lehigh Valley, Hagg 7 (Laughton), 5:34. 8, Lehigh Valley, Brennan 16 (Conner, Carey), 6:28. 9, Utica, Grenier 15 (McEneny, Demko), 7:34 (PP). 10, Lehigh Valley, Brennan 17 (Lyon), 18:25 (EN). 11, Lehigh Valley, Bardreau 8 (McDonald), 19:48 (EN). Penalties-Aube-Kubel Lv (hooking), 6:33; Subban Uti (hooking), 9:47; Hagg Lv (unsportsmanlike conduct), 12:32; Archibald Uti (unsportsmanlike conduct), 12:32; McDonald Lv (diving/embellishment), 17:41; Robak Uti (slashing), 17:41. Shots on Goal-Lehigh Valley 12-7-14-33. Utica 13-18-16-47. Power Play Opportunities-Lehigh Valley 2 / 6; Utica 1 / 6. Goalies-Lehigh Valley, Lyon 21-10-2 (47 shots-43 saves). Utica, Demko 9-11-4 (31 shots-26 saves). A-3,870 Referees-Peter Tarnaris (17), Tim Mayer (19). Linesmen-Matt Brady (86), Francois Dussureault (60).

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Phantoms outpace Comets in Sunday matinee - Utica Observer Dispatch

special to the journal sentinel Published 11:51 p.m. CT Feb. 18, 2017 | Updated 24 hours ago

Indoor soccer(Photo: Getty Images)

The Milwaukee Wave scored three straight goals in the second period, then stayed a step ahead of the Kansas City Comets the rest of the way in earning a 7-5 win and clinching a playoff spot Saturday night at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

The Comets took a 3-2 advantage in the second quarter on a goal by Ignacio Flores.

But Hans Dinessen, Max Ferdinand and Ian Bennett found the goal before the end of the quarter, with Bennetts tally coming 4 seconds before the break, to put the Wave in charge, 5-3.

In the second half, the Wave always had an answer for Kansas City.

First Brian Harris drew the Comets within one at 4:29 of the third with a goal, but Ferdinand restored the Waves two-goal cushion at the 14:34 mark.

Harris once again drew Kansas City within one with 41 seconds left, but Bennetts empty-net goal with 17 seconds left iced it.

Kansas City 1 2 1 1 5 Milwaukee 2 3 1 1 7

First quarter 1, KC, Rodriguez (Flores), 8:10. 2, MIL, Nelson (Mattos), 12:02. 3, MIL, Sobreira (Ferdinand), 14:49. Penalties MIL, Hayne (foul), 1:21; MIL, Leite (foul), 2:33; MIL, Ferdinand (foul), 8:41; KC, Sinclair (foul), 9:33; KC, Sosa (foul), 11:58; MIL, Rampa (foul), 13:44.

Second quarter 4, KC, Pino (Paterson), :42. 5, KC, Flores (Adan), 6:09. 6, MIL, Denissen (Grable), 11:34. 7, MIL, Ferdinand (Leite), 13:46. 8, MIL, Bennett (Ferdinand), 14:56. Penalties KC, Palmer (foul), 2:06; KC, Sosa (foul), 10:37; MIL, Ruggles (foul), 11:10; KC, Palmer (foul), 11:55; KC, Flores (foul), 12:59; KC, Sinclair (foul), 14:23; KC, Matingou (delay of game), 14:56.

Third quarter 9, KC, Harris (Palmer), 4:29. 10, MIL, Ferdinand, 14:34. Penalties KC, Rodriguez (foul), 2:07; KC, Harris (foul), 3:43; MIL, Hayne (too many men), 7:08; KC, Sinclair (foul), 9:56; KC, Palmer (foul), 11:18.

Fourth quarter 11, KC, Harris (Palmer), 14:19. 12, MIL, Bennett, 14:43. Penalties KC, Sosa (foul), :09; KC, Sosa (foul), :58; MIL, Vandegriffe (foul), 1:05; KC, Sosa (foul), 6:50; MIL, Chamale (foul), 9:01; MIL, Grable (foul), 10:10; MIL, Sobreira (foul), 11:41; MIL, Bennett (foul), 14:11.

Shots on goal KC 26; MIL 19. Saves KC, Paterson 7; MIL, Lemos 14. Power plays KC 0 for 0; MIL 0 for 0. A 3,525. T 2:04.

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Wave 7, Comets 5: Able to maintain its edge - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

February 18, 2017

By Greg Seubert

Balanced scoring helped Denmarks girls basketball team pick up a 68-42 win over Waupaca Feb. 17.

It was the final regular-season game for both teams, as the Comets and Vikings will open WIAA state tournament play Feb. 21.

Meanwhile, Waupaca also fell to Wrightstown 63-34 Feb. 14 as the Tigers wrapped up the conference championship.

Denmark 68, Waupaca 42 Five players scored in double figures for Denmark, while the Comets played without starter Emma Smidt, who sat out because of illness.

