CIHL PLAYOFFS
Quarter-final 1
Hsinchu Raptors 11,
Sababa Bears 5
After being down 4-1 on inspiring goals by Bears’ Josh Smith, the Raptors rallied on Saturday, carrying the game with an offensive juggernaut. Diverse goal production left the Bears reeling.
Quarter-final 2
Taipei Wolves 3,
Tainan Dragons 2
In the weekend’s only upset, Wolves goalie Andrew Tingley on Saturday held his squad in against a persistent Dragons team that was able to draw within one with a minute remaining in the game.
Quarter-final 3
Taichung Lions 3, Taipei Tigers 2
A defensive battle on Sunday was decided in the final seconds as Dave Campbell put the Lions ahead with a determined, and controversial, game-winning goal, the second time in as many years that the Lions have scored in the dying seconds to advance.
SEMI-FINAL MATCH-UPS
Semi-final 1 — Game 1
(April 24, 9:15pm)
Taipei Rhinos v Taipei Wolves
For their effort in upsetting the Dragons, the Wolves earn the privilege of trying to slash the regular-season champs’ lead with the help of league-leading scorer Ryan Lang, a former Wolves player. The strength of the Wolves goaltending against the Rhinos’ speedy attack will play a huge role in determining the outcome of this best-of-three series. Games 2 and 3 of both series are to be played on Saturday and Sunday of the same weekend.
Semi-final 2 — Game 2
(April 24, 10:45pm)
Hsinchu Raptors v Taichung Lions
In a battle between the second and fourth seeds, the Lions will be looking to upset a deadly Raptors squad that kills with size and speed. In order to advance, the Raptors will have to twice defeat a Lions defense and goalie that can easily shut down even the most determined snipers.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB