FORT WORTH, Texas — Navy capped a turnaround football season with an uplifting victory in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. And it made some history in the process. Quarterback Blake Horvath directed a gutsy 12-play, 66-yard touchdown drive that put Navy ahead of Oklahoma. The Midshipmen hung on thanks to defensive end Justin Reed, who preserved a 21-20 win by sacking Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. on a two-point conversion attempt with six seconds remaining. Horvath’s 6-yard keeper with 4:34 left capped a string of 21 straight Navy points to fully erase a 14-0 lead Oklahoma built in the first quarter. However, the Sooners drove 65 yards in 1:41 to get in position to win the game after Hawkins threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jake Roberts. Coach Brent Venables decided to go for the win and Hawkins never had a chance to get off a pass as several Navy defenders broke into the backfield. Reed dropped the dangerous freshman as the Midshipmen breathed a collective sigh of relief. Navy’s winning score came after taking possession at its own 34-yard line following a missed field goal by Oklahoma early in the fourth quarter. The Midshipmen converted on third down twice and fourth down once to stay on the field. Horvath completed a clutch 10-yard pass to snipe Brandon Chatman on a third down, then later found snipe Eli Heidenreich open in the flat for a 16-yard gain on fourth down to set up the winning score. On first-and-goal from the 6, Horvath found an opening on the right side, got a great block from fullback Alex Tecza and scooted untouched into the end zone, giving Navy its first lead of the game and causing a raucous celebration along the visiting sideline. The drive took more than seven minutes off the clock and left less than five for the Sooners to tie or win. An exchange of punts left Oklahoma at its own 35-yard line with 1:47 to go. Hawkins calmly completed seven passes as the Sooners drove 65 yards in 13 plays. He got the touchdown the Sooners needed, but couldn’t escape Reed with the game on the line. Horvath was the offensive hero for Navy (10-3), rushing for 155 yards and two touchdowns, with almost all of that coming in the second half. Horvath overcame a slow start throwing the ball to complete 7 of 12 passes for 92 yards. Inside linebackers Colin Ramos and Kyle Jacob spearheaded the defense for the Midshipmen. Ramos recorded a game-high 12 tackles, while Jacob totaled nine tackles, a forced fumble and a sack. This Navy team became just the sixth in program history to reach double digits in wins, the first since 2019, which also was the last time Navy won a bowl game. It was all Oklahoma early as the Navy defense was overmatched on two straight possessions to start the game, while the offense shot itself in the foot. Gavin Sawchuk’s 21-yard scamper and Hawkins’ 56-yard pass to Zion Kearney put the Sooners up 14-0. Navy finally got its offense going late in the second quarter. Oklahoma’s second turnover on downs gave Navy a short field and the Mids took advantage. Horvath used a fake quarterback draw and jump pass to convert a third down with a 21-yard completion to tight end Cody Howard. Two plays later, Alex Tecza found a seam up the middle, then ran through two defenders for a 21-yard touchdown that made it 14-7 at the break. Following an exchange of punts to start the second half, Horvath electrified the crowd by bursting up the middle on a quarterback keeper and racing 95 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest touchdown run in Navy football history and the also the longest in Armed Forces Bowl history. Set up in shotgun formation and standing on his own goal line, Horvath saw the parting of the Red Sea and galloped untouched the length of the field. Snipe Eli Heidenreich made a great hustle play by racing downfield to get in the way of the nearest chasing defender. Nathan Kirkwood’s extra point tied the game at 14 with 3:49 left in the third period. Oklahoma appeared to take the lead back with a 56-yard Hawkins touchdown run late in the third quarter, but it was called back for holding. The Sooners still put together a couple of first downs to get to Navy’s 34, but a 52-yard field goal by Zach Schmitt was off the mark and Navy proceeded to embark on its winning touchdown drive.
Air pollution from AI could surpass that of all the cars in California
An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump’s political coalitionLOS ANGELES, Dec. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM") reminds investors of the upcoming January 10, 2025 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. ("Chipotle" or the "Company") CMG common stock between February 8, 2024 and October 29, 2024 , inclusive (the "Class Period") and those who purchased Chipotle call options or sold put options during the class period. If you suffered a loss on your Chipotle investments or would like to inquire about potentially pursuing claims to recover your loss under the federal securities laws, you can submit your contact information at www.glancylaw.com/cases/Chipotle-Mexican-Grill-Inc-1/ . You can also contact Charles H. Linehan, of GPM at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, or via email at shareholders@glancylaw.com to learn more about your rights. On July 24, 