USA Hockey's Hilary Knight tells USA Today 2026 Winter Games will be her 5th and final Olympics

USA Hockey's Hilary Knight tells USA Today 2026 Winter Games will be her 5th and final Olympics

Hilary Knight is preparing to make the 2026 Milan Winter Games her fifth and final Olympics, the face of U.S. women's hockeytold USA Today on Tuesday. "It's time," Knight was quoted as saying. "I have grown up in this program and it's just given me so much. I'm at peace. I just have this feeling that it's time," she added. "And I'm grateful that — hopefully I can stay healthy and everything — I can go out when I'd like to be done. That is such a privilege that only a handful of competitors get." The decision comes as Knight turns 36 in July, while entering her 20th year with the national team since making her debut in the 2006 Four Nations Cup tournament as a 17-year-old. Over that time, Knight has become one of her sport's most decorated and dominant players, including being named the winner of theIIHF's inaugural female player of the year award in 2023. Last month, she led the U.S. with nine points in winning her 10th gold medal at the world championships, a tournament in which Knights holds the career record for most goals, assists and points. At the Olympics, Knight won gold at the 2018 Games in South Korea along with three silvers. And she's coming off a PWHL season in whichthe Boston Fleet captainfinished tied for the league lead with 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 30 games. Though she's retiring from international play, Knight said she intends to continue her PWHL career in a league she played a role in helping launch in the summer of 2023. The six-team privately funded league surpassed the 1 million attendance mark this past season and last month announced it was adding expansion teams in Seattle and Vancouver for the start of its third season. Knight's impact on hockey also included her being at the forefront of the U.S. players' threat to boycott the 2017 world championships on home soil, successfully achieving their bid for better pay and more equitable treatment from USA Hockey. "I understood what the sport gave me and I wanted to give that to other people. I wanted other people to have the same opportunities that I had," Knight said. "Obviously there's tons of work that always needs to be done, but I think we now have a career path." ___ AP Women's Hockey:https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

byKevin Jones

in

May 20, 2025

USA Hockey's Hilary Knight tells USA Today 2026 Winter Games will be her 5th and final Olympics

USA Hockey's Hilary Knight tells USA Today 2026 Winter Games will be her 5th and final Olympics Hilary Knight is preparing to make the 2...

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Emily Clark's OT goal lifts Charge over Frost 2-1 in final series opener

Emily Clark's OT goal lifts Charge over Frost 2-1 in final series opener

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Emily Clark scored at 2:47 of overtime on Tuesday night to lead the Ottawa Charge to a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Frost. With the win, the Charge take a 1-0 lead in the Professional Women's Hockey League best-of-five championship series for the Walter Cup. Game 2 in the series is Thursday in Ottawa. Ottawa is a perfect 3-0 on home ice through the playoffs. The Frost have never won Game 1 of a playoff series in four attempts. Clark came down the wing and wired a shot past Nicole Hensley, who finished the game with 17 saves. The game required extra time after Gwyneth Philips had a rare miscue early in the third period, leading to the Frost's tying goal. Philips, who stopped 25 shots, mishandled the puck while attempting to play it, turning it over to Katy Knoll. Knoll quickly fed a pass to Klara Hymlarova, who buried the wide-open chance to tie the game 1-1. With 6:08 remaining in regulation the Charge were set to go on the power play but officials then reviewed an incident that saw Rebecca Leslie cross check Mellissa Channell-Watkins. It was initially assessed as a major but then downgraded to a minor creating offsetting minors. Leslie had brought the crowd to its feet midway through the second period when she beat Hensley high glove side to give Ottawa a 1-0 lead. Moments earlier the Frost had been generating a number of chances on the power play, but Philips was solid. As the penalty was expiring the Charge were able to clear the puck with Jocelyne Larocque making a cross-ice pass to Tereza Vanisova who dropped a pass to Leslie. Hensley couldn't get a clear view of the shot, partially screened by her teammate Lee Stecklein. ___ AP Women's Hockey:https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

byKevin Jones

in

May 20, 2025

Emily Clark's OT goal lifts Charge over Frost 2-1 in final series opener

Emily Clark's OT goal lifts Charge over Frost 2-1 in final series opener OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Emily Clark scored at 2:47 of overtime o...

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Henderson works 5 shutout innings as the Brewers win 5-2 to extend Orioles' skid to 8 games

Henderson works 5 shutout innings as the Brewers win 5-2 to extend Orioles' skid to 8 games

