Spokane native signs with Phoenix team
Tommy Maxwell, a Spokane native who completed a four-year Western Hockey League career last season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, has signed a professional contract with the Phoenix Roadrunners of the East Coast Hockey League.
The Roadrunners are an affiliate of the NHL Phoenix Coyotes and also play in Phoenix.
Maxwell, 20, a forward, had a career-best 15 goals last season with 23 points and 147 penalty minutes in 60 games with Medicine Hat. He served as an alternate captain as the Tigers secured a fourth consecutive WHL playoff berth.
He was a member of the 2003-04 Tigers that captured the WHL championship and appeared in the Memorial Cup. In 244 career games in the WHL, he had 33 goals, 40 assists and 466 penalty minutes.
Basketball
Lucas Ashe, a 6-foot-6 senior wing at Mead High School, has signed a national letter of intent with Northwest University, the Kirkland, Wash., school announced.
Northwest coach John Van Dyke said Ashe will enter as a freshman for the 2007-08 season. The NAIA school competes in the Cascade Collegiate Conference.
Bowling
Nick Schmehl chalked up a couple of first-place finishes as the Junior Bowlers Tour launched its 2006-07 season with events three weeks apart.
Schmehl defeated Evan Nash 223-215 in the JBT season-opener at North Bowl after teaming with James McCold to win the inaugural Alumni Tournament at Valley Bowl on Aug. 20. Schmehl and McCold beat Lucas House and Shane Daniels 486-346 for the alumni title.
Todd Benner finished third, Jared Descoteaux fourth and Ryan Conner fifth for his first top-five finish in the North Bowl opener. Nash, who rolled a 949 the first four games, had high game, a 278. Krista Elmore was high for the girls with a 226.
In the alumni event, Tony Valente and Matt Olsen finished third, Benner and Rich Eirls fourth and Alex Earle and Brian Long fifth. Benner and House shared high game with 278s. Elmore again had a 226 for the best girl’s score.
The next JBT is Oct. 8 in Pullman.
College scene
Jenny McKinsey‘s college soccer career is off to a sizzling start at Pacific Lutheran.
McKinsey, a freshman and 2006 graduate of Central Valley, scored six straight goals for the Lutes in a four-game stretch through last Wednesday as PLU compiled a 3-1 record in those games to improve to 5-2. Three were game-winning goals.
McKinsey started all seven games but didn’t pick up a point in the first three.
• Joanna Ricken, a 6-0 junior middle blocker for Puget Sound and a 2004 graduate of Gonzaga Prep, made a big contribution as the Loggers opened Northwest Conference volleyball action with two wins last weekend.
Ricken had three key kills in the second game of a three-game sweep of George Fox in the conference opener and finished with eight kills and a .438 hitting percentage. The next night she had seven kills and hit .278 as the Loggers swept three from Pacific to improve to 7-1 overall.