Jets, Flyers combine for 17 goals
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Andrew Ladd scored the game's 17th goal with 1:06 to play Thursday, lifting the Winnipeg Jets to a wild 9-8 victory over Philadelphia.
Nine different players scored for the Jets, who won for the third time in nine games and scored half as many goals against the Flyers as they had in their previous eight outings combined.
Both sides had a stretch of five unanswered goals and they combined for seven scores in the final period.
Philadelphia overcame a 5-1 deficit to take a 7-6 lead early in the third on the first of two goals from James van Riemsdyk. Winnipeg then regained an 8-7 advantage on scores a minute apart from Alex Burmistrov and Mark Stewart.
Van Riemsdyk tied it with 3:39 to play with his fourth goal of the season, but Ladd gave Winnipeg the victory with a wrist shot that beat Ilya Bryzgalov.
Bryzgalov allowed four goals on 10 shots after replacing Sergei Bobrovsky, who surrendered five goals on 15 shots.
Ondrej Pavelec started in goal for the Jets, but was taken out in the third period after Philadelphia scored seven times on 43 shots. Chris Mason gave up only one goal in relief.
NCAA approves extra financial aid
INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- The NCAA Board of Directors agreed Thursday to allow the dispersal of as much as $2,000 a year to help pay living expenses for athletes on scholarship.
In addition to that landmark decision, the NCAA decided schools must have a graduation rate among football players of approximately 50 percent to qualify for bowl games.
"These changes demonstrate a remarkable resolve by presidents," said NCAA President Mark Emmert. "They represent a return to and a focus on values that are at the core of what intercollegiate athletics are all about. They also represent a clear signal to the world about what we care about and what we stand for."
The financial bylaw approved Thursday allows schools to provide additional aid of $2,000 or the full cost of an athlete's living expenses -- whichever is less. A scholarship athlete already has his or her tuition paid in full along with room and board.
The extra money also does not affect the government-sponsored Pell grants
"We commend the NCAA for taking meaningful steps toward college sports reform today," said R. Gerald Turner, co-chairman of the Knight Commission on college athletics and president of Southern Methodist University. "We are pleased to see proposals the commission has championed for many years be embraced as policies to realign college sports with its values."
The bowl eligibility bylaw involves what the NCAA calls its academic progress rate (APR). That rate is expressed in a number and the NCAA agreed to raise the number from 900 to 930.
A 930 score translates to roughly a 50 percent graduation rate, and beginning in the 2014-15 school year a university must have a four-year average score of 930 within its football team to compete in a bowl game.
Kvitova, Azarenka make WTA semifinals
ISTANBUL, Turkey, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Petra Kvitova and Victoria Azarenka locked up semifinal spots in the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships with impressive straight-set wins Thursday.
The third-seeded Kvitova beat world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-2 in Red Group round-robin play and Azarenka, seeded fourth, defeated No. 5 Li Na 6-2, 6-2 to secure a place in the Top 2 of the White Group.
Sixth-seeded Vera Zvonareva had a chance to advance to the semis but No. 8 Agnieszka Radwanska won the final four games in a 1-6, 6-2, 7-5 decision.
Zvonareva served for the match at 5-3 but Radwanska claimed a break in a 12-point game in which Zvonareva had two match points. Radwanska's seventh break of the match put her up 6-5 in the third set.
Kvitova didn't face a break point in beating Wozniacki. She won 70 percent of the points on serve and started both sets with service breaks.
Azarenka controlled the match against Li, winning 71 percent of the points on serve and 50 percent when receiving. She also didn't face a break point.
Round-robin play wraps up Friday with Kvitova (2-0) playing Radwanska (1-1) in the Red Group. Wozniacki and Zvonareva are both 1-2 group play.
Li (1-1) goes against seventh-seeded Samantha Stosur (1-1) in a match that will determine the second White Group semifinalist. Stosur is 5-0 lifetime versus Li. Azarenka (2-0) faces Marion Bartoli, who is filling in for second-seeded Maria Sharapova. Sharapova (0-2) has been bothered with an ankle injury and withdrew after Wednesday's match.
Texas A&M coach takes leave of absence
COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Texas A&M men's basketball Coach Billy Kennedy said Thursday he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and the school said he will take medical leave.
"Through testing, it has been discovered that I am dealing with an early stage of Parkinson's disease," Kennedy said in a statement. "At this time, I am heeding the advice of my doctors and addressing the disease and its symptoms.
"We have begun a long-term treatment plan and recovery. My doctors are encouraged and are telling me I will be able to come back soon."
Glynn Cyprien, Kennedy's chief assistant, will take over the team until Kennedy is able to return from medical leave.
Kennedy is in his first year with the school, where he succeeds Mark Turgeon, who left to coach at Maryland. Kennedy, 47, led Murray Sate to a 107-53 record during the last five years and twice was named coach of the year in the Ohio Valley Conference.