2024, Chipotle held its second quarter 2024 earnings call, during which, the Company addressed "the portion concerns that [had] been brought up on social media," and revealed that the third quarter of 2024 would see a higher cost of sales as a result of giving customers more generous portions. On this news, Chipotle's stock price fell $1.95, or 3.9%, over two consecutive trading days, to close at $49.83 per share on July 26, 2024, thereby injuring investors. Then, on October 30, 2024, Business Insider published an article stating that "profit margins for the chain suffered last quarter because of a concerted effort to provide ‘consistent and generous portions' in every order." On this news, Chipotle's stock price fell $4.76, or 7.9%, to close at $55.73 per share on October 30, 2024, thereby injuring investors further. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Chipotle's portion sizes were inconsistent and left many customers dissatisfied with the Company's offerings; (2) in order to address the issue and retain customer loyalty, the Company would have to ensure more generous portion sizes, which would increase cost of sales; and (3) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn , Twitter , or Facebook . If you purchased or otherwise acquired Chipotle common stock during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than January 10, 2025 to request appointment as lead plaintiff in this putative class action lawsuit. To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact Charles Linehan, Esquire, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, by email to shareholders@glancylaw.com , or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com . If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Contacts Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP, Los Angeles Charles Linehan, 310-201-9150 or 888-773-9224 shareholders@glancylaw.com www.glancylaw.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump’s political coalition
IRVING, Texas (AP) — The NFL will consider expanding replay assist to include facemask penalties and other plays. Officials have missed several obvious facemask penalties this season, including two in a three-week span during Thursday night games. “When we see it, because I see it like yourselves and the fans, I have an opportunity to see it from a different angle and see it from a slow-mo,” NFL executive Troy Vincent said Wednesday at the league’s winter meetings. “When you think about the position of where the officials are, things are happening so fast. Sometimes the facemask can be the same color as the gloves. There’s a lot happening. Concerning? Yes, because that’s a big miss. That’s a big foul. That’s why we would like to consider putting that for the membership to consider putting that foul category that we can see, putting that (penalty flag) on the field to help. There is a frustration, and we believe that is one category we can potentially get right." Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was grabbed by his facemask and brought down in the end zone to end Minnesota’s comeback attempt against the Rams on Oct. 24. But there was no call. On Oct. 3, officials missed a facemask on Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving while he ran for 7 yards late in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay instead was called for holding on the play, got forced out of field-goal range and Kirk Cousins rallied the Falcons to an overtime victory. “That is one this year, the facemask seems like it was the obvious one” Vincent said. “That keeps showing up.” Vincent also cited hits on a defenseless player, tripping, the fair catch, an illegal batted ball, an illegal double-team block, illegal formations on kickoffs and taunting as other areas that warrant consideration for replay assist. Current rules only allow replay assist to help officials pick up a flag incorrectly thrown on the field, or in assisting proper enforcement of a foul called on the field. The NFL’s Competition Committee will review potential recommendations for owners to vote on for expanding replay assist. Vincent was emphatic about the league’s desire to eliminate low blocks that could lead to serious injuries. “The low block below the knee needs to be removed from the game,” Vincent said. “You look at high school, you look at college, too. Every block should be above the knee, but below the neck. All the work that we’ve done for the head and neck area, all the things that we’ve taken out of the game, this is the right time for us to remove the low block out of the game. Be consistent with high school. Be consistent with college. Every block should be above the knee and below the neck.” The league will consider changes to the onside kick after dramatically overhauling the kickoff rule on a one-year basis. “We need to look at that. That’s a dead play,” Vincent said of the onside kick’s low success rate. “That is a ceremonial play. Very low recovery rate. When we look at the kickoff and maybe where the touchback area should be during the offseason, we need to revisit the onside kick.” Options include giving the team an opportunity to run one play to gain a certain number of yards to keep possession. The Washington Commanders’ search for a new stadium site includes options in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, and work has escalated on one in particular. