The New England Revolution continued their stunning stretch of form over the weekend with their action-packed 2-1 victory at Gillette Stadium over old rivals Sporting Kansas City. The win helped the Revs tie FC Cincinnati for the top spot in the Eastern Conference at 20 points, while also leading the Supporter’s Shield race. However, the road here hasn’t been anything close to smooth sailing, with multiple key players currently suffering from injuries keeping them out of action. Still, Bruce Arena’s men have rallied behind each other to manufacture some incredibly clutch results over the course of the season’s nine weeks.

While Gustavo Bou has been in and out of action, last season’s Revolution golden boot winner has only played in half of the team’s games this season, scoring just twice. The offensive production up until this past weekend had primarily come from Bou’s replacement Bobby Wood, as well as Dylan Borrero and Carles Gil. The aforementioned trio all have two goals apiece, while Giacomo Vrioni leads the team at 3 having scored a brace against SKC and a goal earlier this season against CF Montreal. 

The real stars of the show in New England this season have been the entire defensive core of the team, goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic included. The Serbian netminder has been arguably the best keeper in the league so far this season, continuing his impressive form from last season that saw him nominated for the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award in 2022. In all nine games, Petrovic has only conceded eight goals, backstopping the Revs to four clean sheets in the process. Additionally, Petro is top five in all major statistical categories for goalkeepers, further making sense as to why Manchester United is interested in the services of the 23-year-old. 

In front of Petrovic has been the duo of newly-acquired Dave Romney, signed from Nashville SC in the offseason and the Revolution’s sixth overall pick in the 2020 MLS Superdraft, Henry Kessler. Unfortunately, in the team’s 4-0 win over CF Montreal, Kessler suffered a hamstring injury that will require him to rehab for four months before returning to the pitch. The two gelled seamlessly from the moment they were deployed, which was incredible given Romney was only meant to fill in for Andrew Farrell as he recovered from an offseason surgery. Now with Kessler injured, Farrell will most likely step in to fill the void until later this summer. 

Brandon Bye and DeJuan Jones have only continued to grow this year, with the two seemingly honing their defensive skills at the perfect time. The lapses that had occurred in years past with the two trending toward a more offensive play style seem to be completely gone, as both outside backs have been able to shut down some of the league’s most talented wingers throughout the course of the year.

The Revolution will have a brief interval from league play as they welcome Hartford Athletic for a U.S. Open Cup third-round matchup at Gillette Stadium this Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Many of the team’s younger players, such as 18-year-olds Noel Buck, Jack Panayotou and Esmir Bajraktarevic are certainly going to see action against a USL side that sits eighth in the Eastern Conference of their league. After playing Hartford, the Revs will welcome their Supporter’s Shield co-leaders FC Cincinnati to Foxboro for a Saturday night slugfest that will hopefully solidify the top spot in Major League Soccer at the end of Matchweek 10.

While the University of Maine Black Bears baseball team is riding high at the top of the America East standings, coach Nick Derba’s team has still managed to carry their success outside of the conference. That sentiment was more than noticeable this past Thursday when the Thomas College Terriers visited Mahaney Diamond, and were sent back to Waterville to the tune of a seven-inning “mercy-ruled” 10-0 victory for the home side. Second-year slugger Jeremiah Jenkins sent a moonshot over the right field fence in the bottom of the seventh inning that pushed Maine’s 8-0 lead to ten, forcing umpires to call the game then and there.

You simply couldn’t have asked for better baseball weather in Orono when Thomas visited, as a light sprinkling of clouds dotted the outfield, portraying the facade of heaven as the afternoon sun filtered through the sky. After losing their first in-conference game last weekend against Binghamton, the Black Bears definitely had enough motivation to put the trains back on the tracks and right the course for the rest of the spring. 

Third-year arm Tyler Nielsen threw nothing less than a gem, allowing just one hit on no earned runs through five innings while adding eight strikeouts to boot. Nielsen was undoubtedly on his game, as he managed to strike out the entire side for the Terriers at one point. The same could not be said for Thomas’ first-year starter Roy Clayton, as in three innings Clayton was responsible for three earned runs as well as four walks. The Black Bears took advantage of Clayton’s slow wind-up, stealing countless bases and allowing third-year utilityman Jake Rainess to steal home.

Rainess himself is worthy of some praise, having recently been announced as a nominee for the Brooks Wallace Award. The trophy is given to the nation’s best D1 shortstop, with Rainess being the only nominee from the entirety of America East. Rainess managed to have a solid day against Thomas as well, scoring three runs on two hits and working in a walk in between.

Jenkins was undoubtedly the star of the show, however. The second-year sledgehammer has belted an absurd 14 home runs so far this season, and his power only seems to be growing. Practically any ball that reaches the outfield off of Jenkins’ bat is one that strikes fear into the hearts of outfielders and pitchers, carrying insane velocity and height. 

Third-year infielder Quinn McDaniel put forward a great showing as well, proving his invaluable consistency time after time. The second baseman bagged two hits and three runs like Rainess but was able to add to that with two hearty RBIs. 

