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Higgins leads Canadiens past Bruins

BOSTON (AP) - Chris Higgins had a goal and two assists to help the Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins 4-2 on Thursday night.

Montreal snapped a three-game losing streak with its seventh straight victory over Boston. The Canadiens have outscored the Bruins 28-11 during the streak.

Higgins, Kyle Chipchura and Tomas Plekanec scored goals on the first six shots of the game against goalie prospect Tuuka Rask, forced into the starting role with Tim Thomas sidelined by an apparent groin injury.

Mathieu Dandenault added a third-period goal for Montreal, and rookie Carey Price made 24 saves to improve to 7-4-1.

Phil Kessel and P.J. Axelsson scored for Boston, coming off a six-game road trip that ended Wednesday night with an overtime loss in New Jersey.

Kessel and Axelsson connected in the second period as Boston battled back while outshooting Montreal 13-3. Kessel scored at 6:10 after Dennis Wideman's slap shot deflected off Kessel's leg. Axelsson cut Montreal's lead to 3-2, tapping Marc Savard's cross-crease pass past goalie Carey Price 2:31 later.

Dandenault added an insurance goal with 6:45 remaining in the third.

Higgins opened the scoring off rebound 3:03 into the game. It was his fourth goal in the last four games and snapped Montreal's 0-for-15 drought on the power play.

Notes: Boston acquired goalie Alex Auld from Phoenix on Thursday in exchange for a minor league player and a draft pick. Auld replaces Thomas, hurt Wednesday night in New Jersey. ... Plekanec leads Montreal with six points this season against Boston. ... Montreal's Ryan O'Byrne had two assists in his first NHL game. ... Montreal is 4-0 against Boston, and 10-10-4 against the rest of the NHL.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 9:56 PM to Bruins | Permalink | Comments 0

Friars fall to South Carolina

The Providence Friars just lost to South Carolina, 67-66, in the Big East/SEC Invitational at the Wachovia Center.

PC trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half but cut it to two (61-59) with 2:59 to play. South Carolina stayed in it with some good work on the free throw line.

PC had a key steal in the final minute and a Brian McKenzie 3-pointer cut the lead to 67-64 with 33 ticks left. PC had a final chance to tie the game when Weyinmi Efejuku was fouled with 0.2 seconds left. But he missed the first of two free throws and the Friars (5-3) lost for the second straight game.

-Kevin McNamara

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 9:30 PM to PC basketball | Permalink | Comments 0

Brown Buries UNH, 68-52

Mark McAndrew of Barrington scored 19 points and Mark MacDonald 10 in leading Brown to a 68-52 victory over cold-shooting New Hampshire Thursday night at the Pizzitola Center. It was Brown's third consecutive victory.

McAndrew made four of his six shots from three-point range. He also grabbed five rebounds and passed for two assists. Peter Sullivan scored nine points, all in the first half, and Scott Friske chipped in seven points and eight rebounds.

UNH shot 34 percent for the game, largely the result of a late spurt. Alvin Abreu led the Wildcats with 14 points.

Brown ran to a 20-2 lead in the first eight minutes, led 33-18 at the half and by as many as 19 in the second half.

Brown (5-3) will play Providence College Sunday night.

Posted by Mike Szostak  at 7:44 PM to College Sports | Permalink | Comments 0

Photo: Patriots return to practice

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Patriot veterans Rodney Harrison, left, Troy Brown, right, and Tedy Bruschi, background, run a drill at practice in the bubble at Gillette Stadium, in preparation for Sunday's 4:15 p.m. game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team has returned to the practice field after yesterday's day off to rest.

Posted by Pam Cotter  at 4:27 PM to Patriots | Permalink | Comments 0

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam, at the Nashville meetings

Sean McAdam checks before he leaves the winter meetings in Nashville to tell us where the Red Sox are with Johan Santana, and to talk about other deals around baseball. Click the play button below to listen and watch the show.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:05 PM to Red Sox | Permalink | Comments 0

Bruins acquire goalie Alex Auld

Read the details on projo.com's Bruins Blog.

Posted by Art Martone  at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

PC vs. URI: A cheerleader's eye view

With a capacity crowd at the Ryan Center, Tuesday's PC-URI game was big for the cheerleaders as well. Photographers Gretchen Ertl and Connie Grosch hung out with them before, during and after the game, and produced this audio slideshow. Click the play button below to see and hear the show.

URI Cheerleaders Roster:
Heather Sweetser, senior captain from Smithtown, N.Y.
Kate McKeever, senior from Middletown, Conn.
Melissa Scungio, junior captain from Cranston
Tricia Heitzman, junior from Newton, N.J.
Samantha Gannon, junior from Coventry
Joelle Gardner, junior from Johnston
Alex Burke, sophomore from Great Falls, Va.
Nicole Mingoia, sophomore from Levittown, N.Y.
Kim Prytula, sophomore from West Warwick
Kimmie O'Neil, sophomore from Phillipsburg, N.J.
Katelyn Desch, sophomore from Colts Neck, N.J.
Ricki Lepkowski, freshman from Waterbury, N.Y.
Alicia Messina, freshman from Calverton, N.Y.
Jessica Jarvis, freshman from Westerly
Kasey Porter, freshman from Milford, N.H.
Julianna Bryan, freshman from Colonia, N.J.
Emily Wojusik, freshman from Bristol, Conn.
Rachael Milano, freshman from Leominster, Mass.
Chelsea DeFeo, freshman from Exeter
Lexi Zambino, freshman from Methuen, Mass.
Michelle Caliguiri, freshman from Woodmere, N.Y.
Jessica Henning, freshman from Batavia, N.Y.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Download today's sports cover

Today's cover features the latest on the Red Sox' pursuit of Johan Santana, and what that might mean for the future of phenom Jacoby Ellsbury. In addition, Shalise Manza Young tells us why Bill Belichick went easy on his Patriots yesterday.

Download a copy of the page in PDF format

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments 0