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and controlling owner Josh Harris met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill last week about the RFK Stadium site in Washington, which requires a bill getting through Congress to transfer the land to the District government before anything else can happen. “I think there’s a bipartisan support for this,” Goodell said, adding he’d like to see it get to a vote soon. “We hope that it will be addressed and approved so that it’s at least an alternative for the Commanders if we go forward. I grew up in Washington, and I know would be exciting for a lot of fans.” The NFL continues to discuss a potential 18-game season, but would need approval from the players’ union. “We are doing analysis I would say, but we are not finalizing any plans at this point,” Goodell said. “They’ll share that analysis with the players’ union, which would need to agree to any change.” AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
title game on Nov. 8, the two-time defending national champion North Carolina Tar Heels run onto the field for warmups. In just under an hour they'll take on Boston College on the freshly watered turf field at host Wake Forest. Head coach Erin Matson follows her players with a stick in her hand. After running through some drills, she stands off to the side of the field to start her pregame rituals while her staff runs the remaining exercises. Matson's pregame ritual is the same one she had as a player: 30 pulls, where she quickly drags the ball backward behind her, and a game of "around the world," where she attempts to dribble the ball on every single angle of the head of the stick to see how many times she can consistently maintain contact without dropping the ball. Her record is six times on each side of the stick. "As a player, it grounded me. It put me in my element," Matson says. She was a player just two seasons ago. "And last year, in my first year, I just did it as a way to deal with the nerves and pressure and everything. It was what I knew when I took the field before a game." Minutes before the game whistle blows, Matson retreats back to the blocked-off bench area. She rests her arms on the ledge and bows her head. This will be her seventh ACC championship game; her second as a head coach. The team will vie for its eighth consecutive ACC title. She knows what's on the line. to be head coach after you retire," a 22-year-old Matson said to Karen Shelton during a phone call in the summer of 2022. "I'm still playing this season. And we're going to win. My plans to apply for the head-coaching position won't get in the way of the team. But I want to be head coach." Shelton, who led the Tar Heels field hockey team for more than four decades, smiled. She'd been waiting for this moment. For four years, Matson dominated field hockey. With three national titles and two Honda Sport Awards (the Heisman Trophy of field hockey, according to ACC commentator Matt Krause), her legacy among other North Carolina greats such as Michael Jordan and Mia Hamm was already secured. As her fifth and final season approached, Matson wanted to avenge the first-round NCAA tournament loss last season to Northwestern. She also wanted to win one more national title for Shelton, whose 42-year career was coming to an end, and take that legacy into a new direction. Matson texted North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham, "Can we set up a meeting?" In his office days later, he told her, "Go win a national championship and then we'll talk." Three months later, with 1:19 left in the NCAA championship game, Matson got her stick on Paityn Wirth's pass and tipped it into Northwestern's goal for a 2-1 victory and UNC's 10th national title. Matson finished her playing career as the all-time scoring leader in ACC history, and the only athlete in the conference to win player of the year recognitions five times. Shelton retired a few weeks later. Matson told her teammates she was going to apply for the job. "She's always been a leader on the team and for all of us," says Romea Riccardo, who played with Matson for five years. "When she told us she was applying, I think some of us had a feeling that it would happen." She also had the backing of Shelton, who was not a part of the hiring committee. "All throughout her playing career, I knew she'd make a great coach because even as a freshman, her teammates would ask for her help or input," Shelton says. "She had a depth of knowledge of the game. If a teammate wasn't really understanding something that we would go over in our meetings or in film sessions, they would turn to Erin." With dozens of potential candidates being considered, including highly experienced assistant coaches and top international coaches, Matson leaned on her playing experience at Carolina and laid out an elaborate road map for how she'd tackle the job. She had a first two weeks plan, a first 100 days plan, she also prepared potential questions and had her parents and friends run mock interviews. According to a person familiar with the hiring process, it was this preparation that most impressed the committee. Matson was named head coach on January 31, 2023. At 22, she was the youngest head coach in NCAA D-I history. "There's a maturity