With Thomas being a D3 school from the North Atlantic Conference, umpires and coaches agreed upon a mercy rule to dissuade UMaine from running up the score, as well as allow for both teams to have an early night, given it was a midweek game and both sides had opponents they’d be playing the following day. Luckily for the Black Bears, they won’t be traveling far at all as they’ll welcome the Hartford Hawks to the Mahaney Diamond for an enthralling America East-laden weekend series. 

Things are certainly looking bright for Coach Derba’s group, but it remains to be seen if the team will be able to carry this momentum for the length of the season. With the team playing as well as they have though, it feels like the Black Bears will be out on the hunt for the rest of the year.

After a thrilling month of college basketball, the University of Connecticut Huskies were able to defeat the San Diego State University Aztecs by a score of 76-59 in the 2023 NCAA national title game and win their first men’s title since 2014. The win at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas was the fifth for the Huskies in their history, while it was the first for head coach Dan Hurley who took over the job in 2018 from legendary coach Jim Calhoun’s successor, Kevin Ollie. The Huskies were a team many had not expected to win the championship, given their fourth-place finish in the Big East, but quickly proved their doubters wrong. The Huskies won every game in the tournament by at least 10 points, and paced the entire bracket in offensive production.

Early on in the title game it was San Diego State that was able to grab a hold of the reins on the offensive side of the ball. The Aztecs shot their way to a four-point advantage within the first four minutes of the first half, but UConn woke up soon thereafter and responded accordingly. Big East player of the year candidate, third-year big man Adama Sanogo, was the key factor when it came to any momentum shifts. His abilities offensively and defensively under the basket became UConn’s calling card for the evening. Fourth-year Aztec forward Aguek Arop’s layup five minutes into the half was swallowed up by Sanogo via a huge block, before the Malian center drained a hook shot on the other end. The bucket sprang an unprecedented 19-4 run from Hurley’s side, and gave UConn the keys to winning the first half.

The Aztec offense struggled mightily to recover after failing to score a single field goal for an eleven-minute segment midway through the half, but still managed to close the gap to only 8 going into the second. Sanogo picked up right where he left off in the first half, scoring the first two buckets for the Huskies off of some smooth low post moves. UConn continued to fire away, with threes coming off the hands of first-year forward Alex Karaban and second-year guard Jordan Hawkins, working feverishly to preserve a ten-plus point lead. 

Hurley and Co. successfully managed that feat until there were just over eight minutes to play in the second half, when 4th-year forward Keshad Johnson nailed a three and cut the lead down to 56-48. Things started to look as if they were going the Aztecs’ way when on the next defensive possession, fourth-year guard Darrion Trammell picked off a Husky pass and ran the length of the court to finish at the basket, igniting the bevy of SDSU supporters that had made the journey to Houston for the biggest game in their school’s history.

San Diego State nearly managed to get another stop on their 10-0 run, before Sanogo’s fully extended arm just barely tipped the rebound into the basket. The Aztecs refused to wane defensively, as this time third-year guard Lamont Butler stripped fourth-year guard Tristan Newton en route to a finish of his own. With just six minutes to play, SDSU had managed to trim the deficit to the smallest UConn lead since the opening minutes of the game, with the score 60-53. The Aztecs added on two more free throws, closing the gap now to just five with five to go.

In what will become a game-defining moment, Hawkins squared to shoot at the top of the key for UConn on the next possession, nailing a tightly contested three to beat back the growing Aztec attack. Another stop for the Huskies saw Newton drive to the paint and finish a no-look reverse layup in the face of an SDSU defender, sending the lead back to double digits. Down by 14 with two minutes to play, Trammell hit a tough off-balance jumper to break the lead down to 12, but the effort simply wasn’t enough. Following a few garbage time baskets, the UConn Huskies officially defeated the San Diego State University Aztecs by a score of 76-59, and were able to win their fifth NCAA men’s basketball championship in their existence. Newton paced the Huskies in scoring with 19 points and added on 10 rebounds, while Sanogo and Hawkins trailed just behind with 17 and 16 respectively. Sanogo himself added on 10 boards as well, emerging as the clear defensive anchor for his side. 

Looking at a team like UConn, the hope here in Orono is that Chris Markwood and his roster of hungry talent can find a way to bring the Black Bears to the “Big Dance” for the first time in school history sometime in the near future.

While the previous season ended in heartbreak at the hands of the University of Connecticut Huskies in the regional playoffs, the University of Maine club softball team has fought through adversity of every level to return to form this season. Navigating a year with a fairly changed roster was difficult enough, but when the Mahaney Dome collapsed under the weight of heavy snowfall earlier this winter, the team was left without a home field in the harsh climate of Orono. Rescheduling games quickly became like managing a blizzard for team managers, only complicating an already tumultuous situation. Regardless of the madness swirling in the air, the Black Bears’ performances this year have them ranked sixteenth in the nation’s most recent NCSA poll, a testament to the group’s drive and unwillingness to give up.

I had the opportunity to sit down with team president Haley Clemons, one of the longest-tenured members of the group, and discuss the club softball team’s chaotic 2022 to 23 season so far.

“[I believe] we have a strong group of upperclassmen that have a passion for the game. That energy has radiated throughout, and we’ve bonded together well. Everyone works hard individually and it shows when we come together as a team in practice and definitely in games. Our coaches have been giving us great feedback on what needs to be worked on and we as a whole make an effort to work on our weaknesses.” Clemons said. 

