SPORTS DIGEST:ICE HOCKEY: ALREADY the favourite to win the Vezina Trophy for the NHL's top goaltender, Boston's Tim Thomas did his chances of winning post-season MVP no harm at all by shutting out Vancouver 4-0 as the Bruins levelled the Stanley Cup final at two games each.
Returning to Boston trailing 2-0 in the best-of-seven championship series after two gut-wrenching defeats, the Bruins needed to make a stand in Games Three and Four to have any chance of lifting the Cup.
Thomas delivered two outstanding performances to lead the Bruins to an 8-1 rout on Monday before their 4-0 shutout in Game Four late on Wednesday.
The goaltender has been aggressive and quick to protect his crease, even dropping the gloves and trading punches with Alex Burrows the last day.
Patchy Ireland still see off Welsh
HOCKEY:A patchy performance from an inexperienced Ireland side yielded a 3-2 win against Wales at Belfield last night as first half goals from Andy McConnell, Peter Blakeney and Peter Caruth made the difference.
Wales pulled back two goals in the second half through Ben Croxall and Joe Naughlty and had a trio of penalty corners but found goalkeeper Dave Fitzgerald in decent form to hold on for a decent win.
McConnell opened the scoring on 24 seconds, scrambling home from all of two inches after Caruth’s cross bobbled around in front of the Welsh goal.
Blakeney scored two minutes before the break with a low drag-flick and Caruth made it 3-0 soon after.
IRELAND: D Fitzgerald, G Watkins, D Ames, A Giles, P Blakeney, M Maguire, P Caruth, J Jackson, A McConnell, R Flannery, P Gleghorne. Subs: J Bruton, K Carroll, R Sykes, J Lynch, D Carson
Roddick expects Serena to take Wimbledon by storm
TENNIS: SERENA Williams will take Wimbledon by storm whether she retains her title or not, Andy Roddick predicted yesterday as he welcomed his fellow American back from a year of injury and illness.
Former world number one Williams, the powerhouse of women’s tennis for the past decade with 13 grand slam singles titles, has taken a wildcard for next week’s Eastbourne championships.
A foot injury and health problems had previously sidelined her since she won last year’s Wimbledon title.
Roddick said the 29-year-old’s return was not only good for American tennis but vital for the women’s game.
“Well, it’s great that she’s back,” Roddick told reporters after beating Kevin Anderson 6-4 6-4 in the third round of the Queen’s Club tournament yesterday.
“I mean, I think, no disrespect to any of the women that are playing right now, but I think women’s tennis needs that dominating figure.
“She hasn’t played for a year but I think she still is that personality and, you know, she’s certainly going to probably be the top storyline going into Wimbledon.”
Serena has four Wimbledon singles titles to her name, one less than sister Venus who is also returning at the Eastbourne warm-up event after being ruled out since the Australian Open with an abdominal injury.
Roddick said despite a chronic lack of match practice Serena is capable of claiming the Wimbledon title this year.
Muller names his squad for Belfield
HOCKEY: GENE Muller has named his 18-player squad for the Champions Challenge, which gets under way at Belfield tomorrow week, writes MARY HANNIGAN.
Railway Union’s Alex Speers captains the squad which has an average age of just 23.8 years, but has plenty of experience, not least though Nikki Symmons, Emma Clarke and Shirley Clarke.
Symmons and her club-mate Nicci Daly, who will both be in action for Loreto at the EuroHockey Club Champions Challenge II in Lille this weekend, return to the squad after missing the Celtic Cup in Scotland, taking the places of Hannah Bowe and UCC’s Miriam Crowley.
Loreto, meanwhile, open their Club Champions Challenge campaign against Austria’s HTC Wien today, before meeting the hosts tomorrow and Swansea on Sunday.
EuroHockey Club Champions Challenge II (at Lille): Today: Loreto v HTC Wien, 2pm. Tomorrow: Loreto v Lille, 3pm. Sunday: Loreto v Swansea.
Formula One body blames Ecclestone
MOTOR SPORT: FORMULA One's governing body yesterday blamed commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone for the furore over the reinstatement of the Bahrain Grand Prix and paved the way for the race to be axed again.
Teams, whose unanimous written agreement is required for any change to the schedule, have ruled out going to Bahrain on October 30th or competing in December – effectively ending any chance of that race happening this year.
In a letter to the Formula One teams body FOTA, International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Jean Todt recognised their concerns and made clear Ecclestone was responsible for setting the calendar and submitting it.
He suggested Ecclestone submit a fresh calendar to satisfy the teams. “It is the responsibility of the commercial rights holder to perform all necessary prior due diligence in order to secure his calendar proposal to the World Motor Sport Council,” said the Frenchman.
Ireland start cup bid against Namibia
CRICKET:IRELAND'S bid to regain the ICC Intercontinental Cup will get underway at Stormont later this month with a clash against Namibia, writes EMMET RIORDAN.
The dates for the first round of matches were released yesterday, with Phil Simmons’s side taking on the African nation from June 28th to July 1st at the Belfast venue.
The last time the sides met in the competition was at the end of October 2008 at Port Elizabeth in South Africa, when Ireland claimed their third successive Intercontinental Cup title with a nine-wicket victory in the final.
The ICC have also introduced a new one-day competition between the eight sides taking part in the Intercontinental Cup, with Ireland playing Namibia in two games on July 4th and 5th, which will also take place at Stormont.
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