First-place Sporting KC visits New England Revolution tonight

Riding a seven-game unbeaten streak and sitting atop the Supporters’ Shield standings, Sporting Kansas City (5-1-2, 17 points) will ride a wave of momentum eastward for a cross-conference clash with the New England Revolution (3-2-2, 11 points) on Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. with three hours of live television coverage beginning at 6 p.m. on FOX Sports Kansas City Plus and FOX Sports Midwest Plus.

The match will also stream live on FOX Sports GO for viewers in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa, as well as on ESPN+ elsewhere across the U.S. Local radio broadcasts will air on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and ESPN Deportes KC (Spanish), while the Sporting KC Uphoria app will provide live updates.

Sporting Kansas City enters the weekend in red-hot form, one week removed from a 6-0 thrashing of Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Children’s Mercy Park.

Forward Johnny Russell scored the eighth MLS hat-trick in Kansas City history – earning Alcatel MLS Player of the Week honors in the process – as Sporting KC set or tied single-game club records in goals, margin of victory, shots, shots on goal and possession.

Jimmy Medranda added a long-range wonderstrike in the first half before Cristian Lobato and Yohan Croizet opened their MLS scoring accounts after intermission.

Manager Peter Vermes’ men lead the league with 20 goals through eight games – already half of the club’s total for the entire 2017 regular season.

Nine different Sporting KC players have found the back of the net, more than any other team, and the club’s plus-nine goal differential is the best in MLS. As the league’s only player with four goals in April, Russell has notably emerged an MLS Player of the Month candidate.

The Revolution are fresh off a 2-2 road draw at Columbus Crew SC that saw the visitors come from behind twice in the first half.

Former Sporting KC forward Teal Bunbury drew New England level at 1-1 in the 14th minute before Cristian Penilla made the score 2-2 on the stroke of halftime. Bunbury is tied with 23-year-old homegrown veteran Diego Fagundez for the team lead with three goals, having scored a career-high seven during the 2017 campaign.

First-year head coach and longtime U.S. international goalkeeper Brad Friedel has enjoyed a promising start to his managerial career in MLS.

The Revs occupy fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings and have conceded just 1.14 goals per game, a marked improvement from last year when they leaked goals at a clip of 1.79 per match.

Friedel has found continuity along the backline – Andrew Farrell, Claude Dielna, Jalil Anibaba and Gabriel Somi have made five straight starts together – while midfield newcomers Penilla and Wilfried Zahibo have made positive impressions of their own. Penilla, a 26-year-old Ecuadorian, has been involved in six of the team’s 12 goals, scoring twice and adding four assists. Zahibo, a 24-year-old native of France, has chipped in a goal and four assists.

Saturday will mark the first time this season that Sporting KC travels into the Eastern time zone, giving the side an opportunity to continue its strong run away from home. The club is 2-0-1 on the road this season, already equaling its away win total from 2017, and their eight road goals are already three shy of tying last season’s total. On the flipside, New England has been tough to beat in the friendly confines of Gillette Stadium, going 14-3-4 on their home turf since the start of 2017.

Sporting KC and New England last met on Sept. 16, 2017, at Children’s Mercy Park. Bunbury gave the visitors an early lead with a deflected volley – his third tally in five appearances against his former club – but Sporting KC responded emphatically with a Gerso equalizer and a brace from Diego Rubio to claim a 3-1 triumph.

New England has won three straight home games against Sporting KC dating back to 2014, scoring eight goals and allowing two. The Revs have also prevailed in four of the last six meetings overall, but Kansas City’s 25-17-11 overall record in the series is its best against any MLS charter member.
– Story from Sporting KC

KCKCC at Johnson County Saturday in Region VI softball playoff

by Alan Hoskins

Arch-rivals Kansas City Kansas Community College and Johnson County will resume their longtime rivalry in opening round Region VI softball playoff action Saturday.

A best-of-three series at JCCC, the two teams will square off at noon and again at 2 p.m.

If they split the two games, a third game will be played Sunday at noon. Saturday’s opener will be the third meeting between the two teams, JCCC winning 11-1 and 3-1 in their first two games.

Tied with Highland for second place at 17-5 in the Jayhawk East, JCCC is 24-12 overall and winner of six straight. KCKCC, which is 2-2 in its last four games, is 12-24 overall.

