Chiefs, Tri-City resume tonight

Hockey: The Spokane Chiefs have three games to try to regain home-ice advantage in their best-of-7 Western Hockey League playoff series with the Tri-City Americans.

After splitting two physical games at the Arena, the teams meet tonight, Thursday and Sunday in the Toyota Center in Kennewick.

“They’re going to come out hard and we have to match that,” Spokane forward Tyler Johnson said. “We have to get the crowd out of the game.”

Tri-City will be without veteran defenseman Tyler Schmidt, who received a one-game suspension after a 5-minute major and game misconduct in Sunday’s 6-3 Spokane victory.

Spokane won twice in six games in Kennewick.

“I think our team has a lot of confidence right now,” said Johnson. “It’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be an even tougher game. We have to be prepared for that.”

Dave Trimmer

Former USD figures indicted

College basketball: Prosecutors announced an indictment charging a former University of San Diego assistant coach and two former players in an alleged conspiracy to affect the outcome of games.

Authorities say a federal grand jury handed down the indictments against former assistant Thaddeus Brown, who coached at USD during the 2006-07 season, and former players Brandon Johnson and Brandon Dowdy.

The indictment alleges Johnson took a bribe to influence the result of a game in February 2010 and solicited someone else in January 2011 to affect the outcome of USD basketball games.

Associated Press

Judge orders mediation

NFL: The federal judge overseeing the dispute between NFL owners and players ordered the sides to participate in mediation to help resolve the work stoppage that threatens the 2011-12 season.

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson ordered the players’ attorneys and their former union’s executive director to meet today in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis with veteran Chief Magistrate Arthur J. Boylan, who is to meet with the owners’ representatives Wednesday and preside over face-to-face mediation with both sides starting Thursday.

The sides tried mediation before, negotiating for 16 days. Those talks ended March 11, allowing the collective bargaining agreement to expire.

Los Angeles Times