The Vikings scored the games first seven points, but the Comets eventually took a 17-15 lead on the first of Mya Johannes three three-pointers.

The lead didnt last long, however, as Denmarks Leah Hansen converted a three-point play and later hit a three-pointer that gave the Vikings the lead for good at 22-19.

Those six points started a 15-0 run. By the time Alana Radley ended the run with a basket for Waupaca, the Comets trailed 31-19 and never got any closer than seven points the rest of the way.

Denmarks Jayden Laurent hit a pair of free throws with no time on the clock to give the Vikings a 37-26 halftime lead. The Vikings then opened the second half with a 7-2 run to take a 44-28 lead and Waupaca never got any closer than 14 points the rest of the way.

Victoria Nowak scored a game-high 20 points for Waupaca in what will probably be her final home game. Alyson Rish led Denmark with 12 points, while Hansen, Hannah Miller and Ashley Leiterman finished with 11 each and Lakin Derricks added 10.

Mya Johannes inbounds the ball for Waupaca during the Comets' North Eastern Conference matchup with Denmark Feb. 17 at Waupaca High School. Greg Seubert Photo

Wrightstown 63, Waupaca 34 The Tigers outscored the Comets 29-11 in the first half and 34-23 in the second.

Nowak and Johannes led Waupaca with 18 and 10 points, respectively, while Lexy Wolske led Wrightstown with 12.

Waupaca will travel to Mosinee at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, for a Division 2 regional quarterfinal matchup with the Indians. The winner of that game will then head to Minocqua Friday, Feb. 24, for a 7 p.m. regional semifinal game with Lakeland.

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Vikings top Comets | Waupaca County Post - Waupaca County News

In a game full of 3-pointers, it was an old fashioned three-point play by Orange County High Schools Erin Ryder that ultimately led to a 47-44 win for the Hornets over Halifax County High School Friday in the Conference 16 third-place game at Halifax County High School.

The loss cost the Comets a berth in the 5A North Region Tournament, which would have been their first regional appearance since 2011.

The Comets Dee Dee Jeffress, who scored 12 of her game high 19 points in the fourth quarter, tied the game at 42-42 with a made free throw with little more than a minute remaining in the game.

Ryder converted the 3-point play after a drive to the basket seconds later to give her team a 45-42 lead, and a Jeffress steal and layup got the Comets to within one point at 45-44 before two foul shots by Ryder made it 47-44 with 33 seconds remaining.

The Comets missed two chances to tie the game in the final seconds with a pair of misses from 3-point range.

Halifax County High School connected on nine of 24 3-point attempts for the game, and Orange County High School connected on four of 12 three-point attempts.

Brittany Clark, Malasia Boyd and Jeffress each hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter that countered three 3-pointers by the Hornets Laine Harrington to give the Comets a 15-13 lead.

Jeffress and Clark each connected on a 3-pointer in the second quarter, with Clarks 3-pointer with seconds remaining giving the Comets a 25-23 lead at halftime.

The Hornets went on a 7-0 run to start the third quarter, including a 3-pointer from Ryder to take a 32-25 lead, but Boyd hit two 3-pointers in the final three minutes of the quarter, as the Comets pulled to within 35-34 with a quarter remaining.

A Jeffress 3-pointer gave the Comets a 37-35 lead early in the fourth quarter, but another 7-0 run gave the Hornets a 42-37 advantage with three minutes remaining.

The Comets pulled to within one point at 42-41 on a Jeffress 3-pointer before tying the game for the final time when Jeffress hit one of two free throws.

Boyd finished with 13 points, including three 3-pointers in her final high school game, and Clark and Tamiara Logan each counted a 3-pointer among their five points.

Shadajah Davis added two points for the Comets, who were 7-14 at the free throw line with 19 turnovers.

Harrington and Ryder led the Hornets with 15 and 12 points, respectively.

Orange County High School committed 21 turnovers and was 13-20 at the charity stripe.

Theres no one thing you can point to that cost us the game, and the only thing you can say is that it was a good ball game by both teams, said Comets Head Coach David Graham.

We played hard, it was a tight ball game all the way, we made some good shots and played good defense, but it was just a matter of getting the breaks at the end.

The Comets have come a long ways this year, considering what theyve had to deal with, including the death of teammate Casey Pulliam in an auto accident shortly before Christmas, according to Graham.

Even with our height disadvantage, theyve done extremely well. We started with 10 (players) and ended up with eight, said Graham.

The Comets still fought through all the diversity and had a chance to go to the regional tournament, Graham noted.

The Comets lose only two seniors, Malasia Boyd and Shadajah Davis, so the future looks bright, Graham added.

We have some good kids off of jayvee who will help next year, and of course the middle school just won the championship, so they have a nice crew there, explained Graham.

The girls have hung together, and Sam (Edmonds), the assistant coach, has been a big inspiration for them.

He does a great job of coaching, and we were lucky to have him this year.

