SOCCER

Red Sox ownership group offering children free tickets to Liverpool’s nonleague game

Two months after being rescued from the brink of financial ruin, Liverpool is giving away free tickets to children accompanied by a paying adult, the club said Wednesday.

It is the latest move by New England Sports Ventures – the Boston Red Sox ownership group – to repair Liverpool’s frail relationship with fans after buying the team from wildly unpopular duo Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. in October. With the team already through to the Europa League knockout phase, Liverpool may have struggled to fill Anfield for its Group K finale against Utrecht next Wednesday.

A full house is now likely with up to four free tickets for fans under the age of 17 available when an adult buys a $32 ticket. Tickets for the next home match against Fulham start at around twice that price. English clubs often heavily discount tickets for cup matches, but rarely give them away for nothing.

PREP SCHOOLS

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL: Stephanie Breen scored 15 points to lead Newton Country Day School to a 50-32 victory over Berwick Academy in a mutual opener at Newton, Mass.

Juliana Blais score 10 points with a game-high 17 rebounds for Berwick.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL: Rene Castro scored 26 points to lead Beaver Country Day School (3-0) to a 74-57 win over Berwick Academy (0-3) in an Eastern Independent League opener at South Berwick.

Harrison Rafferty scored 28 points and Jason Gorman added 15 points for Berwick.

GIRLS’ HOCKEY: Talya Bent had two goals and an assist, and Mariah Mosher made 29 saves as Hebron Academy defeated Pingree School 5-0 at South Hamilton, Mass.

Jackie Aaskov, Sara Grover and Chelsea Boucher also scored, and Natalie Maciejewski had two assists for Hebron. Sarah Markey and Ally Strachan had one assist.

AUTO RACING

NASCAR: International Speedway Corp. has approved $3 million for capital improvements at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, N.Y.

The project includes four new grandstands, a new club to replace the original Glen Club that was destroyed by fire in 2007, and permanent showers in the infield.

The most noticeable improvement will be the addition of permanent grandstands in the final two turns of the 11-turn circuit, another next to the pedestrian bridge, and one at the outside of the first turn, a 90-degree right-hander at the end of the front straightaway.

Track president Michael Printup said in a year in which NASCAR suffered hits in both track attendance and television viewership, attendance at WGI’s Sprint Cup race in August remained solid.

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