UCLA player charged in assault

E.J. Woods, a defensive back at UCLA, has been charged with assaulting two female students, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office said.

Woods, a 19-year-old freshman, was charged with two counts of sexual battery and four counts of battery. He could face up to one year in jail for each sexual battery charge and six months for each battery charge.

Calls to Coach Rick Neuheisel and other athletic officials were not immediately returned, however UCLA released a statement saying, “We are aware the City Attorney’s office has filed misdemeanor charges involving E.J. Woods. We will continue to monitor the legal process. Due to federal and state student privacy laws and the fact that this is a legal issue, we are not at liberty to further discuss the situation.”

The charges come from three separate incidents at off-campus apartments between October and January, according to the city attorney’s office. According to reports made to police, Woods made repeated inappropriate sexual contact with a student. The reports said that a friend of the student confronted Woods at a party, requesting that he stop touching her. Woods shoved the friend “around the chin/throat area.”

Woods, who attended Encino Crespi High, was not arrested. He received a voluntary appearance letter and is scheduled to be arraigned on April 6.

-- Chris Foster

New York Rangers General Manager Glen Sather posted $1 million bail in Riverside for former Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington on Friday, two days after Pocklington pleaded not guilty to bankruptcy fraud charges.

U.S. attorney’s office spokesman Thom Mrozek said Pocklington will be subject to home detention and electronic monitoring. His trial is scheduled for May.

A Houston judge dismissed DWI and possession of marijuana charges against free-agent receiver Reggie Williams.

A woman filed a complaint against former Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams for allegedly hitting her at a San Juan, Puerto Rico, nightclub while she took his picture. Officer Angel Nazario said the woman claimed Williams snatched the camera, damaged it and hit her in the face. Williams denies any wrongdoing, according to his spokesman.

Southern Miss running back Damion Fletcher, a former Conference USA offensive player of the year, was sentenced to six months probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge in Hattiesburg, Miss.

COLLEGES

Bellotti to become Oregon AD in July

Mike Bellotti is stepping down as Oregon’s football coach to become the school’s athletic director, and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly will be promoted to head coach.

Bellotti, who has coached the Ducks for the last 14 seasons, takes over his new position July 1, replacing Pat Kilkenny. Kelly becomes coach on March 30, the opening day of spring practice, the school announced Friday.

The moves first were announced in December, but no timetable was set for the transition.

Bellotti will serve in the interim as senior counselor to Kilkenny, who will step down June 30.

Bellotti, 58, has gone 116-55 as coach of the Ducks.

PRO FOOTBALL

Pendergast joins Haley with Chiefs

Clancy Pendergast, the defensive coordinator for Arizona’s run to last season’s Super Bowl, was hired as defensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. Pendergast joins Chiefs Coach Todd Haley, who was the Cardinals’ offensive coordinator in 2008.

While Haley and Pendergast were helping take the Cardinals to the top of the NFL last year, the Chiefs were finishing 2-14, the worst record in franchise history. Particularly miserable was a defense that finished 31st overall and managed 10 sacks, an NFL record for futility. He replaces Gunther Cunningham, who quit shortly after the end of the regular season and was named defensive coordinator at Detroit.

The St. Louis Rams released wide receiver Torry Holt, parting ways with one of the last remaining holdovers from their “Greatest Show on Turf” glory days. The move came three days after the Rams released offensive tackle Orlando Pace, another mainstay from the era when the Rams won their only Super Bowl and lost another on the game’s final play. Both Holt and Pace are seven-time Pro Bowl selections.

Cleveland Browns Coach Eric Mangini added another player he coached in New York, signing former Jets linebacker Eric Barton. The Browns also signed offensive lineman Floyd Womack, who spent the last eight seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.

Barton is the fourth former Jets player brought to Cleveland by Mangini, joining linebacker David Bowens, cornerback Hank Poteat and defensive lineman C.J. Mosley.

WINTER SPORTS

U.S. teammates take speedskating honors

Trevor Marsicano won the 1,000 meters and U.S. teammate Shani Davis was third at the world single distances championships in Richmond, Canada.

Marsicano finished in 1 minute 8.96 seconds, beating Canada’s Denny Morrison by 0.04 seconds. Davis, who set the 1,000-meter world record last week in Salt Lake City, finished in 1:09.02.

Sandrine Aubert of France won the last World Cup slalom of the season, while Lindsey Vonn’s streak ended as she finished 18th in Are, Sweden.

Lindsey Jacobellis of the United States and Markus Schairer of Austria won snowboard cross events in La Molina, Spain.

Jacobellis defeated Sandra Frei of Austria and Dominique Maltais of Canada. Jacobellis trails overall leader Doris Guenther of Austria by 100 points.

Two-time defending champion Lance Mackey reached the Yukon River first in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, earning a gourmet meal and a pile of cash in Anvik, Alaska.

PASSINGS

Pistons owner Davidson was 86

Detroit Pistons owner Bill Davidson, who was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame last year, has died. He was 86.

Davidson became majority owner of the Pistons in 1974. He also owned Palace Sports & Entertainment and the WNBA’s Detroit Shock.