Briefs
In boys soccer
Austin McColpin scored in overtime as Canon-McMillan defeated Pine-Richland, 2-1, in a WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal match. In other quarterfinal matches, Peters Township lost to Norwin, 2-1, in a Class 4A and South Fayette fell 4-3 in overtime to Mars in Class 3A. No further information was made to the Observer-Reporter by press time.
Cal women picked
to finish third
The California University women’s basketball team was picked to finish third in the preseason Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West poll.
Defending PSAC champion Edinboro is the preseason favorite. Indiana was picked to finish second.
The Vulcans return three starters from last season, including two-time All-PSAC West selection Seairra Barrett. They were 24-7 last season and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Kutztown is the favorite in the PSAC East.
IUP, West Chester are preseason favorites
The Indiana University men’s basketball team earned eight of nine first-place votes and was selected the favorite in the PSAC West.
California, which is under the direction of first-year coach Danny Sancomb, was picked fifth. Sancomb spent 11 seasons at Wheeling Jesuit before taking the Vulcans’ head-coaching position.
The only returning starter for the Vulcans is Cordell Smith, who averaged 11.3 points per game last season.
Cal is nine 16 wins shy of 900.
West Chester, which returns four starters, was picked to win the PSAC East.
Blue Jays, Twins
hire new mangers
The Toronto Blue Jays have hired Charlie Montoyo as their manager. He succeeds John Gibbons, who was let go after a 73-89 season.
The team said Thursday that Montoya has a three-year contract with a club option for 2022. He is to be introduced at a news conference Monday.
Montoya is a 53-year-old Puerto Rican who worked as the bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays this season. Before that, he was the team’s third-base coach for three years.
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins says in a statement that Montoyo is “a highly regarded leader” with “a superior ability to connect and relate.”
The Minnesota Twins have hired Tampa Bay Rays assistant coach Rocco Baldelli as their new manager.
The 37-year-old Baldelli replaces Paul Molitor, who was fired after four seasons with a 305-343 record.
The two people spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because the Twins had not yet made the announcement. Baldelli spent the last four years on the staff of Rays manager Kevin Cash. Baldelli was a special assistant in the front office for four seasons prior to that.
In the NHL
Zdeno Chara scored twice, Jaroslav Halak stopped 26 shots and the Boston Bruins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 on Thursday night.
Halak had his second shutout and 44th of his career.
Jake DeBrusk also scored to help the Bruins improve to 6-0-2 in their last eight against Philadelphia and 9-0-1 in the last 10 meetings in Boston. The Bruins improved to 4-0 at home, where they last played Oct. 13 in an 8-2 rout of the Detroit Red Wings.
- Kyle Turris made a length of the ice rush and snapped a shot past Keith Kinkaid 3:35 into overtime to lift Nashville past New Jersey, 4-3.
Viktor Arvidsson, Filip Forsberg and Yannick Weber also scored for the Predators.
Nico Hischier scored twice, and Damon Severson added a goal for the Devils.