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for November 2011
 The First Niagara Center will be packed tonight when the Buffalo Sabres put their three-game winning streak on the line against division rival Ottawa at 7:35pm. Exactly who will be in goal for Buffalo, Ryan Miller or Jhonas Enroth, remains up in the air.
Miller got the start Tuesday against Winnipeg and gave up five goals, though most were hardly his fault, but the Sabres rallied to defeat the Jets in overtime, 6-5. Miller broke a four game losing streak with the win and while talking to reporters afterwards, semi-joked that “it was nice to get to make it to the second period,” referring to him getting pulled early against Philadelphia in his previous start.
Meanwhile Enroth has been on fire. He’s won all four of his starts this year and sports a handsome 1.41 goals against average and .950 save percentage.
Continue reading ‘Preview: Sabres vs. Senators’
Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula just issued a statement on Penn State via the team’s media relation department.
“The events that are unfolding at Penn State University are deeply troubling and a matter of great concern to me and my wife Kim. As many have expressed, our primary concern is for the individuals and families who may have been victimized.”
“Penn State’s reputation has been severely tarnished. We are encouraged to see the University trustees have begun the process of restoring integrity and trust in the institution. This process will take a period of time and trust will need to be re-earned as a result of these recent disclosures.”
“Penn State is supported by millions of students, alumni, faculty, staff and administrators. Our own support for Penn State and its hockey program is well known and will continue. We expect the University will carry out its educational mission with high standards and integrity.”
 The Buffalo Bills practiced in shoulder pads Thursday afternoon at the Ralph Wilson Field House and for the second consecutive day the list of non-participants remained the same. According to multiple reports Rian Lindell, Demetrius Bell and Chris Kelsay all missed practice and while only Lindell’s been ruled out for Dallas on Sunday, Bell and Kelsay will also be spectators.
Chris Hairston is practicing for the second straight day, making his return to left tackle Sunday more likely. He’ll have a daunting task should he return as he’ll often be lined up in front of Dallas pass rush specialist DeMarcus Ware. If Hairston is able to go, Andy Levitre could slide back to left guard and Chad Reinhart would come off the bench.
However, Joe Buscaglia from WGR550 reports Levitre is continuing to take the snaps at left guard so even if Hairston is healthy to play (he was technically active last week), Chan Gailey may elect to keep Levitre at tackle for the time being.
Aaron Williams is practicing but not ready for contact, meaning he’ll also miss his fifth consecutive game Sunday.
Buffalo (5-3) are currently six point underdogs.
 The University at Buffalo men’s soccer team is ready to open play at the 2011 Mid-American Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament as the third-seeded Bulls take on second-seeded Northern Illinois on Friday, November 11 at 8:00 pm at Akron’s FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field.
The Bulls (8-7-2, 3-2-1 MAC) picked up the third seed in the four-team tournament after they tied Hartwick, 1-1, on November 2 coupled with a 2-1 victory by Northern Illinois (12-5-0, 4-2-0 MAC) over Hartwick on November 5. UB defeated NIU in overtime, 2-1, on October 1 at DeKalb in the regular season meeting between the clubs. Lukas Fedler scored the game-winner in the 108th minute as the Bulls defeated the 18th-ranked Huskies marking the first time since 1997 that UB had downed a nationally-ranked program. NIU is still receiving votes in the national poll.
Continue reading ‘UB Primed to Make Run at MAC Men’s Soccer Tourney’
 To the Penn State board of trustees: You did the right thing. It took a few days, and maybe you did it out of reaction to Joe Paterno’s attempt to paint you into a corner….but you took the appropriate action.
To the Penn State students who staged that embarrassing pep rally at Paterno’s house Tuesday night and then protested last night: You’re young, you have the right to be stupid. Someday you’ll realize that you let your passion for a campus legend overcome your ability to figure out the right priorities.
And to Joe Paterno: Yeah, in hindsight you wish you had done more. In hindsight, I think the parents of the boys who were sexually abused or assaulted wish you had done a lot more. They wish you had done the right thing. And by the way, as you think about your legacy, think about the fact that the words “sex scandal” will join “winningest coach” in THE FIRST SENTENCE OF YOUR OBITUARY.
