Edmonton

Site: Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, AlbertaTime: 3:30 p.m.Line: Edmonton by 4 1/2Radio: WJFK (1300 AM)Records: Baltimore 10-4, Edmonton 10-4Last week: Baltimore beat Las Vegas, 22-14. Edmonton edged Hamilton, 33-32.On the sidelines: Baltimore's Don Matthews has a career overall record of 106-63-1 in 10 CFL seasons. Ron Lancaster is 39-21 in four seasons with the Eskimos, winning the 1993 Grey Cup.Roster changes: Baltimore -- OLB Matt Goodwin replaced CB Kwame Smith. Edmonton -- CB Damion Lyons replaced CB Brandon Hamilton.

Pro lacrosse Digest: Edmonton deals Rabil to Rochester Acquiescing to his demand that he be dealt to a team closer to his Baltimore home, the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League sent Paul Rabil to the Rochester Knighthawks for Jarrett Davis . Rabil was traded to the Rush during the 2012 season by the Everett, Wash.-based Washington Stealth, which drafted him second overall in 2008. But Rabil (Johns Hopkins) refused to play for Edmonton and stated his desire to be with an Eastern team in the indoor league.

EDMONTON, Alberta -- As bad as things have been for the Baltimore Spirit this season, this might have been the worst.The Spirit's modest two-game win streak came to an end as Baltimore was defeated, 14-1, by the lowest scoring team in the National Professional Soccer League last night at the Edmonton Coliseum.With the loss, the Spirit's woeful road record dropped to 0-14.The Spirit (7-20) ran into what is by far the league's stingiest defense. Edmonton has given up just 212 points this season.

[ Editor's note: This is IndyCar driver Ryan Hunter-Reay's second blog for The Baltimore Sun. It was written before he won the pole for Sunday's race in Edmonton. To see his introductory post, click here. ]   Welcome back, everyone. It's been a great run lately, three consecutive wins and going for four this weekend in Edmonton. I think the reason behind it is that our team is reaching its potential, to be honest. Early in the season, we knew we were a threat to win races, but we just didn't quite get it done.

BaseballCalifornia Angels -- Recalled IF Bobby Rose from Class AAA Edmonton. Optioned IF Chris Cron (0-for-1) to Edmonton.FootballL Minnesota Vikings -- Agreed to terms with CB Reggie Rutland.

EDMONTON, Alberta -- Edmonton goaltender Bill Ranford, whose solid play has been one of the Oilers' few bright spots this season, finally got some help.Ranford turned in a 33-save performance and the Oilers' dormant offense came to life to combine for a 7-0 drubbing of the Vancouver Canucks yesterday. The Oilers had averaged 3.04 goals in their first 25 games.The Canucks, tops in the Smythe Division and second overall in the NHL, allowed the Oilers to take a 3-0 first-period lead. Then Ranford went to work, stopping 16 shots, including a penalty shot, in the second period.

Canucks: LW Esa Tikkanen, acquired by Vancouver in a Thanksgiving trade, has been suspended by the team for not reporting to the game in San Jose on Saturday night. The 30-year-old spent the weekend with his family in Edmonton after learning he had been traded by New Jersey for a draft pick.Jets: Winnipeg star Keith Tkachuk was injured Sunday night when he took an elbow under the chin from Edmonton's Kirk Maltby. Tkachuk suffered a mild concussion.

EDMONTON, Alberta -- Nick Kypreos scored the game-winner early in the third period as the Washington Capitals beat the Edmonton Oilers, 5-3, last night to extend their unbeaten streak to five games.The victory tied the Capitals with the New Jersey Devils for fourth place in the race for the final Patrick Division playoff spot. Both teams have 68 points, and Washington has a game in hand.Kypreos scored the game-winner at 3 minutes, 17 seconds, and Dimitri Khristich added the insurance goal at 13:57.

PHILADELPHIA -- Mike Ricci assisted on two goals and Kevin Dineen scored in his first game with Philadelphia, as the Flyers beat the Edmonton Oilers, 3-1, last night.Dineen, obtained from the Hartford Whalers on Wednesday for Murray Craven and a 1992 draft pick, scored into an empty net with one second remaining.The Flyers took a 1-0 lead at 6 minutes, 38 seconds of the first period. Edmonton defenseman Dave Manson tried to clear a rebound up the slot. But Philadelphia's Andrei Lomakin gathered in the clearing attempt and scored his sixth goal of the season, beating Oilers goalie Bill Ranford, who was scrambling to get back into the net.The Flyers made it 2-0 at 8:22 of the second after going the first 8:15 of the period without a shot.

Site: Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta.Time: 9:30TV/Radio: Channel 54/WJFK (1300 AM), WGRX (100.7 FM).Records: Baltimore 4-1, first place in the Southern Division; Edmonton 4-1, second place in the Northern Division.Last week: Baltimore scored the game's first 13 points and went on to rout Birmingham, 36-8; Edmonton beat Hamilton, 26-18.On the sidelines: Baltimore's Don Matthews is the fifth-winningest coach in CFL history, with a 114-67-1 record in 11 seasons. Edmonton's Ron Lancaster, in his fifth season with the Eskimos, has a 51-26 record.

