on the SIDELINES

ST. LOUIS -- Even though Brent Johnson's shutout streak came to an end, the St. Louis Blues advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 5 on Thursday night.\nJohnson, in his first season as the starter, blanked the Blackhawks in Games 2, 3 and 4 and is one of only five goalies in NHL history with three playoff shutouts in a series. After 3 hours, 26 minutes and 45 seconds without allowing a goal, he gave up three in the second period, the last two on successive shots, as the Blackhawks took a 3-1 lead.\nBut the Blues rallied to tie it at the end of the second period, and Jamal Mayers' second goal of the playoffs at 6:23 of the third was the difference as the Blackhawks' first playoff appearance in five years was a short one.\nLieber extends home-winning streak to 15\nCHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs won their 15th straight Wrigley Field game started by Jon Lieber, beating the San Francisco Giants 2-1 Thursday as Sammy Sosa homered and Delino DeShields hit a go-ahead grounder.\nLieber (3-0) is 14-0 at Wrigley since he was beaten by Arizona's Randy Johnson last May 18. In his first appearance since missing a scheduled start April 20 because of elbow soreness, he allowed one run and six hits and walked one batter in eight innings.\nBarry Bonds who went 0-for-4 for the Giants after sitting Wednesday night to rest his sore left hamstring. Livan Hernandez (4-1) allowed just seven hits in his second complete game this season. Antonio Alfonseca finished for his fourth save.\nWomen's tennis moves on\nIU defeated Penn State yesterday in the opening round of the women's tennis Big Ten tournament to move on to the semifinals. \nThe Hoosiers defeated the Nittany Lions 4-1 behind the play of Inga Radel, who inherited the No. 1 singles position for the tournament. Radel, 28-3, defeated Rebecca Ho of Penn State to bolster the Hoosier attack.\n"I have had some injuries and even had to serve underhanded earlier in the year, but now it is fine," Radel said in a press release. "I started out at the five, and this was my first time at the one. I was a little nervous because it was a home game and my parents were here, but it went well."\nKarie Schlukebir and Linda Tran and Martina Grimm and Amanda Field added points with doubles victories. Grimm and Dominika Walterova also added singles wins. \nThe Hoosiers, 17-8, lost to Penn State in last year's opening round of the tournament. They will now face the second-seeded Wisconsin Badgers today at 12:30 p.m. at the Varsity Tennis Courts.