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BUY TICKETS: See the races at TexasRELATED: Sunday Snapshot | Starting lineup FORT WORTH, Texas – To help prepare its fresh new pavement, Texas Motor Speedway will continue employing the highly specialized “Tire Monster” and “Tire Dragon” again Saturday night and Sunday morning to get the racing surface ready for Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500.   Two months ago, the track unveiled its newly paved 1.5-mile racing surface — altering…

Mats Hummels was a key player on the 2014 team that brought Germany its first World Cup championship in a generation. And this season he’s anchored a Bayern Munich defense that has conceded a league-low 15 goals in 28 games while closing in on what is certain to be an unprecedented fifth consecutive Bundesliga title. A berth in a second European Championship final is within reach as well. That’s a…

CHICAGO — Jarid Lukosevicius scored three goals in the second period, and Denver beat Minnesota Duluth 3-2 on Saturday night for the NCAA championship. Troy Terry had two assists and Tanner Jaillet made 38 saves as Denver moved into a tie with North Dakota for second on the NCAA list with eight men’s hockey titles, trailing only Michigan with nine. The Pioneers (33-7-4) also made it to the Frozen Four last…

Keith Magnuson would have loved this. Here was Denver, Maggie’s alma mater, infiltrating his hockey town in a way that would have made the rambunctious redhead smile. Here were the Pioneers, wearing the same colors Magnuson wore in college, beating Minnesota Duluth 3-2 at the United Center for the NCAA championship. “He would be leading the circus if he was around,” said Kevin Magnuson, son of the late Blackhawks defenseman….

Erik Jones skipped his high school graduation ceremony three years ago to run in a NASCAR truck race at Texas, where he was presented his actual diploma before the event. Two years ago, he went to Victory Lane at Texas Motor Speedway for the first time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. On Saturday, he won again at the 1 1/2-mile track that has since been completely repaved and reconfigured in…

CLOSE x Embed x Share USA TODAY Sports’ A.J. Perez explains the four-year deal that averts a boycott by the U.S. women’s hockey national team for the IIHF World Championships. USA TODAY Sports American players celebrate at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.(Photo: Scott Rovak, USA TODAY Sports) In these political times, it’s safe to say there have been doubts about how women would move forward in American society. An early…

Mats Hummels was a key player on the 2014 team that brought Germany its first World Cup championship in a generation. And this season he’s anchored a Bayern Munich defense that has conceded a league-low 15 goals in 28 games while closing in on what is certain to be an unprecedented fifth consecutive Bundesliga title. A berth in a second European Championship final is within reach as well. That’s a…

PLYMOUTH, Mich. • The U.S. women’s hockey players threw their sticks and gloves in the air and celebrated, capping an emotionally charged two-week stretch with a 3-2 overtime win over Canada in the women’s world championship final Friday night. Hilary Knight made the postgame party possible by scoring 10:17 into the extra period to make the Americans winners on and off the ice. After threatening to…

Hilary Knight scores the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Americans a 3-2 win against Canada in the women’s world championship. PLYMOUTH, Mich. — The U.S. women’s hockey players threw their sticks and gloves in the air and celebrated, capping an emotionally charged two-week stretch with a 3-2 overtime win over Canada in the women’s world championship final Friday night. Hilary Knight made the postgame party possible by scoring…

PLYMOUTH, Mich. • The U.S. women’s hockey players threw their sticks and gloves in the air and celebrated, capping an emotionally charged two-week stretch with a 3-2 overtime win over Canada in the women’s world championship final Friday night. Hilary Knight made the postgame party possible by scoring 10:17 into the extra period to make the Americans winners on and off the ice. After threatening to…

Hilary Knight scores the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Americans a 3-2 win against Canada in the women’s world championship. PLYMOUTH, Mich. — The U.S. women’s hockey players threw their sticks and gloves in the air and celebrated, capping an emotionally charged two-week stretch with a 3-2 overtime win over Canada in the women’s world championship final Friday night. Hilary Knight made the postgame party possible by scoring…

BUY TICKETS: See the races at Texas RELATED: Final practice speeds | Practice 2 speeds | Full weekend schedule Jimmie Johnson claimed the top spot in final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway.   Johnson, a six-time Texas winner, drove the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet to a best lap of 194.812 mph on the 1.5-mile track. The seven-time series champ is scheduled to start…

BUY TICKETS: See the races at Texas FORT WORTH, Texas — When Danica Patrick pressed the button on Twitter last Saturday to announce her engagement to boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr., social media blew up with the news — until word got out it was an April Fools’ joke. Stenhouse was in on the prank, but he had forgotten about it.   “I was out in the woods working after Martinsville…

PLYMOUTH, Mich. • The U.S. women’s hockey players threw their sticks and gloves in the air and celebrated, capping an emotionally charged two-week stretch with a 3-2 overtime win over Canada in the women’s world championship final Friday night. Hilary Knight made the postgame party possible by scoring 10:17 into the extra period to make the Americans winners on and off the ice. After threatening to…

Steamboat Springs — The Olympics, of course, is the big thing looming on the horizon for Steamboat Springs snowboader Mick Dierdorff, and the pressure to make the team is already starting to mount. Courtesy Mick Dierdorff, second from left, teamed up with Jonathan Cheever to place second in a World Cup event late this season. It was Dierdorff’s first World Cup podium. The 25-year old snowboard cross racer said he’s…

Hilary Knight scores the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Americans a 3-2 win against Canada in the women’s world championship. PLYMOUTH, Mich. — The U.S. women’s hockey players threw their sticks and gloves in the air and celebrated, capping an emotionally charged two-week stretch with a 3-2 overtime win over Canada in the women’s world championship final Friday night. Hilary Knight made the postgame party possible by scoring…

Hilary Knight scores the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Americans a 3-2 win against Canada in the women’s world championship. PLYMOUTH, Mich. — The U.S. women’s hockey players threw their sticks and gloves in the air and celebrated, capping an emotionally charged two-week stretch with a 3-2 overtime win over Canada in the women’s world championship final Friday night. Hilary Knight made the postgame party possible by scoring…

BUY TICKETS: See the races at TexasRELATED: Full practice results   It was definitely a different look and fresh feel as drivers took to the newly paved Texas Motor Speedway for Friday’s opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice — a pair of veterans (Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin) and two newbies (Chase Elliott and Erik Jones) spun out on the new track surface, while some new names topped the…

WATERFORD, Conn. –  NASCAR has severed ties with a Connecticut racetrack after its owner was charged with patronizing a prostitution ring that police say exploited young men with mental health issues by delivering them to wealthy clients for sex. NASCAR announced Thursday that it would no longer sanction the Whelen All-American Series at New London-Waterford Speedbowl. The track’s owner, Bruce Bemer, of Glastonbury, was charged last week with…

The hottest rivalry in Germany takes centerstage on Saturday as Borussia Dortmund visit Bayern Munich in Der Klassiker. The pregame show starts at 11:30 a.m. ET on FS1, followed by the clash between two of the Bundesliga’s biggest teams. With the Bundesliga title all but wrapped up for Bayern, will the Bavarians rest some key starters ahead of a busy week in the Champions League? Similarly, will Dortmund consider doing…