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TORONTO -- Just two games into the 2014 MLS season, Toronto FC is experiencing new heights. England star Jermain Defoe is scoring goals as befitting his monster salary. American international Michael Bradley is pulling the strings in midfield. And everyone else is playing their part. Its early days yet but Toronto, once the MLS doormat, is off to its best start ever at 2-0-0 and drawing a crowd on and off the pitch. On Saturday, the TFC dressing room was crammed with reporters eager to tell the story of Torontos 1-0 win over D.C. United in the home opener before an announced -- and enthusiastic -- sellout crowd of 22,591 at BMO Field. Defoe emerged from the shower in a towel and flip-flops to find a mass of humanity in front of his stall. "Id forgotten about this," he said with a smile. The 31-year-old forward, used to reporter-free dressing rooms in England, must have felt like he was starring in "Magic Mike" as he dressed in front of some three dozen members of the media. Canadian midfielder Jonathan Osorio, who dresses two stalls down, had to scale his locker like he was climbing Everest just to get to his gear. Toronto loves a winner. Its just never seen one wearing Toronto FC gear. Still manager Ryan Nelsen is preaching caution at this early stage of the franchises eighth season. "I dont think were a top team right now," he said. "Were very well organized but I dont think weve seen the best of us. And you wont see the best of us because were still new." "I think we still have a long way to go as a team," he added. "Well play better than that probably and lose games." Toronto started six players Saturday who werent with the club last year. Defoe, who scored twice in his MLS debut last week in Seattle, could have had four goals Saturday before he finally scored in the 60th minute after Brazilian strike partner Gilberto was sent in alone by a beautiful through ball from Bradley. Goalie Bill Hamid made the save but the ball was cleared only as far as Defoe, who got the ball out from under his feet and hammered home a right-footed shot. The goal, which featured all three of TFCs designated players, was a model of efficiency. Brazilian international goalie Julio Cesar started the play, booting the ball up field. A D.C. United player headed it back towards the Toronto end but TFC captain Steven Caldwell nipped in and sent it to Osorio. The 21-year-old Canadian quickly gave it to Bradley, who lofted a pass over the defence to Gilberto. The day offered thin gruel for D.C. United (0-2-0), which has yet to score this season after being beaten 3-0 by the Columbus Crew in its season opener two weeks ago. "I dont think D.C. broke us down very often at all," said Nelsen. "And you look at our chances we had to score." Defoes three goals in two games would have tied him for third overall in Toronto FC scoring over the entire 2013 season. After a brutal winter that included one last snowfall overnight, the ravaged grass at BMO Field made for a choppy game. It might as well have been played on a cowpatch. "The field was not conducive to playing any sport of football," Nelsen said by way of understatement. "But thats no fault of the groundskeeper," he added with a smile. "I blame God for that at the moment for the winter hes given Toronto." In addition to having a predator up front, Toronto is also looking a lot harder this season. Caldwell has added to the spine of the club since his arrival last season but the presence of Bradley has helped. The American literally ran over referee Silviu Petrescu in the first half, knocking the official down as he steamed towards the visitors penalty box. And he kept playing after a nasty clash of heads in the second half knocked Davy Arnaud out of the game. The shaven-headed Bradley, who returned to the fray with a bandage, was sporting an ugly array of staples to close the head wound after the game. "You can see now theres a bit of hardness to us, to tell you the truth," said Nelsen, who was tough as nails himself as a player. "That, no disrespect to the past, I dont think weve had." D.C. United coach Ben Olsen, while noting both teams had to play on the surface, called the pitch "as bad as Ive ever seen in the MLS." Be it artificial turf (last week in Seattle) or just bad turf, Toronto is winning. Just two games into the 2014 schedule, TFC has already one-third of the victories it collected last season when the team went 6-17-11. Torontos previous best opening was a 1-0-1 start in 2009. In 2012, it took the team 14 games to record two victories. Nelsens team will no doubt face a stiffer