HOCKEY

Anthoine among the cuts as Pirates pare roster to 27

Former University of Maine forward Mark Anthoine of Lewiston was one of eight players released or reassigned Monday as the Portland Pirates reduced their training camp roster to 27 players.

Goalie Adam Brown, defensemen Joe Hanley and Bretton Stamler, and forwards Nathan Burns and Dyson Stevenson were assigned to the Pirates’ ECHL affiliate, the Gwinnett Gladiators. Anthoine, forward Corey Trivino and defenseman Saverio Posa were released.

The Pirates open the regular season Saturday night against the Providence Bruins at the Cross Insurance Arena.

NHL: The New York Rangers acquired forward Joey Crabb from the Florida Panthers in a trade that opens up a roster spot for emerging teenage forward Anthony Duclair.

The Rangers are sending defenseman Steven Kampfer and forward Andrew Yogan to the Panthers, allowing them to keep the 19-year-old Duclair on the roster.

Duclair was chosen as the Rangers’ top rookie in training camp.

AUTO RACING

FORMULA ONE: Driver Jules Bianchi is in “serious but stable condition” following emergency surgery for a severe head injury after a crash during the Japanese Grand Prix, officials said Monday.

Bianchi’s parents, Philippe and Christine, arrived in Japan to see their son, who is at Mie General Medical Center following Sunday’s crash into a trackside recovery crane.

TENNIS

JAPAN WOMEN’S OPEN: Second-seeded Madison Keys of the United States advanced to the second round at Osaka, Japan, by beating Sachia Vickery 6-3, 6-3 Monday.

GENERALI LADIES: Marina Erakovic of New Zealand defeated eighth-seeded Caroline Garcia of France 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the second round at Linz, Austria.

In other first-round play, Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia defeated Annika Beck of Germany 7-6 (6), 6-4.

SHANGHAI MASTERS: U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic was eliminated in the first round at Shanghai, losing to Ivo Karlovic 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (2).

CYCLING

INJURED: Alberto Contador will miss the season-ending Tour of Beijing with a knee injury, ensuring that fellow Spaniard Alejandro Valverde will finish the season as the world’s top-ranked cyclist.

Contador crashed in the final 250 meters of Sunday’s Il Lombardia, allowing Valverde – who finished second – to leapfrog his rival in the WorldTour standings.

SOCCER

U.S. NATIONAL TEAM: Landon Donovan will be making his 157th and final international appearance in the United States’ exhibition against Ecuador in Connecticut on Friday.

The 32-year-old Los Angeles Galaxy forward, who is retiring at the end of Major League Soccer’s season, is the American leader with 57 goals and 58 assists.

UEFA: The Serbian club Partizan was ordered to close a section of its stadium at a Europa League match after “racist behavior” by fans that displayed an anti-Semitic banner during a 0-0 draw against Tottenham in Belgrade on Sept. 18.

GOLF

EUROPEAN TOUR: The European Open is returning in 2015 after a six-year absence from the European Tour’s schedule.

It will be held Sept. 24-27 at the Hartl Resoirt in Bad Griesbach, Germany, with a prize of $2.5 million.

– From staff and news services