Fast Break
HOCKEY
Chiefs set dates with Vancouver
In a matchup of the last two Memorial Cup champions, the Spokane Chiefs will face the Vancouver Giants in the second round of the WHL playoffs, beginning Friday at Vancouver, British Columbia.
The Giants, the top seed in the Western Conference and the 2007 Memorial Cup champions, will host the first two games against the Chiefs on Friday and Saturday.
The defending Memorial Cup champion Chiefs will have home games on April 7 and 8.
The schedule is as follows:
Game 1: Friday at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Game 3: April 7 at Spokane, 7 p.m.
Game 4: April 8 at Spokane, 7 p.m.
Game 5: April 10 at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
Game 6: April 12 at Spokane, 6 p.m.
Game 7: April 14 at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Games 5, 6 and 7 of the best-of-7 series are if necessary.
BASEBALL
Mets’ new home gets test run
Citi Field opened its shiny steel gates for a big test run, hosting a wide-eyed crowd that got its first glimpse of the New York Mets’ new home.
While the Mets finish up spring training in Florida, 22,397 fans – many with cameras in hand – ignored the wet and chilly weather Sunday to explore the new stadium and watch Georgetown use a four-run seventh inning to beat St. John’s 6-4 in a college baseball game.
The schools were hoping to break the NCAA attendance record – 40,106 at Petco Park in 2004 for a game between San Diego State and Houston – but the raw weather likely kept many fans away.
“It was a great turnout,” said former Mets reliever John Franco, who pitched for St. John’s from 1979-81. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
The Mets get their first taste of the new ballpark Friday and Saturday when they host the Boston Red Sox for their final two exhibition games. The regular-season home opener is April 13 against San Diego.
BASKETBALL
Tar Heels key to Obama’s bracket
It’s North Carolina or nothing for President Barack Obama.
The president went 1 for 4 on Final Four teams in his NCAA tournament bracket, hitting with the Tar Heels but losing with Louisville on Sunday.
The split left Obama in the bottom 47 percent of the 5 million-plus fans who entered ESPN.com’s pool. After correctly choosing 14 teams to reach the round of 16, his bracket ranked in the top 40 percent.
Obama picked North Carolina to win the championship. The top-seeded Tar Heels reached the national semifinals by beating Oklahoma 72-60.
The president’s bracket also had Louisville, Pittsburgh and Memphis in the Final Four.