But the confidence built after a convincing 4-2 win over Middlesex League rival Arlington in the opener. With a 3-0 victory over Woburn the following game, it grew some more. The Warriors (8-1-1, 5-0-0) sit atop the ML Freedom Division and are 13th in this week’s Globe Top 20.
“If I told you that we were going to be 8-0-1 through the first half of the season, I’d be a liar,” said Wakefield coach Matt Angelo before Monday’s 1-0 loss to Lexington.
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Under Angelo’s guidance, the Warriors are playing the same press-heavy system as last year. But this season’s group is leaning into the physical side of the game to help ease the departure of 10 graduated seniors.
That mind-set draws back to Wakefield’s motto of playing ‘blue-collar soccer,’ which Angelo has drilled into the team from the first day of preseason tryouts. That mantra has been used in years past, too, but this team has taken it especially seriously.
“We’re really just based on being blue collar and fitter and just mentally tougher than teams,” said junior striker Jack Millward.
For instance, Gagne, a 5-foot-7-inch midfielder, said his favorite part of playing soccer is winning headers over those several inches taller than him. He’s able to do so consistently, which he attributes to “wanting it more.”
Angelo has talked about ‘blue-collar soccer’ so much that his players poke fun at him, and the slogan has turned into an inside joke. Nonetheless, the mentality has been instrumental to Wakefield’s success.
“We may not be the most skilled team,” Gagne said. “But what makes us so special is that any contested ball, any chance to press, any area where we can go get one little win in the game, they just add up.”
Of course, having a potent offensive threat helps. And Millward has been just that for the Warriors, tallying 17 goals and two assists through nine games.
The central midfielders — Gagne, plus sophomore Guy Revah and junior Mhamed Boukataya — feed through balls to Millward up front, who rarely misses a chance in on net.
“He’s an athletic freak,” Angelo said of Millward, who is 6-4 and also stars for the basketball team. “He’s a clinical finisher, he’s a student of the game. He works tremendously hard.”
Tactically, there are plenty of similarities between this team and last season’s, which lost, 1-0 in overtime, to Oliver Ames in the Division 2 final.
Like last year, Angelo wants his team to play with pace and intensity, emphasizing the counter-press to win back the ball after turnovers. And Angelo (’05), an alum, has continued to draw from the program’s history to motivate his players.
As he did last season, he has shown grainy clips from the 1997 state title team to highlight what it would mean to win it all. As a little kid, Angelo was a ball boy for the ‘97 squad, Wakefield’s last to secure the state title.
But the Warriors have hardly mentioned last year’s heartbreaking finish, even if the memory has stuck in the back of everyone’s mind.
“We’re a completely new team,” Millward said. “Completely new season, so we’re not worried about that anymore. We’re just trying to build ourselves as a team and make a mark for ourselves this year.”
Lexington’s Leonas Schmidt makes a sliding tackle on Wakefield’s Alex De Morais during Monday’s game.Winslow Townson for The Boston Globe
Corner kicks
▪ The 22nd ALS Cup finished in dramatic fashion, with Grady Smith scoring in the final minute to give Newburyport a 1-0 win over Pentucket Saturday, the Clippers’ third-straight cup win. The event was started by former Newburyport coach David Greenblott in 2002 to honor his mother and aunt, who both passed away from the disease.
▪ Top-ranked Newton South kept the good times rolling after senior captain Nico Bradley buried a free kick to the bottom corner to beat Framingham, 1-0, in the final minutes Saturday … Methuen is in the midst of a strong turnaround, having won five straight after a 1-3-0 start. In that span, the Rangers have outscored opponents, 17-0 … Beverly earned an historic win, toppling Masconomet, 3-1, Wednesday for the Panthers’ first win over the Chieftains in 25 years. Thomas O’Neill, Jackson Merritt, and Connor Sullvan all scored. As Beverly coach Edgar de Leon put it, “We were due for a day in the sun, and this was it.” The teams are 1-2, respectively, in the Northeastern Conference … First-year Norwood head coach John Lochhead earned his first win in charge when the Mustangs shut out Bellingham, 2-0, Thursday.
