Guelph Storm Add Size With New Imports; Both 2025 CHL Import Draft Selections Signed
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Venus Williams falls at first hurdle in Cincinnati
Venus Williams rallied from 4-1 down in the first set but could not maintain momentum, the seven-time Grand Slam champion falling 6-4, 6-4 to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open on Thursday. Williams, 45, was competing for the second time in three weeks after returning to the WTA tour in Washington in her first tournament in 16 months. Williams won her first-round match in Washington before bowing out to Magdalena Frech in straight sets. Bouzas Maneiro, ranked 51st, was thrilled by the sense of occasion on the opening day of the tournament, the last major tuneup prior to the August 25 start of the US Open. "It was not easy at all," the Spaniard said of taking on Williams. "She's a legend, it was a privilege to play against her." Bouzas Maneiro said her 87-minute win was "like a dream". "I never thought that I would ever play Venus," the 22-year-old said. "I was just lucky with that. "I tried to have a lot of intensity, but I had no rhythm. She hits so hard. I tried to focus. I had to be positive to win the points." Williams was playing Cincinnati for the 11th time. She reached the semi-finals in 2012 and in her most recent prior appearance had lost in the second round to China's Zheng qinwen in 2023. She said this week that after a serious health scare last year that involved surgery to remove uterine fibroids she is relishing her return to the courts. "I'm in a completely different space and I have a clean bill of health, thank God," she said. In results from the ATP Masters 1000 event draw, Brazil's Joao Fonseca began with a win over China's Bu Yunchaokete 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. Fonseca overcame 18 unforced errors and snapped a three-match losing streak in Masters 1000 events. "I was struggling a lot, missing a lot of shots, not feeling my best today," Fonseca admitted. "I was staying in the game, believing that I would find the opportunity, and I got it. I'm very happy with how I believed." Belgian Zizou Bergs defeated Britain's Jakob Fearnley 6-1, 6-4 while there were wins for Frenchmen Benjamin Bonzi and Arthur Rinderknech. str/bb
New York Times
30 minutes ago
- New York Times
Caleb Williams, Colston Loveland among Bears to watch in practice, game vs. Dolphins
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — At the start of training camp, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson said he would 'put a lot of weight' in joint practices. The Bears have two, starting Friday against the Miami Dolphins at Halas Hall ahead of Sunday's preseason opener. Then they have the same setup next week when the Buffalo Bills come to town. Advertisement 'It will be good for us to see that speed and just a little bit of a different style of offense and defense,' Johnson said Tuesday. 'And same thing with Buffalo. You talk about a team that is a perennial Super Bowl contender right now with Buffalo. So, really good talent, and I think it'll be a good measure for where we're at as a unit.' Thursday's practice was a shorter one in shells to prepare for what should be a long, physical preseason setting on Friday. Joint practices are getting more and more popular, allowing coaches to reduce snaps in the preseason games. 'It gets you going and it also gives players more opportunities to show what they can do,' defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said, 'especially with one less preseason game to help younger players be able to show what they can do against other competition and guys like myself always striving to get better to see how we stack up against somebody else. It's fun.' With two big opportunities against another NFL team, here are 10 players who could gain a lot by how they fare against the Dolphins this weekend. 1. QB Caleb Williams: The starting quarterback valued his preseason reps last summer, and he got more than the Bears might have planned in the second game against the Cincinnati Bengals. That joint practice was a little tough because it rained, and then in the game, the first-team offense could not get a first down, so Williams kept trotting out there. We'll see what the plan is for Week 1 of the preseason, but Williams gets to see a new defense and gets another set of opportunities to work on Johnson's play calls, getting in and out of the huddle, keeping an eye on the play clock and trying to make big plays. Camp hasn't been the smoothest for Williams, but he was sharp in Tuesday's physical practice. Maybe the competitive juices will help, too, on Friday and Sunday, to keep the offense moving while avoiding penalties and negative plays. Advertisement 2. LT Braxton Jones: This weekend should be the best opportunity yet for evaluation of the left tackle competition. Jones knows his experience will help him, but it'll be his first opponent since his ankle injury. Jones has been open in the past about his struggles with the bull rush. How he fares against that type of pass rush from Miami's front seven could play a role in the battle, too. 3. LT Ozzy Trapilo: Several rookies make this list, as we should learn a little more about them based on how they handle another NFL team. In Trapilo's case, he's done a nice job in practice thus far. It'll be a little different on Friday and Sunday. Can he use his 6-foot-8 height and length to fend off the Dolphins' edge rushers? Can he avoid penalties? He did both those well at Boston College, but this will be his first NFL action. 