Halverson

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- OK, John Byce was right. The odds were against the Skipjacks. They still are.But for the third time in the AHL Southern Division first-round playoffs, the Skipjacks defied the odds last night. They defeated the favored Binghamton Rangers, 6-2, before 3,032 at Broome County Arena to even the series at three games apiece.The seventh and final game will be played here tomorrow night.When the Skipjacks arrived here yesterday for Game 6, Byce acknowledged that the odds were against his team.

So much for being the hosts.Neither the Baltimore Skipjacks nor the Washington Capitals could come up with a victory last night at the Baltimore Arena in the organization's third annual exhibition doubleheader with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Hershey Bears.Despite the pair of losses -- the Jacks fell, 5-4, to the Bears and the Caps were stopped by the Flyers, 4-1, in the nightcap -- the organization's brass got a good look at some of their young players' strengths and weaknesses.The Jacks, in particular, took center stage, because many Caps starters didn't dress.

FREDERICTON, New Brunswick -- Duane Derksen saved the Baltimore Skipjacks from sinking last night.Derksen, the rookie goaltender out of the University of Wisconsin, turned aside 34 Fredericton Canadiens shots to lift the Jacks to a come-from-behind 3-2 victory before 3,587 fans here last night.Derksen's goaltending and John Byce's goal with five minutes left in regulation helped the Jacks win their ninth on the road.Trevor Halverson and Jeff Nelson scored the other goals for the Skipjacks.

Alfred J. Bryan Jr., 77, N. Arundel Hospital CEO Alfred J. Bryan Jr., who helped establish North Arundel Hospital and was secretary of the hospital's board, died June 1 of congestive heart failure at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The Severna Park resident was 77. Mr. Bryan, who had been chief executive officer and president of the hospital from its founding in 1962 until his retirement in 1991, had undergone heart surgery last month. During his 29-year career at North Arundel, which opened in 1965 with 107 beds, Mr. Bryan oversaw four expansions of facilities, the addition of intensive care and critical care units and a parking garage.

THIS PAST YEAR was a time of growth for St. James Nursery. Since 1974, thousands of 3- and 4-year-olds have gotten a head start on their education by attending preschool at St. James Nursery in Mount Airy. When last fall's enrollment surpassed classroom space, the school made it a priority to expand the number of classes available to area children. An addition to the nursery school building or portable classrooms were deemed not feasible. So the school looked at using existing properties in the community, said Ellen Bonde, St. James Nursery director for 14 years.

BaseballAstros: Named John Tamargo bullpen coach; offered contracts for 1999 to coaches Jose Cruz, Mike Cubbage, Matt Galante, Tom McCraw and Vern Ruhle.Blue Jays: Announced Eddie Rodriguez will not return as third base coach.Phillies: Agreed to terms on two-year contract with IF Alex Arias.BasketballQuad City Thunder (CBA): Traded F Matt Steigenga to Rockford Lightning for G Jeff Grayer.CollegesCentennial Conference: Named Johns Hopkins sophomore Sarah Parola (4 goals, 1 assist) women's soccer Player of the Week.

The National Weather Service has posted a winter storm watch for Saturday for all of Western Maryland, and for the northern tier of counties, including Carroll, Frederick, Harford and northern Baltimore County. The watch called for the "potential" of 5 or more inches of snow in portions of the state on Saturday, beginning overnight Friday as rain, then changing to snow Saturday morning and continuing through Saturday afternoon. The weather service predicted a small pocket of 6-inch accumulations in extreme northwestern Carroll and northeastern Frederick, surrounded by gradually diminishing totals of 4-, 2- and 1-inch totals.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Baltimore's superb ability to kill penalties, rated second in the AHL going into last night's game against the Rochester Americans, failed the Skipjacks in a 3-3 tie at the War Memorial Auditorium.Dave Baseggio scored the Amerks' third power goal in five opportunities at 16 minutes, 52 seconds of the third period, wiping out Reggie Savage's two goals that gave the Skipjacks their only lead of the game."You don't blame one part of the game," said Savage, who had scored goals 2:18 apart in the third period.

The Baltimore Skipjacks didn't win last night, but they didn't lose, either.Baltimore also did something it had done only once before this season. The Skipjacks did not lose a game when trailing after two periods.The Skipjacks rallied with a pair of third-period goals to tie the Adirondack Red Wings, 3-3, before 4,443 at the Baltimore Arena.The tie was the second for Baltimore when trailing after two periods. The Skipjacks are 0-13-2 in that situation. It was also Baltimore's second game in a row without a loss and kept the Skipjacks from falling more than one point behind the Binghamton Rangers, who defeated the New Haven Nighthawks, last night, in the AHL Southern Division.

Simon Wheeldon scored two goals and assisted on a third to lead the Baltimore Skipjacks to a 5-2 AHL victory over the Halifax Citadels last night before 1,672 at the Baltimore Arena.Wheeldon scored his sixth and seventh goals of the season on power plays in the first period and assisted on John Purves' extra-man goal, also in the first period, as Baltimore raced to a 3-1 lead.Trevor Halverson scored his first goal of the season at 12 minutes, 59 seconds of the third period on a shot from 15 feet out in the slot that beat goalie Stephane Fiset, high and to the stick side.