Games to watch
Tuesday, Sharon at No. 10 Franklin, 4 p.m. — Sharon is the surprise of the Hockomock this year. How will the Eagles fare against the perennial power Panthers?
Tuesday, No. 1 Newton South at No. 2 Concord-Carlisle, 4:45 p.m. — Two of the Dual County League’s, and state’s, best face off in this enticing top-five clash.
Thursday, BC High at No. 5 St. John’s Prep, 4 p.m. — It’s always fun when these Catholic Conference foes battle. BC High goalie Jack McConville will attempt to shut down red-hot Prep star Garrison Murphy.
Saturday, Cohasset at Pembroke, 11 a.m. — Two of the best teams on the South Shore face off featuring stars Nathan Askjaer (Cohasset) and Shane Crowley (Pembroke).
Monday, No. 18 Belmont at Arlington, 12 p.m. — The two teams atop the Middlesex League’s Liberty Division are set for a mid-day battle.
Correspondent Mike Puzzanghera contributed to this story.
Why she was selected: The returning starter leads the team in kills and digs. She posted 32 kills in four wins on Sept. 28 to help Polo win its home tournament by tiebreaker for the second straight year.
Coach’s comments: “Her front row offensive role has been dominant, but she has really worked to develop her back row game through both serve receive and defense. She has been a key piece in our team’s success and has stepped into a captain role this season. She has continued to work hard and has plans to become a collegiate volleyball player.” – Katie Krogman
Bridget, when did you first get into volleyball and what made you get into it?
I first started playing volleyball in sixth grade for our school team. I had done plenty of camps and clinics that the high school volleyball team had hosted. After playing my first season, Jeanette Linker, the seventh grade coach, told me that I should join the club that was just over in Oregon, called Power Up. I played for Power Up for my first and their last season. After that, they became VC United in Rockford, which I still play for and have since sixth grade.
What do you like about volleyball? Has it taught you anything? Any specific strengths you have? Anything you have improved at as a senior this year?
I mean, what isn’t there to like about volleyball? It is such a fast-paced and high-skill game. The game has taught me so much that I don’t think I would have learned if I didn’t play. I have had to learn to trust my teammates, my coaches and my skill. To be good at volleyball, you need to have a high IQ on the court and be able to see what spots are open to give yourself the opportunity to score. This year as a senior, I will say that I have definitely improved on my encouragement and making sure that after every good play, I am super excited and that we are all fired up and ready for the next play.
You led the team with 32 kills, and Polo went 4-0 to win your home tournament over Milledgeville by tiebreaker. What was that like and how do you feel about how the team is playing right now?
It was the best thing winning that tournament for the second year in a row. We won last year in about the same circumstances, going 4-0 along with Milledgeville, and then winning based off of points allowed. It really showed that we have the power and resilience to beat all of these teams with the least amount of points scored on us, because we have shown it now two years in a row. I feel as though our team has our good games and our bad games, but nothing matters more than the bond we have with each other.
What is it like playing for this team? Do you guys have any main strengths?
Our main strength is our relationships with one another. There is absolutely never a dull moment, whether we are at practice, a game or tournament. This year’s varsity team is such a close knit team and we are all friends on and off the court. It was also like this for the 2022-2023 JV team because it was the classes of 2025 and 2026. There is just something about how we all interact with each other that makes this season better than any other. We just know how each other play and what works and doesn’t, so it is really nice being with teammates that know you top to bottom.
Do you have any goals for yourself this season? Does the team have any goals?
My goal for the season is just to be able to take it all in because this is my last season at PCHS and I know that I will never play with such a great group of girls with such great coaches again. We had a great season last year even with our sudden coach switches. Katie Krogman coming in and starting as varsity coach, she has done such a fantastic job rebranding the Polo Marcos volleyball program, and now with her sister, Karlie Krogman, as the JV coach, there is nothing that will be able to stop them from only bringing this program to the highest it’ll ever be.
