Sports
Kyle Monangai, Rutgers blow out Michigan State 41-14
Nov 30, 2024; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Kyle Monangai (5) leaps into the air as he crosses the goal line during the first quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images Kyle Monangai rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown on Saturday as visiting Rutgers finished its regular season with a 41-14 Big Ten Conference rout of Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich.
The Scarlet Knights (7-5, 4-5) controlled both sides of the scrimmage line after a slow start, more than doubling the Spartans in rushing yardage and gobbling up 35 minutes of clock. Athan Kaliakmanis added 157 passing yards on 13-of-22 accuracy, along with a touchdown.
Michigan State (5-7, 3-6) was seeking to become bowl-eligible but saw its season end with an emphatic thud. The Spartans managed 13 first downs, and after a promising start on the ground that saw them rush for 99 yards in the first quarter and a half, barely reached 100 yards for the day.
Michigan State initiated the scoring less than three minutes in as Nate Carter ripped off a 26-yard touchdown run. But that was it for the Spartans’ attack until Aidan Chiles found Jack Velling for a 5-yard strike with 7:21 left in the game. Chiles finished 13-of-23 passing for 150 yards.
By then, Rutgers had more than done its damage. It took the lead for good before the midway point of the first quarter behind Monangai’s 7-yard touchdown run and the first of Jai Patel’s four field goals, a 25-yarder.
Antwan Raymond made it 17-7 at the 6:07 mark of the second quarter with a 13-yard scoring jaunt, capping a 94-yard drive. Patel then punched 42 and 30-yard field goals through snow and a stiff wind in the final 90 seconds of the half for a 23-7 advantage.
The Scarlet Knights essentially ended the game’s competitive phase on the first drive of the second half, chewing up 7 1/2 minutes to drive 75 yards. Kaliakmanis finished it off with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Ian Strong.
Patel added his fourth field goal, a 29-yarder, with 10:55 left in the game to cap off another seven-minute drive. Raymond tacked on a 5-yard scoring jaunt with 1:57 remaining.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Star-studded trio finalists for NHL's Ted Lindsay Award
Jan 29, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) looks to make a pass in front of San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini (71) during the first period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov and Macklin Celebrini were named finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award on Tuesday.
The award goes each year to the most outstanding player in the NHL, as chosen by members of the NHL Players’ Association. The three finalists were among the top four points scorers in the NHL in the 2025-26 season.
Kucherov is the reigning award holder.
The date of the trophy announcement was not disclosed.
Edmonton Oilers center McDavid led the NHL in scoring with 138 points (48 goals, 90 assists) over 82 games. He is a four-time Lindsay Award recipient, most recently following the 2022-23 season, and is a seven-time finalist. Only Wayne Gretzky is a five-time winner.
McDavid, 29, had a 20-game point streak from Dec. 4-Jan. 13, tallying 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in that span. He captained the Oilers to a second-place finish in the Pacific Division at 41-30-11 (93 points).
Kucherov, 32, has played for only the Tampa Bay Lightning since he entered the NHL in 2013. The forward the NHL with a points-per-game average of 1.71 and was tied for third in the league with a plus-43 rating. From Dec. 20-Jan 12, Kucherov registered 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 10 games.
This is Kucherov’s fourth time as a finalist and he has won twice — 2018-19 and 2024-25.
Celebrini, 19, was the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Sharks and recorded 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in 82 games, which was fourth in the NHL but a San Jose franchise record. He is striving to become the first Sharks player to win the Lindsay Award. The center helped the Sharks improve to a 39-35-8 record (86 points), bettering their 20 wins and 52 points from his rookie season.
The finalists for the remaining NHL Awards will be announced one per day. On Wednesday, the NHL will reveal the finalists for the Vezina Trophy, given to the top goaltender.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Two ex-Fordham players banned after betting probe
Mar 11, 2023; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Fordham Rams guard Will Richardson (1) looks to drive past Dayton Flyers guard Koby Brea (4) in the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Two former Fordham men’s basketball players received permanent bans from the NCAA on Tuesday after a lengthy gambling investigation.
The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions found that Elijah Gray and Will Richardson participated in potential game manipulation for sports betting reasons.
According to the investigation, a $10,000 bet was placed on a February 2024 game involving Fordham in which the bettor wagered that the other team would win. NCAA enforcement staff identified three members of the roster with connections to the bettor, including Gray and Richardson.
Another member of the team told investigators he overheard Gray, Richardson and another student-athlete discussing the idea of throwing a game for money.
Gray admitted to agreeing to participate in the scheme in exchange for a payment of $10,000 to $15,000, but said he reconsidered and played with his normal effort and Fordham won the game. Richardson has denied involvement and he declined to cooperate with the investigation, which itself is an NCAA violation.
Gray, a 6-foot-8 forward, played two seasons at Fordham (2022-24) before transferring to Temple for the 2024-25 season. He transferred again to Wisconsin but was dismissed from the program last October amid the investigation. Gray averaged 5.7 points in 61 games (nine starts) for the Rams.
Richardson, a 6-foot-3 guard, played three seasons at Fordham (2022-25) before transferring to Albany, where he was dismissed from the program in December without appearing in a game. He averaged 7.9 points in 73 games (41 starts) for the Rams.
The bettors involved in the plot were indicted in January by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on wire fraud and bribery charges related to sports contests.
–Field Level Media
Sports
PWHL officially passes 1M attendance mark for first time
Nov 30, 2024; Toronto, ON, CANADA; Toronto Sceptres forward Jesse Compher (18) joins team mates and fans as they celebrate a goal scored by forward Hannah Miller (34) against the Boston Fleet in the third period at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images The Professional Women’s Hockey League surpassed one million fans in the regular season for the first time in its three-season history, the league announced Tuesday.
In all, 120 games were played, with slightly more than 1.1 million people filling the seats for an average of 9,304 per game.
That total is an increase of 28 percent over last season, including the playoffs, and 71% over the first season of 2023-24. The average total of fans in the stands was 5,448 per game in the first season, 7,230 in the second.
On April 17, the PWHL surpassed one million fans in a single season for the first time in league history, reaching the milestone in 109 regular season games, 30% fewer than the PWHL needed to reach its first million fans.
The attendance mark was helped by the addition of the expansion Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes, which The Athletic reported had the largest average attendance of all franchises at home this season. Seattle averaged 12,875 fans, with Vancouver bringing in 11,234 per game.
The league is expected to announce further expansion soon.
Before that, the league will hold the Walker Cup Playoffs beginning Thursday. The top-seeded Montreal Victoire and reigning champion Minnesota Frost will meet in one semifinal, with the Boston Fleet and Ottawa Charge in the other pairing. The winners of the two best-of-five series will play for the Walker Cup.
–Field Level Media
Star-studded trio finalists for NHL's Ted Lindsay Award
Two ex-Fordham players banned after betting probe
