EDMONTON -- Fresh off her second Olympic gold medal and a practice with the NHLs Edmonton Oilers, goaltender Shannon Szabados will join the Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League next week.
Nathaniel Phillips Jersey . The Cottonmouths announced Friday the team intended to sign the Edmonton goalie. Szabados would be the first female to play in the 10-team SPHL since its formation 10 years ago, the team said. Its been an eventful two weeks for Szabados, who backstopped the Canadian womens hockey team to Olympic gold Feb. 20 in Sochi. "When I got home from Sochi, I thought Id be hanging my stuff up for the summer, but definitely excited to get over there," Szabados told The Canadian Press. "Theres three guys that I played college with that play on this team in Columbus and theyve been bugging me for a couple of years to go there." "I had never talked to their head coach and he called me yesterday. Honestly, I thought he was calling to ask me if I would want to go there next year. It happened a little fast, but Im excited." Szabados made 27 saves in Canadas 3-2 thrilling overtime win over the U.S. to defend the gold in Sochi. She posted a 28-save shutout over the Americans in the womens Olympic hockey final in 2010. But the 27-year-old has spent the majority of her hockey career in mens leagues. She played for Sherwood Park, Bonneyville and Fort Saskatchewan during her four years in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Szabados was named the AJHLs top goaltender in 2006-07 after helping Fort Saskatchewan to a league-best record of 45-11-0-4. She then spent five years in Alberta mens college hockey with Grant MacEwen and then NAIT. She set a league record in 2012-13 for the lowest goals-against average (1.58) and her NAIT Ooks won their first championship in 16 years. Szabados stopped 30 of 31 shots in the final game. Cottonmouths captain Kyle Johnson, forward Jordan Draper and defenceman Andy Willigar are her former NAIT teammates. She suspects they paved her road to her first pro tryout. "Probably the guys had a lot to do with it," Szabados said. "It probably made the coach feel a little more at ease with the situation." Szabados will head to Columbus on Wednesday and will be introduced at a news conference the following day prior to a game at home against the Pensacola Ice Flyers. Winnipegs Andrew Loewen is the starting goaltender for the Cottonmouths "I am very excited to get a world-class athlete that has competed and has faced, high-pressured situations," Cottonmouths head coach Jerome Bechard said in a statement. "She won a championship with NAIT last year alongside Andy Willigar and Jordan Draper so I know she can compete at this level," Bechard said. "We are working on her immigration, and we are looking to sign her officially Thursday, where she will be backing up Loewen. "She will play when she feels comfortable and situated." The Cottonmouths are 23-22-3 and rank seventh in the league. Szabados participated in an Edmonton Oilers practice Wednesday. The Oilers were short a goalie on trade deadline day awaiting the arrival of Viktor Fasth from Anaheim. Szabados is grateful for that practice now because its the only time shes been on the ice since winning Olympic gold Feb. 20. "I havent been in the gym, I havent been on the ice, I havent been sleeping well," Szabados confessed. "Its been a whirlwind. I told (the coach) Im not going to rush into anything. If I dont feel comfortable I might not even play at all this year. "I want to go there and get on the ice and see how I feel. I still have to unpack from Sochi and pack for this. Im not too worried. Its only been two weeks." No woman has ever played in an NHL regular-season game. Goaltender Manon Rheaume became the first to play in an exhibition game with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992. Canadian womens star Hayley Wickenheiser has played as a forward in mens leagues in Finland and Sweden. The SPHL also includes the Bloomington Thunder, Fayetteville FireAntz, Huntsville Havoc, Knoxville IceBears, Louisiana IceGators, Mississippi RiverKings, Mississippi Surge and Peoria Rivermen. Szabados is accustomed to joining male teams. She believes her former Ook teammates will help her settle into the Cottonmouths locker room. "With having those three guys that Ive played with and since this has happened, at least a handful have tweeted at me and reached out to me," she said. "The older Ive gotten, the easier the transition has been to a new team. Im honestly not worried at all. They seem like a good group of guys."
