Browsing: States

The United States blanked Canada 3-0 in Sunday’s final of the International Para Hockey Cup.

The Canadians mustered 11 shots on net to 23 for the Americans, and went scoreless on five power-play chances. The U.S. scored once in four tries with a man advantage.

Malik Jones scored short-handed in the first period. Declan Farmer scored a power-play goal in the second and added an empty-netter for the reigning world champions.

Corbin Watson stopped 24 shots in Canada’s net, while Griffin LaMarre posted the shutout.

The U.S. has won all four IPH Cup championships since the inaugural tournament in 2022.

Canada hosts the Para Cup in Dawson Creek, B.C., from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6 in Canada’s final international competition before the Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy, in March.

Canada fell 5-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022 Paralympic Games in Beijing.

“This off-season came with a lot of change, including new coaches and new players, and it was fun to get the new season started and find out which areas we need to work on,” said Canadian veteran forward Greg Westlake.

“We are excited to keep building, and we know we are going to stay united as a team and get better as the season goes on.

“We are looking forward to playing at home in our next tournament and showcasing our great sport, because we love playing in Canada. We are excited to get to Dawson Creek in November and play in a part of the country that we have not been to for a long time.â€

Host Czechia defeated China 3-1 for third.

Canada beat Czechia, China and Italy and lost in overtime to the U.S. in the preliminary round.

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ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – There are times when members of the Michigan State University women’s golf team don’t understand each other. That was something that Head Coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll knew would happen since the players on her team represent an array of countries. So, she established one rule to alleviate any discomfort that might arise during those times of disconnect – no one is going to get upset or mad.

In fact, Slobodnik-Stoll doesn’t see her eclectic team as a challenge at all, but rather she considers it an honor for her players to have a chance to grow together.

“I think it’s so cool that we get to learn about lots of different cultures,†Slobodnik-Stoll said about her team makeup, which features players from Canada, Colombia, Germany, Spain and the United States on-site this week in Scotland, in addition to others from Switzerland and Thailand on the roster. “If there’s any challenge, sometimes there’s a language challenge, but I think the challenge is obviously a fun one because they’ve all done it since they were little kids and dreamt of playing a sport in America.â€

This week, this international squad is one of four women’s teams competing in the St. Andrews Links Collegiate. It’s a unique opportunity that isn’t lost on the coach or her players, who are getting a chance to compete for two days on the Jubilee Course followed by Wednesday’s final round on the famed Old Course.

That dream of which Slobodnik-Stoll spoke is what brought Paula Balanzategui from San Sebastian, Spain, to East Lansing.

“If I would have stayed home, I couldn’t be doing both competing and getting a degree, so this was the best chance,†Balanzategui, a senior, said about her decision to play in the States. “I think it’s the only way of competing.â€

Balanzategui is the fourth Spaniard to join the team since 2020. Both Spain and Colombia have become pipelines of sorts for Slobodnik-Stoll, who said that when players come to Michigan State and have a positive experience they return home to share that feedback with their national team and the word spreads.

“It really, honestly, it’s kind of like a domino effect,†Slobodnik-Stoll said. “Recruiting for women’s golf, I think for all sports right now, is very international for kids from all over the world.â€

Food is a major topic of conversation among the team, which has enjoyed exchanging recipes. But for some of the international students, it can be a real eye-opener trying to eat in the United States when they discover the amount of processing that happens and the number of preservatives that get added to foods. Slobodnik-Stoll says the team’s dietician takes students to the grocery store to help them understand what’s on the nutrition labels so that they’ll know how the ingredients will impact their body and make them feel.

“When they come to America some of them have never had peanut butter,†the coach said. “Some of them have never had bread that stays on the shelf for two months.â€

Another lesson learned is improving their English. While there are often rough patches as the team’s new members try to communicate, Canada’s Taylor Kehoe says other teammates often jump in to help translate for newcomers like freshman Lucia Valderrama, who joined the team from Valencia, Spain.

“They all learn so fast,†Kehoe said. “I couldn’t imagine going somewhere and not knowing the language. It’s so impressive what they do.â€

The international students aren’t the only ones doing the learning as the Americans have taken away plenty from the global exposure. Shannon Kennedy, a graduate student who walked on as a freshman in 2021, has seen the makeup of her team shift throughout the years, but this season finds herself as the lone American. The Michigan native knows there won’t be many opportunities like this one, in which she is exposed to so many different cultures at once. She is relishing the opportunity to get to know her teammates’ heritage and they way in which they play the game.