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Lady Comets fall short in regional bid | Prep Sports | yourgv.com - YourGV.com

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Kendra Pfeil: Scores 23 points for Lady Cougars

WRIGHT TOWNSHIP For the majority of the first three quarters Friday, the Hazleton Area girls basketball team had momentum on its side in front of a rivalry crowd at Crestwood.

That was until Riley Magins lone bucket of the game put the Lady Comets up one with under two minutes remaining in the third quarter.

On its ensuing offensive possession Hazleton Area looked confused with three players in the same area, and at that point Kendra Pfeil took matters into her own hands. The senior pulled the trigger on a contested 3-point shot from well beyond the line that caught nothing but net to put the Lady Cougars back on top.

Hazleton Area would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the contest despite a gritty Crestwood squads best effort to hang on, giving the Lady Cougars a 61-59 road win that avenged a loss to the Comets during the first half of the season.

We knew it was going to be tough but we just wanted to get on a good flow going into the playoffs, so it was a good week for us, Hazleton Area coach Joe Gavio said. It was a good hard-fought game. Its a good rivalry we have.

Pfeils third-quarter 3-point shot was arguably her biggest shot but certainly not her only one as she finished with a game-high 23 points, with 14 coming in the second half. She hit five 3-pointers.

Kendra has been known to do that for three years, shes unconscious, Gavio said. Shes a player, and she came up big when we really needed her.

Gavio was quick to admit that this wasnt the cleanest game hes seen his squad play but noted that his team played hard throughout and did enough to win despite committing 19 turnovers.

The Lady Cougars will now look to tune-up for their District 2 Class AAAAAA semifinal matchup with Delaware Valley.

Maddie Mrochko scored 12 points and knocked down three late free throws while the Trivelpiece sisters, Megan and Marissa were effective on both ends throughout the game. Marissa Trivelpiece notched a double-double with 10 points to go with 10 rebounds and two blocked shots while Megan Trivelpiece scored 10 of her own to go with nine rebounds.

We made a lot of goofy mistakes but you cant substitute hustle and you cant substitute heart, Gavio said. A lot of kids made plays. Winning a game like this is going to help us going into the playoffs. Both teams played hard.

The Lady Cougars led by as many eight points on five separate occasions including late in the fourth quarter, but were never able to put the game away thanks in part to Crestwoods three-headed scoring machine of Julia Makowski, Sarah Richards and Sara Hopkins. Makowski led the Lady Comets with 21 points to go with eight rebounds, Richards scored 13 points in the first half and Hopkins added 12.

They are the grittiest, most determined bunch of young ladies in the entire division I think because they never gave up, Crestwood head coach Ed Stepanski said. They fought their way back right up until the end. Its disappointing that we lost by two but I cant ask for more out of them. Several times this season weve been down and dug our way back.

Entering the season many wrote off Crestwood after losing five key contributors including the schools all-time leading scorer in Maddie Ritsick. Stepanski has seen his young squad grow throughout the season and now thinks theyre peaking at the perfect time despite the loss.

The expectations for this team were so low coming into the season but they worked hard and they dont give up, Stepanski said. Im happy with where were at and were not even thinking about next year right now. Although we are young, we have this year to finish we want to make it to the arena.

Game Summary

HAZLETON AREA (61) Pfeil 8 2-2 23, Ma. Trivelpiece 3 3-4 10, Mrochko 4 3-6 12, Sheeto 0 0-0 0, Book 0 2-2 2, Lipinski 0 0-0 0, Yurchak 2 0-0 4, Me. Trivelpiece 3 4-4 10, Jones 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 14-18 61.

CRESTWOOD (59) Magin 1 0-0 2, Shipton 4 0-0 8, Hopkins 4 3-4 12, Snipas 1 0-0 3, Richards 4 4-11 13, Makowski 6 6-8 21, Muse 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 13-23 59.

Haz (14-8, 10-6) 14 15 14 18 61 Cre (14-8, 10-6) 9 12 20 18 59

3-point FGs: Pfeil 5, Ma. Trivelpiece, Mrochko. Makowski 3, Richards, Snipas, Hopkins.

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Lady Cougars slip past Lady Comets, 61-59 - Sports - Standard ... - Standard Speaker

LLOYD When West Carter visited the Greenup County Lady Musketeers on Friday night, Lady Comets coach Aaron Rayburn was hoping to leave the Greenhouse with some lightning in a bottle heading into 62nd District Tournament play next week.

Instead, Rayburn found a pocket full of kryptonite to open the second half against the Lady Musketeers, forcing his squad to once again rise to the challenge after Greenup Countys reserves tied the contest at 33-33 with just over 3 minutes to play in the third.

The Lady Comets responded after Ragan Adkins bookended 3s sparked an 11-0 run to put the visitors in front for good. West Carter cruised to a 60-43 win.

The third quarter has been our kryptonite all year, Rayburn said. Its just been a hard quarter for us to play all year.

Unlike Greenup County coach Tyson Phillips, who elected to sit his starters in the second half, Rayburn rolled the dice and left his on the deck, looking to tighten things up before opening with Morgan County in next weeks district tournament.

