Iloski scores club-record 4 goals, San Diego beats Vancouver, moves past 'Caps atop conference
Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen, back right, stands on the sideline during the first half of an MLS soccer match against San Diego FC in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
San Diego FC's Milan Iloski, left, celebrates his third goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
San Diego FC's Milan Iloski, back right, celebrates his second goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps with Alejandro Alvarado Jr. (70) and Oscar Verhoeven (33) during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
San Diego FC's Jeppe Tverskov, left, and Vancouver Whitecaps' Jeevan Badwal vie for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
San Diego FC's Milan Iloski celebrates his third goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
San Diego FC's Milan Iloski celebrates his third goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen, back right, stands on the sideline during the first half of an MLS soccer match against San Diego FC in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
San Diego FC's Milan Iloski, left, celebrates his third goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
San Diego FC's Milan Iloski, back right, celebrates his second goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps with Alejandro Alvarado Jr. (70) and Oscar Verhoeven (33) during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
San Diego FC's Jeppe Tverskov, left, and Vancouver Whitecaps' Jeevan Badwal vie for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
San Diego FC's Milan Iloski celebrates his third goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Milan Iloski scored a club-record four goals, Anders Dreyer had three assists and San Diego FC beat Vancouver 5-2 on Wednesday night to move past the Whitecaps into first in the Western Conference.
Iloski is the third player this season (Vancouver's Brian White and Nashville's Sam Surridge) and the 20th in MLS history to score at least four goals in a game.
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San Diego (11-5-3) has won seven of nine with just one loss in that span and has 36 points, four behind Philadelphia — the points leaders in all of MLS — and one ahead of Vancouver.
Vancouver (10-3-5) has lost back-to-back games following an 11-game unbeaten streak.
Tomás Ángel scored for San Diego in the 90th minute.
Iloski's shot from the edge of the box was parried by goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka but Iloski calmly tapped in the one-touch putback from the left side of the area that slipped inside the near post in the 35th minute and then scored on the counter-attack in the 37th to make it 2-0.
Édier Ocampo scored his first career goal in MLS in the 43rd, a first-touch shot off a misplayed ball by San Diego defender Oscar Verhoeven.
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Dreyer played an arcing ball-in from the right side to the center of the area, where Iloski scored on a diving header in the 44th minute for the first hat trick in club history and then ran onto a ball played ahead by Dreyer and beat Takaoka one on one to make it 4-1 in the 47th.
Mathias Laborda cut Vancouver's deficit to 4-2 in the 66th minute and Antoine Coupland, who made his MLS debut when he subbed on in the 87th minute, capped the scoring in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
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- Forbes
Grant Taylor Joins White Sox's Strong Set Of Value Arms
TORONTO, ON - JUNE 22: Grant Taylor #31 and Kyle Teel #8 of the Chicago White Sox celebrate ... More defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on June 22, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by) No one is referring to the White Sox as having established a pitching factory. Not yet, anyway. But a series of small moves — and one big one — have given the Sox an enviable collection of entry-level pitchers. Credit second-year General Manager Chris Getz for being creative both in acquiring and developing young talent. Heading toward the All-Star break, the White Sox are featuring five rookies pitchers who have thrown at least 10 innings. The latest to arrive, Grant Taylor, a second-round pick from LSU in the 2023 draft, presents the greatest upside but Shane Smith, Sean Burke, Mike Vasil and left-hander Brandon Eisert all look like high-value arms to build future pitching staffs around. Smith and Vasil were added in the Rule 5 draft, with Vasil taking an indirect route through two other teams. Eisert was claimed on waivers in March. Burke was a third-round pick in 2021. All five came through high-profile college programs before reporting to the White Sox complex in Arizona. Taylor was pitching alongside Paul Skenes before Tommy John surgery sidetracked him on the eve of LSU's championship season. The Sox gambled on his recovery and he immediately flashed his potential in his big-league debut on June 12, throwing six of 12 pitches for 100 mph-plus in a perfect inning against Houston. 