Briefs for print
Cal volleyball
to NCAAs
The California University of Pennsylvania women’s cross country team will be competing at the NCAA national championships as a team qualifier for the second time in three years on Saturday in Evansville, Ind.
The championships will be broadcast via FloTrack for a monthly subscription of $19.99 or an annual fee of $150. Either subscription will grant access to all the live FloTrack broadcasts, video on-demand from all events, documentaries, technique videos and more. A free replay of all events taking place that day will be available to those subscribers at FloTrack.com.
The Vulcans are led by head coach Daniel Caulfield, who has guided the program to its only two team appearances at the NCAA Division II national championships.
Cal earned the team qualifier two weeks ago by finishing in third place at the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships behind three top-15 individual finishers. The Vulcans are one of three qualifiers from the Atlantic Region, as Shippensburg and Edinboro also will be at the national race.
Fight Doctor, Pacheco, dies
Fernando “Ferdie” Pacheco, “The Fight Doctor” who served as Muhammad Ali’s ringside physician, has died. He was 89.
Pacheco’s daughter, Tina Louise Pacheco, told The Associated Press that he died Thursday morning at his Miami home after prolonged illness.
Pacheco was born in Tampa and opened a practice in Miami after earning a medical degree from the University of Miami. He met Cassius Clay, who would later become Muhammad Ali, in 1960 when the fighter began training with Angelo Dundee at the 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach.
Pacheco worked as Ali’s cornerman from 1962-1977, which included three successful title bouts. Pacheco has said he left his position after suggesting Ali retire because of serious injuries. Ali fought four more matches, losing three.
Pacheco went on to become a television boxing analyst, as well as a painter and author.
In the NHL
New Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is interested in bringing an NHL team to Houston, a possibility that didn’t exist under the NBA team’s previous regime.
Fertitta released a statement Thursday confirming interest in a hockey team in Houston. He recently met with league officials.
“I’m very interested in the possibility of bringing the NHL to Houston, but it will have to be a deal that makes sense for my organization, the city, fans of the NHL throughout the region, and the NHL Board of Governors,” Fertitta said. “We are in the very early stage of evaluating what opportunities may exist but there is nothing definitive at this point in time. We are simply asking questions and exploring our options.”
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told the Associated Press before the season that if Fertitta had any interest in a franchise, he’d expect to hear from him. Former Rockets owner Leslie Alexander had been considered a roadblock to the NHL in Houston.
- William Nylander scored with 2.2 seconds left in overtime and Frederik Andersen made 42 saves in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 1-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils Thursday night.
The Maple Leafs have won five straight to improve to 13-7-0.
- Johnny Boychuk scored the tiebreaking goal on a slap shot with 4:25 remaining and the New York Islanders rallied to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4.