Sports in brief: Judge acquits 5 junior hockey players in sexual assault case

LONDON, Ontario An Ontario judge acquitted five former members of Canadas world junior hockey team on Thursday in their sexual assault case, saying the complainants allegations lacked the credibility needed to justify the charges.

Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia said prosecutors could not meet the onus of proof for the charges against Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote.

All five players had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault in an encounter that took place in a London, Ontario, hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018.

Years of speculation regarding the allegations fueled by a lawsuit settlement, parliamentary hearings and revived investigations by the police and Hockey Canada, along with an NHL investigation all preceded a complex trial earlier this year that included a mistrial and the dismissal of the jury, leaving the verdict to Carroccia.

Carroccia explained her reasoning for the acquittals in detail over the course of about five hours, highlighting the complainants tendency to blame others for inconsistencies in her allegations.

She also said the woman went to great lengths to point out that she was really drunk through the course of the night, but that is not supported by surveillance video from a bar and hotel that night and the testimony of others.

McLeod was also acquitted and pleaded not guilty on a separate count of being a party to the offense, an unusual application of a charge that is more typically seen in murder cases.

The players, who are now between the ages of 25 and 27, were in London at the time for a gala and golf tournament marking their championship victory.

They walked out of the courthouse surrounded by family members following the verdict.

BASEBALL ATLANTA Jesse Chavez, the often-traded reliever who pitched for nine teams in 18 seasons, announced his retirement Thursday.

Chavez appeared in four games this season for the Braves, the team the right-hander helped win the 2021 World Series.

Atlanta designated him for assignment last week.

From the Los Angeles area, he was 51-66 with a 4.27 ERA, nine saves and 1,044 strikeouts in 1,142 innings in 657 games, also pitching for Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Toronto, Oakland, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels, Texas and the Chicago Cubs.

Golf Adam Svensson made a 48-foot eagle putt on the closing hole to complete an 11-under 60 on Thursday that gave him a two-shot lead over Sam Stevens and Thorbjorn Olesen after one round of the 3M Open.

Svensson also made nine birdies and did not drop a shot in the lowest round in the tournaments seven-year history.

He tied the TPC Twin Cities course record set by Paul Goydos at the 2017 3M Championship on the PGA Tour Champions.

His career-best 60 is the second-lowest score on the PGA Tour this season.

FOOTBALL MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.

Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Bayron Matos remained under observation at the Ryder Trauma Care Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Thursday, one day after he was transported there by helicopter from training camp with an undisclosed injury.

The Dolphins said in a statement that Matos has movement in all extremities and is in stable condition, but they did not provide any other details of his injury.

The team also did not say how long Matos would be under the care of doctors.

BASKETBALL Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has been fined $500 for a TikTok post criticizing the leagues referees, she wrote on X.

The original TikTok featured Cunningham lip-synching to song lyrics, saying, Stupid.

Or is it, slow? Or maybe, useless? with the words @ some refs on the video.

The TikTok was posted on July 18 and has since garnered 1.3 million views.

LAWRENCE, Kan.

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self had two stents inserted into his heart to treat blocked arteries Thursday at Lawrence Memorial Hospital after he felt unwell and experienced some concerning symptoms.

The procedure went very well, and he is expected to make a full recovery, the Kansas athletic department said in a statement.

He is in good spirits and expects to be released from the hospital soon.

Self missed the 2023 Big 12 and NCAA tournaments because of a heart condition, getting a standard catheterization and having two stents inserted to help treat blocked arteries..

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