Continue reading ‘Opinion: So Long, Joe Pa’
 The Buffalo Bills may be on the road this week but there’s still plenty of excitement to be had at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Four bitter high school rivals face off Thursday evening in the Monsignor Martin Association football semi-finals. St. Francis (7-3) collides with Bishop –Timon St. Jude (8-2) at 5pm followed by Canisius (4-6) trying to upset top seeded St. Joes (8-2).
The winners will meet next Thursday at the Ralph for the championship.
For football fans of Western New York who like seeing tremendous athletes, Thursday’s doubleheader is must-see. St. Joe’s Chad Kelly and St. Francis’ Akeel Lynch are the area’s two premier players and both headed to major Division I colleges next year— Kelly to Clemson and Lynch Boston College bound. But seniors like Timon’s Jordan Williams and Mercer Timmis of Canisius are more than capable of stealing the show.
Both games are rematches from earlier season matchups and in both cases, the underdogs gave the favorites all they can handle.
Here’s a small preview of both games:
Continue reading ‘Preview: Catholic Football Playoffs Invade The Ralph’
 The Buffalo Bills held practice and their weekly media day on Wednesday and as you’d suspect, there’s plenty of news to report on.
Regarding injuries, Kyle Williams underwent successful surgery Wednesday to repair his foot, according to his agent. The 2010 Bills’ lone Pro Bowler was placed on Injured Reserve on Tuesday. His spot on the roster was taken by kicker David Rayner, who will be filling in for Rian Lindell. Lindell hurt his shoulder in the Jets game last Sunday and is expected to miss at least a month. Rayner will wear uniform No. 3.
At practice the non-participants were Lindell, Chris Kelsay and Demetrius Bell. Obviously Lindell has already been ruled out while Bell is highly unlikely to play. We should know more on Kelsay’s status Thursday. He is bothered by a calf injury. Cornerback Aaron Williams practiced but still hasn’t been cleared for contact.
Continue reading ‘Bills Media Day Report, Transcripts’
 The Buffalo Sabres will be commemorating Veterans Day by honoring members of our nation’s Armed Forces and celebrating the number 11 during the Nov. 11 game against Ottawa. The team will mark 11-11-11 by offering a special ticket package for the game and also by welcoming veterans from all over Western New York. The team’s legendary number 11 and Sabres Hall-of-Famer Gilbert Perreault will be in attendance at the game and will also host the tailgate tent party prior to the night’s contest.
Veterans are encouraged to take advantage of the special ticket bundle being offered for $111. The package will include two 300 Level-II tickets to the game, two hot dogs, two popcorns and two sodas. The Veterans Package is on sale now and tickets can be purchased at www.sabres.com or by calling 1-888-GO-SABRES.
Before the game, Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY will be collecting donations at entrances of First Niagara Center, with all proceeds benefiting the WNY Heroes Organization.
Continue reading ‘Sabres To Celebrate Veterans On Friday’
 Niagara University men’s basketball head coach Joe Mihalich will participate in the 2nd Annual Shots from the Heart Tournament, in benefit of the Skip Prosser Foundation.
“Unfortunately, heart disease is a disease common to us all and a danger to us all,” Mihalich said. “Any awareness we can provide can go a long way. Skip Prosser left us far too early because of this disease and we can’t lose people like him that soon in their lives. He was someone who made this profession, game, and world a better place. I am honored to be part of something with his name on it!”
Mihalich is one of 64 head coaches competing in the free throw shooting contest and is paired against Michigan head coach John Beilein in the first round.
Continue reading ‘Mihalich To Participate In The 2nd Annual Shots From the Heart’
 Ryan Miller was desperate for a victory Tuesday evening against the Winnipeg Jets by any means necessary. Thanks to an incredible performance by their special teams, Miller and the Buffalo Sabres got that win; getting an overtime goal with 24.5 seconds left to defeat the Jets, 6-5 as they erased several different Winnipeg leads.
Winning a wild one surely isn’t what Miller had hoped for after losing four consecutive starts and giving way to Jhonas Enroth for Buffalo’s last two wins, but it was more terrible play and turnovers in the defensive zone by the players around him that made Miller’s numbers look bad than anything else.
Fortunately they were saved by their power play, which scored four goals on a dozen chances, including the game-winner as well as a highlight reel shorthanded goal that saw Paul Gaustad feed Jason Pominville.