Official Photo by St Andrews Lin

“Everyone on the team has a very different way of playing golf, some hit it higher, some hit it lower, and I think it all stems from where you grew up playing,†Kennedy said after the opening round on the Jubilee Course. “Somebody that’s from somewhere like here [in Scotland] is going to have a different style of game than we have back home, so it’s pretty cool to see that and learn all those things.â€

Coach Slobodnik-Stoll has picked up a few things, too. Having seen players on the Colombian and Spanish national teams dress up off the course, she had her team wearing blazers in the signature Spartan green during the St. Andrews welcome reception.

From start to finish, this week is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many, and it does the recruiting on its own for Slobodnik-Stoll.

“An opportunity even like this is pretty amazing,†she said. “With social media, it’s very easy to show players what they’re getting and what they get to experience at Michigan State.â€

The experience of not just getting to play at the Home of Golf, but the chance to grow, to learn and to compete with an international group. For the women at Michigan State, that’s a true honor.

Marnus Labuschagne’s push for a recall to Australia’s Test squad for the Ashes received another boost as he hit his third century in four innings for Queensland.

The 31-year-old top-order batter made 105 off 91 balls in his side’s One-Day Cup defeat by Tasmania, just three days after he scored 160 against the same opponents in Australia’s red-ball competition, the Sheffield Shield.

He also scored 130 off 118 in Queensland’s One-Day Cup opener against Victoria in September.

Labuschagne, who has hit 11 centuries in 58 Tests, was dropped from Australia’s Test squad for July’s series against West Indies.

He faces competition from the likes of Travis Head, Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney to force his way back into the side, possibly as Usman Khawaja’s opening partner.

Australia left out Labuschagne from their squad for this month’s one-day international series against India, but did call up top-order batter Matthew Renshaw.

Labuschagne has not scored a Test century since July 2023 – a knock of 111 against England – and is averaging just 24.74 in the format since then, but he attributes his upturn in form to stripping his game back to basics.

“I felt good out there,” Labuschagne said after his Shield century against Tasmania.

“I feel like I’ve really stripped it back and my focus is just scoring runs. It’s not really too technical – just what I need out there to score runs.”

The first Ashes Test is scheduled to begin on Friday, 21 November in Perth.

England have already named their squad for the Ashes but the Aussies are not expected to announce their party until closer to the first Test.

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An inspired Italy successfully defended their Billie Jean King Cup with a 2-0 victory over record 18-time champions the United States on Sunday, taking their own tally in the premier womenâ€s team competition to six titles.

Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Jasmine Paolini both won their singles matches to help their country triumph in Shenzhen and prolonged the American wait for another title after their previous success in 2017.

“Itâ€s been a really great week and itâ€s always amazing to play in this competition … I just want to thank everybody, it was unbelievable,†a beaming Paolini said.

“It was so tough, this year we played amazing teams, they are very strong and today against the United States, we didnâ€t expect to win so weâ€re really happy about this win.

“I donâ€t know, itâ€s even more special this year than last year. Itâ€s different, but honestly I didnâ€t expect it.â€

World No 8 Paoliniâ€s 6-4, 6-2 victory was her maiden win in her sixth clash with Jessica Pegula and helped Italy become the first team to capture back-to-back titles since the Czech Republic lifted three straight trophies from 2014-16.

Italyâ€s Elisabetta Cocciaretto on her way to beating Emma Navarro. Photograph: Tingshu Wang/Reuters

The 29-year-old edged a tight first set by firing a backhand rocket that broke the seventh-ranked Pegulaâ€s serve and she came from an early break down in the next set to quell the challenge of her American opponent after a late wobble.

She celebrated her win by raising her arms and joined her team in dancing in the centre of the blue court to roaring applause from largely Italian and Chinese fans.

Earlier, Cocciaretto ensured that Italy shot out of the blocks by swatting aside world number 18 Emma Navarro 6-4 6-4, with the 24-year-old finishing off in style by winning a breathtaking rally on match point.

“It was an unbelievable match for me,†said world number 91 Cocciaretto, who battled from 2-4 down in the second set to get past her opponent in 89 minutes at a packed Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre Arena.

“I knew sheâ€s a really great player and I had to play my best tennis … Iâ€m really happy about the performance and the point I gave to Italy.â€

Italyâ€s sixth Billie Jean King Cup title comes amid a golden spell for the country, with the menâ€s team claiming the previous two Davis Cup trophies and their players enjoying success at the grand slam and Olympic level.

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Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between the USA and England, scheduled to be played at the Kensington Oval on Sunday.

England have it all to do when they take on the United States in their final Super Eight T20 World Cup match at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Sunday afternoon.

