Sports briefs
Girls soccer
Chartiers-Houston moved back into a tie for first place with Waynesburg in Class A Section 2 with a 2-0 victory over host South Allegheny on Thursday.
The Bucs are 9-1 in the section and 12-2 overall.
Ava Capozzoli had a goal and assist for C-H, which led 1-0 at halftime on a goal by Lexi Durkacs. Amelia Brose assisted on the Capozzoli goal.
C-H goalkeeper Grace McAvoy made two saves.
The Bucs controlled much of the game in the midfield with standout play by Kayla Brose and Kaydan Buckingham.
- Farrah Reader scored six goals and Belle Vernon blasted Uniontown 10-2 in Class 3A Section 2.
Reader scored five times, and Ava Scalisle had a pair of goals, as Belle Vernon (6-5, 7-6-1) as the leopards raced to a 7-0 lead at halftime.
Reader, Kataira Rhodes and Danika Lee each had a goal for the Leps in the second half. Reader now has 93 career goals.
Boys soccer
Andy Palm scored a goal late in the second half and Trinity defeated host Ringgold 1-0 in Class 3A Section 3 on Thursday.
The win by Trinity (7-5, 9-5) prevented Ringgold (7-5, 7-8) from clinching a playoff berth and crated a logjam for the final two postseason spots from the section.
Goalkeeper Ryan Torboli had Trinity’s seventh shutout.
- Nathaniel Kikel scored two goals and assisted on another as Class 2A Section 3 leader Belle Vernon defeated host Washington, 4-0.
Kikel scored goals in each half. Trevor Kovatch had a goal and two assists for the playoff-bound Leps (11-1, 12-2).
Washington slipped to 3-7-2 in section and 4-9-2 overall.
- Charleroi won its fifth straight match, rolling to a 6-0 victory at Ligonier Valley in Class A Section 2.
The playoff-bound Cougars are 8-1 in section and 12-1 overall.
Ty Patterson and Bryce Large each scored a pair of goals. Arlo McIntyre and Joel Chambers also found the net for a one goal apiece.
- Nick Magee scored the game winner as Class 4A Section 2 leader Peters Township edged Mt. Lebanon, 2-1.
In auto racing
An appeals panel on Thursday reinstated the 25 points William Byron had been docked by NASCAR for deliberately spinning championship rival Denny Hamlin, a critical decision that helps his playoff hopes.
The three-person panel found that Byron did break a NASCAR rule for spinning Hamlin under caution. But Hendrick Motorsports had appealed the NASCAR penalty, which was initially a $50,000 fine and the loss of 25 critical points in the championship race.
The panel instead upped the fine to $100,000 and gave Byron back his points. The favorable ruling moved Byron from below the elimination line headed into Sunday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where the playoff field will be cut from 12 to eight.
Byron was 10th in the standings with the loss of points; he’s now seventh in the standings and 14 points above the cutline.
In the NHL
Jason Robertson has signed a $31 million, four-year contract with the Dallas Stars after the young 40-goal scorer missed the first two weeks of training camp.
Robertson turned 23 soon after the end of last season, when the left wing had 41 goals and 38 assists for 79 points in his 74 games. His 13 power-play goals led the team. Robertson joined Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Modano, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin as the only 40-goal scorers since the franchise moved to Dallas in 1993.