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Logan Henderson recorded seven strikeouts in five shutout innings as the Milwaukee Brewers beat Baltimore 5-2 on Tuesday night to hand the Orioles their eighth consecutive loss. Brice Turang, Sal Frelick and Rhys Hoskins homered to help the Brewers win their third straight. Milwaukee's three homers matched a season high. Baltimore has gone 0-4 under interim manager Tony Mansolino since the SaturdayfiringofBrandon Hyde.Mansolino had been a third-base coach on Hyde's staff. Henderson (3-0) allowed two hits and two walks while becoming the first Brewers pitcher to win each of his first three career starts. The 23-year-old right-hander has struck out 23 while yielding just three runs over 16 career innings. Milwaukee took a 3-0 lead on Turang's solo homer to left-center in the third inning and Frelick's two-run shot into the second deck of the right-field stands in the fourth. Both homers came off Chayce McDermott (0-1). Baltimore made it a one-run game in the seventh. Ramón Urías greeted Joel Payamps with a two-out RBI single. Jackson Holliday drove in Urías with a triple off the wall in left-center. Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio crashed into the wall trying to catch Holliday's drive, but remained in the game. Milwaukee added two runs in an eighth-inning rally that included a Hoskins leadoff homer off Félix Bautista and two Baltimore errors. Abner Uribe struck out the side in the ninth for his first save of the season. Key moment The Orioles had the tying run on third base after Holliday hit his triple in the seventh. Payamps preserved Milwaukee's lead by retiring Adley Rutschman on a fly to center. Key stat Henderson's 23 strikeouts represent the second-highest total ever by a Brewer in his first three career starts. Freddy Peralta struck out 25 batters through his first three starts in 2018. Up next Tomoyuki Sugano (4-3, 3.08 ERA) starts for Baltimore and Chad Patrick (2-4, 3.35) pitches for Milwaukee as this series concludes with a matchup of right-handers Wednesday afternoon. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

byKevin Jones

in

May 20, 2025

Henderson works 5 shutout innings as the Brewers win 5-2 to extend Orioles' skid to 8 games

Henderson works 5 shutout innings as the Brewers win 5-2 to extend Orioles' skid to 8 games MILWAUKEE (AP) — Logan Henderson recorded se...

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Taylor Walls hits sacrifice fly in 9th as Rays rally to beat Astros 3-2

Taylor Walls hits sacrifice fly in 9th as Rays rally to beat Astros 3-2

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Taylor Walls hit a game-ending sacrifice fly and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied to beat the Houston Astros 3-2 on Tuesday night. The Rays trailed 2-0 until Jonathan Aranda's two-run single in the eighth inning tied the score. Christian Morel then led off the ninth with a walk against Kaleb Ort (1-1) and advanced to third on pinch-hitter Brandon Lowe's double to left-center. After Josh Lowe popped out, Walls hit a fly ball to drive in Morel to give the Rays their 12th win in 30 games at Steinbrenner Field, their temporary home this season. Manuel Rodriguez (1-2) pitched a scoreless ninth to get the win. Astros left-hander Brandon Walter, making his first major league start, pitched five strong innings in his Houston debut. Jake Meyers hit an RBI double in the second for the Astros, and Isaac Paredes had a solo homer in the third against his former team to make it 2-0. Rays starter Zach Littell allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings. He struck out six. Key moment With the Rays trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the eighth, with one out and runners on first and second, Kameron Misner and Jose Caballero pulled off a double steal to set up Aranda's tying single to right field. Key stat Starting for the first time after making nine relief appearances for Bostohn in 2023, Walter gave up three hits and struck out five. Up next Astros RHP Hunter Brown (6–2, 1.43 ERA) goes against Rays RHP Taj Bradley (3–3, 4.80 ERA) in the series finale on Wednesday. ___ AP MLB:https://www.apnews.com/hub/MLB

byKevin Jones

in

May 20, 2025

Taylor Walls hits sacrifice fly in 9th as Rays rally to beat Astros 3-2

Taylor Walls hits sacrifice fly in 9th as Rays rally to beat Astros 3-2 TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Taylor Walls hit a game-ending sacrifice fly and ...

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Santander and Guerrero Jr. homer as Blue Jays deal Padres 4th straight loss 3-0

Santander and Guerrero Jr. homer as Blue Jays deal Padres 4th straight loss 3-0

TORONTO (AP) — Anthony Santander and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered, Chris Bassitt and three relievers combined on a five-hitter and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the San Diego Padres 3-0 on Tuesday night. The shutout was Toronto's first of the season. The Padres failed to score a run for the third time this season. San Diego lost its fourth straight, matching its longest losing streak of the season. The Padres also lost four in a row from April 23-27. Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt (4-2) allowed four hits, walked one and struck out six in six innings. Brendon Little worked the seventh, Yariel Rodríguez pitched the eighth and Jeff Hoffman finished for his 10th save in 12 opportunities. Padres right-hander Dylan Cease (1-3) allowed three runs and three hits in seven innings. Cease hasn't won in eight starts, failing to record a victory since April 2 against Cleveland. He has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of those outings. San Diego lost for the first time when its starter worked at least seven innings. The Padres had been 5-0 in such games. Guerrero opened the scoring with a one-out homer to left in the bottom of the first, his sixth. Santander made it 3-0 with a two-run drive in the fifth, his sixth. Key moment Santander homered for the first time since May 6 against the Angels. Tuesday's two-run drive was Santander's first homer since being dropped to fifth in the order Sunday. Key stat The Padres went 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position, the fourth straight game they've gone hitless in those situations. Up next RHP Kevin Gausman (3-4, 4.59 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Wednesday against Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (3-3, 3.45). ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

byKevin Jones

in

May 20, 2025

Santander and Guerrero Jr. homer as Blue Jays deal Padres 4th straight loss 3-0

Santander and Guerrero Jr. homer as Blue Jays deal Padres 4th straight loss 3-0 TORONTO (AP) — Anthony Santander and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. h...

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