Grand Forks KnightRiders hope tight games help at tournament time — and more

Feb. 24—GRAND FORKS — The Grand Forks KnightRiders' girls hockey team used a strong defense and talented young scorers to tie the program's regular-season wins record from last season with 19 entering the state tournament.

In doing so, Grand Forks showed the competitive balance of the league — playing in seven one-goal games.

The KnightRiders were 5-2 in one-goal games this season, hoping that experience can be a weapon as the North Dakota state tournament begins Thursday in Fargo.

The KnightRiders, the No. 2 seed, face No. 7 Mandan at 5 p.m. in the opening round at Farmers Union Rink at Scheels Arena.

"All the games are close and all the teams are good," Grand Forks senior defender Bitty Balek said. "Seven seed or eight seed ... everyone is coming in to win. Do not look past any team you're going in against. For us, it's not who you play; it's how you play."

The KnightRiders have losses to the No. 3 and No. 5 seeds in the state bracket, yet have also played a 1-0 game with No. 1 Fargo North-South, the tournament's clear-cut favorite.

"The girls know what that feeling is like and know those situations," Grand Forks coach Kelly Kilgore said of one-goal games. "In those predicaments, we have that experience."

Kilgore credits the one-goal game success to a blue-collar style.

"It's a lunch-pail attitude," Kilgore said. "That's a staple for us, and I try to carry that each and every year. We have to outwork opponents and get to dirty areas to score goals. The way we've chose to build and attack is just hard work and being gritty, smart and good defensively. That's how we build to the way we're suited. We have good team speed and are able to buzz around the ice, which is good for the way we want to play."

As has been the case for most years in Grand Forks' recent history, the KnightRiders are strong in net with Kylie Schmaltz, who has a 1.76 goals-against average and a 92.4 save percentage.

The KnightRiders don't ask for a ton of scoring from the back end, but Grand Forks' success has been aided by a defensive corps that makes heady plays. That group is led by Balek, Elizabeth Kilgore, Keira Botnen, eighth-grader Hazel O'Connell and Kendra Kuznia.

"In my three years as head coach, we've always been really strong on the back end and that resonates out to the forwards," Kelly Kilgore said. "Kylie is having another really good year. She's tracking well. For the better part of any game, she's giving us a chance to win."

The KnightRiders are young up front with two of the top four scorers just freshmen. Freshman Alaina Marto leads the team with 19 goals and seven assists, while senior Chesney Sigdahl has 13 goals and 11 assists. Sophomore Ella Yahna has seven goals and 10 assists, while freshman Ella Bry has seven goals and nine assists.

"Seniority and age don't matter in our locker room," Balek said. "We're in it together. They're part of the program for a while, and we want them to enjoy it. I think us coming together and making sure our team chemistry stays up is one reason we can be playing on Saturday in that last game."

The KnightRiders took third two years ago and fifth last season at the state tournament.

Juan Soto sends message to reigning NL MVP ahead of 2026 season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Shohei Ohtani made history last season, winning his fourth unanimous MVP award after another historic season with 55 home runs and 102 RBIs.

The two-way player has been taking the league by storm since 2018, when he debuted with the Los Angeles Angels before choosing to sign a lucrative ten-year contract worth $700 million in 2023, which arguably changed baseball forever as he has set a career high in home runs and won back-to-back World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Not to discredit other great players in the National League, but Ohtani has been miles ahead of anyone in the league, across all leagues, for the last few years, which naturally puts a target on his back to challenge him for the award.

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One of those great players to come out and declare his desire to overtake Ohtani's throne has been World Series champion Juan Soto.

"(Ohtani) better keep doing what he's doing because I'm coming," Soto stated to Mets beat writer Anthony DiComo.

Respect to Soto for letting it be known he is coming for the award, but even though the season hasn't started yet, I don't think anyone is worried that Ohtani will still perform just as well, if not better, this upcoming season. It's really going to come down to someone wanting it more than him.

Outside of the individual accolades, Soto is also hoping to lead the New York Mets back to the postseason after the team underperformed expectations, finishing 83-79 and missing the playoffs as they welcome in solid players like Bo Bichette and Luis Robert Jr to the batting order after losing all-star slugger, Pete Alonso, to the Baltimore Orioles during free agency in November.

