HOCKEY
Patrick Grasso scored his second goal of the game at 2:55 of overtime Wednesday night as the Adirondack Thunder rallied for a 5-4 ECHL win over the Maine Mariners at Glens Falls, New York.
Grasso also had two assists and Shane Harper had a goal and three assists for the Thunder, who trailed 4-2 in the second period before tying it on goals by Shawn Weller and Brandon Schultz.
Conner Bleackley, Mitchell Fossier, Tim Doherty and Tommy Munichiello scored for Maine. Doherty also had two assists.
SKIING
American skiing standout Mikaela Shiffrin had an unexpected parting with her longtime coach, Mike Day, during the middle of the world championships after informing him that she planned to take a new direction with her staff at the end of the season.
“Mikaela wants to do something different going forward. She wants a new challenge. And she informed Mike and Mike decided to go home,” U.S. Alpine director Patrick Riml told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “It’s a shock for me that he took off.”
Day was with Shiffrin when she won the silver medal in super-G last week and then accompanied the skier for a few days of off-site training in Orcieres before returning to Meribel with her this week.
“He left yesterday,” Riml said. “He’s on the plane probably now.”
Shiffrin was due to race again in her favored events of giant slalom on Thursday and slalom on Saturday.
“After working with Mike Day for seven seasons, I’ve decided to move forward with new leadership on my team for the next phase of my career,” Shiffrin said in a statement released by the U.S. ski team. “I want to thank Mike and acknowledge all of his work and dedication over the last several years.”
Day led Shiffrin’s individual team within the U.S. squad. Shiffrin’s team is also led by her mother, Eileen, who has coached the skier her entire life.
Shiffrin’s personal team also includes new assistant coach Mark Mitter, who remains with her, Riml said.
Paul Kristofic is the head coach of the overall U.S. women’s team.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Norwegian skiers collected three of the six medals in the individual parallel events at Meribel, France.
Maria Therese Tviberg of Norway and Alexander Schmid of Germany won gold in the women’s and men’s races.
Tviberg beat Wendy Holdener of Switzerland in the women’s final and Schmid beat Dominik Raschner of Austria in the men’s final.
Norwegians earned bronze in both events, with Thea Louise Stjernesund finishing third in the women’s event and Timon Haugan in the men’s event.
SOCCER
BRAZIL: Ramon Menezes will serve as Brazil’s interim coach while the search continues for a permanent successor to Tite, who stepped down after the World Cup.
The 50-year-old Menezes guided Brazil’s Under-20 team to the South American championship title on Sunday and will be in charge for a friendly against World Cup semifinalist Morocco in Tangier on March 25, the Brazilian Football Confederation said.
AUTO RACING
INDY 500: Tony Kanaan, the 2013 Indianapolis 500 champ, announced he intends to make his 22nd – and final 500 start – in May before retiring from America’s top open-wheel series. He’ll drive the No. 66 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren.
FORMULA ONE: Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton insisted he will not be silenced by offseason rules that prohibit drivers from speaking out on political issues.
Hamilton said he will continue to use his global platform to promote his wide-ranging interests, which include social justice and race, human rights and protection of the LBGTQ community.
The FIA in December updated its International Sporting Code to require prior written permission for drivers to make or display “political, religious and personal statements or comments” during race weekends. The FIA is the governing body for Formula One.
The crackdown on free speech has been condemned by most drivers but Hamilton only weighed in for the first time, when Mercedes revealed its 2023 car.
NASCAR: Daniel Suarez signed a second extension in six months with Trackhouse Racing, getting a multiyear deal done after landing a one-year contract last August.
The team announced Suarez’s latest extension as NASCAR kicked off Speedweeks with Daytona 500 media day and pole qualifying. The team declined to release details but will keep the 31-year-old Mexican behind the wheel for a third season and beyond for co-owners Justin Marks and Pitbull.
• Alex Bowman received a three-year extension from Hendrick Motorsports that will keep the driver – who missed five races last season with a concussion – with the team through the 2026 season.
Hendrick also locked in Bowman’s sponsor, Ally, to a five-year extension through 2028. The financial-services firm has a full-season primary sponsorship with Bowman and the No. 48 Chevrolet. Ally has been the primary sponsor of the No. 48 team for five years.
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