Do you have a favorite athlete or sports team?
I don’t have a team that I specifically follow but I have loved the University of Iowa since I was young in middle school because my dad and I used to go to at least one of their games each season.
Any other hobbies, activities or sports you are involved in?
I don’t play any other sports but volleyball, but I do play club volleyball for VC United Elite in Rockford from December to June. So even if I wanted to play another sport, I don’t think I would even have time. I also work at The Rink at Pine Creek (formally The White Pines Roller Rink) so I would say my hobby outside of volleyball is roller-skating. That is the only thing that I have done longer than play volleyball because I started roller-skating when I was about 6 years old.
Do you have a favorite book or quote?
There isn’t a quote from a book or an article that I read that I loved, but one of my favorite things that someone has said to me was when my older sister Megan said, “Your energy and attitude on the court is what is going to get you places.” I didn’t believe it then, but now I completely understand what she meant.
Favorite restaurant or meal after a match?
Since there are so many, I can’t pick one, but I love Mexican food. It is sort of a tradition with my dad and I that whenever we travel somewhere for out-of-state volleyball tournaments, that we won’t get food anywhere that we could back home, which normally leads us to some local bar and grill or Mexican restaurant.
Favorite TV Show or movie? Favorite music artist or genre?
My favorite movie is “A Man Called Otto” and my favorite artist is either Kendrick Lamar, 21 Savage or Drake.
Polo volleyball player Bridget Call is pictured with the Polo tournament first-place trophy. Polo went 4-0 to take first over Milledgeville via tiebreaker on Sept. 28. (Photo submitted by Bridget Call)
Jeff Stelling believes the Chelsea star may be having some doubts (Pictures: Sky Sports/Getty)
Sky Sports icon Jeff Stelling has questioned whether Chelsea summer signing Pedro Neto will already be ‘regretting’ his big-money move to Stamford Bridge.
Neto, 24, signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea to keep him in west London until 2031.
But former Sky Sports presenter Stelling believes Neto could already be having major doubts about his move to Stamford Bridge.
Neto has featured in six of Chelsea’s seven games so far this season but started just twice, more frequently coming off the bench as a substitute.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has a host of talented wingers to pick from, including fellow summer additions Joao Felix and Jadon Sancho and the likes of Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk.
That means Neto will face serious competition for game-time this season and Stelling believes he will be desperate for more minutes, particularly given his injury record in recent years.
Pedro Neto joined Chelsea in a £54m deal from Wolves (Picture: Getty)
‘I mentioned Pedro Neto earlier,’ he said on talkSPORT. ‘I just wonder if he is regretting in any way shape or form his move because he can’t get a start at Chelsea.
‘You do want to see him on the football pitch because he has had so many injuries over the years, he has played so little football.’
Marta Kostyuk is hitting tennis balls – in her two-piece set. In a new social media post the tennis star shows off her amazing body in her tennis whites, throwing her fans into a frenzy. “It’s just amazing how absolutely fit Marta is!!,” writes one of her followers. “Totally toned muscle 💪.. and very beautiful too.” Another added: “Marta Kostyuk looks very strong.” How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.
Marta explains how she became a tennis player. “My mom was working a lot when I was small and, I don’t remember it, but my mom told me that I wanted to play tennis so much so I could see her. I have two more sisters, one older and one younger. I was in the middle but it was the period when my mom was working so much as a coach. I didn’t see mom that much. I wanted to see her a lot, so I was practicing. In the summer I was on the court from 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening, from when I was 4 or 5. At the same time I was doing pairs acrobatics, from 5 to 11. We finished fourth place in the national championships,” she told WTA Tour. “Tennis was the main goal, so I decided to stop acrobatics. I had to be so careful with my weight and it was so much stress. Evey day I was coming from school worrying about my weight. When I was 11, I decided to stop.”
