Dexter Jackson wants to put last season behind him, and it is easy to understand why. ...more

April 2, 2009

Lightning rookie and overall No. 1 draft pick Steven Stamkos recorded a natural hat trick in Tuesday's game against Chicago, scoring three consecutive goals. Stamkos, who celebrated his 19th birthday on Feb. 12, scored his first goal of the game at 12:58 of the first period when he jumped on puck that caromed off the end boards to the side of the net that he put past Cristobal Huet that tied the game 1-1. Then Stamkos went to work on the power play in the second period. With Craig Adams in the penalty box for a high sticking double-minor at 9:45, Stamkos gave Tampa Bay the lead at 10:28 when he took a down-low, cross-ice feed at the left point from Vinny Prospal and fired a wrist shot to the top of the neat post and over the right shoulder of Huet. Seventy seconds later, with Stamkos back on the left point on the second half of the power play, Stamkos one-timed a Steve Eminger feed past Huet that gave the Lightning a 3-1 lead 11:38 into the second period. Stamkos took to one knee and gave a Tiger Woods-esque fist pump as hats began to rain down from the stands in celebration of the rookie's first career hat trick performance, the first rookie hat trick in franchise history. It is Stamkos' second multi-goal game of the season. The overall No. 1 pick failed early on to live up to the lofty expectations placed on him when Tampa Bay selected him first at the draft in Ottawa back in June. He had four goals through the first 42 games of the season. But since the coaching staff put him onto a strength-training program, which saw him sit out three games as a healthy scratch, Stamkos has improved his play. In his past 13 games, including Tuesday, Stamkos has six goals and five assists. ...more

February 17, 2009

Over the past four years, the River Ridge girls soccer team has consistently become one of Pasco County's best programs - if not the best. ...more

December 13, 2008

Tampa Bay's offensive line seemingly had failed to live up to its lofty expectations after giving up four sacks in the first two games. ...more

September 30, 2008

Ridgewood's win Friday against Land O' Lakes might have been surprising to some, but not to the Rams. ...more

January 23, 2008

University of Michigan linebacker Shawn Crable called Tim Tebow "just a quarterback" Saturday. Late Tuesday afternoon, as Crable stood over Florida's reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Tebow - whose wobbly fourth-down pass had just bounded off the grass - looked like just another quarterback. ...more

January 2, 2008

Google Inc.'s stock price sailed past $600 for the first time Monday, extending a monthlong rally propelled by the lofty expectations surrounding the Internet search leader's upcoming third-quarter earnings report. ...more

October 9, 2007