IHL Albany Franchise Calls It Quits
Unable to find a buyer, the Albany (N.Y.) Choppers became the first team in the International Hockey League to fold in midseason, it was reported Thursday.
How the folding of the team will affect the Gulls and the rest of the IHL will be the topic of a league conference call this afternoon.
The IHL said it would implement a contingency plan in which other teams would replace the Choppers for the remainder of the season. The Salt Lake Golden Eagles were slated to take the Choppers’ place against the Milwaukee Admirals at Green Bay on Saturday and at Fort Wayne, Ind., on Sunday.
The Gulls were to play four home games and two road games against Albany. Now, the league’s remaining 10 teams must scramble to fill their schedules.
“It’s never happened, so we’re not sure exactly what we’re going to do,” Gull General Manager Don Waddell said. “The easiest way would be, if one team isn’t playing one night, to make them play the team Albany was supposed to play.”
FOOTBALL
Doug Aronson, who played football at San Diego State from 1983-1986, was drafted in the third round by the Orlando Thunder of the World League.
Aronson is a 6-foot-3, 288-pound guard. Thursday was the opening day of the World League--formerly known as the World League of American Football--draft. The league begins play the weekend of March 23.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
San Diego State announced the signing of four recruits: Middle blocker Amy McConnell of Santa Maria, left-handed rightside hitter Suzanne Turcotte of Scottsdale, Ariz., middle blocker Kim Brown of Fountain Valley and sophomore setter Stacey Bollinger, a transfer from Syracuse.
Two San Diego Section players--senior outside hitter Heather Collins of Poway and senior outside hitter Karrie Downey of Helix--were named to Volleyball Monthly’s All-American second team.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Kieishsha Garnes’ game-high 27 points and seven rebounds aided a losing effort as Cal State Fullerton dismantled SDSU, 77-49, in a nonconference game at Fullerton.
Despite their low offense, the Aztecs (12-10) held Genia Miller, CSUF’s All-American candidate (31-point average), to 25 points.
MEN’S TENNIS
UC San Diego lost its opening match, 5-1, to Cal State Bakersfield. No. 2 singles player Chad Morse was the only UCSD winner, beating Kari Karkkinen, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).
Joe McDonough, Michael Sass and Jeff Belloli were all double winners as SDSU defeated San Luis Obispo, the No. 2-ranked team in Division II, 6-3. SDSU improved to 3-2.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Cal defeated SDSU, 7-2 in a nonconference match at Berkeley. Tanya Lauer was the lone Aztecs singles winner. She defeated Trina Jong, 6-4, 6-1, in the No. 6 spot.
SDSU’s (0-3) Dorey Brandt and Nicole Storto defeated Sarah Maynard and Tiffiny Silveria, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3) in doubles. Fifth-ranked Cal improved to 4-0.