HOCKEY
Chase Zieky and Alex Kile each scored twice for the Maine Mariners in a 6-1 ECHL victory Wednesday night against the Trois-Rivières Lions in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
Reid Stefanson added a goal and three assists, and Gabriel Chicoine also scored the Mariners, who head to Newfoundland for three games this weekend against the Growlers.
NHL: The slumping Buffalo Sabres made a minor shake up to their lineup by acquiring fourth-line forward Eric Robinson in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Blue Jackets acquired a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2025 draft in exchange for a seventh-year player having difficulty landing a regular role. Robinson had just one goal in only seven games, a year after scoring a career-high 12 times.
BASKETBALL
G LEAGUE: Ricky Council IV capped a 28-point outing with a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute as the Delaware Red Coats rallied from a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Maine Celtics, 112-109, at the Portland Expo.
JD Davison led the Celtics with 31 points and seven assists. DJ Steward added 28 points and 10 rebounds, and Jordan Schakel had 11 points and 10 rebounds.
HORSE RACING
BELMONT STAKES: The Belmont is heading to Saratoga for the first time – but almost certainly not the last.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the 2024 Belmont Stakes will be run at Saratoga Race Course, with the third leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown shifting upstate from Long Island because of the massive renovation of Belmont Park.
The move has been expected for some time, since the New York Racing Association unveiled plans for the $455 million Belmont Park project. Construction is expected to last into 2025, so there’s a good chance of the Belmont at Saratoga two years in a row.
“This is likely a two-year endeavor,” NYRA president and CEO David O’Rourke said by phone. “We’re going to get it right, and we’re going to improve on it each year.”
Pending the approval of the North American Graded Stakes Committee, the Belmont will be run at a distance of 1 1/4 miles, shorter than the race’s traditional 1 1/2 miles because of the shape of the dirt track at Saratoga.
HIGH SCHOOLS
GIRLS’ HOCKEY: Gillian Countway and Allie Tatham each scored twice, and Lauren Labbe had a goal and two assists for Brunswick in an 8-0 victory over Lewiston/Oak Hill at the Colisee.
Lisi Palmer started the scoring just 20 seconds into the game. Tanner Gagnon and Solveig Ledwick also scored.
• Marina Bassett, Libby Hooper and Clio Cook-Sharp all recorded hat tricks as Portland/Cape Elizabeth/Deering/South Portland/Waynflete (4-0) cruised to a 13-5 win over York/Traip Academy/Marshwood/Noble (0-3) at Troubh Ice Arena in Portland.
Marina Friedman scored four goals for York.
TENNIS
AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Former No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki has been awarded one of the first wild cards for the 2024 Australian Open.
Wozniacki, the 2018 Australian Open women’s champion, and six Australian players were granted the first batch of wild cards.
Wozniacki, 33, returned to top-flight tennis in August after more than three years off the tour and the births of two children. She played in Montreal and Cincinnati before making a run to the fourth round of the U.S. Open, where she lost to eventual champion Coco Gauff.
SOCCER
ENGLAND: Manchester City’s winless run in the Premier League extended to four games, as the defending champions were outplayed in a 1-0 loss at Aston Villa.
Leon Bailey scored off a deflected shot in the 74th minute to leave City six points behind first-place Arsenal and in fourth place, also behind Liverpool and Villa.
• Liverpool won 2-0 at Sheffield United, thanks to goals by Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai, to move back to within two points of leader Arsenal.
• Scott McTominay scored twice as Manchester United beat visiting Chelsea, 2-1.
FOOTBALL
NFL: Zach Wilson is back in as the New York Jets’ starting quarterback.
Wilson, benched for two games after struggling in place of the injured Aaron Rodgers, will be under center for the Jets’ home game Sunday against the Houston Texans.
• Vikings Coach Kevin O’Connell announced that Josh Dobbs will remain the starting quarterback despite throwing four interceptions in Minnesota’s last game – a damaging 12-10 defeat at home to Chicago on Nov. 27.
• The NFL suspended Indianapolis Colts defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad six games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy.
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