level to her personality that gives you a sense of confidence," Cunningham said then. "She has a sense of purpose. ... She just is a very thoughtful and very deliberate person that is always prepared." That fall, with Matson at the helm, the Tar Heels won their 11th NCAA title, a victory that brought widespread media attention -- features on "SportsCenter," NBC News, "The Today Show." She walked the red carpet at the ESPYS and has gained upward of 40,000 new social media followers. "Everywhere I looked there was a headline that read, 'Youngest head coach makes history' and 'Youngest head coach wins title,'" Matson says now. "I know my age...When I was hired, someone posted on Twitter saying I wasn't even old enough to rent a car. Like, if that's your biggest worry, I think we're going to be just fine." Matson, now 24 with her team heading into an NCAA semifinal matchup with Saint Joseph's, has a high bar to maintain, especially from the sidelines. "All I can do now is instill confidence in [the players] that what we've been working on and practicing will pay off on the field," she says. "You come here to play because you want to rise to these moments." Matson knows her teams may not always be competing for a national title. Northwestern defeated the Tar Heels 2-0 in the first round of the 2021 NCAA tournament. "We weren't quick enough," Matson says. "We might've been a winning team, but that day we didn't win. And I don't like to lose." She also knows there are more eyes on women's field hockey because of her, and the only way to keep growing this niche sport is to win. preparing for her interview with Cunningham, she cracked open a new Moleskine notebook and wrote down the four points she wanted him to know: 1) I love and understand Carolina. 2) I know my X's and O's better than anyone. 3) I will coach to win. 4) I will recruit the s--- out of this country and have connections overseas. Matson added a line that she might be young, but she had a maturity in this game and strong connections when it came to recruiting, relating to the players and connecting to the student body. She quickly started to fill the rest of the pages. Matson has been scripting the dream for most of her life. "We have her 10-year plan that she wrote in middle school," her mother, Jill, says. "And honestly, most of it came true. It was UNC all over it. She said 'This is where I'm going.' And 'This is where I'm playing.' ... She was very intentional with what she wanted and how she was going to get there." Matson's parents -- Brian, who played baseball in college, and Jill, who played softball and field hockey -- realized their daughter's talent for the game when she first picked up a stick at the age of 6 in Chadd Fords, located in the field hockey hotbed of Pennsylvania. At 10, Matson joined the state's elite WC Eagles, where she caught Shelton's attention during a game with the coach's niece. "She showed a high level of IQ for the game even at that time," Shelton says. "She was faster than everybody. She could score in close and outside as well. No one was like her." Matson started receiving interest from colleges at 13, including some of the top programs such as North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Boston College, Princeton. She also started garnering a following of younger players who heard about her through the field hockey club community and social media, many of whom waited after her games for her to sign autographs, and some who would go on to play for her when she became a coach. Ryleigh Heck, a junior forward for the Tar Heels, grew up watching Matson play as a member of the Eagles club team. "I would always stay and watch her even in practices," Heck says. "She probably had no idea who I was because I was just a little girl hanging around watching her. But I loved watching her play." The Matsons encouraged their daughter to think about what it means to be in the field hockey spotlight. "We wanted her to know that when you take on a role like this as an ambassador for a niche sport," Jill says, "that she's got to not only use it and help do her part, but that she was going to be looked at in a different way." They knew Erin's heart was set on North Carolina, but Brian and Jill encouraged her to go through with the full recruitment process, visit schools and take advantage of the opportunities as the top prospect in the nation. In the fall of her sophomore year of high school, Duke, UVA and Maryland had joined Matson's list of top schools. But her only unofficial visits were to Duke and North Carolina. On the first morning of her visit to Chapel Hill, Matson went for a run around campus. When she returned, she told Brian, "Dad, it just feels like home." Matson made her verbal commitment the next day. She became a member of the U.S. national team at 17, and her fledging fame grew in international circles as she traveled for tournaments, including in the Netherlands, where field hockey's popularity ranks just below soccer. She was the top scorer at the 2022 Pan American Cup in Chile and became a star of the sport on a global stage. Matson knew the recognition would be important in her first year as head coach. "Recruiting started right away," Matson says. "I was hired in January, and I had recruiting events start in February. The four commits for [the incoming class in] 