The remainder of the teams in NCSA continued to play, and luckily for Maine, their schedule saw them away from home for the entirety of the collapse.

“Luckily this spring we had all away games anyways, but the dome collapsing has forced us to practice outside on the football field. Hard to get things done in the cold,” Clemons said.

The issue became nothing more than a minor snafu for the Black Bears however, with the team roaring as of late and pushing their record to an astonishing 13-0-0 mark overall. Leading the charge has been pitcher-turned-outfielder, third-year Danielle Hall. The arrival of first-year ace Bailey Goodell has given Hall an opportunity to shift into the field, and her all-around contributions have been largely beneficial to the team’s success.

Hall has shone in limited time off the mound, roaming the outfield with ease and finding her way on base to the tune of an .892 OPS and a team-leading six walks. 

Goodell’s 33 innings pitched this year lead the group, with Hall and fourth-year hurler McKayla Leary combining for 26 innings of their own. The Mount Desert Island native boasts an insane 6-0 record, starting five of the aforementioned contests and lasting the entire seven innings through two of her appearances.

“Bailey has been a great asset to the team. She has shown great resilience on the mound and gets the job done. I can’t wait to see how she and Danielle complement each other this spring,” said Clemons.

Fourth-year shortstop Julia Pitman has been arguably the biggest offensive threat on the team this year, pacing the team in various offensive categories. Her three home runs, five doubles, 18 hits and 19 runs all lead the Black Bears, while her 37 at-bats are far and above the next closest teammate. Sixth-year outfielder Jordan Miner has been an invaluable compliment to the remainder of the group as well, belting a team-leading .600 batting average, .655 on-base percentage, .920 slugging percentage, 1.575 OPS and 11 RBIs. 

“[A major shift] this season has been Julia switching to shortstop after being in the outfield for the past few years. She’s an all-around player and has really shown this season that she not only can play any position we need her to, but shine in those positions as well,” Clemons said.

First-year utility piece Emma Bunyea has been a welcome addition to the offense as of late as well, contributing two homers and a team-leading three triples to match her 1.375 OPS. Her play across the diamond has been brilliant both defensively and offensively, and her “swiss army-knifed” nature makes her a player any team would kill to have. Fourth-year outfielder Heather Munroe was a major contributor in her side’s three-game sweep at the University of New Hampshire this past weekend, belting two home runs in the opening game, one of which was good for a Grand Slam.

The caliber of Maine’s offense has been on display throughout the year, but arrived at a boiling point during a weekend series here in Orono during the Fall. In the three games that weekend Maine outscored Merrimack 59-12, which included a 16-0 drubbing to close out the set. 

Considering the cast of phenomenal athletes the club softball team advertises going into the last stretch of the regular season, President Clemons and her side have never been more motivated to rewrite history, and make up for last season’s unfortunate end. 

“Our loss at regionals has definitely fueled the fire for redemption this year. I’m beyond confident in this group!” Clemons said.

The University of Maine Black Bears men’s ice hockey team saw their season come to a sudden and unfortunate end on Wednesday, March 8, falling to the University of Vermont Catamounts 4-2 in the opening round of the Hockey East playoffs. Maine had rallied as the year wound down, climbing the HE standings as high as sixth before the conclusion of the regular season. In his second full-length season at the helm of the Black Bears, head coach Ben Barr helped lead his group to a 15-16-5 record, more than doubling the number of wins from the previous season. 

Things looked promising for Maine early on in the contest with third-year forward Lynden Breen beating fellow third-year, goaltender Gabe Carriere, to open the scoring on the power play and ignite a nearly sold-out Alfond Arena. With the building jumping and momentum firmly in the direction of the Black Bears on the back of the opening tally, Barr’s group needed to stick to their game if they were to knock off Todd Woodcroft’s bottom-seeded traveling squad. Outshooting the Catamounts 16-4 at the end of the first period, the Black Bears looked as if they had their paws grasped firmly around a ticket to the next round.

Vermont wasn’t going to go away quietly though, capitalizing on a power play of their own via second-year forward Timofei Spitserov 13 minutes into the second period and knotting the game up at one. Maine’s third-year goaltender and fan-favorite Victor Östman continued what has been an otherwise herculean season, saving Maine’s bacon on numerous occasions after Vermont began to register shots on target. However, the script showcased a different story than the first period as Vermont outshot Maine in the second 12-8. Östman ended the night with 26 saves, while Carriere finished with 28. 

Maine’s man of the hour, Breen, found himself right in the middle of the madness yet again less than a minute into the third period, gathering a rebound off the stick of first-year forward Grayson Arnott on the doorstep and placing it calmly into the back of the net. The goal, only 48 seconds into the final frame, brought the Alfond back to life as the Naked Five ran a rare counter-clockwise route around the concourse. Breen’s goal tied him for the second most goals by a Black Bear since the 2011-12 season with number 27 lighting the lamp 21 times over that span.

The Catamounts refused to be beaten that easily and continued to outshoot the Black Bears throughout the entirety of the third period. Miscommunication behind Maine’s goal led to Vermont’s second-year forward Andrei Buyalsky getting open in space right in front of the opposing goal before he was able to bury a quick feed from his teammate, first-year forward Massimo Lombardini, and tie the game up at two midway through the third period.