Rhian Brewster Jersey . Or how his team has defended Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Or just about anything that has happened on the court in the first-round playoff series. Instead, Rivers and his players spent Saturday talking about how they would respond to an audio recording of a man identified as Clippers owner Donald Sterling telling his girlfriend not to bring black people to games.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Liverpool Jersey . The Giants chances of winning the division were dealt a serious blow by the three-game sweep at the hands of the lowly Padres. The Giants open a three-game series at Dodger Stadium on Monday night. San Francisco is still in good shape to clinch a wild-card berth, although it dropped into a tie with Pittsburgh in the race for the top spot.MIAMI -- Dee Gordon was a headache for the Miami Marlins for 11 innings at the plate, on the bases and in the field. Carl Crawford came off the bench to make his impact with a single swing. Crawford snapped a slump with a two-run pinch-hit homer in the 11th, and the Los Angeles Dodgers escaped several late-inning jams to beat the Miami Marlins 9-7 on Saturday night. Gordon drove in two runs, scored twice, contributed a defensive gem at second base and stole three bases to increase his total to 19, most in the majors. Hes 8 for 11 in the series to hike his average to .357. "Hes hitting .350, hes stealing bags, hes playing good defence," manager Don Mattingly said. "You cant really ask a whole lot more." Gordon became the first Dodgers player since at least 1914 to have five or more hits and three or more stolen bases in a game, according to STATS. The last major league player to do it was Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies in 2008. "Im just trying to help us win any way possible," Gordon said. Crawford echoed that sentiment. He was held out of the starting lineup because he was batting .185, and said the chance to circle the bases in the 11th was a "wonderful feeling." "When something like that happens, it uplifts you," he said. "Its a big lift for me, somebody looking for anything positive to get through the next day. To come through with a big hit like that and win the game, its definitely encouraging." Yasiel Puig hit a three-run homer for Los Angeles. The Marlins lost even though they tied a franchise record at Marlins Park with three home runs. They erased a 7-2 sixth-inning deficit but left the bases loaded in the eighth and ninth, and left two on in the 10th. "We get a hit in any of those situations, and its over," manager Mike Redmond said. Juan Uribe walked to start the 11th against Carlos Marmol (0-2), and with one out Crawford hit his first homer. "Hopefully its something that springboards him," Mattingly said. "Thats a big hit." Marmol said he made a mistake by throwing the pitch down the middle. "He hit it far," Marmol said. "I feel bad because the teeam played well.
Joel Matip Liverpool Jersey. " The squandered chances doomed the Marlins, however. They went 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position. Paul Maholm allowed three runs in six innings, but the Dodgers endured some wobbly relief pitching. With closer Kenley Jansen unavailable because of a heavy recent workload, Chris Perez took the mound in the ninth inning trying to protect a 7-6 lead. He loaded the bases and then walked pinch-hitter Jarrod Saltalamacchia on a 3-2 pitch with one out to force in the tying run. Perez then retired Christian Yelich and Derek Dietrich to send the game into extra innings. The Marlins had runners at first and second with no outs in the 10th, but Brandon League (1-1) pitched out of the jam. Chris Withrow loaded the bases in the eighth before striking out NL RBI leader Giancarlo Stanton on three pitches to end the threat. "It was seesaw, but you see how the guys battled back," Gordon said. The Marlins Marcell Ozuna hit a three-run homer in the seventh off Brian Wilson, whose ERA rose to 12.91. Jeff Baker, who came into the game 4 for 40 this season, and Jeff Mathis both hit their first home run for Miami. The power surge compensated for a poor outing by Jacob Turner, who was activated from the disabled list before the game. He gave up nine hits and six runs in four innings. Notes: Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw (strained back) threw a bullpen session before the game and is scheduled to come off the disabled list and start Tuesday at Washington. ... The Marlins had a scare during batting practice when ace Jose Fernandez collided in the outfield with strength and conditioning coach Ty Hill and both tumbled to the turf. The right-handed Fernandez took a shot in his left shoulder but said he wasnt hurt. ... Fernandez will try to improve his career home record to 13-0 Sunday in the series finale. RHP Stephen Fife, who started 15 games for the Dodgers in 2012-13, will be recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to start Sunday for LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (shoulder). RHP Jose Dominguez will be optioned to Albuquerque. ... Dodgers coach Davey Lopes celebrated his 69th birthday. ' ' '