2024 were from Coach Shelton. So I had to assure them that they were in good hands, but I also had to start mapping out who I wanted for the next set of classes." After winning the 2023 title, Matson focused on filling out her roster and replacing top players such as Katie Dixon, who will graduate after this season. So far, she has signed four of the top 10 U.S. players and a highly regarded player from the Netherlands to next year's class. and a Carolina bomber jacket, walks onto the field at Karen Shelton Stadium in Chapel Hill. The UNC fight song blasts throughout the stadium speakers, and a unified roar erupts. More than 200 fans start chanting "ERIN MATSON!" It is October 18, the Tar Heels' field hockey alumni weekend. Nearly 30 former field hockey players line up at the front of the stands to cheer on the head coach ahead of the matchup with Wake Forest. It's UNC's first home game in nearly a month. In the first minute of the game, Heck spins toward the net and launches the ball behind the Wake Forest keeper to score the game's opening goal. Heck, who as a freshman played alongside Matson, says her on-field persona is something she learned from her now-coach. "I loved her as a player" says Heck, who leads the ACC in assists. "She has the mind of a champion. And even when we played together at Carolina, she would be coaching and leading the team. What I'm doing out here is because of Erin." Three minutes later, sophomore forward Charly Bruder converts on a corner penalty opportunity and secures a 2-0 lead for the Tar Heels. Bruder finds the net again soon after. In the first half, Heck and Bruder further cement themselves atop the ACC and D-I rankings. In the ACC, Bruder and Heck hold the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in shots on goal. Bruder, with an average of 1.30 goals per game, sits at No. 1 in the D-I rankings. The crowd and the Carolina bench scream the loudest in the second half, when senior forward Kennedy Cliggett rushes the ball down the field, outrunning everyone in her path and breaking away to score her first goal of the season. With her team up 4-0, Matson tells her players to keep fighting and "be bold." With seconds remaining in the third quarter, Lisa Slinkert, a senior forward from the Netherlands, receives a pass with her back to the net. In one swift motion, she turns and fires the ball in for a goal. The game ends with a 7-0 victory for the Tar Heels, their fifth shutout of the year. Six players scored, and UNC outshot its opponents 19-7. From the stands, Shelton recalls a matchup with Wake Forest in the ACC tournament when Matson was an 18-year-old freshman. She rushed to meet a pass from her teammate on a broken corner play. Matson improvised, taking the pass behind her back. Without looking, Matson launched the ball into the back of the net for the first goal of the game. "It was such an instinctual, world-class goal nobody had seen before," Shelton says. "It was incredible as a freshman. And it was the first of many moments where she truly showed that she was a threat when it came to big goals at big times." The 2024 Carolina players rush to the stands to meet their family and friends. Matson waits behind, talking to her coaching staff -- which includes two assistants who worked under Shelton and one new hire, her former teammate Riccardo. Shelton's history still resonates deeply here, but Matson's team is starting to look more like Matson's team. "Nothing was just handed to Erin," says Dixon, who played with Matson for three years. "She gets a lot of criticism because she's young. And people believe that she was just handed a roster with good players. But if you don't have a good system in place, a good team culture around those good players, then that means nothing. "She's built on Coach Shelton's foundation, but she's creating new and improved twists on everything. Like, the amount of coaching she does that goes unnoticed. Like, the different corners that we've created. The different things we do during practice, the drills we do to help us prepare for games. That's all Erin. She was just in these high-pressure games. She knows what works and what doesn't." Minutes later, Matson is near the stands, greeting alumni and taking photos and signing autographs for fans. Young girls waiting with their parents wave for her attention. "Hi guys! How are you? Want a pic?" Matson asks. As soon as she walks away, the girls turned to each other. "I can't believe we met her," one says. Matson spends the next half hour with the crowd. She has been at the stadium for more than 12 hours. "This is what it's all about. I've given so much to the sport. But this sport has given so much to me. And same with Carolina," Matson says. "Now, it's my chance to not only bring awareness to this program, but to bring awareness to our sport. I understand my role in all of this." While her players mingle at the postgame tailgate with the alumni, parents and friends, Matson sneaks away to her office with her coaching staff to rehash the game. At the tailgates, Coach Shelton made a point to stand up and make a brief speech about the game. Matson continues that tradition. But instead of improvising like Shelton did for most of the postgame speeches, Matson writes down her thoughts. "Coach laughs at me because she's like, 'Erin, why do you like making