Marta enjoys swimming. Swimming is a good way to get regular aerobic physical activity, according to the CDC. Just two and a half hours per week of aerobic physical activity, such as swimming, bicycling, or running, can decrease the risk of chronic illnesses. In addition to the many physical benefits, there are multiple studies supporting the mental health benefits of swimming as well.
Marta also enjoys stand up paddleboarding. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) agrees that paddle boarding is great for the core and also a great form of cardio. The water sport can burn an average of 385 calories for a 140 pound male and 436 for a female the same size, per a study conducted by Arizona State University.
To get her body ready for the court, Marta spends time in the gym strength training. “Warmed up? Yeah, dead,” she captioned a post. According to the Mayo Clinic, strength and weight training help reduce body fat, preserve and increase lean muscle mass, and burn calories more efficiently. Strength training may also help you:
Develop strong bones
Manage your weight
Enhance your quality of life
Manage chronic conditions
Sharpen your thinking skills
Another stay-fit in the water activity of Marta’s? Surfing. According to the Australian government’s Better Health, surfing provides many health benefits including cardiovascular fitness from paddling, shoulder and back strength, which also strengthens from the paddling, and leg and core strength. “Once you’re standing up on the board, strong legs and a strong core will keep you up,” they say.
Northern Michigan University’s Tanner Latsch readies for a faceoff during a game last season at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. Latsch earned a pair of CCHA weekly awards on Oct. 16 after tallying five goals and an assist in his first collegiate action, a two-game series at Minnesota-Duluth. (Photo courtesy NMU)
MARQUETTE — It’s a brave new world, not just in college hockey, but in a wide range of NCAA sports, particularly at the Division I level.
The new rules, in particular the NCAA transfer portal, have created uncertainly probably like never seen before. It would be way overblown to say the Northern Michigan University hockey program was left in shambles, but what was left that way was its roster in the aftermath of a head coaching change this summer.
In the end, NMU has just four players returning from last year’s team — redshirt junior Jakob Peterson, junior Zach Michaelis, redshirt sophomore Tanner Latsch and sophomore Brendan Poshak.
The “redshirt” description means the player has been on a college team for one more year than the class year indicates, either through not playing, or in some cases, earning an extra year through being on a roster during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic season. Those have already been phasing out, but may not be completely done yet.
Despite what sounds like a dire situation, new NMU head hockey coach Dave Shyiak was able to put together a roster of 28 players — compare that to the 30 who were on the Wildcats’ 2023-24 listing.
The coach says this Wildcats team will be one of, if not the youngest, in college hockey with 16 freshmen and 20 underclassmen in total. It’s made up of 15 forwards, 10 defensemen and three goalies.
“We are really excited about our group,” Shyiak said in an NMU Sports Information news release about the roster. “We have many new faces and a lot of freshmen that are coming in with hunger and energy.
“They all know there is a great opportunity in front of them to earn playing time. Internal competition will be healthy for our growth as the season progresses.
“The most important component to our team and staff is the culture building. We really have to put in the time to get to know one another and have an understanding of what our values and identity will be.”
NMU athletic director Rick Comley expedited the process of moving on from one head coach to the next, needing just a few weeks to transition from former seven-year coach Grant Potulny to Shyiak, but more than a dozen players had already announced their intended departure back when the NCAA transfer portal originally opened around the first of April and stayed open for about six weeks.
A study posted online by Grand Forks (North Dakota) Herald sportswriter Brad Elliott Schlossman about portal entries showed 14 NMU players from last year’s team — which didn’t include players like captain Adam Ghantous who had already exhausted his college eligibility — had entered the portal.
That didn’t necessarily mean they were all leaving, as entering the portal is only an announcement about looking for a new school.
Schlossman’s numbers, however, have shown that over the past few years in college hockey that the vast number of portal entrants do move on — in 2023, the number was 74.2% of those declaring did transfer to another Division I school, while only 2.1% remained with their current team. The more than 20% not included in those numbers went pro, stopped playing collegiately, with even a few who went to ACHA club hockey.