Weve got five really solid girls and two girls coming off the bench but our five has to come around every single quarter, Rayburn said. So keeping them in there for me was simply just trying to clean some things up and finish on a good high note there at the end.

Phillips took a different approach that was already decided well before the contest.

It was our game plan back on Tuesday and we stuck with it and I wasnt going to change it no matter what the score was at halftime, Phillips said of the decision. It was our plan and hopefully it works out next Tuesday.

West Carter raced out to an early 14-5 lead behind three Allie Stone triples, but a 10-0 Greenup County run sparked by six Maggie Miller points, put the Lady Musketeers in front, 15-14.

Stone finished with a game-high 19 to lead the Lady Comets. Bear chipped in 16.

Stone continued to light up the scoreboard in the second, followed by Hannah Bear who sliced her way through the Greenup defense for several layups in the frame, as West Carter took a 27-21 lead to the break.

Greenup County made one final push to open the second half, after Sierra Brown connected on back-to-back treys to cut West Carters lead to 31-30. Brown finished 3-for-4 from beyond the arc to lead the Lady Musketeers with nine points.

Thats her job is to shoot and its the only job I give her, Phillips said. Sierra is a great shooter and did a great job knocking down three 3s.

Eighth-grader Emma Boggs added two more triples to Greenup Countys total, finishing with six points.

Were all young and theres talent here, Phillips said. There were stretches in the second half where they played really well and played just like they were a starter.

GREENUP CO. FG FT REB TP

Miller 3-4 2-4 1 8

Bryant 3-5 2-3 6 8

Hill 1-2 0-0 3 3

Valandingham 0-4 2-4 2 2

Haywood 0-3 0-0 1 0

Zaph 0-3 0-0 0 0

Hannah 2-6 1-3 6 5

Brown 3-4 0-0 1 9

Boggs 2-3 0-0 1 6

Robinson 1-2 0-1 4 2

Gammon 0-1 0-0 0 0

Hall 0-0 0-0 1 0

Ratcliff 0-1 0 0 0

Hunt 0-2 0-2 1 0

TOTAL 15-42 7-17 34 43

FGPct.: 35.7. FTPct.: 41.2. 3-pointers: 6-15 (Brown 3-4, Boggs 2-2, Hill 1-1, Valandingham 0-1, Ratcliff 0-1, Hunt 0-1, Haywood 0-2, Zaph 0-3). PF: 15. Fouled out:None. Turnovers: 16.

W. CARTER FG FT REB TP

Stone 7-12 0-1 5 19

Bear 5-10 6-8 3 16

Burchett 4-8 0-0 5 10

Zeigler 1-4 0-0 2 2

Adkins 3-9 1-1 0 9

Gilliam 1-2 0-0 4 2

Jordan 0-1 0-0 0 0

Nichols 0-1 2-2 0 2

Hanshaw 0-0 0-0 0 0

Haynes 0-1 0-0 0 0

Steagall 0-1 0 1 0

TOTAL 21-49 9-12 25 60

FGPct.: 42.9. FTPct.: 75. 3-pointers: 9-24 (Stone 5-10, Bear 0-2, Burchett 2-6, Adkins 2-4, Zeigler 0-1, Haynes 0-1). PF: 18. Fouled out: None: Turnovers: 6.

GREENUP CO. 15 6 15 7 43

W. CARTER 14 13 17 16 60

Officials: Dave Stafford, Kenny Huddleston and Jeff Seiver.

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Lady Comets control, cruise past Greenup - The Independent

LEADER OF THE PACK: Athletes compete yesterday on day one of the BAISS Track and Field Championships at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Eleven new meet records were set, and the two-team race for the 2017 Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools Track and Field title has already developed atop the standings following day one.

The two-time defending champions Queens College Comets streaked ahead of the field and set the pace with an already dominant performance.

The Comets posted 449 points, 53 points ahead of perennial powerhouse St Augustines College Big Red Machine, who scored 396 yesterday at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

The familiar foes have quickly emerged as the lone contenders yet again for this years title as the St Annes Blue Waves stand in third with 132 points, the St Johns College Giants are fourth with 96 points while the Nassau Christian Academy Crusaders round out the top five with 91 points.

The remainder of the field includes the Temple Christian Suns with 66.50 points, Jordan Prince William Falcons (53.50 points), Kingsway Academy Saints (32 points), Aquinas College Aces (24 points), St Andrews School Hurricanes (23 points), Westminster College Diplomats (22 points) and Charles W Saunders Cougars (14 points).

In addition to the new meet records set on day one, six athletes surpassed the CARIFTA qualifying standards.

The Big Red Machines Megan Moss took the Under-16 girls 400m in 54.96 seconds. She surpassed the previous meet record of 56.72 and the U-18 CARIFTA standard of 57.00.

In the U-18 girls event, the top three finishers - Wendira Moss of St Johns (54.94), Marrisa White of SAC (56.62) and Tyler Gray of St Annes (56.88) all surpassed the previous record in the division and the aforementioned CARIFTA standard.

