The Niagara University women's volleyball team volunteered their time Thursday at Niagara Catholic Jr./Sr. High School. The girls, joined by assistant volleyball coach Eric Buggs, helped with various tasks to get the school ready for its Sept. 4 opening.

On July 26-27, the Youngstown Yacht Club hosted the first-ever CanAm Challenge, a one-design and pursuit class event that emphasizes a friendly rivalry between the U.S. and Canada, with each country vying for bragging rights.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens announced James VanArsdall of West Henrietta caught a record-breaking freshwater drum from Irondequoit Bay (Lake Ontario) in Monroe County.

The World Cup is heating up near its end, but for young athletes in Niagara County, the real soccer excitement is only just beginning.

This weekend marks the 30th annual Niagara Pioneer Soccer Tournament, billed as the county's largest and longest-running youth sporting event. It is hosted by the Niagara Pioneer Soccer League and held at Fort Niagara.

Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union has announced a 12-year agreement with Lockport Ice Arena & Sports Center Inc. for the naming rights to the new 93,500-square-foot facility under construction at 34 Chestnut St. Slated to open in September, the facility will be called Cornerstone CFCU Arena.

The Grand Island Alumni Association will hold "Friday Night Under the Lights" when the first night football game on the Ransom Road campus in Grand Island Vikings history takes place at new Gene Masters Field.

The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame will induct its 12-member class of 2014, Thursday, Oct. 16, at its annual induction ceremony and dinner. The event will be held for the first time ever at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.

The cash bar reception begins at 5 p.m. with a silent auction of sports memorabilia. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony. Proceeds from the dinner and the auction benefit the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame amateur sports development fund.

The Buffalo Sabres and the National Hockey League announced the team's 2014-15 regular-season schedule. The variable ticket pricing designations for individual games will be released at a later date.

Buffalo opens its season at home on Thursday, Oct. 9, against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and then embarks on one of the season's busiest stretches, with 11 games scheduled over 22 days in October, and a four-game road trip from Oct. 22-28.

The Niagara Falls Country Club hosted the second Women's Porter Cup tournament June 11-13. Following the deep tradition established by the 55 years of the men's Porter Cup, it was decided the world of female golfers deserved "A Cup of Their Own."

Four members of the Niagara-Wheatfield varsity soccer team have won the state cup in their respective age bracket and will travel to Rhode Island to compete in regional competition with their premier teams at the end of the month.

The Niagara Pioneer Soccer League Blaze U12 girls team won the 2014 Winter B-Under 12 Girls Division at Sportsplex in Tonawanda. The players capped off an undefeated season by beating the Northtowns Reign in the championship game.

One hundred sixty golfers journeyed to the Niagara Falls Country Club for the 23rd annual Niagara Cup Classic golf tournament. The event raised more than $45,000, which will support health care programming at the hospital - particularly cardiac and stroke services.

USA Hockey announced it would bring two major world championships to Buffalo in 2015, with both being staged at the soon-to-be-completed HARBORCENTER.

On Wednesday, May 13, the Lewiston-Porter boys tennis team defeated Kenmore East by a score of 5-0. With the win, the Lancers completed a near perfect season with a 13-1 record, and officially earned the Niagara Frontier League championship.

Niagara Cerebral Palsy is holding its 22nd annual "Matthew J. Murphy Jr. On the Tee fore NCP" golf tournament, June 13 at Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course, 4560 Creek Road, Lewiston. Registration and lunch are at noon, with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Proceeds from the event benefit NCP's adult vocational program.

The event will celebrate the agency's 60th anniversary, in addition to unveiling a new award, "The Chairman's Award." This year's recipient is James Catanese.

Buffalo RiverWorks recently announced it would become home to the Queen City Roller Girls, an amateur Women's Flat Track Roller Derby Association league next season.

The Queen City Roller Girls will compete on a 98-foot-by-66-foot derby track that will be built to accommodate some of the nation's best female athletes. The indoor track is a part of Buffalo RiverWorks eight-acre entertainment and event center that will officially open next fall on the shore of the Buffalo River. The derby track will be the first of its kind in the nation. Derby players provided input into its custom design.

Elizabeth Keefer, a senior at Wilson Central High School, has signed with Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester and will receive a scholarship to play women's lacrosse. Steven, her brother, is also on a lacrosse scholarship to Roberts Wesleyan College.

Elizabeth comes from a lacrosse-playing family and has played the past four years for the Newfane Panthers girls club lacrosse team (Wilson does not have a girls team). Prior to that, she played lacrosse in the N.W.A.A. youth program. Elizabeth will be first student from Wilson to play NCAA Division II women's lacrosse.

Penny Rodden of Niagara Falls took first-place honors recently at the RPS Spring Supremacy Powerlifting Championship held in Rochester.

The Lewiston Event Center (formerly Frontier Lanes) is a perfect example of before and after construction work.

An inspiring message runs across the Buffarun Distance Club's website which reads, "I run for others. I run for my family. I run for a challenge. I run for a cure. I run because I can."

HARBORCENTER President John R. Koelmel and Erie Community College President Jack Quinn Jr. have announced a partnership that will make HARBORCENTER the home of ECC Kats hockey, beginning with the 2014-15 season.

Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Club was honored with two national customer service awards at the recent KemperSports national leadership conference.

