VILLA MARIA: THE FIRST COLLEGIATE GIRL’S FLAG FOOTBALL PROGRAM IN WNY
Last week, I spoke with Keith Wing, Head Coach for Girl’s Flag Football at Villa Maria College. From how the beginning of WNY’s first collegiate program for flag football came to be, to where the sport is headed, and everything in between, Coach Wing and I discussed it all.
MAPLE LEAFS TAKE 2-0 SERIES LEAD OVER SENATORS
The Toronto Maple Leafs doubled their series lead over Ottawa up to two games to none, with a 3-2 overtime victory at home in Game two last night.
Morgan Reilly and John Tavares opened the scoring in the first period for the Leafs, and despite a Brady Tkachuk tally in the second period for Ottawa, Toronto took a 2-1 lead into the third. Late in regulation, Adam Gaudette knotted the game at two for Ottawa, sending the game to overtime. Within the first four minutes of the extra frame, Dylan Cozens got turned around by Max Domi, as the Maple Leaf winger ripped a snipe past Linus Ullmark, who was heavily screened, mind you, to win the game for Toronto and take a 2-0 series lead.
Game Three is set for Thursday night in the nation’s capital, when the Battle of Ontario ends East to Ottawa.
NFL DRAFT BEGINS TOMORROW
The Buffalo Bills are gearing up for the 2025 NFL Draft, which will begin Thursday night in Wisconsin.
The Bills currently hold ten draft picks, with four of those in the first 109 selections, and three picks in the fifth round. With needs across the defense, and the likelihood of wanting to add offensive weapons for their MVP quarterback, Buffalo has their fair share of holes to fill this weekend.
Even still, with so much draft capital to work with, GM Brandon Bean is holding plenty of cards to make moves, with options to trade up or down from the 30th pick, or use the selection when the time comes tomorrow night. Last year, Buffalo famously traded down from the 28th spot, back to 32, and then again down to 33rd overall, where they would select wide receiver Keon Coleman.
I’ll be joining Jay Moran on Morning Edition tomorrow morning to further preview the first round. We will break down their decisions on Friday’s episode of the Scoreboard, and include a look at what may come during the second through seventh rounds.
The first round of the NFL Draft begins Thursday night at 8PM.
HEMPHILL RETURNS TO UB TO JOIN SHARKEY’S WOMEN’S BASKETBALL STAFF
Another homecoming in Buffalo blue and white, former UB Bull Summer Hemphill is returning to her alma mater as an Assistant Coach on newly hired Head Coach Kristen Sharkey’s staff.
Hemphill, a Buffalo native and graduate of Cardinal O’Hara High School, joins the UB staff after spending three years as an Assistant Coach on Jenepher Banker’s staff with the Daemen Wildcats. Over the last three seasons, Daemen captured the ECC regular season and tournament titles in all three years.
Joining the Bulls as a player back in 2016, Hemphill was a member of Sharkey’s first recruiting class under Felisha Leggette-Jack’s watch, which proved to be the most successful class in program history. During her five year playing career, Hemphill played in a program-record 134 games for the Bulls, finishing as the program’s all time leading rebounder, as just the second UB player to ever record over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Hemphill helped lead Buffalo to two MAC Tournament Championships.
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