While Maine’s group aimed to activate some form of damage control, the efforts backfired horribly. First-year forward Parker Lindauer’s penalty led to a dangerously-timed UVM powerplay as the third period began to draw to a close. With 6 minutes left to play, Vermont’s second-year forward Isak Walther capitalized on Östman’s overreaction. A move behind the goal drew Östman out of his crease and behind the goal, while Walther tucked the puck just barely over the goalline. Fourth-year defenseman Dawson Bruneski attempted to guide the puck off the line, but the extension proved to be to no avail as the Catamounts took a 3-2 lead.

Understanding the dire nature of their situation, Barr’s crew went to work and noticeably upped the intensity level for the final few minutes of the game. The Black Bears were lucky enough to draw a penalty with just under two minutes to play and took the opportunity to pull Östman from his crease, creating a 6-on-4 advantage for Maine. The Black Bears continued to come inches from finding a clear shot but couldn’t seem to break through the last gasp-laden efforts from Vermont. Finally, after the action had reached a boiling point, fourth-year Vermont forward William Lemay sent the puck down the length of the ice and scored the dagger with just over 38 seconds to play. 

Fans exited the arena in droves as time expired, marking a painful end to what had been a promising season. While it’s unclear how the Black Bears were to fare against Boston University had they advanced, the chance to see our boys play for a spot in the semifinals is one that I know a majority of us wanted to have. 

The year as a whole most definitely should not be considered a failure. While the previous two years reached the same heights as in years past, the group passes the eye test with flying colors. Their regular season successes and domineering wins over nationally-ranked programs such as UMass Lowell, Providence and Merrimack this year showcase the exceptional growth the program has seen in recent years. Ben Barr has been able to instill a sense of pride and confidence back into the organization that many had feared would be lost with the passing of Dennis “Red” Gendron in 2021. 

Maine’s group will need to accommodate for the losses of their captains, graduate student Jakub Sirota and fourth-year forward Ben Poisson, as well as Bruneski, Matthew Fawcett, Didrik Henbrant and Justin Michaelian. Barr’s newest recruits have already been announced, however, and fans of the Black Bears will need to wait for fall to see the new crop of talent take the ice in Orono.

This past Sunday, the 65th running of the Daytona 500 was held at Daytona International Speedway. The Great American Race, as it is known by some, marks the beginning of the NASCAR Cup Series’ regular season schedule every year. Generally, the largest field of entrants of any race all year compete in the “Super Bowl of stock car racing,” with big names such as Nitro Circus pioneer Travis Pastrana, open-wheel legend Conor Daly and freshly unretired seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson all vying for a chance at winning the biggest race of the year. 

Pre-race, 75 years of NASCAR history were honored through an augmented reality presentation on the track surface that allowed for cars from every era to complete a lap around the famous circuit. An opening address from some of NASCAR’s greatest followed, and a flyover from the F-16 Thunderbirds concluded the pre-race festivities as the drivers took to the track.

Hendrick Motorsports teammates Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson qualified first and second respectively, setting an early tone for the evening ahead. The winners of the two Duel races from earlier in the week at the speedway, Aric Almirola and Joey Logano, qualified third and fourth for their efforts. Last year’s winner, Austin Cindric, found himself starting in seventh.

The first stage of the 200-lap spectacle went surprisingly smooth as there were no unscheduled cautions until deep into the second stage. As a result of the clean racing, Brad Keselowski was able to show fans he’s still got it even at his age and secured an initial stage victory. 

Stage two brought with it the first caution of the race when Tyler Reddick was sent into the wall courtesy of Kevin Harvick’s front bumper, effectively knocking the driver of the Monster Energy No. 45 car out of the race before the midway point. 

Penske driver Ryan Blaney also seemed to get caught up in the chaos, as he spun into the wall after getting loose and dealt with front-end damage for the final portion of the day. Blaney’s car ran into even more issues in stage three when his front right tire fell off of the rim and onto the track, pushing the No. 12 car further and further back in the pack. 

Ross Chastain, who famously rode the wall around Martinsville last season to secure a spot in the next playoff round, crossed the line in first at the end of stage two just ahead of polesitter Alex Bowman. 

With just 19 laps to go in the race and final stage, the first big wreck of the afternoon unfolded. Exiting turn one and moving into two Ryan Preece got nicked by Michael McDowell before spinning down the track, bouncing off of Johnson’s No. 84 car and slamming into the train of cars running the high line. Favorites Martin Truex Jr. and Harvick were effectively taken out by the wreck, opening the door for a shock victor.

Newly-acquired Richard Childress driver Kyle Busch and the No. 8 car managed to push into the lead with just three laps to go, but his effort proved to be for naught. Farther back in the pack, Daniel Suarez got loose. The No. 99 car spun into the infield, which called for a caution and forced Busch to cede any run or positioning advantage he had held going into a pivotal point in the race.

Thanks to the timing of the crash, the race would now be completed by way of a “green-white-checkered” finish. One lap of green flag racing, one lap of the white flag, and then the checkered to follow, simple enough.

On the restart, Busch quickly fell from his top spot, while the field rocked side to side as they jockeyed for positions going into turn three. At the entrance of the turn, Austin Dillon got loose and caused what NASCAR fans refer to as “The Big One.”