In all, Vanek scored a pair of goals including the game-winner tip in on a blast by Pominville, while Derek Roy added two more to go with Pominville’s shorthanded tally and Corey Tropp’s first career NHL goal. Pominville and Roy each finished with three point nights.
It was Buffalo’s third consecutive victory. They remain home for a showdown with Ottawa on Friday night.
 It seems that following NFL player agents on Twitter is the way to get breaking news firsthand. A day after the agent of Buffalo Bills tight end Mike Caussin tweeted he had been promoted from the practice squad, the agent for kicker Dave Rayner announced via the same way that his client has signed with the Bills.
Rayner will take the place of Rian Lindell, who’s out of the lineup indefinitely after suffering a shoulder injury making a tackle against the New York Jets last Sunday.
To say Rayner is “well traveled” is an understatement. Since being drafted by Indianapolis in 2005, Rayner has spent time with nine teams before inking a deal with Buffalo today.
Continue reading ‘Bills Sign Rayner To Replace Lindell’
 The Buffalo Bills have certainly proved they’re a resilient group. Since starting 2010 with a 0-8 record the Bills have went 9-7 over their last 16 games. That’s quite an impressive feat for a group based largely of unheralded overachievers and even more impressive when you take into account a plethora of critical injuries. Speaking of, the resolve of the Bills will really put to the test over the next eight weeks as the list of the walking wounded continues to mount.
Chan Gailey revealed yesterday that kicker Rian Lindell has already been ruled out of Sunday’s game at Dallas after suffering a shoulder injury last Sunday and sounded pessimistic about Kyle Williams returning at all this season. We’re hearing Lindell will miss several weeks while Williams is very likely headed to Injured Reserve this week—as the Buffalo New first reported Monday evening.
Here is a checklist of all the relevant injuries the Bills have been forced to overcome at just the halfway point of their 2011 campaign: Their lone Pro Bowl player from 2010 (Williams) is likely done, their most feared pass rusher (Shawne Merriman) is already on IR, as our two of their more talented wide receivers in Roscoe Parrish and Marcus Easley. Their starting and backup left tackles (Demetrius Bell and Chris Hairston) have been absent for the past few weeks while starting cornerback Terrence McGee missed nearly four games with a hamstring injury. Even their kicker, Lindell is now out as the team will audition kickers at Ralph Wilson Stadium this morning.
Continue reading ‘Injuries Starting To Take Toll On Bills’
 In what would be a huge blow to an already struggling defense, the Buffalo News published a report citing sources that Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams is expected to head to Injured Reserve and miss the rest of the 2011 season.
Williams has missed three straight games with a foot injury believe to be related to his Achilles and has not been one hundred percent since training camp.
The Bills lone Pro Bowl selection from a year ago, Williams has just nine tackles and no sacks in parts of five games this year. This comes a year after he was dominant on a bad Bills defense; registering 76 tackles and six sacks in 2010.
Continue reading ‘Report: Kyle Williams Likely Headed To I.R.’
 St. Bonaventure senior Andrew Nicholson is one of just 50 players nationally named to the Naismith Award preseason watch list, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Monday.
The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball’s player of the year. Other notable Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year winners include Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and last year’s winner, Jimmer Fredette.
Nicholson, who also earned a spot on the Wooden Award preseason watch list, has earned All-Conference honors in each of his three seasons at St. Bonaventure, including First Team plaudits last year. The Mississauga, Ontario native is tied with Naismith Hall of Famer Bob Lanier atop the school’s career field goal percentage (.576) and ranks 13th in program history with 1,512 points after leading the Atlantic 10 and ranking 15th nationally in scoring (20.8 ppg) as a junior.
Continue reading ‘Nicholson Named to Naismith Preseason List’
 The Buffalo Bills have officially hit the midpoint of their season with a 5-3 record and three-way share of the division lead in the AFC East. That’s certainly good news. The bad news, however, is that loss number three yesterday came in hideously repulsive fashion; a 27-11 blowout loss to the New York Jets on Buffalo’s home field. For a game as important as it was, or at least seemed on the surface, the Bills flat out stunk up Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Very little went right for Buffalo. The pass rush was nearly nonexistent and the cornerbacks were terrible in coverage. The offensive line got pushed around, wide receivers dropped too many passes and Ryan Fitzpatrick to put it mildly, was shaky. Even Fred Jackson had his share of struggles.