In Schlossman’s listing, two of NMU’s returning players who actually had announced for the portal during the spring period returned to the Wildcats — Michaelis and Poshak.
By the way, the transfer portal reopened for another 30 days for NMU players after Potulny announced his resignation.
What wasn’t included in Schlossman’s study was the effect on incoming freshmen or transfers from the in-season signing period back last fall.
It was speculated that part of the reason for the mass migration of current Wildcats players out of Marquette was a robust incoming class that included 10 players with several of them already NHL draft picks.
A majority of that group also went elsewhere, but three of them are still joining Northern this fall.
In the end, though, NMU Sports Information released earlier this week a thumbnail sketch of all the incoming players who will be on this team this fall.
Here is that look, along with profiles of the four returnees. Players are organized by the various ways they’ve come to NMU. There’s the four players returning from last year, the three recruits who were announced last fall, two who announced they were coming to NMU during the April-May transfer portal period, with all the others recruited since Shyiak’s late June hire.
Players are listed with their height, weight, position and uniform number:
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RETURNING PLAYERS
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Jakob Peterson (6-1, 190, forward, No. 23) — This redshirt junior in his fourth year at NMU is a Marquette native having played for the Marquette Redmen — before they became the Sentinels — and earning Great Lakes Conference First Team honors in high school.
He joined the Wildcats midway through the 2021-22 season in January 2022. Just before Northern, he played for Amarillo of the North American Hockey League and previous to that, was with Drayton Valley of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
He’s been a CCHA Scholar-Athlete the past two seasons, and in 2023-24, he skated in 22 NMU games and had 17 blocked shots along with one assist, that coming on Dec. 8 against Michigan Tech.
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Zach Michaelis (6-1, 210, forward, No. 9) — A junior from Elk River, Minnesota, he is a two-time CCHA All-Academic honoree.
In the season before coming to NMU, he played with Trail of the British Columbia Hockey League, and for three seasons prior was in the U.S. Hockey League and Northern American Hockey League.
In two seasons at Northern, he has a goal and four assists, including three assists last season when he played in 10 games.
——————–
Tanner Latsch (6-2, 190, forward, No. 22) — A redshirt sophomore from downstate Twin Lake, he opened his college playing career with a flourish last October, scoring a hat trick in his first game, against Minnesota-Duluth, only the second NMU player to ever score three goals in their college debut.
He followed it up with a two-goal, one-assist game the next night for six points in his opening weekend, not surprisingly earning both CCHA Rookie of the Week and Player of the Week honors.
He added another two goals the following weekend to again be named CCHA Rookie of the Week, and subsequently, CCHA Rookie of the Month.
Latsch led the NCAA in goal scoring and power play goals among freshmen for awhile after that, even with his campaign cut short to just eight games due to a season-ending injury.
He finished with seven goals, six of them on power plays, and an assist for eight points.
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Brendan Poshak (5-7, 170, forward, No. 7) — This sophomore from Green Bay, Wisconsin, played in nine games last season, making his college debut on Oct. 28 vs. Ferris State, and finished the season with five shots though no points.
Prior to the Wildcats, he played for two seasons with Brooks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, both Canadian national championship seasons. Before that, he was a two-time all-state player at Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay.
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NOVEMBER RECRUITS
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Jakub Altrichter (5-11, 165, forward, No. 14) — This Prague, Czech Republic, freshman played the past two season in the USHL, most recently with the Waterloo, Iowa, Black Hawks, where in 54 games he had 11 goals and 35 assists for 46 points.
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Rasmus Larsson (6-3, 205, defenseman, No. 8) — This Stockholm, Sweden, freshman was a fifth-round draft pick of the New York Rangers in 2023, having played in 59 games with the Green Bay, Wisconsin, Gamblers last season with four goals and 13 assists for 17 points.
He’s also been on Sweden’s under-19 and under-20 international teams, along with playing in his country’s top junior league in 2022-23.