On the boys side, the top three finishers in the U-14 boys 400m all surpassed the previous 20-year-old meet record of 1:00.30, with SACs Otto Laing in first place at 53.42, the Comets Antonio Bethel at 54.24 and SACs Shimar Bain at 58.69.

Bethel also set a new record of his own in the long jump with a new mark of 5.31m to erase the 17-year-old mark of 5.18m.

In the U-16 boys 400m, Kendrick Major of Queens College set a new mark in the event in 49.84, followed by teammate Ethan Hanna in 50.47 and Raymond Oriaki of SAC in 50.92.

Oriaki would return to break an 11-year-old meet record in the 80mH with his time of 11.41.

The middle distance events also produced a new meet record in the U-14 girls 1,200m with first place going to the Comets Devin Cuffy-Bethel in 4:04.49.

Breyanna Kemp of CW Saunders (4:15.04), and Esther Simms of St Johns (4:19.83) surpassed the old record of 5:39.92.

Several records also fell in the field. The Comets Shaunece Miller set a new mark of 1.45m in the U-14 girls high jump while Jordan Lewis of Temple Christian set a new mark in the U-18 boys discus with his throw of 42.04 metres.

The Big Red Machine also produced a pair of CARIFTA qualifying sprint hurdlers. Oscar Smith ran 14.27 in the U-18 boys 110mH to dip below the necessary 14.70, while Travonte Mott took the U-20 boys race in 14.00 ahead of the 14.50 pace.

Doniesha Anderson set a new record of 1.73m in the U-20 girls high jump and also took first place in the 400m in 55.56.

The Comets Lavardo Henfield also took home two first place finishes on day one, winning both the U-20 boys 400m (48.77) and long jump (6.72m).

Full results can be found at http://www.tekresults.net

The Comets are currently ahead of last years pace when they posted 462 points on day one 28 points ahead of the Big Red Machine who scored 434. They went on to lead the duration of the meet and win with a total of 1,477 points while SAC was second with 1365.

Continued here:

Comets Strike On Day 1 - Bahamas Tribune

The Halifax County High School varsity girls basketball team appeared to be out of contention entering the last four minutes of Wednesday nights 5A North Region Conference 16 Tournament semi-final game against Albemarle High School in Charlottesville.

Trailing 37-26 with just under four minutes left in the game, the Comets didnt appear to have much steam left. Yet, they didnt give up.

Dee Dee Jeffress and Tamiara Logan helped fuel a late 10-3 run, but the rally came up short as Albemarle held on for a 40-36 win.

The Comets still have a chance to make the field for next weeks 5A North Region Tournament. Halifax County High School will face Orange High School Friday night at 5:30 p.m. in a game to determine third place and the conferences third seed in the region tournament.

It will be good to be able to play at home again, said Comets Head Coach David Graham.

I think the girls are feeling good. Weve played pretty well over the last three weeks and have been very competitive. Were hoping for good things Friday night.

Graham said his team gave a solid effort in Wednesday nights game against Albemarle High School.

We gave it a great effort, said Comets Head Coach David Graham in noting his team was down by as many as 14 points at one point in the contest.

Im very proud of their effort. The difference in a close game is missed opportunities. We had our chances, but could not catch a break.

Jeffress led the Comets in scoring with 13 points, nine of which came in the second half. Logan scored nine points, even with being held to just three free throws in the second half.

Brittany Clark chipped in five points, all coming in the fourth quarter, and Nichole Gillard chipped in four points. Akiah Clauden and Shadajah Davis both scored two points and Malasia Boyd had one point.

The game was tied 11-11 at the end of the first quarter, but the Comets managed to score only three points in the second quarter, opening the door for Albemarle to take a 22-14 lead at halftime.

We had one quarter in which we had no offense, Graham pointed out.

We missed about three layups on a fastbreak that we should have converted and didnt.

That, unfortunately, was the picture for the Comets all game long.

We had no fast-break points, remarked Graham.

We played a good solid game by the numbers (on the scoreboard). But, this is playing in Conference 16, and when you play these good teams, youve got to convert when you have opportunities.

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Late rally falls short for Lady Comets - YourGV.com

Video One: We kicked off this week's show with a look back at the Utica Comets last three games. Full disclosure, due to the Comets' travel schedule the show had to be shot Tuesday (02/14) or before the Comets grabbed a 5-2 win over Toronto.

Video Two: It's part one of our two part interview with Comets assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner. We uncovered how the former first round pick got into coaching, and what he misses most about his playing days.

Video Three: We're glad you stuck around for part two of this two part interview. During this stint Nolan Baumgartner discussed the benefits of being a coach with a lengthy playing career. Plus, we dug deeper to figure out which current player reminds the former first round pick of himself.

Video Four: No surprise here, we ended the show with a look at the Utica Comets' upcoming schedule.

