Albany eliminated Maine from the America East field hockey tournament

COLLEGES

Allison Smidome scored five goals as second-seeded Albany (13-5) cruised to an 8-1 win over sixth-seeded Maine (8-12) in the America East field hockey semifinals on Friday in Lowell, Mass.

Taylor Stanford scored the lone goal for Maine.

MEN’S HOCKEY: Lyndon Breen and Bradley Nadeau scored goals and goalie Victor Osman made 25 saves as Maine beat Merrimack 2-1 in a men’s hockey game Friday in North Andover, Massachusetts.

The Black Bears (4-1) took the lead 1:03 into the second period when Breen scored. Nadeau added to the advantage at 10:44 of the second period. Josh Nadeau assisted on both goals.

For Merrimack (3-3), Matt Copponi scored with less than a minute left in regulation while Hugo Olas made 20 saves.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY: Ann-Frederique Guay had a hat trick with a power play goal at 3:36 of the third period as Maine (4-5, 2-3 Hockey East) rallied for a 4-3 victory over Boston College (5-5- 1, 5- 1-1) in Boston, Massachusetts.

Guay also scored on the power play in the second period, then tied the score at 3-3 late in the second.

Ava Stevenson was Maine’s other leading scorer. Black Bears goaltender Jordan Mathison made 25 saves.

FOOTBALL: Michigan has fired Connor Stallions, a low-level football official who is at the center of an NCAA investigation into illegal scouting of opponents and plate theft, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Friday.

The person said Stalions, who was suspended two weeks ago, did not show up for a scheduled hearing Friday and informed the school through his attorney that he would not participate in internal or external investigations.

GOLF

LPGA: Japanese golfers Shiho Kuwaki and Nasa Hataoka shared the top spot with a two-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA’s Japan Classic in Omitama, Japan.

Kuwaki carded his second consecutive round of 7-under 65 and Hataoka carded a 66 to put them at 14-under 130.

China’s Xiyu Lin (67) and Japanese players Mone Inami (68) and Akie Iwai (69) were tied for third.

TENNIS

PARIS MASTERS: Grigor Dimitrov booked his place in the semi-finals after a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win over Hubert Hurkac ended his opponent’s hopes of reaching the ATP Finals.

Dimitrov then faces Stefanos Tsitsipas, who easily beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-4 for his 300th career win.

In another quarterfinal, Novak Djokovic defeated defending champion Holger Rohn – who beat Djokovic in last year’s final – after a nearly three-hour battle, 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-4. He will meet Andrei Rublev, who defeated Alex de Minaur 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 for a place in the final.

WTA FINALS: Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka reached the semifinals for the second year in a row, beating Elena Rybakina 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 on Friday in doubles.

Sabalenka went 2-1 in round robin play and advanced as the runner-up in her group. Jessica Pegula finished atop her group at 3-0.

The two semifinalists in the other singles group were set for later on Friday, with US Open champion Coco Gauff taking on Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova and four-time major champion Iga Svetek meeting three-time Slam One runner-up Jaber.

CAR RACE

FORMULA ONE: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will start this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix on pole, but his team-mate Sergio Perez has fallen behind in ninth position after Friday’s qualifying in Sao Paulo.

Verstappen clocked 1 minute 10.727 seconds in qualifying, which was interrupted by rain.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start from second, with a lap 0.294 seconds behind Verstappen.

ATHLETICS

THE DOPING CHARGE IS DISMISSED: World steeplechase champion Nora Geruto of Kazakhstan has been cleared of doping after claiming that ulcers and a bout of COVID-19 could explain abnormal blood test results.

Kenyan-born Jeruto won the 3,000m steeplechase title for Kazakhstan at last year’s world championships in Eugene, Ore., but was unable to defend it at this year’s event after being accused of doping in April.

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