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Billy Renfrew (5-11, 183, forward, No. 11) — This Fairbanks, Alaska, freshman played last season for the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League, scoring 20 goals and 32 assists for 52 points in 51 games.
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APRIL-MAY TRANSFERS
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Ryan Ouellette (6-0, 200, goalie, No. 30) — This college senior from Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a transfer from Niagara University, having played in 11 games over two seasons.
In 2021-22, he played for the USHL’s Lincoln Stars and had an .880 saves percentage in 44 games.
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Matthew Romer (5-11, 185, forward, No. 17) — This Algonquin, Illinois, sophomore transferred from Arizona State, where he played in seven games last season.
Prior to ASU, he played two seasons with the Omaha, Nebraska, Lancers of the USHL, recording three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 2022-23.
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SUMMER TRANSFERS AND RECRUITS
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Nicolas Ardanaz (5-10, 185, defenseman, No. 3) — This college junior from Surrey, British Columbia, is a transfer from RPI, where he played in 38 games over two seasons.
He previously played for the West Kelowna Warriors of the British Columbia Hockey League, earning a spot on the league’s all-rookie team in 2019-20.
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Matthew Argentina (5-11, 193, forward, No. 28) — A junior eligibility-wise from Philadelphia, he played two years at Boston College and had four goals and six assists for 10 points in 53 games.
In the year before college, he was with the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League, where he had 14 goals and 10 assists for 24 points in 41 games.
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Ethan Barwick (6-3, 202, goalie, No. 33) — A redshirt freshman from St. Albert, Alberta, he redshirted last season at Lindenwood University.
In 2022-23 with the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, he had a 45-4-1 record, 1.88 goals-against average and .929 saves percentage.
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Medrick Bolduc (5-9, 185, forward, No. 13) — A freshman from Val-d’Or, Quebec, he played last season with the El Paso, Texas, Rhinos of the North American Hockey League. He skated in 66 games, including playoffs, and had 21 goals and 29 assists for 50 points.
Prior to that, he spent two seasons with the Utica, New York, Comets of the National Collegiate Development Conference.
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Colby Browne (5-10, 180, forward, No. 21) — A freshman from Evergreen, Colorado, he played the last three seasons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, including last year with the Whitecourt Wolverines, when he played 57 games and had 26 goals and 42 assists for 68 points.
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Danny Ciccarello (5-11, 201, forward, No. 27) — A two-year player at RPI from Kirkland, Quebec, he is a college junior who suited up in 49 games, scoring five goals and two assists for seven points.
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Anthony Cliche (6-4, 208, defenseman, No. 20) — The tallest current Wildcat is a freshman from Vallee Jonction, Quebec.
He’s played the last three seasons with the Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League, and last year, had 10 goals and 25 assists for 35 points in 50 games.
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Grayden Daul (6-0, 180, defenseman, No. 5) — A freshman from Glenview, Illinois, he played AAA hockey for the Chicago Mission, where he won a state championship all three seasons there.
For the Langley Rivermen of the British Columbia Hockey League in 2023-24, he scored a goal and added six assists in 51 games.
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Will Diamond (6-3, 205, forward, No. 24) — A freshman from Carpentersville, Illinois, he’s played juniors the past three seasons, including for the Austin, Minnesota, Bruins of the North American Hockey League last year. That’s when he skated in 46 games and scored six goals to go with eight assists for 14 points.
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Ryan Duguay (6-2, 190, forward, No. 18) — A freshman from Edmonton, Alberta, he played the past two seasons for the Melfort Mustangs of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Last year, including playoffs, he appeared in 51 games and had 40 goals and 36 assists for 76 points.
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Tynan Ewart (6-0, 188, defenseman, No. 6) — A sophomore from Duncan, British Columbia, he played for a year at St. Cloud State, recording five assists in 19 games.
Before that, he had three seasons with the Battleford North Stars of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, and in 2022-23, put up 10 goals and 60 assists for 70 points in 68 games, including playoffs.