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The San Francisco 49ers have been busy already this offseason, making multiple coaching changes to Kyle Shanahan's staff and re-signing offensive lineman Austen Pleasants.

Now, with the start of the new league year a week away, the 49ers still have 10 offensive players who are set to hit a form of free agency.

Before that happens, let's rank all 10 pending offensive free agents and rank them by who San Francisco should want to re-sign.

No. 10 - WR Trent Taylor

Taylor hasn't played a single game for the 49ers since returning to the team in 2024. He'll turn 32 this offseason, and while San Francisco needs wide receivers, there are better options than the former fifth-round pick.

No. 9 - RB Patrick Taylor Jr.

Taylor missed the entire 2025 season with a shoulder injury, and when he did get limited opportunities with the 49ers in 2024, he averaged just 3.4 yards per attempt. San Francisco could do better.

No. 8 - OL Matt Hennessy

Hennessy stepped in for an injured Jake Brendel for two games this season, and he wasn't horrible. The 49ers don't have a backup center at the moment, so bringing back Hennessy is an option, but they may want to consider drafting one.

No. 7 - OL Spencer Burford

Burford was statistically the worst starting left guard in the NFL in pass protection in 2025. San Francisco should be willing to move on this offseason without much regret.

No. 6 - WR Skyy Moore

The 49ers traded for Moore before the start of the 2025 season, and he was a non-factor on offense, catching just five passes for 87 yards. However, he was a Pro Bowl alternate kick returner, so that's why he's higher up on this list.

No. 5 - WR Kendrick Bourne

Bourne missed Week 1 of the 2025 season after the Patriots released him. He signed with the 49ers for Week 2 and went on to play in 16 games, catching 37 passes for 551 yards. He could be a solid depth option for San Francisco in 2026.

No. 4 - RB Brian Robinson Jr.

San Francisco acquired Robinson in a trade prior to the start of the 2025 season. He appeared in 17 games as Christian McCaffrey's backup, rushing for 400 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 4.3 yards per attempt. The 49ers need another capable runner in the backfield behind McCaffrey, and while Jordan James could be that, Robinson has proved it before.

No. 3 - OL Ben Bartch

Bartch missed significant time in 2025 due to injuries, and when he was on the field, he wasn't great. However, he's this high because Burford is a worse option, and Connor Colby is currently slated to be the starter next year. We saw how that went before.

No. 2 - TE Jake Tonges (RFA)

Tonges is the lone restricted free agent on this list, making it more likely that he's back. With George Kittle missing time last season, the 26-year-old proved himself to be a capable receiving threat, catching 34 passes for 293 yards and five touchdowns. They'll need him to do that again in 2026, as Kittle tore his Achilles in the playoffs and will likely miss a good portion of the year.

No. 1 - WR Jauan Jennings

The 49ers and Jennings agreed to a restructured contract last year that allowed Jennings to make a fair amount in incentives in 2025, as he caught a career-high 59 passes for 969 yards and a team-high eight scores. San Francisco needs help at the position, and if they lose Jennings, the situation becomes even more dire.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers offensive free agents ranked by re-sign priority

The San Francisco 49ers racked up 13 wins in 2025 but finished third in their own division. They're looking to improve and catch up to the Los Angeles Rams and Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in 2026.

They'll have to do it after settling a reported contract dispute with their star offensive lineman.

San Francisco and left tackle Trent Williams are "struggling to find a contractual solution" for 2026, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Williams, 37, is entering the final year of his current extension and is carrying a nearly $39 million cap hit for 2026.

Steinbach finished 9‑of‑13 from the floor and 6‑of‑7 from the line, while teammate Wesley Yates III added 19 points and seven assists. Washington built an early lead, stretching to 18 points before Rutgers rallied with a late 9‑0 run.

The win marks Washington's first victory at Rutgers, after a 89‑85 overtime loss in their last meeting. The Huskies will host Wisconsin on Saturday, while Rutgers heads to Maryland on Sunday.