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Comets Faceoff - Nolan Baumgartner - Story | CNYHomepage - WUTR WFXV CNYhomepage

The Lewis Cass Kings flew past the Caston Comets 46-29 on Valentines Day. Earlier this season, the Kings defeated the Comets by 47 points in the Cass County Tournament. The Comets forced the Kings, which typically plays with a fast tempo, to slow down plays and to commit rare turnovers. With several rough plays, the Kings still managed to remain on top throughout the game.

Cohen Nies, a senior, lead the Kings with a double-double: 16 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks. Fellow senior Alec Eurit had 14 points and four steals. Eurit also showed his strength with a one-handed dunk at the end of the game.

Hes just a shade under 6-foot. Hell tell you hes 6-foot, said head coach Jon Kitchel. He is very athletic. He made it look easy too. Alec had a really big night both ends of the floor both defense and offense.

The coach also praised Nies performance.

This is about three or four games in a row Cohen has come through with either a double-double or right at it, said Kitchel. Over time, I thought our pressure from our guards and Cohen were just difference makers.

Kace Kitchel, a junior, and Evan Ohman, a senior, both had only three points which is out of the normal for the two athletes. Kitchel added five assists and six rebounds. Ohman, with an injured knee, played cautiously in order to prevent any further damage. The Kings out-rebounded the Comets 30-14. The Kings held the Comets to just two points in the fourth quarter solidifying the 14th win for the Kings. The Kings host the Class 1A No. 1 Lafayette Central Catholic on Feb. 17 in a battle for third place in the Hoosier Conference.

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Kings defeat Comets - Kokomo Herald (press release)

Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann broke into at least two pieces as it passed by Earth; this image of that process was taken Feb. 13, 2017.

The end may be near for a comet that has been breaking into pieces for more than 20 years. On Feb. 12, viewers using the Slooh online observatory's telescope in Chile were among the first to see the nucleus of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann break into two pieces.

This raises doubts about whether the comet can survive another trip around the sun, Slooh representatives said in a statement. The comet will make its closest approach to the sun on March 16.

"This puts the comet's nucleus under tremendous stress from the sun's gravitational forces and it appears that this may have been responsible for carving up the nucleus in two," Slooh astronomer Paul Cox said in the statement. [Photos: Spectacular Comet Views from Earth and Space]

Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann and its fragment fly through the view of Slooh's high-magnification telescope in Chile.

The comet was first discovered in 1930, and skywatchers saw signs of the comet breaking up in late 1995 (it broke into three pieces). Then another large event occurred in 2006, when the comet broke into more than 30 pieces as it approached the sun.

Comets are loose collections of ice, rock and dust that likely originate from either the Kuiper Belt or the much farther Oort Cloud, which are zones of icy objects at the far edge of the solar system, out past Neptune. Comet 73P belongs to the "Jupiter class" of objects, which have a relatively short orbital period and come from the Kuiper Belt.

The comet faces two large threats to its survival in the coming years. If it survives this latest trip around the sun, 73P is expected to fly within 31 million miles (50 million kilometers) of Jupiter in 2025. Jupiter is a known source for breaking up comets, with the most famous being theShoemaker-Levy 9 cometthat broke into several pieces in 1992 and collided with the planet in 1994.

Another ongoing threat to 73P is solar radiation and the solar wind, which is the constant stream of particles that emanate from the sun. The sun's influence on the comet disrupts the surface layers of the small body, creating the "coma" (cometary atmosphere) and tail that are common for comets. [Sungrazing Comets: How They Dive-Bomb the Sun (Infographic)]

"It certainly feels like it's only a matter of time before comet 73P is destroyed, disintegrating into a trail of cosmic dust," Cox added.

"One thing is certain if the end-is-nigh for this lump of primordial space rock, Slooh members will be the first to see its demise live in Slooh's telescopes," Cox said.

Members of Slooh will continue to watch the comet in the coming weeks at the organization's two remotely controlled observatories in Chile and the Canary Islands.

Follow Elizabeth Howell @howellspace, or Space.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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Comet Breaks in Two May Be Close to Disintegration - Space.com - Space.com

Ben Birnell

UTICA The third time was the charm for the Utica Comets.

In two previous meetings over the last eight days against the Toronto Marlies, the Comets had come up short in a pair of losses against their North Division rival. Wednesdays game at the Utica Memorial Auditorium had a different outcome, though.

The Comets rallied with a three-goal second period and earned a 5-2 victory over the Marlies on Wednesday in front of an announced capacity crowd of 3,870.

"It was (a) huge (win)," said Kunyk, who scored in that second period and also added two assists. "It felt nice, too, since weve played them so many times in the last week and a half. It was nice to finally beat them."

Carter Bancks (two assists) and Evan McEneny (goal, assist) also had multi-point efforts in support of Richard Bachman, who stopped 22 shots to help the Comets (20-21-6-2, 48 points) snap a five-game losing streak at home. It was Uticas first win at home since Jan. 11 against Syracuse.

Borna Rendulic and Curtis Valk each scored on the power-play and Wacey Hamilton added a shorthanded tally for the Comets, who totaled five goals for the first time since Jan. 17 at St. Johns.