Saturday events

Sunflower Showdown to be at Wyandotte County Lake
A women’s rowing contest between Kansas State University and the University of Kansas will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 28, at Wyandotte County Lake, 91st and Leavenworth Road.

Saturday is prescription drug takeback day
Saturday, April 28, is prescription drug takeback day in Kansas and the nation. Locally, several pharmacies and sites are participating in the drug takeback day program. Residents may drop off old medication at selected sites between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. For more information, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/prescription-drug-takeback-day-scheduled-saturday/.

Grinter Quilt Show to continue today
The Grinter Quilters plan the 42nd annual quilt show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 27 and 28 at Grinter Place, 1400 S. 78th St., Kansas City, Kansas. On April 28, Teresa Ward, who does long-arm quilting, will give a presentation and trunk show at 1 p.m. Anyone who wishes to show a quilt may bring it to Grinter on Tuesday, April 24. Admission to the quilt show is free. Admission for the program with Teresa Ward April 28 will be $6, which will include a tour of the historic Grinter House. For more information, call 913-724-1201.

Bonner Springs Library plans event for young children
The eighth annual Books, Blocks and Bubbles event for young children is from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 28, at the Bonner Springs City Library, 201 N. Nettleton Ave., Bonner Springs. Those attending the event will get to see exhibits and information about dinosaurs from Science City, Prairie Fire and the University of Kansas Department of Paleontology. There also will be a dinosaur storytime, and children will take home a free book. The event is cosponsored with the Bonner Springs School District Parents as Teachers program. For more information see http://bonnerlibrary.org/.

West Wyandotte Library plans ‘Dotte-Con’
The West Wyandotte Library, 1737 N. 82nd St., Kansas City, Kansas, plans its third annual Dotte-Con from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event includes fun, food, games, Taiko Drummer performance, panels, a local comic artist, anime screening and prizes.

Rosedale neighborhood cleanup scheduled April 28
A Rosedale neighborhood cleanup has been scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 28, meeting at Fisher Park, West 39th Avenue and Fisher Street. Organizations or individuals may join in the cleanup. Gloves, water and trash bags will be provided. A cookout is planned afterward, at noon at Fisher Park. For more information, call 913-677-5097.

Loyalty Day event to be held April 28 at Rosedale Arch
Kansas City’s VFW Post 111 and the city of Louisburg’s VFW Post 7348 are holding the Loyalty Day Ceremony at 10 a.m. April 28 at the Rosedale World War I Memorial Arch, 35th and Booth, Kansas City, Kansas, in recognition of the World War I Centennial. The event begins with patriotic music, color guard, immigrant guest speakers, Patriot Pen Winner Essay, bugle and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Arch from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Everyone is invited. For more information on the event and inclement weather location, visit ksloyaltyday.us.

KCKCC at Johnson County Saturday in Region VI softball playoff
Arch-rivals Kansas City Kansas Community College and Johnson County will resume their longtime rivalry in opening round Region VI softball playoff action Saturday. A best-of-three series at JCCC, the two teams will square off at noon and again at 2 p.m. If they split the two games, a third game will be played Sunday at noon. Saturday’s opener will be the third meeting between the two teams, JCCC winning 11-1 and 3-1 in their first two games. Tied with Highland for second place at 17-5 in the Jayhawk East, JCCC is 24-12 overall and winner of six straight. KCKCC, which is 2-2 in its last four games, is 12-24 overall.

KCKCC baseball game planned
A KCKCC baseball game is planned at 1 p.m. Saturday with Cowley County at the Blue Devils’ field at 7250 State Ave.

Library seeks community comments on future of Main Library
The future of the Main Library will be the topic of three community feedback sessions planned April 28, May 7 and May 16. The Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library is holding the feedback sessions so that the community members may share their thoughts about the future of the Main Library, according to a library news release. The sessions will be at 1 p.m. April 28, 6 p.m. May 7 and 11 a.m. May 16 at the Main Library, 625 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The current Main Library building was opened in 1966 and has been operating for more than 50 years. The community, in the meantime, has grown and changed, and the feedback sessions are designed to get information about what community members want and need at the library. The original Main Library building was built in 1902 at 625 Minnesota Ave. as a Carnegie library. That building was demolished in 1965 for a parking lot for the current building. Kansas City, Kansas, Public