HOCKEY

U.S. rolls past Germany in semifinals at worlds

Hilary Knight scored 1:06 into the game and Kelli Stack added a goal midway through the first period to give the U.S. a cushion that it wasn’t content with in an 11-0 victory over Germany on Thursday night in the women’s hockey world championship semifinals at Plymouth, Michigan.

The Americans, who scored five times in the second period and finished with 50 shots, will face Canada for gold on Friday night. They will be shooting to win a fourth straight world championship final against the rival Canadians, who beat them in the 2014 Olympics.

Canada advanced with a 4-0 victory over Finland earlier Thursday. Marie-Philip Poulin had a goal and an assist in a two-plus minute span of the second period to help Canada pull away.

BASEBALL

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE: The Pawtucket Red Sox are developing a replica of Fenway Park with identical field dimensions – right down to the Green Monster – according to a report in the Providence Journal.

The PawSox senior vice president, Dan Rea, said the organization is surveying two possible sites for construction.

Rhode Island’s Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo and the state’s commerce secretary met privately Thursday with the PawSox chairman, Larry Lucchino.

A study this year found that building a new stadium on McCoy Stadium’s current Pawtucket site would cost $78 million. An earlier proposal seeking taxpayer money for a new stadium in Providence was met by public opposition.

SOUTH ATLANTIC LEAGUE: Tim Tebow hit a home run in his first at-bat as a New York Mets minor leaguer.

The former NFL quarterback connected for a two-run drive Thursday night for Class A Columbia (S.C.) in a home game against Augusta.

Tebow initially stopped at second base, thinking it was a double. But the ball hit a railing just above the fence in left-center field.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE: San Francisco Giants pitcher Jose Dominguez, a veteran of four major league seasons playing at Triple-A Sacramento, was suspended for 142 games following his second positive test under baseball’s minor league drug program.

SOCCER

U.S. WOMEN: Crystal Dunn scored twice on the same field where she tied a national team record with five goals in a game last year and the U.S. women rolled to a 4-0 exhibition victory over Russia at Frisco, Texas.

Allie Long also scored two goals to give her five for her national team career – all on headers – as the U.S. celebrated with an easy win a day after the announcement of a new labor deal that will cover the 2019 World Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

FIFA: Brazil has taken over at the top of the FIFA rankings for the first time since 2010.

After losing Lionel Messi to a four-match ban, Argentina lost 2-0 at Bolivia last week and dropped to No. 2.

World Cup winner Germany is still No. 3, followed by Chile and Colombia.

Mexico rose one to No. 16 and leads CONCACAF teams. The United States climbed seven to No. 23.

TENNIS

VOLVO CAR OPEN: Caroline Wozniacki won all four sets she played Thursday, advancing to the quarterfinals at Charleston, South Carolina, for the fifth time with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Anastasia Rodionova.

Earlier, the fifth-seeded Wozniacki dispatched Annika Beck 7-5, 6-1 in a second-round match held over from Wednesday because of weather.

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