It is still anybody’s ball game in Group 2, with all four teams still in the running to qualify for the knockout stage of the competition which gets underway on Thursday.

Match preview

© Imago

Few would have had the United States down as a team to reach the Super Eight, but they have been a joy to behold in this competition and their performance to this point suggests that they are one to watch in the coming years.

Indeed, the tournament co-hosts can still reach the final four, though it will require them to win this match by a huge margin, while also needing a massive slice of luck in the South Africa vs West Indies matchup.

After finishing second in their group, the US have found it difficult against the Test-playing nations in the second round. They conceded back-to-back defeats against South Africa and the West Indies in the last two games.

Still, if the US have shown anything in this competition, it has been character, and it would be foolish to think they will enter this contest with any other intention than to try and dispatch the English bowling attack to all parts.

Regardless of the outcome here, the hosts can be proud of their performance and will also look back fondly on their incredible super over victory against cricketing powerhouse Pakistan in their second match of the competition.

© Reuters

Meanwhile, England find themselves in almost the exact same position as they were in the first phase of the competition, staring elimination in the face, heading into their final match of the group.

England are currently level on two points with the Windies but are well behind on net run rate. England’s NRR is currently +0.412 while the West Indies are on +1.814 ahead of their final fixture.

That means England will need to win this match by a big margin to overtake the other host nation, alternatively, they will need the Proteas to do them a huge favour and beat the West Indies, thus making any victory in this match enough to qualify for the semi-final.

The Three Lions beat the West Indies in their first match of the Super Eight but came up seven runs short of the Proteas on Friday, despite Harry Brook scoring an impressive 53 off just 37 balls.

Despite the position they are in, you can never completely write off the defending champions, and Jos Buttler and co will enter this match with the objective of wrapping things up early before the nervous wait for the match between the group leaders on Monday starts.

Team News

US opener Andries Gous notched up another 29 runs against the West Indies last time out and is now up to second place in the leading run-scorer standings with 211. Only he and Nicholas Pooran have accumulated more than 200 runs in the competition to date.

Aaron Jones rounds out the top 10 run-scorers in the competition with 152 and also has the second-highest individual score of 94*. Harmeet Singh was the only player to take a wicket against the Windies and will be key the the USA’s chances of containing England in this match.

Phil Salt has carried his excellent Indian Premier League form into the T20 World Cup and is up to eighth place in the leading run-scorer standings, current on 158 in five innings, with a strike rate north of 170.

The major disappointment for England in this tournament has been the relatively poor performances of their bowling unit. Jofra Archer notched three wickets in the loss to South Africa, but the likes of Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali have struggled to find the same type of joy as some of their counterparts.

USA squad: Monank Patel (c), Aaron Jones, Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh, Jessy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Noshtush Kenjige, Saurabh Netravalkar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir

England squad: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood

Series so far

United States

Match One: USA won by 7 wickets
Canada – 194/5 (20)
USA – 197/3 (17.4)

Match Two: USA won the super over by 5 runs
Pakistan – 159/7 & 13/1
USA – 159/3 & 18/1

Match Three: USA lost by 7 wickets
USA – 110/8 (20)
India – 111/3 (18.2)

Match Four: No Result

Match Five: USA lost by 18 runs
South Africa – 194/4 (20)
USA – 176/6 (20)

Match Six: United States lost by 9 wickets
USA – 128 (19.5)
West indies – 130/1 (10.5)

England

Match One: No Result

Match Two: England lost by 36 runs
Australia – 201/7 (20)
England – 165/6 (20)

Match Three: England won by eight wickets
Oman – 47 (13.2)
England – 50/2 (3.1)

Match Four: England won by 41 runs (DLS method)
England – 122/8 (10)
Namibia – 84/3 (10)

Match Five: England won by 8 wickets
West Indies – 180/4 (20)
England – 181/2 (17.3)

Match Six: England lost by 7 runs
South Africa – 163/6 (20)
England – 156/6 (20)

© PA Photos

We say: England to win

The USA have won the hearts of many neutrals in this competition and they will come out guns blazing here, as they can still mathematically qualify for the semi-final.

However, despite England’s uninspiring form at this tournament, they are still one of the best sides in the world and we feel they will secure a comfortable victory here before turning their attention to the crucial battle of the group leaders on Monday.

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Sports Mole previews the 2024 T20 World Cup match between the West Indies and the United States, scheduled to be played at the Kensington Oval on Friday.

The T20 World Cup co-hosts will go head-to-head when West Indies face the United States in Friday’s Super Eight meeting at the T20 World Cup.