It’s funny how quickly things can change. Just one week ago the Bills were the darlings of the league following a statement-making demolition of Washington in Toronto.
Here’s a list of thoughts on the Bills/Jets game, as always in completely random order:
Continue reading ‘Bills/Jets Review: Week Nine Random Smatterings’
 Senior Janelle Davis was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week while junior Allyson Severyn was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. Davis and Severyn each win the award for the first time this season.
Davis averaged 9.83 assists per set and 2.50 digs per set to go along with a .588 attack percentage in Canisius sweeps of Marist and Siena last weekend. Davis had 33 assists in the win against Marist and then had a double-double with 26 assists and 11 digs in the win over Siena. Davis posted an attack percentage of .500 or better in each match, with 11 kills on 17 attack attempts.
Severyn averaged 7.33 digs per set in the two Canisius sweeps. The 5-foot-5 libero recorded 28 digs in the win over Marist, the most digs by a Canisius player in a three-set match since Oct. 29, 2006. Severyn also recorded a 97.5 service reception percentage, going 39-for-40 on the weekend.
Continue reading ‘Canisius Pair Earns Weekly MAAC Honors’
 The Buffalo Sabres returned to practice on Monday afternoon at the First Niagara Center, and as expected, reporters swarmed goaltender Ryan Miller following the session to get his reaction on getting pulled last week and benched in favor of Jhonas Enroth in consecutive games over the weekend.
What wasn’t quite expected was Miller’s candid… very candid response to reporters when asked about his feelings on getting pulled last Tuesday against Philadelphia after just six minutes; a span that saw him give up three goals.
“”I don’t want things to be confused… I’m here to win,” Miller told several reporters. “That’s the emotion you get from me. That’s my spirit. I’m pissed off. That’s just how it is. I want to win. I don’t want to be out there getting scored on. I don’t want to be pulled out. I wanna, you know… win the (explicit) game!”
Continue reading ‘Ryan Miller Wants To Win The Flippin Game’
 According to the agent of tight end Mike Caussin, the Buffalo Bills have promoted Caussin from the practice squad to the 53-man active roster. The Bills will now have to make a move either via waivers or Injured Reserve to make room for him. Indications seem cornerback Terrence Wheatley is the most likely candidate to go with Aaron Williams being close to ready to returning.
No announcement has been made by the team yet.
Signed in 2010 originally by Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent, Caussin was signed to the Bills active roster late last season, but was inactive for all five games he was on the roster.
He was a final roster cut this past September after catching six passes for 41 yards in the preseason. He was immediately brought back to the practice squad and has spent the first nine weeks of the season there.
**UPDATE**- Indeed it’s Wheatley that’s released to make room.
 All things appeared in place for the Buffalo Bills to win their sixth game in eight tries this Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Facing the New York Jets, Buffalo entered the contest with the better record, an impressive body of work and the advantage of a sold-out home crowd. None of it mattered. The Jets flat out dominated the Bills in all three areas in front of a shocked and disappointed “White Out” Buffalo crowd, routing the Bills 27-11.
The game wasn’t even close to being as close as the final score indicated—and yes I did use the word close twice in one sentence.
From the opening whistle the Bills were outgunned physically by the Jets from the point of attack. Buffalo’s offense couldn’t mount a thing and only a couple of huge mistakes by Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez kept the game within reach at halftime as New York led just 3-0.
The Bills weren’t so lucky in the second half. LaDanlian Tomlinson and John Conner each had one yard touchdown runs sandwiched by Sanchez finding Santonio Holmes for an eight yard score as the Jets outscored Buffalo, 24-3 in the second half before Ryan Fitzpatrick hit David Nelson with essentially a garbage time touchdown pass in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
Continue reading ‘Jets Hammer Bills On Road, 27-11′
 The Canisius College hockey team returns to the Buffalo for a two-game series against Atlantic Hockey foe Bentley. The Griffs and the Falcons are set to meet on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. and on Sunday at 2:05 p.m.