'If he gets to spring (at LSU), he probably doesn't get to us,' scouting director Mike Shirley said after the '23 draft. 'He goes in the first round. … We selected him in the second and get a first-round piece.' Taylor jumped to Chicago from Double-A Birmingham, where he began the transition from starting to relief, at least in part to limit his innings. He pitched 10 innings in his first eight games, including a two-inning save in a 1-0 victory over the Giants. It's an understatement to say Taylor excites manager Will Venable. 'The stuff, the command,' Venable said after the save on Saturday. 'Everything makes you want to have him out there.' Taylor complements his four-seam fastball with a cutter and a hard curve. Both his average fastball velocity (99.3) and the extension that the 6-3 right-hander gets in his delivery rank in the 98th percentile, per Statcast. That data shows he hadn't had any pitches pulled in the air after 25 batted ball events. The immediate comparison for Taylor is former White Sox left-hander Garrett, who arrived in Chicago as a reliever but emerged as one of the majors' top starters. Crochet underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 but started 32 games — albeit with a tight innings limit — two years later. Getz says 'the bullpen is probably the best role for (Taylor)' for now but it won't surprise anyone if he returns to his familiar starting role next season. That could put him in a rotation including Smith, Burke, 25-year-old Jonathan Cannon and possibly highly regarded prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith. Burke, who had climbed to Triple-A in his first full pro season and reached Chicago in his second one, beat the Angels on Opening Day. He is 4-7 with a 4.22 ERA, leaning on his 94-mph fastball and two inconsistent breaking pitches. The 6-6 right-hander has 92nd-percentile extension, making his stuff play up. Smith and Vasil have held up unusually well for Rule 5 picks. Smith is 3-5 with a 3.38 ERA in 15 starts. Vasil has been used in a variety of roles, going 3-3 with a 2.73 ERA in 23 outings, covering a bullpen-high 56 innings. Smith went undrafted out of Wake Forest, where he battled shoulder problems and missed a season to Tommy John surgery, and got overshadowed by prospects like Jacob Misiorowski, D.L. Hall, Logan Henderson, Chad Patrick and Robert Gasser with Milwaukee. Getz and the organization's coaches and analysts identified him as the best candidate among Rule 5 eligible players, selecting him first last December. His 95-mph fastball and a changeup he added after joining the White Sox have helped him hold hitters to a .223 average. Vasil, who started on a College World Series team at Virginia, was originally selected by the Mets in the eighth round of the 2021 draft. The Phillies selected him 13 picks behind Smith last December and immediately sold him to Tampa Bay. The White Sox claimed him when the Rays put him on waivers in March. Like Smith, Vasil pitches from a low arm slot. His six-pitch mix built around a 94-mph sinker has allowed him to thrive as a utility pitcher. He has made two starts and earned two saves while working three-plus innings 11 times. 'I've now officially pitched innings one through nine on the season,' Vasil told Jim Margalus of the website Sox Machine. 'Every inning in different roles brings different things, a different mindset. I can definitely say closing a game is a lot different than starting. To be able to get that experience in all those roles too, is very, very cool.'' Eisert, who twice went to CWS at Oregon State, succeeds more through guile than velocity. He slipped to the 18th round in 2019, when Toronto selected him. He was purchased by Tampa Bay in January but then claimed on waivers by Getz only two weeks later. Like the others, Eisert has responded to the opportunity he was presented with the White Sox rebuild. He's 2-1 with a 4.33 ERA in 36 appearances. His fastball averages only 89.6 mph yet his slider and changeup have allowed him to amass a 26.3 K-rate, which ranks in the 75th percentile on Statcast. At 27, Eisert is the old man among the Sox's entry-level arms. But he presents a high value for future seasons, especially if he can develop a put-away pitch for left-handed hitters. They are hitting .328 off him, compared to .241 for right-handed hitters. While the White Sox are shopping veteran pitchers Adrian Houser, Aaron Civale, Steven Wilson and Dan Altavilla, it figures contenders may ask about the five rookies as well. The White Sox would have to be offered a lot of talent in return, as Taylor, Smith, Burke, Vasil and Eisert could easily worth more than one-third of the total innings next season, while costing the team less than $5 million total. Those five have combined for 3.8 WAR this season. That total could grow to 10-plus WAR in 2026, an amazing return for an organization that is getting its act together.
