Hawks

MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK -- Playing their seventh game on a 10-day road trip, the Baltimore Skipjacks grabbed an early 3-1 lead but ran out of gas, losing 5-4 to the Moncton Hawks in an American Hockey League game yesterday.Jason Wooley and John Slaney sandwiched Skipjacks goals around one by Ken Gernander to give Baltimore a 2-1 lead after the first period.Eric Murano scored on Baltimore's first shot of the second period at 1:34, putting the Skipjacks ahead 3-1, but it was all down hill after that.

Basketball took on new meaning for Rodney Monroe yesterday. It officially became a job when the Hagerstown native signed a two-year contract with the Atlanta Hawks.Terms of the contract were not released."This is just another step to where I want to get to," said Monroe, reached at his hotel in Atlanta yesterday afternoon. "Signing the contract is a big step. Now I'm getting paid to play a game I've loved for so long."Monroe, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard, was the Hawks' second-round pick out of North Carolina State and the 30th overall selection in last June's NBA draft.

PITTSBURGH -- Too much Mario Lemieux. Not enough Jeremy Roenick and Steve Larmer.That has been the story of a Stanley Cup championship series that will end soon unless the scenario changes.Lemieux scored a pair of second-period goals and the Penguins played surprisingly strong defense the rest of the way last night to pin a 3-1 defeat on the Chicago Blackhawks before a sellout crowd of 16,164 at the Civic Arena.In stretching their win streak to nine games, the Penguins grabbed a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven final that moves to Chicago Stadium for games tomorrow and Monday.

A memorial service for Ellen M. Hawks, a retired columnist and features writer for The Evening Sun and The Sun, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Boyce and Carrollton avenues, Ruxton. After the service, a reception will be held at the nearby L'Hirondelle Club, 7611 L'Hirondelle Club Road. Mrs. Hawks, who was 83, died Sunday of a heart attack.

Malek Redd ran for 278 yards and two touchdowns and running mate Michael Campanaro rolled up 144 yards and three touchdowns to lead host River Hill back to the Class 2A state final with a 48-14 victory over previously undefeated Century last night. The No. 1 Hawks are the defending 2A champs, with a 27-0 record over the past two seasons, and in the second half of this game they looked every bit a champion. "They had too much speed for us," said Century coach Tony Shermeyer, who led the Knights to their first winning season in the program's seven-season history.

North Harford's girls basketball team had hoped to come home from the Holly-N-Hoops Tournament with one more Christmas present, but its hopes turned to frustration Thursday night.The Hawks were set to play Southern for the championship of the Holly Division of the tournament, played at the University of Maryland's Baltimore County campus near Catonsville.Instead of playing, they had to forfeit. Because of the threat of snow, Harford County school administrators would not let coach Lin James' team -- or any other county team -- make the trip to the tournament.

With four 6-footers on the floor, last night's girls basketball game between No. 6 River Hill and No. 11 Howard figured to be a battle on the inside, but the Hawks' guards stole the show. Shantrel Oliver and Vanessa Collier combined for 38 points to lead host River Hill to a 67-41 victory in a Howard County league game. The Hawks (6-0 overall, 5-0 league) are the only unbeaten team remaining in the county. Oliver and Collier said there were two main keys to the victory - defense and taking it to the Lions' 6-footers: Nyree Williams and Brandi Wingate.

Nothing comes easy for the Washington Bullets this disappointing season.Making their final appearance in Baltimore, the Bullets blew a 10-point lead in the final two minutes, but scored five points in the last nine seconds to outlast the Atlanta Hawks, 121-116.This unlikely victory before a roaring crowd of 10,409 at the Baltimore Arena ended the Bullets' record seven-game home losing streak. But it took a season-high 33-points by Ledell Eackles and several officiating blunders to finally stop the tailspin that had seen Washington (24-42)

Ellen M. Hawks, a versatile columnist and feature writer for The Evening Sun and The Sun whose newspaper career spanned more than 30 years, died of a heart attack Sunday at her Ruxton home. She was 83. Mrs. Hawks was a genial and well-liked newsroom figure whose voice - despite living in Baltimore for six decades - never lost its gentle Mississippi lilt. And while she bore more than a passing resemblance to actress Judi Dench, she lived her life after the fashion of Auntie Mame. Born and raised Ellen McCracken in Sardis, Miss.

North Harford literally ran right over C. Milton Wright on Thursday night. The Hawks rushed for 394 yards and four touchdowns, overwhelming the visiting Mustangs with their ground game en route to a 42-6 victory in an Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference matchup. North Harford coach Ken Brinkman said he wanted to see what the Mustangs would be able to handle. The Hawks started running early, and C. Milton Wright wasn't able to stop them as North Harford ran left, right and up the middle.