Big storm back East prompts rescheduling of games

A major winter storm forecast to drop heavy snowfall approached the Mid-Atlantic region Thursday, forcing the rescheduling of several sporting events, including Friday’s NHL game in which the Ducks will face the Washington Capitals.

The Atlantic Coast Conference moved two basketball games involving No. 13 Virginia because of the storm.

The Ducks-Capitals game will start at 2 p.m. PST instead of the originally scheduled 4 p.m. The Capitals said they were in contact with the league, the Pittsburgh Penguins and local government officials about Sunday’s home game versus the Penguins, scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. EST.

The ACC said the Syracuse at Virginia game scheduled for noon on Saturday will instead be played at 7 p.m. Sunday. The Cavaliers’ visit to Wake Forest, originally set for Monday night, was pushed to Tuesday night.

In the nation’s capital, the George Washington’s women’s basketball game against visiting George Mason was rescheduled for Friday at noon EST instead of Saturday. The George Mason’s men’s basketball game against Duquesne in Fairfax, Virginia, was moved up from Saturday to Friday afternoon in the hopes of avoiding the storm.

An Atlantic Sun Conference women’s game in New Jersey between NJIT and North Florida was pushed ahead to Friday night instead of Saturday afternoon.

In Philadelphia, the St. Joseph’s men’s basketball game at La Salle will now be played on Sunday instead of Saturday. And in Rhode Island, a women’s game between visiting Yale and Brown was switched from Saturday to Friday.

Up to two feet of snow is predicted from what the National Weather Service is calling a “potentially crippling winter storm,” expected to hit the Mid-Atlantic region starting Friday afternoon and continuing into Sunday.