As more moderate weather arrives across the state, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation welcomes boaters and anglers to take advantage of New York State's abundance of recreational waterways, while encouraging them to take common-sense precautions to stay safe.

For a safe and enjoyable boating season, State Parks recommends the following:

Through Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "NY's Open for Fishing & Hunting" initiative, hunters are invited to submit recommendations to regional waterfowl hunter task forces for the dates of the fall 2014 duck hunting seasons by April 4, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens announced Tuesday. DEC will evaluate the task force recommendations in setting waterfowl seasons, which must comply with federal rules.

Auto Collision and Glass Team Redhawks defeated Anzalone Electric Team Hornets 3-2 at Dwyer Arena on March 2.

The N-W Falcons hockey team won the WNY Section VI championship for the third year in a row on Feb. 24. The team is shown at the First Niagara Center after its 3-2 win against Williamsville North.

As part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "NY Open for Fishing and Hunting" initiative, the Angler Achievement Awards Program established a new state record for brook trout, New York State Department of Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens announced.

"Almost 200 entries were submitted into the program in 2013 with more than 75 percent of those qualified under the Catch and Release Category, indicating the sound stewardship ethic of New York's anglers," Martens said. "Not only does the Angler Achievement Awards Program provide deserved recognition to those anglers catching trophy fish, it also provides a useful snapshot of the quality of the state's freshwater fishery."

Niagara Powerlifting Club members Dan Zahno and Nick Figura, both of Ransomville, and Penny Rodden, of Niagara Falls, all did well at the USPA Red Brick Bench Press Championship XI.

The Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame selection committee today announced the induction of Dominik Hasek into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame. Hasek, one of the most prolific goaltenders in NHL history, will be officially inducted as the 42nd member of the Sabres Hall of Fame in a ceremony on March 29, prior to the team's home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at First Niagara Center.

Hasek, who was originally acquired by the Sabres from the Chicago Blackhawks on Aug. 7, 1992, remains one of the most decorated goaltenders in team and league history.

VP and Director of Hockey Nik Fattey has announced the HARBORCENTER 2014-15 youth hockey tournament schedule, which will include 20 new events for boys and girls, mite through midget, at the AAA and AA levels.

"Our tournaments will create a unique and differentiating experience for hockey families from Western New York and beyond," Fattey said. "At the AAA level, we will host some of the best youth teams from around the country and provide a competitive level of hockey that places our events among the best tournaments currently available. For AA teams, we will similarly provide a special high-end opportunity. Our best-in-class facilities, geographic location, amenities and affiliation with the Buffalo Sabres are a major attraction for top teams, providing the region with tens of thousands of visitors each year."

The Buffalo Sabres have announced the 10th annual Scotty Bowman Showcase will take place on Wednesday, April 9, at First Niagara Center. The 2014 Scotty Bowman Showcase consists of three all-star hockey games between players from Buffalo and their rivals from Rochester.

Admission for the games is $5.

The first game will begin at 6 p.m., with high school juniors from the two cities facing off against one another for the Tim Horton Memorial Cup.

Gleason's Gymnastics will host the 33rd annual Niagara Cup Gymnastics Meet beginning Friday, March 7, through Sunday, March 9, at the Koessler Athletic Center at Canisius College. More than 700 gymnasts from across the U.S. and Canada will compete.

The Elite Finals will be Saturday, beginning at 7 p.m., featuring the top 10 finishers in levels 9 and 10 from Friday's competition.

The Grand Island Dance Center's Dance Ensemble had a very full performance season. The last performance of the season was at Niagara University for the halftime show.

HARBORCENTER VP and Director of the Academy of Hockey Kevyn Adams have announced 11 Academy of Hockey development clinics will be offered to travel players at the AAA and AA levels from March 25 through April 12. Included are two sessions dedicated to goaltenders on April 10, and a girl's-only clinic on April 12. All sessions will be at the First Niagara Center.

"We are excited to have this opportunity to jumpstart our programming to support youth hockey development," Adams said.

Can you name the 11 Finger Lakes? How about the six Great Lakes?

The Niagara-Wheatfield boys swim team collected a Niagara Frontier League first place with its 200 medley relay team scoring a time of 1:45.25 at last weekend's NFL meet at Lockport High School.

HARBORCENTER President John R. Koelmel has announced IMPACT Sports Performance will operate HARBORCENTER's 5,000-square-foot, high-performance off-ice training facility.

With the colder, winter temperatures settling into the Western New York atmosphere, Ransomville Speedway continues to prepare for the 2014 season. The Niagara County-based half-mile speed plant will be releasing a monster 2014 schedule within the next few weeks and continues to sign valuable marketing partners that will only enhance Ransomville Speedway's popular Friday racing program.

Tim Hortons, Johnston's Restaurant, Pepsi and Gippster's Collision are officially back in the fold for the upcoming season.

AMSOIL Championship Snocross, powered by Ram - the world's premier professional snowmobile racing circuit - returns to Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel for two days/nights of high-octane racing action Feb. 7 and 8, with the running of the Seneca Allegany Casino Air Force Snocross.

Ransomville Speedway has announced the return of several sponsors for the 2014 season. With the 14th annual Hangover 150 in the books, Big R has set its sights on preparing for Friday, April 25, and the annual test, tune and time night. The 57th season opener is slated for Friday, May 2.

Mike Greenawalt and Investors Service Company will return for the upcoming season in several capacities.