Photos Gallery by Jim Brady/Florida Sports Wire
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Monday, April 15, 2024
Brady's Bunch: (ECHL Jacksonville Icemen versus Atlanta Gladiators
Photo Gallery by Jim Brady/Florida Sports Wire
Inter Miami CF Forward Messi Voted MLS Player of the Matchday for Matchday 9
NEW YORK – Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday for Matchday 9 of the 2024 MLS season.
Messi recorded a goal and an assist in Miami’s 3-2 road victory over Sporting Kansas City, which was played in front of a club-record crowd of 72,610 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Watch Highlights From His Performance Here ). With his goal and assist in the win, Messi became the first player in MLS history to total at least five goals and five assists through his first five games of a season. Additionally, he joined Thierry Henry (11 in 2012), Landon Donovan (10 in 2008), and Raúl Díaz Arce (10 in 1997) as the only players with at least 10 goal contributions in their first five games to begin a season. The Argentine’s 10 goal contributions are currently tied with Real Salt Lake’s Cristian Arango for the most in MLS. Since Messi joined Miami in 2023, the Herons are now 5-0-2 in MLS games that he has produced a goal or an assist.After falling behind early, Miami equalized in the 18th minute as Messi played a diagonal threaded pass through four defenders to Diego Gómez, who slotted his finish past the Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper to tie the match 1-1 (Watch Here). In the 51st minute, Messi received the ball in space and struck a thunderous left-footed effort from well outside the 18-yard box which found the top of the net to give Miami a 2-1 lead (Watch Here ). Kansas City would tie up the match in the 58th minute, but the Herons would secure the victory with a game-winning goal from Luis Suárez just 13 minutes later.
This is the first time in his career that Lionel Messi has been named MLS Player of the Matchday. Of the first eight Player of the Matchday honors this season, Inter Miami players have taken home three of them, with Luis Suárez (Matchday 3 and 5) earning the other two. Since the start of last season, Messi is the seventh different player born in Argentina to be named Player of the Matchday and the first since FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta on Matchday 34 of 2023.
Miami will look to continue their form atop the Eastern Conference standings when they host Nashville SC at Chase Stadium on Saturday, April 20 (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
The MLS Player of the Matchday is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while an X (formerly known as Twitter) fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.
| 2024 MLS Player of the Matchday Winners | ||
| Matchday | Player | Club |
| Matchdays 1 and 2 | Christian Benteke | D.C. United |
| Matchday 3 | Luis Suárez | Inter Miami CF |
| Matchday 4 | Giorgos Giakoumakis | Atlanta United |
| Matchday 5 | Luis Suárez | Inter Miami CF |
| Matchday 6 | Lewis Morgan | New York Red Bulls |
| Matchday 7 | Cristian Arango | Real Salt Lake |
| Matchday 8 | Raúl Ruidíaz | Seattle Sounders FC |
| Matchday 9 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami CF |
Buccaneers Re-sign Gholston and Signed Free Agent Metz
Gholston (6-6, 281) returns for his 12th season in Tampa Bay, making him the second-longest tenured Buccaneers player behind only Lavonte David. Since being selected by Tampa Bay in the fourth round (No. 126 overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft, Gholston has played in 169 career regular season games, with 88 starts. His 169 games played with the Buccaneers rank sixth in franchise history.
In his career, Gholston has recorded 420 tackles (58 for loss), 77 quarterback hits, 19.5 sacks, 14 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, one interception and four blocked kicks. He has also appeared in all nine playoff games for Tampa Bay over the past four seasons. In his playoff career, Gholston has tallied four quarterback hits and eight tackles, including one for loss. The Detroit native played collegiately at Michigan State.
Off the field, Gholston has led by example through a steadfast commitment to supporting charitable causes. In addition to being Tampa Bay’s 2022 nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, he was also named a finalist for the 2022 NFLPA Alan Page Community Award. Gholston has helped spearhead the Buccaneers Mobile Food Pantry program providing food to hundreds of families in East Tampa, and has also helped lead distribution events in his hometown of Detroit.
In 2022, Gholston donated $225,000 to fund research at Moffitt Cancer Center’s George Edgecomb Society. He serves as an ambassador for Moffitt and the fight against cancer, which has directly impacted his family. Gholston also mentors middle school students through the team’s Youth Leadership Program, serves as a spokesperson for the It’s A Penalty campaign to prevent human trafficking, and sponsors a community ticket program to provide a special gameday experience for Tampa Bay-area charities.