Dillon’s car spun with Hendrick driver William Byron before their cars slid up the track and back into traffic, blocking a way out for the second half of the pack. Since the group was not able to complete a full lap before the caution, the green-white-checkered finish was restarted, this time with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. leading the pack with the Cottonelle No. 47 car inching ahead at the time of caution. 

Off the second restart, Stenhouse Jr. paired up with Logano and Larson paired up with Christopher Bell to head the pack of cars vying for first. Stenhouse Jr. crossed the line for the white flag far ahead of the pack, but Logano and Busch had been able to generate a massive run up high. 

On the low side, AJ Allmendinger and his No. 16 car were able to get into the back of Bell’s car, and finally managed to reconnect with Stenhouse Jr. going into turn one. Just as the field entered the banked corner, Almirola clipped Pastrana, setting off a chain reaction that sent Larson headfirst into the wall at speeds close to 180 mph. Stage one winner Keselowski was wrapped up in the carnage, as were Bubba Wallace and Blaney.

Though the caution lights did not activate until seconds after the wreck, the field froze at the moment the flag was waived and the signal was given from NASCAR. Just as the lights were activating, Stenhouse Jr. managed to pull the nose of his car ahead of Logano’s above him in the turn. After a short replay review, crew chief Mike Kelley began jumping for joy in the pit box as he celebrated the first Daytona 500 victory in Stenhouse Jr’s career. 

When the No. 47 car finally made it back to the finish line, Stenhouse Jr. radioed to his team that he couldn’t do a burnout because “the thing ran out of gas.” Second-place finisher Logano was dejected that they weren’t able to race it clean all the way back to the line, but didn’t seem overly upset, probably because he already has a Daytona 500 victory to his name from 2015. 

Either way, this upcoming Sunday’s Pala Casino 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Ca is sure to be a golden opportunity for multiple drivers to have statement performances in the wake of the longest-recorded Daytona 500 in track history. The race will be the last time the track is run as-is, with a reconfiguration set to alter the layout of the circuit following the contest.

With the NFL season coming to a close the league’s top two teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, had the opportunity to face off in Super Bowl 57 at State Farm Stadium in Arizona on Sunday. The Chiefs, who had been to the Super Bowl only two years prior, returned to the big game on the back of an MVP award season from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The 27-year-old shot-caller was instrumental in leading Kansas City’s group back to the last game of the NFL season, this time facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles. Third-year quarterback Jalen Hurts has only improved every year since coming into the league as the number 53 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, most recently winning the Bert Bell Award as the league’s best player. 

From the opening kick, it was evident that the contest was to be a high-scoring affair. Though the Chiefs won the coin toss, they decided to defer and kick off to start the game in order to receive the ball at halftime. Hurts trotted out to lead the Eagle offense under the jurisdiction of offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, and after an 11-play drive was able to find the endzone by sneaking it in himself from the 1-yard line. This was rumored to be Steichen’s last game as coordinator, with reports linking him to the vacant head coaching position in Indianapolis with the Colts. 

Mahomes made light work of the Eagles’ defense when he was given his first shot though, orchestrating a drive to the endzone in less than four minutes. He was able to connect with his favorite target, tight end Travis Kelce, to tie it up at seven. The score remained that way through the end of the first quarter, though Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker sent a 42-yard field goal off of the left upright, failing to give his side the advantage. Only eight seconds into the following quarter the Eagles roared to life, making the most of the gift-wrapped miss.  

Burning Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie, former Titans wide receiver AJ Brown got into empty space in the endzone and hauled in a 45-yard touchdown catch. The first of his six catches on the night put the score at 14-7 and helped an already-rolling Eagles squad gather even more momentum less than a minute into the second quarter. That direction of play came to an unexpected and screeching halt on the Eagles’ next offensive possession at the hands of Hurts himself, though. 

On a third-down scramble, Hurts had the ball knocked from his hands before it was scooped up and ran in by Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton. The fumble six was a morale killer and knotted the score back up at 14 just when it seemed like Philadelphia was ready to run away with the game. Head coach Nick Sirianni’s Eagles didn’t roll over though and charged downfield before Hurts could scramble in for a 4-yard score on the ensuing drive, his second of the night. Kicker Jake Elliott was able to tack on a 35-yard field goal as time expired to end the first half, giving the Eagles their biggest lead of the night at 24-14. 

Rihanna did one of the many things she does best with her halftime performance, bringing the house down while she was raised and lowered over the field across various platforms, all the while performing her most notable hits. RiRi’s white-clad dancers practically morphed into red-and-white-clad Chiefs players once the show concluded, with Kansas City receiving the second-half kickoff. 

As Chiefs head coach Andy Reid had been doing all game, the former Eagles man gave the keys back to Mahomes, allowing the league’s best player to shine. In a five-and-a-half minute drive capped off by an Isaiah Pacheco touchdown, the Chiefs continued to show resilience after an anxious 10-play sequence that tracked 75 yards, closing the score to within a field goal at 24-21.

Elliott managed to convert another field goal, this time from 33 yards out with just under two minutes to play in the third quarter. The Birds carried a 27-21 lead into the fourth quarter and needed to come up big on defense in order to preserve their Super Bowl dreams. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney decided to turn the game upside-down. 

