CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING
Sophia Laukli of Yarmouth posted her best World Cup result in a non-Tour de Ski event by finishing fifth Sunday in a 20-kilometer mass start freestyle race in Gons, Switzerland.
Laukli covered the distance in 45 minutes, 35.8 seconds – just 9.5 seconds behind the race winner and overall World Cup leader, U.S. teammate Jessie Diggins. Another American, Rosie Brennan, placed seventh.
Laukli’s only higher finishes have been in the uphill climb on the final day of the Tour de Ski – first place this year, and third place last year.
HOCKEY
ECHL: Austin Albrecht scored the go-ahead goal 1:15 into the third period, and Chase Zieky had two goals and an assist for the Maine Mariners in a 4-2 victory over the Newfoundland Growlers at Cross Insurance Arena.
Ethan Ritchie added an insurance goal with 12:22 remaining. Adam Mechura collected three assists, and Brad Arvanitis made 31 saves.
AMATEUR: USA Hockey is mandating neck laceration protection for all players under the age of 18, the latest development after the death of a player in England from a skate to the neck that has reignited the debate over cut-proof gear in the sport.
The new rule goes into effect Aug. 1, a timeline that accounts for supply chain and production delays with neck guards.
NHL: Columbus Blue Jackets star forward Patrik Laine is entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, the league and union announced.
Laine will be away from the team indefinitely while he receives care from the joint program. Under the terms of the program, he can return to the team for practice and then games when cleared by administrators.
The 25-year-old from Finland has acknowledged struggling with mental health at points over his professional career. He hasn’t played since breaking his left clavicle during a game in mid-December.
• New York Rangers forward Filip Chytil will miss the rest of the NHL season after experiencing an injury setback.
Chytil, 24, has not played since early November because of suspected concussion issues that led him to go home to his native Czechia to skate with Jaromir Jagr, among others, in an attempt to get back.
GOLF
LPGA: Nelly Korda rallied to win her hometown LPGA Drive On Championship in Bradenton, Florida, and delay Lydia Ko’s LPGA Hall of Fame entry, beating the New Zealander on the second hole of a playoff after overcoming a three-stroke deficit with an eagle-birdie finish.
Korda won with a 4-foot par putt on the par-4 18th after Ko’s 5-footer caught the lip and spun out.
EUROPEAN TOUR: Thorbjørn Olesen extended his overnight lead to win the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in the United Arab Emirates by six strokes over fellow Dane Rasmus Hojgaard.
Olesen, 34, carded a 5-under 67 to finish at 27 under and clinch his eighth victory on the European Tour.
FOOTBALL
NFL: Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Ken Dorsey has been hired as the team’s offensive coordinator, a person familiar with the hiring told The Associated Press.
BASEBALL
MAJOR LEAGUES: Right-handed reliever Adam Ottavino has agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the New York Mets, according to multiple reports.
Ottavino has spent the last two seasons with the Mets, posting a 2.62 ERA in 132 games. He had a $6.75 million player option that he declined at the beginning of this offseason.
• The Detroit Tigers made an unusual bet on a player with no major league experience, agreeing to a six-year contract with 22-year-old Colt Keith that guarantees the infield prospect $28,642,500.
A left-handed-hitting third baseman and second baseman, Keith is ranked the No. 22 prospect by MLB.com.
His deal includes three team options that could make it worth $64 million over nine seasons, and the Tigers said there are escalators that increase the value to $82 million.
SOCCER
FA CUP: A fourth-round match between local rivals West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton was paused after “dangerous and inexcusable” crowd trouble.
The English Football Association quickly launched an investigation following the scenes at the Hawthorns in West Bromwich – which led to players fearing for the safety of their families inside the stadium.
West Midlands Police confirmed two arrests were made and one person was taken to a hospital with head injuries.
The game was stopped shortly after Matheus Cunha gave visiting Wolves a 2-0 lead in the 78th minute, and both teams were taken off the field by referee Thomas Bramall.
Play resumed following a lengthy delay, and Wolves saw out a 2-0 win.
• Liverpool advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 5-2 win against second-tier Norwich in its first match since Manager Jurgen Klopp announced his shock decision to walk away at the end of the season.
• Manchester United needed second-half goals from Antony and Rasmus Hojlund to secure a 4-2 win over fourth-level Newport County.
AUTO RACING
ROLEX 24: Roger Penske snapped a 54-year losing streak at the Rolex 24 at Daytona when Felipe Nasr held off two-time defending race winner Tom Blomqvist in the final 45 minutes of the most prestigious endurance race in the United States.
The win for Team Penske at Daytona International Speedway was its first since “The Captain” restarted his sports car program in 2018, first with Acura, and then last season as a two-car Porsche factory team. Penske’s only other overall win at the Rolex came in 1969.
The winning lineup consisted of Nasr, Dane Cameron, Matt Campbell and Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden.
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