Brian Sandalow

Chicago

Freelance Sports Writer at Chicago Sun-Times

Bylines at @suntimes_sports and maybe others. Never had the makings of a varsity athlete. I had a blue check when that meant something. [email protected]

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Articles

AUSL debuts in Rosemont with sellout crowd and big dreams for pro softball

8 hours ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Brian Sandalow

Erin Coffel wasn’t surprised when she heard her coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz say postgame that Saturday’s Athletes Unlimited Softball League opener in Rosemont was sold out. Coffel had a pretty good idea it was in the first inning when she looked around the stadium and saw the outfield bleachers and infield seats packed with fans. “It was an awesome environment,” Coffel said.
Panama Canal Leader Outlines Vision for Water Security, Community Impact

1 month ago | mccormick.northwestern.edu | Brian Sandalow

EventsRicaurte Vásquez Morales spoke at the NUTC’s Patterson LectureEventsRicaurte Vásquez Morales spoke at the NUTC’s Patterson LectureCompleted in 1914, the Panama Canal is a marvel of modern engineering. An artificial 51-mile waterway that cuts through the Isthmus of Panama, the Canal connects the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea and allows quicker maritime trade between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean.
Blackhawks drop to No. 3 pick after NHL draft lottery

1 month ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Ben Pope |Brian Sandalow

After two consecutive years of winning lottery draws, the Blackhawks finally experienced the more likely outcome — falling in the order — during the 2025 NHL draft lottery Monday. The Hawks entered the day with a 72.4% chance of falling, and that’s exactly what happened. They wound up with the No. 3 pick while the Islanders snatched the No. 1 pick — despite just 3.5% odds of doing so entering the day.
Sky building chemistry on - and off - the court

1 month ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Brian Sandalow

There is a lot of new around the Sky. They have a new coach in Tyler Marsh and have added veterans to complement the core of second-year players Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. So, it’s encouraging for the Sky that they’re already enjoying spending time together. Guard Kia Nurse, who was signed as a free agent in February, said the cohesion is already forming around the team. “It’s a little bit on the court and off the court,” Nurse said.
By firing Lorne Donaldson, Stars move further from stability

1 month ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Brian Sandalow

The Chicago Stars keep looking for stability. They hope their next coaching hire will provide some to a franchise desperately searching for calm. On Wednesday, the Stars fired coach Lorne Donaldson six games into his second season. Assistant coach Masaki Hemmi is serving as the interim coach until Donaldson’s replacement is found.
Symposium Marks Launch of New Regenerative Engineering Institute

1 month ago | mccormick.northwestern.edu | Brian Sandalow |Guillermo A. Ameer

At his introductory address during the Symposium on Translational Regenerative Engineering, Northwestern Engineering’s Guillermo Ameer made it clear what inspires his work. As Ameer spoke, letters from three people with medical questions were projected onto a screen above him. One letter was from a person seeking help for an open wound that had lingered for five months. Another was from a young father appealing for treatment for a troublesome shoulder so he could play pain-free with his kids.
Coach Tyler Marsh begins work on getting Sky to compete and commit

1 month ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Brian Sandalow

Everybody got through the Sky’s first training camp practice healthy. Even the staff, though coach Tyler Marsh admitted he and his assistants were experiencing more soreness than the players. Other than maybe his own post-session tightness, everything went as planned for Marsh during his first practice leading the Sky. “I thought [practice] embodied everything that we hoped it would from a competitive standpoint,” Marsh said. “It’s kind of knocking the rust off [and] getting everybody together.
Courtney Vandersloot begins second Sky chapter as 2025 training camp begins

1 month ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Brian Sandalow

There’s one new member of the Sky who likely had no trouble Sunday figuring out the route to Deerfield’s Sachs Recreation Center for the team’s first practice of the 2025 season. “This feels very familiar,” guard Courtney Vandersloot said. “Very good to be back, very happy.”After spending two seasons with the Liberty, Vandersloot returned to the Sky as a free agent in February. She’s now with a Sky team that’s significantly different from the one she last played with in 2022.
Bulls beat Heat 119-111, on verge of clinching home game in play-in tournament

1 month ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Brian Sandalow

The Bulls had an opportunity Wednesday to move past the Heat and boost their chances to host a game in the first round of the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. They took advantage. Josh Giddey compiled his seventh triple-double with 28points, 16rebounds and 11assists and the Bulls beat the Heat 119-111. With the win, the Bulls improved to 37-43, a game ahead of 36-44 Miami for ninth place in the East.
Lonzo Ball meets family of donor who fueled NBA comeback

1 month ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Brian Sandalow

Alex Reinhardt was an athlete who wrestled and played football in high school and continued his gridiron career at Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa. Reinhardt, 20, died Feb. 26, 2023, but in a meaningful way, his athletic exploits have continued. From Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, Reinhardt donated the cartilage that was transplanted into the left knee of Bulls guard Lonzo Ball in March 2023.