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Wolfgang Govedaris (6-2, 200, defenseman, No. 4) — A freshman from Bonita Springs, Florida, he played three seasons of junior hockey. Last year with the Corpus Christi, Texas, IceRays of the North American Hockey League, he had four goals and 17 assists for 21 points in 30 games.
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Aidyn Hutchinson (6-1, 185, forward, No. 29) — Not to be confused with a similar-sounding former University of Michigan and Detroit Lions football star, this freshman from St. Albert, Alberta, played two seasons with the Melfort Mustangs of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
Last season he had 48 goals and 62 assists for 110 points in 65 games, including playoffs. In those playoffs, which netted his team the SJHL championship, he had 10 points in six games, including a pair of goals in the 4-1 Game 6-clinching victory.
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Jakub Lewandowski (6-3, 197, defenseman, No. 26) — A collegiate senior from Torun, Poland, he spent the past three seasons with fellow CCHA member Bemidji State.
In that time, he played in 61 games, scoring seven goals and six assists for 13 points.
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Trevor Mitchell (6-3, 195, defenseman, No. 10) — A freshman from downstate South Lyon, he’s played the last three seasons in the North American Hockey League with time also in the USHL.
Last season for the Odessa, Texas, Jackalopes, he played 56 games and scored five goals with 15 assists for 20 points.
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Julian Molinaro (5-11, 185, goalie, No. 31) — A freshman from Toronto, he played last season with the Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
In 45 games, he had a 2.60 goals-against average and .916 saves percentage, leading Calgary to the AJHL championship by going 12-3 in the playoffs and stopping 39 of 41 shots in a 3-2 win in the championship game.
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Joe Schiller (6-0, 195, defenseman, No. 2) — A freshman from Moorhead, Minnesota, he played the last two seasons with the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, RoughRiders of the USHL.
In 2023-24, he played in 41 games and had a goal and four assists.
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Grayden Slipec (5-11, 190, forward, No. 15) — A freshman from Surrey, British Columbia, he played the last two years with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, recording 13 points in 2022-23 and 10 points in 2023-24.
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Jesse Tucker (5-11, 187, forward, No. 19) — A senior from Longlac, Ontario, he has played three years collegiately at two schools, last year at Clarkson and the previous two at Michigan State.
At Clarkson, he had four goals and 10 assists for 14 points last season, while he totaled eight goals and 26 assists for 34 points in 67 games over his time with the Spartans.
He also has a twin brother Tyler who is a defenseman with the St. Louis Blues in the NHL.
Steve Brownlee can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 552. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.
Tyreek Hill under 96.5 receiving yards (-110, bet365)
I know. I’m asking you to fade the best wide receiver in football, but check out the numbers he’s been held to by the Bills since joining the Dolphins: 7-69, 7-82, 3-58, 9-69 and 2-33. That’s an average of 62.2 yards per game.
Buffalo has two excellent cornerbacks on the boundary, Christian Benford and Rasul Douglas, who ranked seventh and 10th in PFF’s coverage grades among 75 qualified corners last season.
Miami will utilize motion to get him free releases at the line of scrimmage, but Buffalo is excellent at keeping opposing offenses on their toes with a diverse coverage scheme that adapts and changes throughout the game.
Sean McDermott and new defensive coordinator Bobby Babich can keep Hill in check here.
Dalton Kincaid over 42.5 receiving yards (-113, Fanatics)
It was a disappointing Week 1 for anyone who spent an early pick on Dalton Kincaid in fantasy football, but I expect the Bills tight end to bounce back in Week 2.
The film of Week 1 shows Cardinals jerseys flock to Kincaid on every drop-back, but don’t expect the Dolphins to be quite as aggressive looking to take him out of Thursday night’s game.
Kincaid ranked second on the team with 16 routes from the slot last week, which is excellent for this matchup.
Kader Kohou, the Dolphins’ nickel corner, allowed 40 catches on 45 targets in the slot last year, and it was more of the same in Week 1 as he allowed four catches for 67 yards and finished with a brutal 33.1 PFF coverage grade.