The formerly disgraced New York Giants wide receiver was traded to the Chiefs midseason in a head-scratching move that saw the Giants only earn back a third and sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Toney has been a revelation since arriving in KC, carving out a role as a complement to Travis Kelce’s catching abilities at tight end and accompanying JuJu Smith-Schuster and Skyy Moore along the slot. 

In under five minutes after Elliott’s field goal, the Chiefs drove down the field and were able to set Mahomes and the rest of the offense up on the 9-yard line. Toney, who was lined up facing Philadelphia corner Darius Slay, faked as if he were running across the field before the ball was snapped and completely fooled Slay. The move allowed Toney to breach the endzone untouched, and haul in a go-ahead score with 12 minutes to go.

The Chiefs were able to force a three-and-out on the Eagles’ next offensive possession, setting up Toney for yet another highlight moment. Having received the punt at his own 30-yard line, Toney danced his way to the sideline before sprinting 65 yards to the Eagles’ 5-yard line, rejuvenating Kansas City during a crucial sequence. The monumental return was the longest in Super Bowl history, and absolutely felt that way on film. 

Only needing three plays from scrimmage, Mahomes found Moore in the back corner of the endzone to extend his side’s lead to 35-27 following Butker’s extra point. 

Philadelphia still had some fight left though, fighting downfield on another clinical 8-play drive with Hurts running in his third touchdown of the night, tying legendary Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis’ league record in the 1998 Super Bowl. Hurts also managed to pass Tennessee Titans icon Steve McNair’s record of 64 rushing yards by a QB in a Super Bowl by posting 70, which he succeeded in doing on only the play beforehand. 

Needing a two-point conversion to tie the game at 35, Hurts took over the game and trucked his way across the goal line to ensure the Eagles had a fighting chance, and tied the score up with just over five minutes to play in regulation. The Eagles defended fervently, exhausting all possible avenues to try and halt the Chiefs from reaching a distance from which they could run the clock out. With the ball on the Eagles’ 16-yard line and the Chiefs facing a third-and-eight situation, all the Eagles needed was a stop. If successful, they’d have the ball back following the most likely outcome which was a Chiefs field goal from in close, and a minute and a half to play with. 

Mahomes dropped back and threw a ball out of bounds in the corner of the endzone, but a slight grab from Eagles cornerback James Bradberry along Smith-Schuster’s ribs was enough for a penalty and a reset of downs. With the Eagles having only one timeout, the Chiefs were able to comfortably drain the clock down to eleven seconds to play. Butker stepped up and was able to remedy his earlier blunder, as he perfectly split the uprights and delivered KC a go-ahead field goal. 

The Eagles did have one final chance on a Hail Mary toss by Hurts, but the prayer came up woefully short. With that, the Kansas City Chiefs managed to win their second Super Bowl in franchise history 38-35. Fighting through a severe high-ankle sprain throughout a majority of the second half of the playoffs, Patrick Mahomes’ heroics were more than enough to award him the Super Bowl MVP award to pair with his regular-season prize as well.

Eight years removed from their most recent appearance on the world’s biggest stage, the United States men’s national soccer team have been eagerly preparing to take the field in Qatar at this year’s iteration of the FIFA World Cup. The group that, at the time, was led by current New England Revolution head coach Bruce Arena failed to qualify for the 2018 tournament in Russia after an inexplicable qualifying loss against Trinidad and Tobago in Couva. Four years later and the starting XI from that night differs tremendously from the current squad. Michael Bradley has since ceded his captaincy to Tyler Adams. Brad Guzan has vacated the goalmouth for Arsenal’s Matt Turner. Brenden Aaronson and Josh Sargent are vying to lay claim to Revolution forward Jozy Altidore’s former throne at striker. The only player currently on the roster with any World Cup experience at all is second-string right-back DeAndre Yedlin. Yedlin was only 21 and making his first international appearances when the men’s team traveled to Brazil in 2014.

Off the pitch, the head coaching position saw two new faces following the decision to ax Arena after his performance in the qualifiers. Former USMNT assistant Dave Sarachan was tabbed to take over control of the squad and held the position from Nov. 2017 to – Nov. 2018. Columbus Crew head coach Gregg Berhalter emerged as a strong candidate for the job in late 2018, and subsequently was offered and accepted the position as manager. 

Since the catastrophic collapse at the hands of Trinidad and Tobago, the United States youth teams were working feverishly to churn out top-level talent in order to get the Americans competing on an international stage again. A trend began to emerge of high-level American youth talent journeying overseas to better their craft and managing to make an impact all the same. Easily the most notable of the aforementioned group is Christian Pulisic. While he was playing for Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga in 2018, his $73 million transfer to play for Chelsea is by far the largest sum coughed up for an American in the history of world football. While playing for the Blues, Pulisic helped them to two third-place finishes in the league as well as winning the club a Champions League trophy, becoming the first American to ever feature in a Champions League final.

