Sports briefs for August 26, 2004

Thursday, Aug. 26, 2004 | 9:42 a.m.

Arsenal sets record: 43rd game without loss

Arsenal beat Blackburn 3-0 for its 43rd consecutive English Premiership match without a loss, breaking a record for England's top soccer league set in 1978 by Nottingham Forest, which went without a loss from November 1977 to December the following year.

Arsenal's run started in May 2003 with a 6-1 win against Southampton, then the north London team went through the next campaign unbeaten. It has won 31 games and drawn 12 since the sequence began.

Thierry Henry, Gilberto Silva and Jose Antonio Reyes netted at the club's Highbury stadium for the victory, which moved the Gunners atop the standings with a maximum nine points through three matches.

Air Force center out

Center Nick Welch, Air Force's leading scorer and rebounder last season, had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and is expected to be out of action until just before the Oct. 16 start of preseason practice.

Canada beats U.S.

Vincent Lecavalier, Joe Sakic and Brad Richards scored in the second period to lead Canada to a 3-1 against the United States in a pre-World Cup exhibition at Ottawa. The Americans also lost defenseman Hal Gill to a broken foot and he will be unavailable for the tournament, which begins Aug. 30.

Edwards gets truck win

Carl Edwards came from the back of the field to edge Shane Hmiel in Wednesday night's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series O'Reilly 200 race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Srichaphan advances

Two-time defending champion Paradorn Srichaphan advanced to the quarterfinals of the TD Waterhouse Cup, beating Wayne Ferriera 7-6 (3), 7-5 at Commack, N.Y.

Henderson man 4th

Dick Baker of Henderson posted a 16-game pinfall of 3,598 Wednesday to move into fourth place in the PBA Seniors Lake County Open at Hammond, Ind.