HOCKEY
The Maine Mariners opened a five-game trip with a 7-2 ECHL win Wednesday night over the Admirals at Norfolk, Virginia.
Keltie Jeri-Leon and Alex Kile each scored twice as the Mariners won their third straight and 6 of 7.
Cameron Askew, Reid Stefanson Michael Fossier also scored against the Admirals, who have the league’s fewest wins (6).
Tim Doherty had three assists.
Stepan Timofeyev and Danny Katic scored for Norfolk in the third period.
Maine, which was won 12 of 15 games since Dec. 1, plays at Norfolk on Friday and Saturday.
HIGH SCHOOLS
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL: Graca Bila poured in 22 points to lead North Yarmouth Academey (9-0) to a 59-21 win over Waynflete (2-7) in Portland.
Sarah English chipped in with 14 points. Angel Huntsman had 12 assists.
Lucy Hart scored six points for Waynflete.
BOYS’ HOCKEY: Kasey Berube scored twice in the first period to start Leavitt/Gray-New Gloucester/Oak Hill/Poland on its way to a 7-0 win over Kennebunk/Wells (2-8) in Auburn.
The Kings (2-5) also got goals from Hunter Bussiere, Conner Boulay, Issac Ormberg, William Keach and Jamison Bergeron.
TENNIS
ASB CLASSIC: Third-ranked Casper Ruud was eliminated in the second round by Laslo Djere 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3) at Auckland, New Zealand.
The top-seeded Norwegian missed only four first serves in the opening set and put almost constant pressure on Djere. But things changed early in the second set when Ruud landed only 3 of 8 first serves in his first two service games as the Serb broke to lead 3-1.
Djere also began to dictate on serve, hitting 16 aces in the second and third sets – nine in the decider..
Second-seeded Cameron Norrie’s match stretched to almost six hours because of rain before he beat Czech qualifier Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3.
ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL: Last year’s Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins needed seven match points but advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 7-6 (2) win over Swiss qualifier Jil Teichmann at Adelaide, Australia.
In an earlier match, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova kept her perfect 2023 record intact after an injury-forced early end to her match against Zheng Qinwen.
After coming from 5-3 down in a 71-minute opening set, and saving three set points in the ensuing tiebreaker to win it 8-6, Kvitova moved through when Zheng retired due to a left thigh injury.
In men’s play, Thanasi Kokkinakis beat top-seeded Andrey Rublev 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Local player Kokkinakis will take on Miomir Kecmanovic in the quarterfinals after the Serbian eliminated Australian Jason Kubler 5-7, 7-6 (1), 6-4.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Former finalist Marin Cilic has withdrawn due to a knee injury.
Cilic, 34, was a runner-up in Melbourne in 2018 when he lost to Roger Federer in the final.
PREGNANT: Naomi Osaka posted “a little life update” on social media:
She’s pregnant.
Osaka, 25, did not state the news outright, but her post included an ultrasound photo and a reflective message that indicated she will not return to the court until the 2024 Australia Open.
SOCCER
CHELSEA: Portugal forward Joao Felix joined Chelsea on loan from Atletico Madrid in a deal that will keep him at the Premier League club until the end of the season.
Felix has also extended his contract with Atletico for one more year until June 2027.
• Christian Pulisic is facing up to two months out with a knee injury, Chelsea Manager Graham Potter said.
The United States forward sustained damage to his right knee in Chelsea’s 1-0 loss to Manchester City last week.
It is the latest injury setback for Pulisic, whose Chelsea career has been disrupted by issues with his fitness.
FRANCE: Noel Le Graet agreed to step back from his duties as president of the French soccer federation following an emergency executive committee meeting into his behavior.
Le Graet, 81, has faced claims of sexual harassment and the soccer federation is the target of an investigation ordered by French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera. The federation said in a statement that Le Graet agreed to step away from his role until the audit’s findings have been fully reviewed by the executive committee.
That is expected to be by the end of January. Until then, he will be replaced in an interim role by federation vice president Philippe Diallo.
NWSL: Megan Rapinoe has re-signed with OL Reign for the 2023 season.
The move comes exactly 10 years after Rapinoe was allocated as a national team player to the Reign.
Rapinoe, 37, is one of just five players who have been with the same club since 2013, the NWSL’s first season. She has scored 47 regular-season goals during her career, tying her for sixth all-time in the league.
AUTO RACING
NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson revealed his rebranded NASCAR team and said he will drive the No. 84 – the reverse of his longtime No. 48 – when the seven-time champion competes for Legacy Motor Club.
Legacy Motor Club replaces Petty GMS, the name the two-car Cup team had last year when Maury Gallagher became the primary owner of Richard Petty’s organization. Johnson bought into the ownership group in November, and with two of NASCAR’s seven-time champions part of the team, the name change was fitting.
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