One of the other stars on the team is midfielder Gio Reyna, the son of USMNT legend Claudio Reyna. The elder Reyna made history as the first American to captain a domestic European team when he was given the armband upon his arrival at VFL Wolfsburg. Gio Reyna also made his way to the Bundesliga after a four-year run with NYCFC’s academy, before a transfer to Borussia Dortmund’s academy in 2019 put the 16-year-old in a position to succeed from the moment he took the pitch. Only a year later in 2020 he was promoted to the first team, where he’s since been able to find consistent action and opportunity. Weston McKennie has been a stalwart for both club and country, playing well in a currently very poor Juventus side. His role as a transitional midfielder alongside Kellyn Acosta are key in regaining possession and turning it into quick counters, a tactic that will be crucial against the massive amount of pace teams in Group B hold. 

On the defensive end of the field, a backline held together thanks to Walker Zimmerman and Tim Ream primarily is aided on the flanks by Sergiño Dest and Ream’s Fulham teammate Antonee “Jedi” Robinson. Unfortunately Dest has struggled staying match-fit as of late, and with a questionable lack of depth behind the defensive core, the United States’ goals against numbers will be something to keep an eye on down the stretch. 

The U.S. opens tournament play today at 2 p.m. as they play Gareth Bale and the Wales national team. These sides most recently faced off in a 2020 friendly that ended in a scoreless draw, providing almost no example to follow for how the match will play out. Both sides are in somewhat similar scenarios, as a bevy of young players have found their way into the starting XIs on either end of the pitch. The hope is the United States are able to start the tournament off on the right foot, and cruise into their second game of the tournament on Black Friday against England. 

Playing England serves as more than just a battle between world powers, as bragging rights and an intense amount of banter are on the horizon for the victor. Most U.S. soccer fans will remember Rob Green’s epic fail in the group stage of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa when the English keeper let a poor shot by Clint Dempsey somehow roll through his grip and into the goal. Unfortunately, the odds of Jordan Pickford making the same mistake this time around seem slim to none, as the English team is primed for a deep run at possibly winning the entire tournament. Spurs striker Harry Kane could be considered the best No. 9 in the world, while Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold is widely regarded as the best right-back in the world. West Ham’s Declan Rice, Manchester City’s Phil Foden and Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham are set to pace the midfield for manager Gareth Southgate’s team.

Berhalter’s team will conclude group stage play on Tuesday, Nov. 29, when they attempt to best the Iranian national team, headlined by FC Porto striker Mehdi Taremi. Alongside Taremi, Bayer Leverkusen striker Sardar Azmoun creates issues all the same. Dubbed the “Iranian Messi” by those that have been able to see him play, Zimmerman and co. will have their hands full over the entirety of the group stage.

While the tournament itself is surrounded by claims of human rights abuses, rampant homophobia and a sudden and unexpected lack of alcohol available to fans at the request of the Qatari Royal Family, the United States team will be showing their support for those targeted however they can. The colors of a rainbow flag can now be found in the team’s crest at any of their facilities in Qatar, as well as at any of their pre-match fan festivities, though the flag will not be shown on the field at the discretion of the World Cup governing body in Qatar. 

With Qatar and Ecuador having kicked off the tournament officially yesterday as Ecuador coasted to a 2-0 victory, it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the world latches on to watching the games as most of us do every four years.

This past Friday, six former Black Bears were inducted into the University of Maine’s Sports Hall of Fame for their contributions to the university on and off the playing field. Swimmer Elizabeth Carone Prelgovisk (1977-81), football linebacker Stephen Cooper (1999-02), pitcher Scott Morse (1983-86), sprinter Mike Viani (1985-89), women’s basketball forward Liz Wood (2012-16) and most notably hockey player and current NHL head coach John Tortorella (1977-81).

For Carone Prelgovisk, UMaine served as her own personal diving board into the world of professional swimming. In her time spent studying at UMaine, Carone Prelgovisk captured five individual New England titles. Her multiple second-place finishes assisted the Black Bears in winning three regional championships to pair with her own personal accolades. 

Cooper’s abilities at the Alfond Stadium propelled him toward an NFL-lined career path once he left the university in 2002. While in Orono, Cooper was a domineering force on the defensive side of the ball. He oddly enough started his collegiate football career at both quarterback and then free safety, but made it to the linebacker position before long. Over his three seasons at UMaine, Cooper racked up 374 total tackles to go along with 25 sacks and seven interceptions. His play caught the attention of the NFL’s San Diego Chargers, who offered Cooper a contract. From 2003-11, Cooper remained in San Diego, earning the designation as team captain in three separate seasons.

Maine’s baseball presence in the College World Series in the 80’s was palpable, and the arrival of hurler Morse in 1983 turned the Black Bears baseball team into a living, breathing weapon. His ability to paint the corners, as well as compose himself in high-pressure situations became a shoulder for the team to lean on as they reached the College World Series twice in his tenure at UMaine. Morse currently still holds the record for most consecutive wins by a Black Bear pitcher at 10.

Built like a tank, Viani’s 6’1” 200-pound frame could commonly be found racing on the track around the football field during his time at UMaine. The sprinter’s ability to blow by his competitors aided in his quest in securing 11 different school track and field records when he graduated. To this day, Viani holds records in various relay events as well, a testament to his raw athletic ability. 

Having a first-year head coach leading the charge is no easy task, and having nine first-year players on a single roster certainly doesn’t make that challenge any easier. Head coach Richard Barron took the reins without hesitation, allowing one of those first-years, Wood, to blossom into a superstar. Earning the 2013 co-rookie of the year award was only the tip of the iceberg, with Wood going on to become one of America East’s most dominant players in conference history. Finishing her basketball career at UMaine in the top 10 across five different scoring categories, Wood proved to be the bona fide leader of the group. She received various honors and awards, such as co-defensive player of the year in 2015, as well as three all-conference choice selections. Wood went on to have a career playing professionally in Germany following her graduation, while completing medical school through the Navy. 