a list and notes?' She would just stand up there and kill it," Matson says. "But I do better when I have a plan. And I don't want to forget to mention something or someone. I feel the pressure of those little things. I want it to be perfect for everyone." Holding a piece of paper, Matson calls the attention of the crowd. "You know we don't get wrapped up in the record and this and that. Coach Shelton always reminded us, 'The next game is always the most important.' And that's how these Heels roll. But tonight, these guys deserve to feel really good," Matson says. Cheering erupts again as Matson finishes each sentence. She starts to roll through the highs of the night, starting with her defense and working her way to her offense. Glancing down at her piece of paper, she rattles off names and stats of her players. "Woohoo!" is heard after each name. As the cheering and clapping grows, Matson deepens her voice and gets a little louder before she wraps up her speech. "You guys celebrate for each other. You want it for each other...it is so unselfish and it's absolutely beautiful, Heels," Matson says, before giving shout-outs to special guests and the alumni at the tailgate. The next day, just hours after a 3-1 win against Old Dominion, a TV graphic with Matson's photo was shown across millions of screens during the second game of the World Series. Her boyfriend at the time, Dodgers' rookie reliever Ben Casparius, had entered the game, and Fox Sports commentator Joe Davis shared on the broadcast that Casparius said Matson was the "best athlete he's ever seen." (A week before, during the National League Championship Series, Ken Rosenthal told the audience that Matson was the "Michael Jordan of field hockey.") Matson's cell phone lit up as text messages flooded her inbox. The team's social media staff asked her if she was OK with them sharing the post on the Tar Heels' account. "I've always had to think about the repercussions of my actions because I was being looked at by so many people because of field hockey," Matson says. "But at the same time, I know I've built a loyal following and brought exposure to this sport by just being myself. Social media is a part of that, right?" But Matson knows her moves are scruitnized. It's the price of her success at such a young age. "I'm always constantly thinking about, how is this taken by my players? My staff? My recruits? My players' parents? Everyone?" She tells her staff to hold off on posting the shout-out. to start the ACC title game. Matson crouches low to the ground on the edge of the field, her eyes shielded behind her sunglasses. Riccardo stands just a few feet away. Exchanging words every few plays, the two are in sync, just like when they played together. Riccardo and Matson started at Carolina the same year; Riccardo red-shirted, so Matson coached her in her final season. This summer, when an assistant position became available, Riccardo followed the Matson playbook and applied for the position. "It just made sense," Riccardo says. "Erin was always coaching on the field, even in our first season together. She was the leader, and Shelton looked towards her for so many things. And I wanted to be a part of what she was building." Less than two minutes into the second quarter, Bruder finds the goal after being set up by fifth-year Ciana Riccardo (Romea's sister) and Dixon. Matson nods her head in approval; her players shout their teammate's name. "TAR ... HEELS ... TAR ... HEELS ..." echoes throughout the stands. Ten minutes later, Carolina scores again. This time, Matson throws her hands up and cheers along. Ciana Riccardo passes to senior back Kelly Smith. Smith passes left to Bruder, who passes behind her to junior Sietske Brüning. The midfielder sends it back to Riccardo, standing just a couple feet from the goal. Riccardo sends the ball straight into the back of the net. The speed and accuracy are too much for the Eagles. "It's my final ACC championship game, and I hadn't scored all season. And she just looked at me and told me I could do it," Riccardo says about the pep talk Matson gave her before the game. "That's the thing about Erin, she's a person who everyone looks up to. She understands us. She's been in our position. She knows what it feels like to deal with high-pressure situations, what it takes to win. She knew exactly what I needed headed into this game." After defeating the Eagles 4-1, the Tar Heels secured their eighth straight ACC championship title. "It never gets old, watching them celebrate," Matson says. "They know that this is only one step in the whole path, but it's a big step. And they should feel good about it and celebrate. But this isn't necessarily the trophy they want to be hoisting." A few hours later Matson will return to Chapel Hill. She'll go back to her office at Carmichael Hall. The same office she entered when she was 15 years old and said she wanted to play for the Tar Heels. Now, it's her office. Remnants of Coach Shelton remain, like her Carolina desk chair. But Matson has added a huge picture of Michael Jordan in a Bulls jersey with the words, "Pressure is a privilege" plastered across the middle. It hangs above her white couch with Carolina pillows placed at each end. In one week, Matson and her top-seeded team will begin NCAA tournament play. Matson opens up her black Moleskine notebook and starts preparing for the week ahead. There are fewer than five pages left. She'll have to order a new notebook soon.