"We got contributions from almost every line. Thats big. This time of the year, we cant rely on one line. We need everyone to chip in," said Comets coach Travis Green, whose team is 2-5-1-1 in the last nine games. "To get the five goals was a bonus."

Included in the effort was holding Toronto (24-22-3-1, 52 points) to zero power-play goals on six chances Wednesday after they went 6-of-7 in the two contests last week.

It was an important victory for the fifth-place Comets, who are outside of a North playoff spot with 27 regular-season games remaining. Utica trails Toronto by four points in the division.

First period

The teams played a fairly even opening 20 minutes, with neither getting many quality scoring chances.

However, Andreas Johnsson put Toronto ahead with 3:15 left when he buried his 14th of the season after the puck popped out of the right corner to the slot, where the forward buried it just under Bachmans pads.

Second period

The Comets exploded for a season-most three goals in the frame and a one-goal advantage.

"It was just being persistent," Green said of the Comets effort. "I give our guys a lot of credit."

Utica got on the board 1:47 in. Kunyk won a faceoff on the right side and sent a pass to Rendulic in the left circle. The forward backhanded his sixth of the season past Garret Sparks (28 saves).

"That was kind of a messed up play off the faceoff," Kunyk said. "I knew someone was going to be wide open in front. And, (Rendulic) was there. He made an unbelievable backhand shot."

The teams combined for three goals over the last 7:37. The Marlies briefly took a 2-1 lead when Andrew Nielsens blast from the blue line found its way through traffic.

The Comets took over from there.

That advantage lasted 46 seconds with help from some hard work from Bancks on the penalty kill. With Jordan Subban off for holding, Bancks picked up the puck along the Marlies goal line and waited for a streaking Hamilton, who buried his seventh of the season from the slot with 6:51 remaining.

The Comets grabbed the lead for good about three minutes later after a big stop by Bachman. Utica went the other way and Andrey Pedan received a pass from Jake Virtanen on the right side and sent a blast from the left side on the point. Kunyk, who was standing in front, redirected it in for his seventh of the season.

"Me and (Cole Cassels) were standing there and I was lucky enough to get a stick on it," Kunyk said.

Third period

The game remained unchanged until later when the Comets added two goals about three minutes apart.

Utica made it 4-2 with 6:29 left when McEneny cleaned up a shot by Bancks from the right circle for his sixth of the season.

The Comets added their second power-play goal when Valk took a nice feed from McEneny and scored his 14th of the season.

"Id like to say everything looked pretty on the power play," Kunyk said with a smile. "It is just something that weve been sticking with it. We were fortunate to get two tonight."

Up next

The Comets continue a 10-games-in-16-days-stretch when they head to Springfield for the second time in less than a week to play the Thunderbirds at 7:05 p.m. Friday at the MassMutal Center. Utica picked up a 2-1 victory at Springfield last Saturday.

NOTES: Wednesdays game was the 80th consecutive sellout for the Comets; however, there were a few unfilled seats throughout the Aud. Sparks entered the game with the second-lowest goals-against average in the AHL at 2.17. Pascal Pelletier (day-to-day), Derek Hulak (29 consecutive games) and John Negrin (16 games) all were out of the lineup because of injuries. The Comets and Marlies play again April 7 in Utica.

Comets 5, Marlies 2

Toronto 1 1 0 2 Utica 0 3 2 5

1st Period-1, Toronto, Johnsson 14 16:45. Penalties-Dermott Tor (interference), 10:45; Zalewski Uti (holding), 17:01; Archibald Uti (slashing), 18:56.

2nd Period-2, Utica, Rendulic 6 (Kunyk, LaBate), 1:47 (PP). 3, Toronto, Nielsen 10 (Corrado, Clune), 12:23. 4, Utica, Hamilton 7 (Bancks, Shields), 13:09 (SH). 5, Utica, Kunyk 7 (Pedan, Virtanen), 16:49. Penalties-Griffith Tor (holding), 1:10; Hamilton Uti (holding), 3:36; Nielsen Tor (high-sticking), 6:34; McEneny Uti (holding), 8:57; Subban Uti (holding), 12:43; Archibald Uti (boarding), 19:15.

3rd Period-6, Utica, McEneny 6 (Bancks, Kunyk), 13:31. 7, Utica, Valk 14 (McEneny, Grenier), 16:21 (PP). Penalties-Griffith Tor (interference), 10:24; Nielsen Tor (hooking), 15:42.

Shots on Goal-Toronto 9-10-5-24. Utica 8-15-10-33.

Power Play Opportunities-Toronto 0 / 6; Utica 2 / 5.

Goalies-Toronto, Sparks 13-7-0 (33 shots-28 saves).

Utica, Bachman 11-10-2 (24 shots-22 saves).

A-3,870.

Referees-Tyler Puddifant (9), Olivier Gouin (54). Linesmen-Tory Carissimo (54), Francois Dussureault (60).

