GOLF
Organizers of Drive Fore Kids Celebrity Golf Invitational announced on Thursday the list of athletes, actors and television personalities scheduled to compete at the Falmouth Country Club June 20 – 23.
The organizers also announced that The Dempsey Center has been named co-beneficiary of the tournament, along with The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.
NFL Hall of Famers Brian Urlacher, Jerome Bettis, and Dwight Freeney are among the first-time participants this year, joining many returning celebrities.
Ben Higgins, ABC’s “The Bachelor” from season 20, and actor Robbie Amell are also first-time participants. Patrick Dempsey will also be there.
Other celebrities currently scheduled to compete include:
• Former Red Sox players Clay Buchholz, Roger Clemens, Brock Holt, Derek Lowe, Kevin Millar, David Wells and NESN broadcaster Tom Caron.
• Former NFL players: Marshall Faulk, Doug Flutie, Sterling Sharpe and Mike Vrabel
• Hockey players: TJ Oshie, Tuukka Rask, Jeremy Roenick, Jeremy Swayman and Shawn Thornton.
HIGH SCHOOLS
BOYS’ LACROSSE: Jack Henry scored three goals, Tobias Perkins added two goals and an assist, and Blake McPherson also scored twice as Windham opened its season with an 8-6 win at Scarborough.
Landon Buzulchuck was the other goal scorer for the Eagles, and David Daignault made 10 saves.
Scarborough got goals from Nick Harmon, Olin Pedersen, Liam Sellinger, Owen Pepler, Wes Merrill and Cooper Trafford. Ben Kerbel stopped 10 shots.
• Bobby Offit scored five goals and Sam Cochran and Alex van Huystee added four apiece as Cape Elizabeth defeated South Portland, 17-4, in a season opener in Cape Elizabeth.
In a rematch of last year’s Class A state final, the defending champion Capers took a 5-0 lead less than two minutes in and never looked back. They were up 9-0 after one quarter and 14-1 at the half.
Keegan Lathrop added two goals and Colin Blackburn and Tom Hennessey had one apiece. Will Picarillo won 18 of 20 faceoffs.
The Red Riots were paced by two goals from Tobey Lappin. Beckett Mehlhorn and Ian House also scored.
SOCCER
PREMIER LEAGUE: The Premier League will use AI-based player tracking technology to make offside calls from next season in a move that should reduce the time it takes officials to reach their decisions.
England’s top-division clubs announced Thursday they reached a unanimous decision on the introduction of semi-automated offside technology, saying the new system is set to be launched during the first half of the season.
“The technology will provide quicker and consistent placement of the virtual offside line, based on optical player tracking,” the league said, “and will produce high-quality broadcast graphics to ensure an enhanced in-stadium and broadcast experience for supporters.”
Semi-automated offside technology was used at a World Cup for the first time in Qatar in 2022. For that tournament, there was a sensor in the ball to track its acceleration but that won’t be the case in the Premier League, which looks set to be more aligned with the system used by UEFA in the Champions League.
The Premier League is due to announce more details on the exact nature of the offside technology that will be used once contracts are signed. Extensive testing and analysis has been conducted this season.
MLS: New York City officials approved a plan to build a 25,000-seat stadium for Major League Soccer’s New York City Football Club next to the New York Mets’ stadium, Citi Field.
The $780 million soccer stadium, expected to open in 2027, will anchor a 23-acre redevelopment project in the Willets Point neighborhood that will also include housing, a new public school, retail stores and a hotel.
The new stadium will be New York City’s first venue dedicated to professional soccer. NYCFC, which won the MLS championship in 2021, currently plays home games at Citi Field or at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
BASEBALL
EASTERN LEAGUE: The Portland Sea Dogs were rained out at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, Pennsylvania.
The teams will make up the game by playing a doubleheader starting at 5:15 p.m. Saturday.
FOOTBALL
NFL: The Cleveland Browns have restructured star running back Nick Chubb’s contract as he continues to rehab after a season-ending knee injury in 2023, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
Chubb was entering his final year under contract after signing a three-year, $36.6 million deal in 2021.
The 28-year-old Chubb agreed to take a salary cut — he was scheduled to make $11.75 million this season — but can earn back money through incentives, the person said.
Because it’s Chubb, who has an extraordinary work ethic and commitment, the Browns believe he could be back at some point this season. The team has not provided any specific timeline for his return.
• The New York Jets re-signed safety Ashtyn Davis, bringing back a key contributor in the secondary and on special teams.
Davis, a third-round pick in 2020 out of Cal, has primarily been a backup on defense during his NFL career but has made plays in limited opportunities. He had a career-high six takeaways with three interceptions and three fumble recoveries, along with eight passes defensed last season while playing just 19% of New York’s defensive snaps.
HOCKEY
NHL: Anaheim Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg says he will retire at the end of the regular season.
The 33-year-old Silfverberg announced the decision on social media. After starting his NHL career in Ottawa, he has been with the Ducks since 2013, serving as an alternate captain for the past five years.
Silfverberg has 158 goals and 196 assists in his tenure with the Ducks, scoring more goals than anyone on the team since his arrival 11 years ago. He is fifth in franchise history in goals, games played (769) and shots, while ranking third in short-handed goals.
• Noah Hanifin, a trade deadline acquisition meant to bolster the Golden Knights’ blue line, signed an eight-year extension with Vegas worth an average of $7.35 million annually.
COLLEGE: Tristan Broz scored his second overtime goal of the NCAA Tournament and No. 3 seed Denver beat No. 2 Boston University 2-1 at St. Paul, Moinnesota, to advance to the national championship game for the first time since winning the title in 2022.
Denver (31-9-3), playing in its 19th Frozen Four, seeks its 10th national title in program history on Saturday — which would break a tie with Michigan for the most in college hockey history.
BASKETBALL
NBA: The Atlanta Hawks will be without forward Jalen Johnson and center Onyeka Okongwu in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament because of injuries.
The Hawks announced that Johnson, one of the team’s most productive starters with his averages of 16.0 points and 8.7 rebounds, will miss at least three weeks after spraining his right ankle on Tuesday night against Miami.
Okongwu will miss at least four weeks following a non-surgical procedure on Tuesday to address inflammation in his left big toe. Okongwu averages 10.2 points and 6.8 rebounds.
TENNIS
MONTE CARLO MASTERS: Novak Djokovic looked sluggish at times and hit several unforced errors but raised his game on important points to advance to the quarterfinals at Monaco.
The top-ranked Serb, a two-time Monte Carlo champion, gained revenge over Lorenzo Musetti, who beat him last year at the Country Club in the third round. Djokovic converted five of six break points and progressed with a confidence-boosting 7-5, 6-3 win.
Second-ranked Jannik Sinner also advanced to the quarterfinals with a solid 6-4, 6-2 win over Jan-Lennard Struff.
Djokovic’s next opponent will be Alex de Minaur, who beat Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-4.
Sinner will play against Holger Rune, who defeated Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (9), 3-6, 7-6 (2) in a 3 1/2-hour match after fending off two match points at 5-6 in the final set.
Earlier, Karen Khachanov advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time with a 6-3, 7-5 win over fellow Russian Daniil Medvedev.
Khachanov will next play two-time Monte Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat Alexander Zverev 7-5, 7-6 (3).
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