Metz (6-9, 316) originally entered the NFL as a college free agent with the Chicago Bears in May 2023, where he spent part of the 2023 offseason. The Neuötting, Germany, native played collegiately at the University of Cincinnati (2018-2022), appearing in 43 career games, splitting time at both guard and both tackle positions. He was named first-team All-AAC (American Athletic Conference) in 2021 after contributing to a Bearcats offense that set program records in touchdowns (70) and points scored (516), while ranking ninth nationally in yards per play (6.71).
Metz qualifies as an International Player through the NFL’s International Pathway Program (IPPP), which allows for a team to expand their practice squad to a maximum of 17 players. Tampa Bay has added Metz to its Exempt/International Player list, resulting in him not counting against the team’s 90-player roster limit for the remainder of the 2024 offseason.
South Carolina's Magera Receives John A. Daley Memorial Trophy as ECHL Rookie of the Year
SHREWSBURY, N.J. – The ECHL on Monday announced that Austin Magera of the South Carolina Stingrays has been named the 2023-24 recipient of the John A. Daley Memorial Trophy as the ECHL Rookie of the Year.
The award is presented annually to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition at the “AA” level or higher as determined in a vote of ECHL coaches, broadcasters, media relations directors and media members. The trophy was named in honor of John A. Daley in 1997. Daley, who passed away in 1996, was one of the founding fathers of the ECHL, serving as general manger and minority owner of the Johnstown Chiefs from the inception of the team in 1988 until 1994.Max Andreev of Kansas City finished second, followed by Jacksonville’s Matt Vernon, Kyle Mayhew of Utah and Kansas City’s Cade Borchardt.
The ECHL will announce the winner of the Defenseman of the Year Award on Tuesday.
Magera, who was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team and the All-ECHL Second Team last week, finished second among ECHL rookies - and ninth overall in the league - with 74 points, was third among first-year players with 45 assists and was tied for third with 29 goals. His 14 power-play assists ranked fifth among rookies and he was tied for fifth with 21 power-play points.
Magera made his pro debut late last season with South Carolina, tallying 14 points (8g-6a) in 18 games. Prior to turning pro, he totaled 116 points (47g-69a) in 154 career games at Sacred Heart University and 14 points (6g-8a) in 41 games in the United States Hockey League with Chicago and Lincoln.
John A. Daley Memorial Trophy (ECHL Rookie of the Year) Winners
2023-24 Austin Magera, South Carolina Stingrays
2022-23 Hank Crone, Allen Americans
2021-22 Kris Bennett, Iowa Heartlanders
2020-21 Matthew Boucher, Utah Grizzlies
2019-20 Tyler Sheehy, Allen Americans
2018-19 Chris Collins, Kalamazoo Wings
2017-18 Justin Danforth, Cincinnati Cyclones
2016-17 Tyson Spink, Toledo Walleye
2015-16 Matt Willows, Florida Everblades
2014-15 Tyler Barnes, Toledo Walleye
2013-14 William Rapuzzi, Idaho Steelheads
2012-13 Ryan Zapolski, South Carolina Stingrays
2011-12 Dustin Gazley, Elmira Jackals
2010-11 Ben Street, Wheeling Nailers
2009-10 Justin Donati, Elmira Jackals
2008-09 Bryan Ewing, Wheeling Nailers
2007-08 David Desharnais, Cincinnati Cyclones
2006-07 Colton Fretter, Gwinnett Gladiators
2005-06 Alex Leavitt, Alaska Aces
2004-05 Joe Tenute, South Carolina Stingrays
2003-04 Kevin Doell, Gwinnett Gladiators
2002-03 Jason Jaffray, Roanoke Express
2001-02 Frederic Cloutier, Louisiana IceGators
2000-01 Scott Stirling, Trenton Titans
1999-00 Jan Lasak, Hampton Roads Admirals
1998-99 Maxime Gingras, Richmond Renegades
1997-98 Sean Venedam, Toledo Storm
1996-97 Dany Bousquet, Birmingham Bulls
1995-96 Keli Corpse, Wheeling Thunderbirds
1994-95 Kevin McKinnon, Erie Panthers
1993-94 Dan Gravelle, Greensboro Monarchs
1992-93 Joe Flanagan, Birmingham Bulls
1991-92 Darren Colbourne, Dayton Bombers
1990-91 Dan Gauthier, Knoxville Cherokees
1989-90 Bill McDougall, Erie Panthers
1988-89 Tom Sasso, Johnstown Chiefs
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Brady's Bunch: Jacksonville Icemen Take 4-3 OT Victory Against Savannah Ice Pirates
Photos by Jim Brady/Florida Sports Wire
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