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown and Scottish First Minister John Swinney were among those who remembered a “giant of a man” during a memorial service for Alex Salmond. Tributes were paid to the former Scottish first minister, who died suddenly in North Macedonia in October at the age of 69. A private family funeral has already taken place, with Saturday’s memorial service in Edinburgh held to celebrate his love of Scotland and his commitment to the cause of independence. But while some 500 people, including family, friends and politicians from across the spectrum attended the service at St Giles’ Cathedral, his successor Nicola Sturgeon was not present. A rift between her and Mr Salmond – who she had previously described as her mentor – developed during her term as SNP leader. Ms Sturgeon attended the funeral of Scottish comedian Janey Godley in Glasgow on Saturday morning. Her successor, Mr Swinney, was met with boos as he arrived at the service – held on St Andrew’s Day – with at least one person in the crowd outside on the Royal Mile shouting “traitor”. Mr Salmond stood down as SNP leader and first minister after the 2014 referendum in which Scots voted to stay part of the UK. He helped found and went on to lead another pro-independence party, Alba, with Kenny MacAskill, a long-time friend who served as justice secretary in Holyrood under Mr Salmond. Mr MacAskill, now the acting Alba leader, told the congregation – which included Mr Salmond’s widow Moira as well as Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, former Labour first minister Henry McLeish and Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay – that Mr Salmond had been a “giant of man”. Mr MacAskill, who quit the SNP to join Alba, hailed Mr Salmond as “an inspiration, a political genius” and being “most of all a man who had the cause of independence burned into his heart and seared in his soul”. The cause of independence was Mr Salmond’s “guiding light, his north star”, the former justice secretary said, adding that “he came so close to achieving it”. He added: “Those of us who share his dream must conclude that journey on his behalf. That’s the legacy he’d expect and the duty we owe him.” Recalling Mr Salmond’s words from when he stood down as first minister that “the dream shall never die”, Mr MacAskill concluded his address with the words: “Your dream shall be delivered.” Former Conservative Brexit minister and long-time friend of Mr Salmond, David Davis, gave a reading as did former Scottish government minister SNP MSP Fergus Ewing. Scottish folk singer Dougie MacLean performed his famous song Caledonia, while singer Sheena Wellington led mourners in a rendition of Robert Burns’ classic A Man’s A Man For A’ That. Scottish rock duo the Proclaimers were applauded for their performance of Cap in Hand – a pro-independence song which features the line “I can’t understand why we let someone else rule our land, cap in hand”. Brothers Craig and Charlie Reid said: “We’re going to do this for Alex, with love and respect and eternal gratitude for everything you did for our country.” Christina Hendry described her Uncle Alex as a “political giant, a strong leader, a fearless campaigner” but also remembered his as a “dearly loved husband, brother and uncle”. While she said he had been “the top man in Scotland”, he had “always made time for his family”, recalling how he phoned her brother on his birthday – the day after the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 – to apologise for not posting a card “as he’d been busy”, before telling them he would “resigning in 10 minutes”. She told the congregation: “As his family, we always felt loved no matter how far away he was or the time that passed before we saw him next. “We always knew he was standing up for our country, and for that we were grateful.” Ms Hendry continued: “The world will be a much quieter place without Uncle Alex, for Moira, for the wider family and for Scotland. “Uncle Alex passing means a great loss for many. A loss of Scotland’s voice on the international stage. A loss of integrity in Scottish politics. And a great loss to Scotland’s independence movement. “As a family it is likely a loss we will never get over.” Duncan Hamilton KC, who was an SNP MSP after the first Scottish Parliament elections, but also served as a political adviser and legal counsel to Mr Salmond, said the former first minister had “rightly been hailed as one of the greatest Scottish politicians of this, or any, generation”. He told how Mr Salmond took the SNP from being “a fringe act trying to get onto the main stage” to a party of government. “In Scottish politics, his success was both spectacular and unrivalled,” Mr Hamilton said. “Alex Salmond will forever be a pivotal figure in Scotland’s story. He changed a nation. He inspired a country. “History will certainly remember him as a man of talent, charisma and substance. But also as a political leader of courage, vision and intelligence. “He dared to dream. And so should we.” As the service finished the crowd gathered outside applauded and chanted “Alex, Alex” before singing Flower Of Scotland.Leaving X: The right move or a leap into the unknown?