The Carolina Hurricanes finished off a stirring comeback with the easiest of goals. Now things really get tough for the Edmonton Oilers. Rod Brind'Amour scored off a flukey mistake with 31.1 seconds remaining when Edmonton's backup goalie botched an exchange behind the net, and the Hurricanes rallied to beat the visiting Oilers, 5-4, in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals last night. The upstart Oilers received grim news after the game: Starting goalie Dwayne Roloson - who had played every minute of the playoffs until he went down with just under six minutes remaining - is done for the series.

Doris Alcarese, a Canadian farm girl who became a Baltimore man's bride with the help of an Army mix-up, died of pancreatic cancer Saturday at Gilchrist Hospice Center in Towson. Mrs. Alcarese, a retired property manager and a resident of Parkville, was 77. Born Doris Duggan outside Edmonton, Alberta, she spent her early years on a farm without electricity and indoor plumbing. She received her early education in a one-room schoolhouse. She was attending business college in Edmonton when she met Andrew A. Alcarese, an Army Air Corps traffic engineer who was stranded in the city - then a way station for U.S. servicemen heading for duty in Alaska - because the Army lost his papers, according to their son William F. Alcarese of Carney.

The National Professional Soccer League has ceased operations of the Edmonton Drillers, a franchise in the league since 1988, effective immediately, according to commissioner Steve Ryan. The league, which took over operations of the franchise on Nov. 15 on an interim basis after Edmonton ownership failed to meet payroll obligations, was unable to find new local ownership. The league is now working on revising the remainder of the 2000-2001 schedule. It will also conduct a re-entry draft for the Edmonton players on Monday afternoon, providing them with an opportunity to finish the season with other teams in the league.

EDMONTON, Alberta -- Seven points in a 43-second span of the fourth quarter gave the Blast all the lead it needed yesterday. The 16-8 win over the Edmonton Drillers solidified the team's lead in the NPSL's American Conference standings, moving it 3 1/2 games up on idle Philadelphia in the East Division. Denison Cabral, the Blast's leading scorer, started the burst with a three-point goal. He one-timed a long pass from Erik Rasmussen past Drillers goalkeeper Paul Shepherd. It was Cabral's first three-pointer of the season.

Coach Kevin Healey won't deny that his team has more talent than last season's, which finished with one fewer win than the Blast now has this winter. But when it comes to the real difference between the teams, he pointed to the fourth period and the Blast's recent dominating performances at game's end. "It's about conditioning and a championship mentality," said Healey, whose team outscored Edmonton 13-4 in the final quarter en route to a 22-12 win last night before 3,711 at Baltimore Arena.

This will be a restful holiday weekend for the bulk of the clubs in the National Professional Soccer League -- except for four teams playing on Sunday.The Blast is one of them, traveling to Harrisburg for a 6: 05 game. Buffalo will play host to Wichita in the other Sunday game.Blast coach Kevin Healey said he will give the Blast Christmas off and do the bulk of the preparation for Sunday's game beforehand."It will probably add some urgency to those sessions," Healey said. "That should help us."

BaseballAstros: Activated P Greg Swindell from 15-day DL. Recalled P Dean Hartgraves from Triple-A Tucson. Optioned P Jim Dougherty and P Jeff Tabaka to Tucson.Athletics: Recalled P John Wasdin from Triple-A Edmonton. Purchased the contract of P Bobby Chouinard from Edmonton. Optioned P Mark Acre to Edmonton. Designated P John Briscoe for assignment.Blue Jays: Sold rights of OF Wes Chamberlain to Chiba Lotte Marines of Japanese Pacific League.Pirates: Outrighted P John Hope to Triple-A Calgary.

Conference semifinals(Best of seven)Eastern ConferenceOttawa vs. Washington(Washington leads series 1-0)Yesterday -- Washington 4, Ottawa 2Tomorrow -- At Washington, 7 p.m. (chs. 69, 66**)Monday -- At Ottawa, 7 p.m. (chs. 69, 66**)Wednesday -- At Ottawa, 7 p.m. (chs. 69, 66**)May 15 -- At Washington, 7 p.m. (HTS)*May 18 -- At Ottawa, 7 p.m. (chs. 69, 66**)*May 20 -- At Washington, 7 p.m. (chs. 69, 66**)***-channel 69 in Baltimore, Howard counties; channel 66 in Harford CountyBuffalo vs. MontrealToday -- At Buffalo, 7: 30 p.m. (ESPN2)

He won only two games during the month, yet Blast goalkeeper Scott Hileman still received the National Professional Soccer League's defensive Player of the Month award for November.Coach Kevin Healey said that's a credit to how well his most valuable player has performed all season."They [the NPSL] didn't take the easy way out and pick some team that had a better record for that month," Healey said. "They looked at his performance and decided that his performance deserved that kind of recognition."

BaseballAngels: Recalled P Ramon Ortiz from Triple-A Edmonton. Optioned P Mike Fyhrie to Edmonton.Cardinals: Recalled IF Adam Kennedy from Triple-A Memphis.Pirates: Activated P Jeff Wallace from 15-day DL and optioned him to Triple-A Nashville.BasketballSuperSonics: Signed G Fred Vinson to 1-year contract.CollegeCincinnati: Suspended F Eugene Land from the basketball team for the fall quarter.HockeyCoyotes: Signed RW Shayne Toporowski.Islanders: Signed RW Mark Lawrence to a two-year contract.