Kincaid still had an 80% route run rate in Week 1, the second-highest on the team, and he finished with seven catches for 84 yards in his last game against Miami.
He cleared this yardage prop in seven of 10 games last year with at least a 60% snap share, averaging 49.1 yards in those spots.
Jonnu Smith should be a strong weapon for Tua Tagovailoa. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
Jonnu Smith over 15.5 receiving yards (-113, FanDuel)
One of the more underrated offseason signings was the Dolphins landing tight end Jonnu Smith. The Dolphins can utilize Smith as a versatile chess piece who is equally adept in blocking and catching the ball downfield. We saw him working in the backfield quite a bit in training camp, and with Raheem Mostert out and De’Von Achane questionable this week, his role could increase here.
Smith ranked second on the team with 12 routes from the slot last week, and the Bills had to turn to former UDFA Cam Lewis as their slot defender after Taron Johnson left with an arm injury. He performed admirably, but I still expect Mike McDaniel to attack that spot, particularly in the red zone.
Be ready to jump on this prop if De’Von Achane is ruled out tomorrow. Achane ran ten routes from the slot last week, and those opportunities would get consolidated with Jonnu Smith seeing more volume on Thursday. Even if Achane plays, his snap count could be limited on a short week, especially since it’s early in the season.
Betting on the NFL?
Smith led all qualified tight ends with 7.3 yards after the catch per reception (YAC/REC) last season and ranked 11th with 1.55 yards per route run. With the amount of open space he’ll find in the Mike McDaniel offense, he will have some productive games this year, and this matchup sets up very favorably. I’d also consider a flier on his touchdown odds, currently available at +425 on DraftKings.
Luis Suarez has backed Darwin Nunez to bounce back from his international ban and demonstrate his ability for Uruguay.
After Marcelo Bielsa’s side were knocked out of this summer’s Copa America by Colombia Nunez was one of several players to race into the stands after trouble broke out between supporters.
He could be seen throwing punches towards supporters as the unsavory scenes unfolded close the players’ families after the full-time whistle.
The Liverpool forward was seen consoling his baby son on the pitch after the fight.
Nunez was subsequently handed a five-match ban from international football by CONMEBOL for his involvement in the incident, the lengthiest of any handed out to those involved.
Luis Suarez has backed Darwin Nunez to come back stronger as the Liverpool forward serves a five-match ban from international football
Nunez was one of several players sanctioned by CONMEBOL after a brawl broke out following Uruguay’s Copa America exit
The suspension meant Nunez was not part of the squad as Suarez called time on his international career in a 0-0 draw with Paraguay on Friday.
Speaking following the game Suarez insisted his compatriot has what it takes to bounce back.
‘I already spoke with Darwin when he was sanctioned in England. Sometimes people enjoy it more when you are on the ground and fall, but people feel more pain when you get back up.
‘And that is what he has to do: get up and continue to show the kind of player that he is.
‘That is where you see the great players and the mental strength he has to have to show those people that they like to see him on the ground.’
With the country’s two most prolific goalscorers, Suarez and Edinson Cavani, calling time on their international careers in the time since the last World Cup, Nunez will be expected to take the mantle heading into the 2026 tournament.
The ban meant Nunez was absent as Suarez called time on his international career on Friday
Nunez has yet to start a game for Liverpool under new boss Arne Slot this season
Since making his debut for La Celeste in 2019, Nunez has netted 13 times in his 29 caps.
However, following Arne Slot’s arrival as new Liverpool boss the forward has seen his opportunities limited so far this season.
After remaining on the bench for the entirety of the Reds’ opening weekend victory over Ipswich, Nunez has been restricted to cameo appearances in their wins against Brentford and Manchester United.
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Luis Suarez backs Darwin Nunez to ‘show the kind of player he is’ as the Liverpool star awaits his return to international football after being handed a five-match ban