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- Forbes
Mitch Marner Set To Kick Off NHL Free-Agent Frenzy By Leaving Leafs
Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs will be the big prize in free agency. (Photo by Mike ...) The start of NHL free agency is at hand, and the biggest prize is Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Marner has been one of Toronto's 'Core Four' players for the last nine seasons, but it was deemed that he would be the player to go after the Maple Leafs were eliminated in the second round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Marner and the Maple Leafs have been regular-season winners since 2016-17 – Marner's rookie season – but they have gotten out of the first round just twice. As a result, general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube have come to the conclusion that the era of the Core Four is over. Auston Matthews and William Nylander remain under contract, and it was expected that John Taveras would join Marner in free agency. However, he signed a team-friendly four-year, $17.5 million contract last week and will remain with the team after scoring 38 goals last season. Many expected Taveras to leave the Maple Leafs and end up with a deal that would have paid him at least $7 million per year Unless the Maple Leafs make a shocking trade involving Matthews or Nylander, Marner is the only member of that foursome who will end up with a new team. He is the best and most explosive free agent and he would make nearly every team better. However, the Vegas Golden Knights appear to have the best chance of reeling Marner in and pairing him with Jack Eichel on their top line. Free agency commences Tuesday at noon ET. Marner is coming off a career-best 102-point season and he has scored 97 points or more in three of the last four seasons. He will be able to take advantage of a salary cap that is increasing to $95.5 million and is likely to see a seven- or eight-year deal that approaches $15 million per season. Here's a look at six top unrestricted free agents that are about to hit the market: Defenseman Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers Aaron Ekblad (left) of the Florida Panthers receives the Stanley Cup from Dmitry Kulikov (No. 7) ... More after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. (Photo by) The 29-year-old right-shot defenseman played a key role in the team winning back-to-back championships and he has been one of the team's core players for 11 seasons. Ekblad had a salary cap hit of $7.5 million last season and would seem to be the kind of player that the Panthers have to bring back if they want to make a run at three straight Stanley Cups. However, the Panthers acquired another right-shot defenseman in Seth Jones at the trade deadline. Unless Ekblad is willing to accept a discount, it seems likely that he will play for another team next fall. Left wing Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets Nikolaj Ehlers #27 of the Winnipeg Jets scores against the Minnesota Wild. (Photo by Darcy ... More Finley/NHLI via Getty Images) Ehlers is clearly one of the Jets' best players and many expected the 29-year-old to sign an extension with the Presidents Trophy winners during the regular season. That did not happen, and he is about to hit the open market after scoring 24 goals and 63 points last season. That came one year after he netted 25 goals and 61 points in 2023-24. The Carolina Hurricanes, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets are likely to be in the market for this consistent scorer. He had a salary cap hit of $7.5 million last year, and a contract that pays him $7-8 million seems likely. Left wing Brad Marchand, Florida Panthers EDMONTON, CANADA - JUNE 06: Brad Marchand of the Florida Panthers celebrates after scoring on the ... More Edmonton Oilers during the second period in Game Two of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. (Photo by) The shocking trade deadline move of Marchand from the Boston Bruins to the Panthers could not have worked out better for the Stanley Cup champions. Marchand played with energy and passion throughout the playoffs and scored 10 goals and 10 assists in the postseason. He was arguably Sam Bennett's biggest competitor for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup playoff Most Valuable Player. The Panthers want to keep the 37-year-old, but he has not signed yet. After making $6.1 million last year, Marchand could get a short-term deal (2 to 3 seasons) that approaches $7 million. The Maple Leafs, the Bruins and others are likely to compete with the Panthers for his services. Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, Los Angeles Kings Gavrikov has shown significant improvement over the last few seasons, and when you combine his six years of NHL experience with his excellent size at 6-3 and 220 pounds, he is going to be very desirable in free agency. He is coming off a notable 30-point season in which he had a rating of plus-36. The left-shot defenseman had a salary cap hit of just under $5.9 million last season. It would not be a shock if his next deal approaches $8 million, and the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers are the most likely suitors. Defenseman Ivan Provorov, Columbus Blue Jackets It appeared the Blue Jackets were going to move Provorov at the trade deadline last March, but they decided to keep him as they made a push for the playoffs. The Blue Jackets would like to hang on to him, but so far Provorov and his representatives have held off signing a new deal. The 28-year-old scored 7 goals and 26 assists last year and is solid on both ends of the ice. The Utah Mammoth, Ottawa Senators and Rangers all are likely to have an interest in Provorov Right wing Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks Boeser is certain to find a new home in free agency because the Canucks made a decision to trade him prior to the deadline. However, they could not find a partner that was willing to give them a decent return for his services. Boeser is a scorer and he can put the puck in the net from the greasy areas and he also has a good shot. He scored 25 goals last season and hit his career high of 40 goals the season before. He had a salary cap hit of $6.65 million last season and he should get close to $8 million this season. The Senators, Bruins, Kings, San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild are likely to be the most interested teams in his services.