4. QB Tyson Bagent: If we're measuring player performance this summer on praise from coaches, Bagent is having a heck of a camp. 'Man, he's been phenomenal. I mean, he's smart as a whip,' Johnson said. 'Appreciate the seriousness and intent that he brings every time he walks into a room. Meeting room, walk-through, it doesn't matter. He's locked in. He's focused. I think his teammates feel that from him.' In the No. 2 quarterback battle, does Bagent need to show more than Case Keenum, who has years and years of tape? 5. CB Nahshon Wright: One of the surprises of camp, Wright has gotten the most reps as a starting outside cornerback in Jaylon Johnson's absence. 'He has been balling,' safety Kevin Byard said last month. 'He got a lot of turnovers in the spring. I have full trust in him. He's a veteran. He has been with (defensive backs coach) Al (Harris) in Dallas over there, so he already knows the defense, knows the technique and the things Al wants to get accomplished.' Wright is 6-4 and can use the joint practices to show he can contend with Miami's speedy receivers. 6. DE Dominique Robinson: Entering Year 4 with only two career sacks, and now with a new defensive staff, Robinson would be an easy candidate for the roster bubble. But he had a strong spring and has made some plays in camp. He's still competing to be the No. 3 with Austin Booker, making the Dolphins weekend a crucial one. 'He's still learning to play the defensive end position and every day he comes out here and works extremely hard,' defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. 'He's smart and he has ability. And so if you're smart and you have ability and you're willing to work, I think you're going to get better. I think he's done that. So I'm anxious to see him play in games and see what that looks like.' Advertisement 7. TE Colston Loveland: It's early, but it's already apparent what Loveland can bring to Williams and this offense. He's a smooth strider and a big target. What will that look like against the Dolphins' linebackers and defensive backs? Loveland isn't fighting for a job, but it'll be a great experience for him to keep growing, especially after he missed spring practices. 8. RB Kyle Monangai: Roschon Johnson missed Thursday's practice with a foot injury, which meant more reps for the seventh-round pick out of Rutgers. Monangai took advantage of his starter's reps in the two-minute drill when he ran for a first down on third-and-short to set up an end-of-half field goal. He's already gotten some time with the first-team offense, and he might get even extra snaps if Johnson can't go. 'He's been awesome,' Williams said. 'Still learning, still a young guy. We've all been there. But he's been awesome. Very, very smart guy. Hard runner. He's gonna put his nose down and get the yardage we need.' 9. WR Luther Burden III: Every rep matters for someone like Burden, who missed all of spring and the beginning of training camp. As accomplished as he was in college, Burden will have to learn about coverages and how to handle physical corners. The Dolphins and Bills can start to get him ready for what he'll see from Minnesota in the season opener. 10. LB Noah Sewell: Similar to Robinson, a Day 3 draft pick who hadn't done much in his first couple of seasons, Sewell figured to have a lot of work to do with a new staff. But he's the leader in the clubhouse to be the starting strongside linebacker. While that position won't be on the field a ton, Sewell has earned it with his play, and maybe most importantly by finally staying healthy. He can keep proving it with some big hits against the Dolphins. (Top photo of Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent: Kamil Krzaczynski / Imagn Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lions put CB Ennis Rakestraw on IR with season-ending shoulder injury and sign TE Steven Stilianos.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have placed cornerback Ennis Rakestraw on injured reserve with a season-ending shoulder injury and signed tight end Steven Stilianos. Detroit made the moves Thursday after coach Dan Campbell lamented that Rakestraw was hurt a year after injuries limited him to eight games as a rookie. 'You hate it for the kid,' Campbell said earlier this week. 'It's not his fault, just one of those tough deals. All you can do is try to get it better and rehab, come back stronger and move on.' Detroit drafted the former Missouri star in the second round last year and his season ended in mid-November after various ailments kept him off the field. Stilianos provides depth at tight end for exhibition games, limiting snaps for starter Sam LaPorta and veteran backups Brock Wright and Shane Zylstra. Rakestraw played when the Lions opened the preseason with a 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Detroit plays the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night in its second of four exhibition games. ___ AP NFL:
