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LAFC shut out as Minnesota United ends seven-game winless streak

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LAFC shut out as Minnesota United ends seven-game winless streak


  • Los Angeles FC midfielder Mateusz Bogusz (19) makes a move past Minnesota United defender Miguel Tapias (4) and midfielder Hassani Dotson (31) in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, March 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

  • Minnesota United defender Devin Padelford, left, and Los Angeles FC...

    Minnesota United defender Devin Padelford, left, and Los Angeles FC forward Cristian Olivera vie for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, March 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

  • Minnesota United midfielder Robin Lod, left, challenges Los Angeles FC...

    Minnesota United midfielder Robin Lod, left, challenges Los Angeles FC midfielder Ilie Sánchez for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, March 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

  • Los Angeles FC forward Dénis Bouanga, right, heads the ball...

    Los Angeles FC forward Dénis Bouanga, right, heads the ball over Minnesota United defender D.J. Taylor (27) in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, March 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

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  • Minnesota United players jumps for the crowd after defeating Los...

    Minnesota United players jumps for the crowd after defeating Los Angeles FC in an MLS soccer match Saturday, March 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

  • Minnesota United defender Devin Padelford, right, pushes the ball past...

    Minnesota United defender Devin Padelford, right, pushes the ball past Los Angeles FC midfielder Timothy Tillman (11) in the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, March 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

  • Minnesota United forward Bongokuhle Hlongwane scores a goal against Los...

    Minnesota United forward Bongokuhle Hlongwane scores a goal against Los Angeles FC in the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, March 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

  • Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (1) kneels after Minnesota...

    Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (1) kneels after Minnesota United forward Bongokuhle Hlongwane scored on him in the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, March 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

  • Minnesota United forward Bongokuhle Hlongwane (21) beats Los Angeles FC...

    Minnesota United forward Bongokuhle Hlongwane (21) beats Los Angeles FC defender Omar Campos (2) to the ball en route to scoring during the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, March 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

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  • Minnesota United midfielder Emanuel Reynoso, left, works past Los Angeles...

    Minnesota United midfielder Emanuel Reynoso, left, works past Los Angeles FC defender Ryan Hollingshead, right, during the second half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, March 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Robin Lod and Bongokuhle Hlongwane each scored a goal, and Minnesota United ended a seven-game winless streak against LAFC with a 2-0 victory on Saturday night in coach Eric Ramsay’s debut for the Loons.

LAFC (1-2-1) has been shut out in three straight games. Dénis Bouanga, the reigning Golden Boot winner, is still chasing his first goal of the season. Bouanga’s shot from close range missed to the left in the 54th minute and his shot in the 65th was blocked. He also missed a shot early in the first half. Hugo Lloris stopped one shot for LAFC.

Ramsay was named Minnesota’s head coach on Feb. 26. He joined the club after being the top assistant for Manchester United of the English Premier League.

Lod scored his right-footed shot to the top right corner of the net following a set piece in the 16th minute for Minnesota (3-0-1). Hlongwane fired his shot from just inside the center of the 18-yard box to the middle of the net in the 88th.

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Dayne St. Claire saved two shots for Minnesota United.



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Boldy, Eriksson Ek help Wild cruise past Stars in Game 1 of Western 1st Round | NHL.com

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Boldy, Eriksson Ek help Wild cruise past Stars in Game 1 of Western 1st Round | NHL.com


Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who are the No. 3 seed in the Central Division. Wallstedt made 27 saves in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, and Zuccarello had three assists.

“I was definitely nervous,” said Wallstedt, a rookie. “I think it shows that it means something to you. I like a little bit of nerves. I think it’s something good. There were definitely some nerves throughout the day and then a little bit extra rolling into the game. But after the national anthem was over and the first couple pucks started coming, you’re good. 

“I wanted to play and I felt like I have been going good. I was a little surprised (to get the start). But I was very excited as soon as I got the news. I just wanted to make sure I was ready today.”

Jason Robertson scored, and Jake Oettinger made 23 saves for the Stars, who are the No. 2 seed in the Central.

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“We didn’t deserve to win,” Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen said. “I think two power-play goals for them, two a little-bit bounces for them where we had guys in the right spot. Just even keel. Playoffs are like this. Sometimes you lose a game, you can feel like you’re done. But that’s the mentality you need to have, you’ve got to reset and learn from mistakes. 

“First 30 minutes, we didn’t win enough battles. They were just that little bit stronger in the battles and that’s why they were able to make us defend more than we want to. Just got to be stronger.”

Game 2 is here on Monday (9:30 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, Victory+, ESPN, TVAS2, SN360).

“We prepped for a couple days coming into this one. Now, we will gather information from this game and continue to move forward,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “For me, it’s game to game and day to day. We want to continue to get better. We won and they [Dallas] lost. It’s not so much being satisfied where you’re at or that’s what it is. We need to continue to find ways to get better.”

Eriksson Ek gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 5:35 of the first period on the power play. He scored on a one-timer from the left hash marks to finish a tic-tac-toe passing play with Zuccarello and Boldy, who found an open Eriksson Ek with a pass from the goal line.

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“I think every team in the playoffs talks about not getting too high or too low. Just enjoy every day and each game and then we will go from there,” Eriksson Ek said. “I think we played pretty good today. The next game is a new game, so we just have to do it over and over every game. We know they are probably not the happiest with that game, so I am sure it’s going to be hard next game.”



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ICE agent assault charge marks a ‘milestone’ for Minnesota prosecutors

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ICE agent assault charge marks a ‘milestone’ for Minnesota prosecutors



Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault accusing him of involvement in a February road-rage incident.

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Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault, saying the agent was involved in a February road-rage incident during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, faces two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, according to April 16 Hennepin County court records. He has a nationwide warrant for his arrest.

On Feb. 5, prosecutors said Morgan allegedly drove illegally on the shoulder of a congested Minnesota highway in an unmarked SUV and pointed his weapon at two people in another car.

Morgan is the first agent charged in Operation Metro Surge, the controversial Minneapolis-area federal immigration operation that resulted in two American citizens fatally shot by federal officials, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

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The charges “reflect an important milestone in our efforts to seek accountability for the harms inflicted on our community during Operation Metro Surge,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in an April 16 video statement.

Second-degree assault with a gun has a presumptive sentence of 36 months in prison if convicted, she said.

“Mr. Morgan’s conduct was extremely dangerous,” she said, adding his actions could have led to “another disastrous incident” in the community.

Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security immediately responded to email requests for comment. A cell phone listed for Morgan, identified as a Maryland resident, didn’t immediately respond to a call or text message.

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The incident came less than two weeks after two Customs and Border Protection officers shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, during a protest in Minneapolis. Pretti would be the second American killed during Metro Surge after an ICE agent in early January fatally shot Renee Good, 37, while she drove her SUV in Minneapolis near an immigration operation.

Later in February, the Trump administration drew down Metro Surge, which officials called the largest immigration operation in modern American history.

Investigators said they interviewed Morgan, who identified himself as the driver. Morgan told investigators he and the other ICE employee were returning from a surveillance shift. Morgan said he feared for his life and others’ safety, so he pulled up alongside the vehicle and drew his Glock 19 firearm. He said he identified himself as police. 

State investigators said neither Morgan nor the other ICE agent reported the incident to an ICE supervisor.

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The April 16 warrant, signed by District Court Judge Paul Scoggin, said there was a “substantial likelihood” Morgan would fail to respond to a summons, and officials couldn’t locate him.

On April 18, Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesperson for the county attorney’s office, said there is no knowledge of Morgan being arrested yet.

Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.



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Reds Brandon Williamson beats Twins in first Minnesota homecoming

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Reds Brandon Williamson beats Twins in first Minnesota homecoming


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  • In his first professional start in Minnesota, Trimont, MN, native Brandon Williamson pitched into the sixth to beat the Twins 2-1.
  • The victory was the opener of a six-game road trip for the Reds, who improved to 12-8.

MINNEAPOLIS – Brandon Williamson came to this ballpark as a kid, rooted for Joe Mauer and the Twins, maybe even dreamed a little of playing there one day.

“Oh, yeah. Joe Ma,” Williamson said. “That’s my guy.”

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By the time that day came, Mauer had a statue outside the stadium, and Williamson had 29 career starts across three big-league seasons for the Cincinnati Reds.

And then the kid from tiny Trimont, Minnesota, came up big enough to beat the Twins in his first professional start in his home state – a 2-1 victory Friday in front of 200 or more personal friends and family from Trimont. And about 31,000 other people.

“It was awesome,” said Williamson, whose personal contingent at the game represented close to one-third of greater Trimont (pop. 705). “It was everything I thought it would be.”

The left-hander didn’t pitch especially deep into the game, getting two batters into the sixth. But on a night made for native Minnesotans, with a game-time temperature of 43 degrees, Williamson looked right at, well, home, pitching to the conditions and setting down the first six batters he faced – and eight of the first nine.

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As one local press box wag quipped during the second inning, “These Minnesota boys know how to pitch in the cold.”

A pair of one-out runs in the fourth inning provided the scoring for a Reds team lineup still trying to break free from its early season woes – albeit with the twin obstacles of the weather and All-Star starter Joe Ryan’s presence on the mound for the Twins for the first six innings.

The only two hits off Ryan were doubles in the fourth by Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suárez, sandwiched around a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Kreidler. Suárez’s hit drove in two.

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The only run against Williamson scored after he inexplicably followed four strong innings with three consecutive walks to open the fifth, including a four-pitch walk to No. 8 hitter Brooks Lee leading off the inning.

Austin Martin followed the three freebies with a sacrifice fly on a dying liner to the gap in right that Will Benson caught with a slide.

Williamson then rallied to get Luke Keaschall on an inning-ending, 5-4-3 double play started by Suárez, who got the rare start at third base.

“I thought he handled himself really good,” manager Terry Francona said. “He looked like he was having fun pitching. I know he didn’t like walking the bases loaded. But he looked like he was enjoying himself out there. I like that when guys are enjoying competing; then we’re OK.”

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Williamson also left the bases loaded in the third after a hit batter and two-out single followed by a walk. He struck out Keaschall on a called third strike that was confirmed after Keaschall challenged.

“I could have kissed whoever was running the ABS,” Williamson said.

The Reds improved to 12-8 and remained tied for first place in the National League Central after their third win in four games – the second in that stretch by a 2-1 score.“That was cool,” said closer Emilio Pagán, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save in his first outing since experiencing hamstring tightness Tuesday.

“I don’t have a team in my home state (of South Carolina),” Pagán said, “so I don’t know what that feels like. But to pitch against probably his favorite team growing up in front of that many friends and family had to be a surreal feeling. And he handled it great.”



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