Hockey

Welcome to the latest Sun blog, a space for thoughts and commentary on high school sports and the people who play, coach and administer them. The postings here typically will be ideas that might fall short of a full column, but nonetheless are worth exploring. And, rest assured, unlike some television stations that have jumped lately into high school coverage, we won't be advocating booing opponents here. That said, three cheers to Channel 11 weather forecaster Sandra Shaw for spending part of her morning Friday at Catonsville with the field hockey and boys and girls soccer teams, as well as some football players.

Horse racing -- Jerry Hollendorfer became just the fourth trainer to win 5,000 races after his only two starters won at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif. Hollendorfer, who was in Northern California at Golden Gate Fields where his lone starter failed to win, matched the milestone with a win by Political High in the final race of the Hollywood Park season late Saturday. He also won the third race with Gold Trim. The others to reach the plateau are Dale Baird with 9,445 wins, Jack Van Berg with 6,378 and King Leatherbury with 6,227.

It is the largest city in the state, the anchor of a metropolitan region, with sprawling and relatively affluent suburbs all around it. It is located near the confluence of rivers and gets quite humid in summer. It is home of a football team in the AFC of the NFL. It has a baseball team in the American League. It once had an NBA team, but not for years. It no longer has a hockey franchise, either. But this town is hungry for more sports. Sounds pretty much like Baltimore, doesn't it? Except for one thing: The city I'm describing is in Missouri and has a brand-new, 18,000-plus seat downtown arena.

Carla Tagliente is smart and tough. She isn't scared of much, because if she can't think her way out of a situation, she'll muscle her way to the top.By the end of the weekend, the Maryland field hockey team (22-1) wants to end up tops in the nation. The Terps compete in the NCAA tournament final four this weekend in Boston, facing Iowa (19-2) at 12: 30 p.m. today. Connecticut (23-0) meets Michigan (19-6) at 3: 30 p.m."We've come this far, but it isn't over," Tagliente said. "We don't pay much attention to rankings and statistics.

Pinpointing the defining moment of Elizabeth Ryan's three-sport Roland Park career comes down to two dramatic possibilities.The options: a trick field hockey goal against Severn in 1997, and a last-second lacrosse goal against St. Mary's last spring.At Severn, as Ryan stood with her back to the goal, a shot caromed off the goalie's pads toward her. She had one choice -- to slam the ball back through her legs toward the cage. In a split second, she did it and scored. The Reds won, 2-0.Against St. Mary's in a tied lacrosse game, Ryan took a pass from Lauren Miller and raced to goal with five seconds left.

When a platoon of Canadians spills into the United States carrying helmets, gloves and long sticks, one word traditionally comes to mind: hockey.But yesterday, the Oshawa Blue Knights from outside Toronto cut a swath through the fields of Cockeysville as testament to the fastest-growing sport of the northern neighbors: lacrosse.The 9- and 10-year-olds became the 1999 STX-Cockeysville Invitational Tournament's star attraction not just for winning three games in as many hours. The team traveled the farthest among 102 teams participating.

Wayne Gretzky's eyes watered and his voice cracked yesterday as he put the rumors to rest and announced the end of his magnificent, 20-year career."We have highs and lows in life," Gretzky said, his voice raw as he spoke at a nationally televised news conference at Madison Square Garden. "That seems to be the general feeling. We go to funerals and to weddings. We laugh and cry. This is a party and a celebration. I'm officially retired."And then Gretzky, who has been telling his friends and teammates to smile and be happy for him, wiped his eyes.

If you've ever devoted a supreme effort to a project, taking an approach maybe a little off the beaten path, only to have your work criticized afterward, you'll understand the frustration Fox officials are feeling as they approach their final season of hockey coverage.For four years, the network attempted to take a game that was and still is largely on the fringe of the American sports consciousness and bring it into the 20th century, only to have virtually every move met with criticism from the hockey community.

Garrison Forest coach Micul Ann Morse knew it was a matter of time before her seventh-ranked Grizzlies scored yesterday against third-ranked St. Paul's.It's just that she would have preferred they not take so long to do it.After more than 55 minutes of scoreless field hockey, and numerous good chances for both teams, senior Kate Wheeler scored the game's only goal with 4: 15 left, as host Garrison Forest knocked off the previously unbeaten Gators, 1-0, in a key early-season Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Division game.

The Baltimore Sun in Anne Arundel is compiling weekly individual statistics for football, boys and girls soccer, and field hockey this fall.The football package includes passing, rushing and receiving statistics; while the soccer and field hockey packages will feature leading scorers and goalkeepers.County coaches for these sports are urged to call Pat O'Malley's 24-hour Sports Hotline (410-647-2499) between Friday evening and 4 p.m. Sunday.Coaches also can nominate Player of the Week candidates at that time.