SOPHOMORES BUILDING ON ROOKIE CAMPAIGNS
• With over half of the team’s offensive production lost from last season, the Griffs needed the sophomore class to take the next step and build on their strong rookie seasons.
• Through four games, the class has responded.
• The eight Canisius sophomores currently account for 53 percent of the team’s points (10-19), 43 percent of its goals (3-7) and 58 percent of its assists (7-12).
Continue reading ‘College Hockey Preview: Canisius vs. Bentley’
 The St. Bonaventure University Athletics Department will stream all of its home men’s and women’s basketball games free of charge for the 2011-12 basketball season, director of athletics Steve Watson announced on Thursday.
Fans will now be able to access all Bona home games, beginning with the men’s exhibition against Mansfield on Friday, live over the Internet through the CBS All-Access player on GoBonnies.com. No usernames, passwords or account will be required.
The broadcasts will be produced by SBU-TV under the direction of Paul Wieland, associate professor of journalism and mass communication, and technical director Joe Paciorkowski. Undergraduate students from the Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication will continue to provide most of the broadcast crew. On the majority of the men’s games, SBU graduate Jeremy Noeson ‘05 will call the play-by-play and John Watson Jr., associate professor in the School of Business, will provide color commentary.
Continue reading ‘Bona Games to be Streamed for Free This Season’
 Buffalo Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta was suspended this afternoon for four games by the National Hockey League following a head butt in last night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Jakub Vorcek.
Kaleta has a reputation as a pesky enforcer and surely his past troubles with the league had plenty to do with the stiff suspension. It’s his second suspension, with his first coming in 2009 following a vicious boarding penalty against Jared Ross.
Kaleta has one goal and 18 penalty minutes in 11 games for Buffalo this season. His suspension is effective immediately, meaning Kaleta will begin serving Friday night when Buffalo wraps up its five game home stand against Calgary.
 Whether Terry Pegula, Darcy Regier, Lindy Ruff & Co. like it or not, the Buffalo Sabres are inching towards a full blown goaltender controversy. Ryan Miller was awful Wednesday night in about six minutes of action; giving up a fat rebound that led to Philadelphia’s first goal and getting smoked on more shots early on that led to a 3-0 hole and Miller being pulled—and boo’d off the ice.
The Sabres stopped the bleeding with Jhonas Enroth in net, who stopped all 15 shots he faced, and the team managed two unanswered goals as Buffalo fell to 1-4 at the First Niagara Center with a 3-2 loss to the Flyers.
To put it mildly, Miller didn’t look impressive again between the pipes and did nothing to quiet a growing fan base calling for Enroth to start getting more playing time. In a little under three games this season Enroth is sporting a ridiculous 1.39 goals against average and .955 save percentage. Perhaps he gets his third start on Friday when the Sabres wrap up their five game home stand against Calgary while Miller gets some time to sort things out.
Continue reading ‘Sabres Inch Closer To Goalie Controversy’
 Credit University at Buffalo Bulls head football coach Jeff Quinn with this much: his never-say-die attitude resonates throughout the locker room. The players believe in his system and have fought tooth and nail on multiple occasions this year.
But with just two wins – one in the Mid-American Conference – and seven losses, it’s time to start reevaluating. And the position it starts with is quarterback.
Quinn lured an old pal, Chazz Anderson, from Cincinnati in hopes that a quarterback with Big East experience would help propel them back toward the top of the MAC East. It hasn’t.
Continue reading ‘Time For University At Buffalo Football To Look To The Future’
 Good news for the Buffalo Bills as they prepare to face the New York Jets in a key AFC showdown this Sunday. Wide receiver Donald Jones is participating at practice today and told WGR550 reporter Sal Capaccio that he’s ready to go against of the Jets—as of right now.
The addition of Jones back to the passing game would provide another weapon for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Jones has 16 receptions for 174 yards and a touchdown in a little over four games this season, including his five catch, 101 yard effort against the New England Patriots.
Jones hasn’t played since injuring his ankle early in the first quarter during Buffalo’s victory over Philadelphia. The Bills have used a wide receiver by committee approach to replacing him in the lineup since the injury, including running back C.J. Spiller getting several reps with Jones out. With Darrelle Revis likely to be matched up against Stevie Johnson for much of the day, Jones could have an opportunity for a big game in his return.
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