COLLEGES

UMaine football will open against UNH again in 2018

The University of Maine will again open its football season with a Thursday night game against conference rival New Hampshire in 2018.

The Aug. 30 matchup next year in Orono will be the 107th meeting in the rivalry. The annual battle for the Brice-Cowell Musket had traditionally closed the regular season before moving to the opener this season, a 24-23 Wildcat victory on Aug. 31.

The 2018 schedule released Wednesday next has the Black Bears at FBS schools Western Kentucky and Central Michigan before completing their nonconference schedule at Yale.

Maine begins the remainder of its Colonial Athletic Association schedule by hosting Villanova, and then treks to Rhode Island and William & Mary. After returning home to host Albany, the Black Bears visit Towson and Richmond before concluding their regular season by hosting Elon.

TENNIS

PARIS MASTERS: Rafael Nadal will finish the year as the top-ranked player for the fourth time after the 31-year-old Spaniard beat Hyeon Chung 7-5, 6-3 Wednesday in the second round at Paris.

Nadal had not finished the year at the top since 2013.

The owner of 30 Masters titles has also never won the Paris tournament. He will next face Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay.

Also, fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev lost to Robin Haase 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, and ninth-seeded John Isner beat Diego Schwartzman 7-6 (2), 6-7 (11), 6-3.

FED CUP: U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens will lead the United States against Belarus in the final at Minsk on Nov. 11-12. Also on the roster announced Wednesday are two-time Grand Slam semifinalist CoCo Vandeweghe, Shelby Rogers and Alison Riske.

SOCCER

UNITED STATES: Carlos Cordeiro is running for U.S. Soccer Federation president after being brought into the governing body by current USSF President Sunil Gulati.

The 61-year-old Cordeiro, a retired Goldman Sachs executive, became an independent director of the USSF board in 2006-2007, served as treasurer starting in 2008 and was elected to a four-year term as vice president in 2016. He has been viewed as a protege and potential successor to Gulati, who has not said whether he will seek a fourth four-year term at the election in February.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Tottenham stunned Real Madrid 3-1 on Wednesday to qualify for the knockout phase for only the second time and increase the pressure on Madrid Coach Zinedine Zidane.

The European champions in three of the last four seasons hadn’t lost in the group stage for five years, and the humbling in London came after Madrid’s Spanish league defense was hit by a surprise loss at Girona.

• Liverpool cut loose after halftime to beat visiting Maribor 3-0 and take a one-point lead in Group E.

• Sergio Aguero’s winner made him Manchester City’s all-time top scorer as the English Premier League leader swept to a 4-2 victory over Napoli at Naples, Italy, and a spot in the knockout phase.

PREP SCHOOLS

GIRLS’ SOCCER: Rayne Zimmerman had two goals and an assist to lead Berwick Academy (13-2-1) to a 5-2 win over Hebron Academy (8-3-3) at South Berwick. Aaliyah Farid added a goal and three assists for the Bulldogs.

BOYS’ SOCCER: Zach Trotzky had three goals and an assist, and Tucker Smith two goals and two assists while leading Berwick Academy (8-5-1) to a 6-1 victory at Kents Hill (4-5-1).

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