test next weekend at Real Salt Lake (1-0-2). While the overnight snowfall had dissipated by kickoff, fans had to contend with a partial shutdown of the subway system as well as an AHL game and the National Home Show on the Exhibition grounds Saturday. The crowd was announced as a sellout, but there were some empty seats. Defoe called the atmosphere "unbelievable." "From Minute One, the stadium was rocking." It was two degrees at kickoff although a stiff wind did little to make it a pleasant afternoon. Neither did the pitch, which started cutting up in the first half. Torontos Brazilian midfielder Jackson received a yellow card in the 50th minute for what looked like an elbow off the ball. "It looked pretty bad," D.C. defender Bobby Boswell said. Said Nelsen: "I think the referee saw it and he gave him a yellow card. So its been dealt with, isnt it?" D.C. United was the worst team in the league last season at 3-24-7 but made wholesale changes during the off-season. 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Carleton picked up its fourth straight national mens basketball title, and 10th in the last 12 years, with a 79-67 victory over its crosstown rival on Sunday. Air Max From China . None of them are Finlands Pekka Rinne, who stands as Canadas biggest challenge in Thursdays quarter-final round. Even while a young Finnish team has struggled with penalties, turnovers and a lack of offensive depth, Rinne has been a rock with a 1.Buffalo, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Chris VandeVelde and Michael Raffl scored in the third period and Rob Zepp came up with 24 saves, as Philadelphia extended Buffalos recent misery with a 4-3 result at HSBC Arena. R.J. Umberger and Mark Streit also tallied while Michael Del Zotto netted two assists for the Flyers, who had been shut out in back-to-back games coming in and picked up their first road win of 2015. Zemgus Girgensons produced a pair of markers for the Sabres, whose franchise- record losing streak reached 10 games. Tyler Ennis added a goal while Chris Stewart posted two helpers. Michal Neuvirth allowed all four Philadelphia scores on 32 shots. VandeVelde took a Vincent Lecavalier lead pass up the middle, beat a Sabres defender and though he fanned on his shot from the slot, it managed to slide between Neuvirths pads at 5:54 of the third to give Philly a 3-2 advantage. Raffl made it 4-2 at 8:39 when he skated to the right side and flipped home a Luke Schenn rebound chance off a Del Zotto shot from the left point. Neuvirth was pulled for an extra skater with more than two minutes to play and Lecavalier in the box for a stick-holding infraction, and Girgensons snuck a high shot home from the left side as 1:09 remained in regulation. The host Sabres didnt manage a quality chance from there. Girgensons gave Buffalo an early lead with 1:09 to play in the first, a shot which knuckled off the ice and beat Zepp inside the left post. The puck appeared to change direction once it hit Flyers defenseman Nick Schultz, who provided a an inadvertent soft screen. On Philadelphias first man advanttage in the second period, Matt Reads left- circle drive deflected off Umbergers stick to tie the game at 3:51.dddddddddddd That marker ended a scoreless string of 168 minutes, 50 seconds that stands fourth in franchise history. The visitors struck again on the power play at 7:49, as Streits point blast eluded Neuvirth thanks to a Wayne Simmonds screen. Zepp then stoned Girgensons on a short-handed breakaway as the clock ticked below 8 1/2 minutes left in the period, and he had to close off the left post to stop Brian Flynn moments later. Buffalo tied the score at 2-2 with 54.6 remaining before the second intermission. A Rasmus Ristolainen point shot hit the post, and Ennis followed up Matt Moulsons stab at the loose puck and lifted a backhander under the crossbar. Game Notes Philadelphia last won on the road Dec. 23 at Minnesota ... Flyers captain Claude Giroux picked up an assist and was 16-for-25 on faceoffs, but finished a minus-2 ... The Sabres became the first NHL team to lose 10 in a row in regulation since the Pittsburgh Penguins did so from Jan. 6-23, 2006 ... Buffalo had given up the first goal in 10 straight games before scoring first on Saturday ... Prior to the contest, the Flyers recalled forward Jason Akeson from Lehigh Valley (AHL) but scratched him anyway ... The Flyers also revealed that at blood clots found in defenseman Kimmo Timonens lungs during the preseason have dissolved, but the ones in his legs have not. It is still undetermined if the 39-year-old will be allowed to resume his career. ' ' '