West Indies began the Super Eight phase with a disappointing defeat against England, while the USA failed to get the better of South Africa despite putting in a competitive performance.

Match preview

© Reuters

After failing to qualify for last year’s 50-over World Cup, West Indies came into their home tournament with a point to prove.

The side, overseen by coach Darren Sammy, produced a flawless performance in the first stage, beating Papua New Guinea, Uganda, New Zealand and Afghanistan to finish top of Group C with maximum points.

West Indies racked up 218 in their 104-run victory against Afghanistan, and they appeared to be on course to pose another score in excess of 200 in Wednesday’s Super Eight clash with reigning world T20 champions England.

They were sitting pretty at 137-2 at the 15-over mark, but England fought back to restrict West Indies to 180-4 after 20 overs.

Jos Buttler and co ultimately made light work of the total, as the West Indies bowling attack struggled to contain the likes of Phil Salt and Jonny Bairstow, who put together a formidable partnership to win the game with 15 balls remaining.

After suffering their first defeat of the tournament, captain Rovman Powell knows that his side need to beat the USA if they are to have a realistic chance of reaching the semi-finals as they look to keep their hopes alive of winning the tournament for the third time.

© Imago

Meanwhile, as an associate nation, the United States have already surpassed expectations by making it to the Super Eight stage in their first-ever appearance at the T20 World Cup.

They began the tournament with a seven-wicket victory against Canada, before they pulled off a major upset to beat Pakistan in a Super Over.

Although they were beaten by India, the USA still managed to secure a top-two spot after their final group game against Ireland was washed out due to the heavy rain in Florida.

The United States continued their memorable tournament with a competitive display in their Super Eight match against South Africa, falling just 18 runs short in their chase of 194 to reinforce the belief that the associate nations belong at these tournaments.

While securing a semi-final berth seems an unthinkable proposition, the USA will attempt to spring a surprise against their tournament co-hosts and claim a win that would set up a dramatic final game against England.

Team News

© Reuters

West Indies opener Brandon King is a doubt for the rest of the tournament after being forced to retire hurt against England due to a side strain.

If King is ruled out of the World Cup, West Indies could call up one of their stand-by players, with Andre Fletcher and Kyle Mayers among the contenders to come into the main squad.

Nicholas Pooran will be key to his side’s batting efforts, having racked up 200 runs in his five innings, making him the highest run scorer at the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Romario Shephard may see his position come under threat after he conceded 41 off his two overs against England, including 30 off one over to the destructive Salt.

Meanwhile, USA skipper Monank Patel remains a doubt, having been forced to miss the last two matches against India and South Africa due to injury.

Aaron Jones will captain the USA for a third consecutive match if Patel remains unavailable for the second Super-Eight match.

Wicket-keeper Andries Gous will be looking to produce another meaningful contribution with the bat after hitting five fours and five sixes on his way to scoring 80 not out in the defeat to South Africa.

Saurabh Netravalkar has been the USA’s standout bowler in the tournament, and he showcased his skills by recording bowling figures of 2-21 in the defeat to South Africa.

Team A squad: Monank Patel (c), Aaron Jones, Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh, Jessy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Noshtush Kenjige, Saurabh Netravalkar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir

Team B squad: Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd

Tournament so far

West Indies

Group stage

Match One: West Indies won by five wickets
Papua New Guinea – 136/8 (20)
West Indies – 137/5 (19)

Match Two: West Indies won by 134 runs
West Indies – 173/5 (20)
Uganda – 39 (12)

Match Three: West Indies won by 13 runs
West Indies – 149/9 (20)
New Zealand – 136/9 (20)

Match Four: West Indies won by 104 runs
West Indies – 218/5 (20)
Afghanistan – 114 (16.2)

Super Eight

Match Five: West Indies lost by eight wickets
West Indies – 180/4 (20)
England – 181/2 (17.3)

United States

Group stage

Match One: USA won by 7 wickets
Canada – 194/5 (20)
USA – 197/3 (17.4)

Match Two: USA won the super over by 5 runs
Pakistan – 159/7 & 13/1
USA – 159/3 & 18/1

Match Three: USA lost by 7 wickets
USA – 110/8 (20)
India – 111/3 (18.2)

Match Four: No Result

Super Eight

Match Five: USA lost by 18 runs
USA – 176/6 (20)
South Africa – 194/4 (20)

© PA Photos

We say: West Indies to win

West Indies would have been disappointed with their overall performance against England after they failed to maximise their solid start with the bat and struggled to stop the flow of runs when it came to their bowling effort.

However, they still have a destructive batting lineup and a solid bowling group, who should all do enough to outclass the USA in Friday’s contest.

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