Fresh off their state title last week, Calvert Hall's Zach Walz and Kenneth MacLean Jr. have been selected to play in the first High School All-Star Hockey Game today at the Rockville Ice Arena at 9:30 p.m. ( For more, go to baltimoresun.com/varsityletters)

A junior forward for Perry Hall's up-and-coming girls basketball team, Rachel Smith has been a varsity athlete since the first season of her freshman year. She also plays field hockey and lacrosse and was captain of the hockey and basketball teams this school year. Smith, whose Gators are seeded second in the Class 4A North region, averages 10.2 points and 6.3 rebounds. She plans to become a nurse. Smith also hunts deer with her dad. What is your earliest sports memory? When I first started playing [basketball]

Cherry will begin his ESPN gig tonight on SportsCenter after the first game of the Eastern Conference finals between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. He'll do post-game analysis during the conference finals, and contribute both pre-game and post-game during the Stanley Cup Finals. Cherry, whose nickname is Grapes, is simply not to be missed, if only for his sartorial shock value, which is so brilliant at times that Cherry has to wear sunglasses. I think it's to protect his retinas from his own reflection off the glass around the rink.

The reckless abandon with which Alex Ovechkin dominates the NHL has turned Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau into a praying man. But as Ovechkin finishes one of the most remarkable seasons in a decade -- and as his team closes in on a playoff berth -- Boudreau is setting aside concerns that the 22-year-old Russian's bruising brand of hockey will lead to serious injury. Rein him in? Not a chance. "We pray," Boudreau said of how his coaching staff reacts to Ovechkin's risky, all-out style.

Golf -- Golf Channel suspended anchor Kelly Tilghman for two weeks yesterday for saying last week that young players who wanted to challenge Tiger Woods should "lynch him in a back alley." Tilghman was laughing during the exchange Friday with analyst Nick Faldo at the Mercedes-Benz Championship, and Woods' agent said he didn't think there was any ill intent. Hockey -- The Detroit Red Wings signed goalie Chris Osgood to a three-year extension. Osgood, 35, leads the NHL in goals-against average (1.68)

Pro basketball -- Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest had surgery on his right elbow to remove bone chips yesterday and will miss three to four weeks. After missing two games, Artest had a magnetic resonance imaging. He is averaging 19.1 points in 19 games, having missed the first seven games of the season because of suspension. Hockey -- More people tuned in on New Year's Day to see the NHL play outdoors than any other regular-season game in more than a decade. The Pittsburgh Penguins' victory over the Buffalo Sabres in snowy Buffalo, N.Y. -- the first regular-season outdoor NHL game in the United States -- drew a 2.6 overnight rating and a 5 share on NBC. Those were the best numbers since a six-game regional telecast on Fox drew a 3.0 overnight rating and a 7 share on Feb. 3, 1996.

Horse racing -- Jerry Hollendorfer became just the fourth trainer to win 5,000 races after his only two starters won at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif. Hollendorfer, who was in Northern California at Golden Gate Fields where his lone starter failed to win, matched the milestone with a win by Political High in the final race of the Hollywood Park season late Saturday. He also won the third race with Gold Trim. The others to reach the plateau are Dale Baird with 9,445 wins, Jack Van Berg with 6,378 and King Leatherbury with 6,227.

It is the largest city in the state, the anchor of a metropolitan region, with sprawling and relatively affluent suburbs all around it. It is located near the confluence of rivers and gets quite humid in summer. It is home of a football team in the AFC of the NFL. It has a baseball team in the American League. It once had an NBA team, but not for years. It no longer has a hockey franchise, either. But this town is hungry for more sports. Sounds pretty much like Baltimore, doesn't it? Except for one thing: The city I'm describing is in Missouri and has a brand-new, 18,000-plus seat downtown arena.

Shannon Troyer and Elizabeth Gordon have officiated field hockey and girls lacrosse games for several years, and each has tried to recruit friends to referee without much success. The women, who played both sports in high school, said officiating was a natural progression after Troyer, 26, played field hockey at Delaware and Gordon, 28, played club lacrosse at Maryland. They love the job and have encouraged others to try it to help ease a shortage of referees in field hockey and, to a lesser extent, lacrosse.

Beginners welcome -- Howard Huskies are accepting registration for the 2007-2008 recreational hockey season. No tryouts are necessary. Openings are available for players ages 4 to 17 in the rec/developmental program; openings are available for skaters and goalies ages 4 to 8 and 9 and 10, and skaters ages 11 and 12 and 15 to 17. Beginners and those seeking to revive skills are invited. Coaches are USA Hockey-certified. www.HowardHuskies.org.