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Utica Comets cruise past Marlies - Utica Observer Dispatch

If you missed out on spotting the green comet that zoomed past Earth over the weekend, don't worry Comet 45P was only the first of three comets to pass near Earth between now and the end of 2018.

Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdukov made its closest approach early Saturday morning (Feb. 11) at about 3 a.m. EST (0800 GMT), when it passed within just 7.4 million miles (12 million kilometers) of Earth. The sight of the comet, which was visible with binoculars or a telescope, coincided with the Snow Moon penumbral lunar eclipse on Friday night.

While this weekend's encounter was the comet's closest approach yet, it is expected to make another pass by the planet in 2032 but at a much farther distance of nearly 30 million miles (about 48 million km). Nonetheless, a second flyby of Comet 45P offers a unique opportunity for astronomers to observe how the comet and the gases, dust and ice particles it releases into space change over time, NASA officials said in a statement. [In Photos: The Snow Moon Eclipse & Comet 45P]

This image captures Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdukov as it streaks across Earth's sky.

"Observing a comet multiple times over successive orbits is like taking snapshots at different stages of life," Joseph Nuth, a senior scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said in the statement. "And some comets have harder lives than others, depending on how close they get to the sun. We can learn about these effects by comparing different comets with varying perihelion distances over time." (Perihelion refers to the point in the comet's orbit when it's closest to the sun.)

In the nearer future, Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak will fly by Earth on April 1, 2017, followed by Comet 46P/Wirtanen on Dec. 16, 2018. Astronomers can learn more about Comets 45P, 41P and 46P by studying the differences between them, NASA officials said.

"Comet 46P, in particular, will remain within 10 million miles [16 million km] of Earth for several weeks, from December 4 through 28, 2018," Michael DiSanti, a researcher at the Goddard Space Flight Center, said in the statement. "This will permit detailed studies of its material, as successive regions of the comet's nucleus become exposed to sunlight."

Comet 45P will still be visible through telescopes or binoculars for a few more days as it travels away from Earth and farther out into space. You can see more photos of the beautiful comet flyby (and the penumbral eclipse) on Space.com.

Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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Did You Miss the Green Comet? Mark Your Calendar for These ... - Space.com

February 16, 2017 by Suraiya Farukhi Gif composed of thirteen delay-Doppler images of Comet 45P/HMP after 2 hours of observation. Credit: Universities Space Research Association

Though not visible to the naked eye or even with binoculars, the green-tailed Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova (HMP) did not escape the gaze of the world-renowned Arecibo Observatory. Scientists from the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL) and the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) at Arecibo Observatory have been studying the comet with radar to better understand its solid nucleus and the dusty coma that surrounds it.

"Comets are remnants of the planet forming process and are part of a group of objects made of water ice and rocky material that formed beyond Neptune," noted Dr. Ellen Howell, Scientist at LPL and the leader of the observing campaign at Arecibo. "Studying these objects gives us an idea of how the outer reaches of our Solar System formed and evolved over time."

Studying the comet with radar not only very precisely determines its orbit, allowing scientists to better predict its location in the future, but also gives a glimpse of the typically unseen part, the comet's nucleus, which is usually hidden behind the cloud of gas and dust that makes up the its coma and tail.

"The Arecibo Observatory planetary radar system can pierce through the comet's coma and allows us to study the surface properties, size, shape, rotation, and geology of the comet nucleus," said Dr. Patrick Taylor, USRA Scientist and Group Lead for Planetary Radar at Arecibo. "We gain roughly the same amount of knowledge from a radar observation as a spacecraft flyby of the same object, but at considerably less cost."

In fact, the new radar observations have revealed Comet 45P/HMP to be somewhat larger than previously estimated. The radar images suggest a size of about 1.3 km (0.8 mi) and that it rotates about once every 7.6 hours. "We see complex structures and bright regions on the comet and have been able to investigate the coma with radar," indicated Cassandra Lejoly, graduate student at the University of Arizona.

This comet is only the seventh imaged using radar because comets rarely come close enough to the Earth to get such detailed radar images. In fact, though 45P/HMP has an orbital period of about 5.3 years, it rarely passes close to Earth, as it is doing now. Comet 45P is one of a group of comets called Jupiter family comets (JFCs), whose orbits are controlled by Jupiter's gravity and typically orbit the sun about every 6 years.

Comet 45P/HMP, which is passing by Earth at a speed of about 23 km/s (relative to Earth) and a close approach of about 32 Earth-Moon distances, will be observed widely at different wavelengths to characterize the gas and dust emanating from the nucleus that forms the coma. As comets orbit the sun, the ices sublime from solids to gases and escape the nucleus. The nucleus gradually shrinks and will disappear completely within in less than a million years.

Radar observations at Arecibo of Comet 45P/HMP began on February 9, 2017 and will continue through February 17, 2017.

Explore further: Comet's trip past Earth offers first in a trio of opportunities

Provided by: Universities Space Research Association

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Arecibo Observatory captures revealing images of Comet 45P ... - Phys.Org