Steelers backup offensive tackle Trai Essex was arrested after a fight outside a South Beach night club in Miami early yesterday morning for disorderly conduct and resisting an officer without violence, the Miami Herald reported. Miami-Dade corrections officer Hassan Garrison also was arrested for alledgedly stabbing someone in the fight.

Dominique Price, a former teammate of Essex's from Northwestern, also was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting an officer without violence. Garrison, 34, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery with a knife and was later released on bond.

A women who identified herself as the club's general manager said she believed Garrison's arrest was a case of mistaken identity.

Tennis

Lleyton Hewitt used a dazzling array of angles on his serves and groundstrokes to defeat Vince Spadea, 6-3, 6-4, and reach the final of the SAP Open in San Jose, Calif. Hewitt was set to face the winner of the later semifinal between defending champion Andy Roddick and Britain's Andy Murray.

Top-ranked Kim Clijsters defeated Russia's Elena Dementieva, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, to reach the final of the Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium. Clijsters will face rival and No. 2-ranked Amelie Mauresmo today to try and stave off the Frenchwoman's quest for the top spot.

Lacrosse

The Robert Morris men's team opened its second season with the first win in the program's history. The Colonials upended visiting Seton Hill, 9-1, at Joe Walton Stadium. Mt. Lebanon graduate Jason Dockum finished the game with six saves as the Colonials held a 45-13 advantage in shots.

Hockey

Jason Jaspers and Dan Cavanaugh scored shootout goals last night as the host Springfield Falcons beat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Baby Penguins, 2-1, in an American Hockey League game. Erie Christensen score the only goal in regulation for the Baby Penguins and also scored their lone shootout goal.

The Robert Morris women's team defeated visiting Sacred Heart, 7-3, at the RMU Island Sports Center, scoring two short-handed goals and killing seven power plays. The victory pushes the Colonials' record to 4-19-2 overall and drops the Pioneers to 9-15-3. Robert Morris has won three games in a row.

Colleges

Seven outstanding contributors to Mountaineer athletics make up the 16th class of honorees in the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame. The 2006 class includes longtime coach Quentin Barnette, wrestling national champion Scott Collins (Clearfield, Pa), sportswriter Mickey Furfari, basketball's Clyde Green, wrestler Louis Guidi (McMurray), football's George Henshaw and two-sport standout Sam Mandich.

Wrestling

No. 16 Edinboro (12-0, 6-0 Eastern Wrestling League) finished as the only undefeated team in NCAA Division I, rolling past visiting West Virginia (5-6, 4-1), 40-5, yesterday.

Softball

Destinie Chavez's second-inning single scored the only run as Penn State knocked off No. 1-ranked Michigan, 1-0, in the GRU Gator Invitational at Gainesville, Fla., yesterday. The Nittany Lions also won an earlier game, downing Longwood, 5-0.

Soccer

Peter Crouch's goal gave Liverpool a 1-0 win against Manchester United in the FA Cup in London. It was the club's first victory against United in the competition since 1921.

Swimming

The host Clarion women's team won the title for the 26th time in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's 31 championship meets last night, and West Chester's men won their eighth title in a row. Shippensburg's Mike Owen won the 1,000, 500 and 200 freestyle events and was named the top men's swimmer at the meet. West Chester's Kathrin Dumitru was named the top women's swimmer after winning the 200 breaststroke and 200 butterfly and swimming as leg on the winning 400 freestyle relay team.