Arguably the most notable name on the list of inductees is Tortorella, a former UMaine hockey player and the current head coach of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. In Orono, Tortorella played with a level of grit and determination that we measure our current Black Bear ice hockey teams to, transferring in from Salem State University after his first year. Putting up 39 goals and 71 assists across 99 games of action, the Concord, Massachusetts native was without a doubt a healthy contributor. Tortorella went on to become a coach following his graduation, becoming the very first Black Bear to win a Stanley Cup when he led the Tampa Bay Lightning to the mountaintop in 2004. Tortorella additionally is a two-time Jack Adams trophy recipient and is generally considered a hot commodity whenever he finds himself unemployed.

While not individuals, the 1915 men’s cross country team and the 1994 softball team were also honored at the event. UMaine’s cross-country team was able to capture the New England title in 1915 while featuring some of the most prolific runners in the region. The Black Bears softball team was the first to ever reach the NCAA Division One tournament following an America East conference victory in the regular season.

Less than a year after breaking the single-season record for points and raising the Supporter’s Shield at Gillette Stadium, the New England Revolution face an early elimination from playoff contention with less than a month to go in the season. While the team only lost winger Tajon Buchanan in the offseason to Club Brugge, a collection of injuries, questionable midseason moves and a dwindling feeling of strong leadership have caused one of MLS’s inaugural teams to freefall over the better part of the year. 

Bruce Arena’s group kicked off the year in Portland against the Timbers, playing a thrilling 2-2 draw on national television before following it up with a 1-0 win over FC Dallas the next week. Their phenomenal finish in the standings in 2021 granted the club a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League for 2022, opening the tournament against Pumas with a 3-0 win at a snowy Gillette Stadium. Up until this point things were looking fairly positive for the Revs, that was, until their match-up against Real Salt Lake (RSL) in similar snowy conditions on March 12, 2022. 

Heading into the seventieth minute up 3-0 should have been a guaranteed win for the Revs, as newcomer Jozy Altidore’s first goal with the team secured the lead at three. Sergio Córdova found the back of the net in the seventy-eighth minute for RSL, and 10 minutes later, Justen Glad’s goal cut the lead down to one. The high pressing nature of Pablo Mastroeni’s late-game tactics overwhelmed New England, and Tate Schmitt dealt the finishing blow three minutes into added time to steal three points at the death. 

The team’s unbelievable run of bad luck continued later that week in Mexico as they traveled to take on Pumas, choking away their three-goal aggregate advantage to the tune of a 3-0 Pumas lead at the end of 90 minutes. With a distraught group on the pitch, the Revs eventually fell to the home side on penalty kicks after Sebastian Lletget’s chance flew over the bar in the shootout. The result meant that yet another opportunity passed the Revolution by; a team that hasn’t won any real hardware since 2008. 

Heading to Charlotte to close out their three-game week was an opportunity for New England to get back on track against the newest team in the league, but Polish striker Karol Swiderski had other ideas. His 60-minute brace was enough to down the Revs 3-1. Things went from bad to worse quickly after that point, losing striker Adam Buksa to a ninetieth-minute red card against the Red Bulls at home, just after Matt Polster had accidentally directed the ball into his own goal only seconds beforehand. The goal was the only tally of the match, handing the Revs’ bitter rivals an undeserved three points. 

Over their next five matches, the Revs went 2-2-1 before thumping FC Cincinnati in their first match of the U.S. Open Cup 5-1. Though Robert Kraft’s team wasn’t losing as harshly as they had been, dropping points became almost a regular occurrence. Veteran centerback Omar Gonzalez’s age began to show, and the load carried by back-up goalie Earl Edwards Jr. was beginning to become too much. On top of this, Altidore was offloaded to Cruz Azul, former MLS Goalkeeper of the year Matt Turner was sold to Arsenal and striker Adam Buksa, who had been in contention for the golden boot, was sold to RC Lens. 

In response, team management signed former Serbia U21 goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic from FK Cukaricki, 20-year-old Colombian winger Dylan Borrero from Atletico Mineiro and 23-year-old Albanian striker Giacomo Vrioni from Juventus. Additionally, the team brought in defender Christian Makoun from Charlotte FC, and midfielder Ismael Tajouri-Shradi from LAFC to bolster their depth heading into the final stretch of the year. 

While the moves have shown promise, with Petrovic a weekly staple in the league’s team of the week, the Revs drew eight times in the summer, pushing them down the table outside of the playoff zone. Though the Revs won against NYCFC on Sept. 4, they had not won a game since Aug. 13 before that point, with the results landing them in eleventh position in the Eastern Conference. Thankfully, the table is tight enough that if results go perfectly in New England’s way, they could mathematically make the playoffs. The Revs sit only four points removed from the final playoff spot and with two matches remaining, anything can happen.

Both of the remaining two matches are against Eastern Conference competition, with a matchup against Atlanta United on Oct. 4 set to be pivotal for playoff position.