Hopefuls

THE 13-YEAR-OLD ran three blocks from his mother's West Philly home to the 16th Police District on March 7, telling officers she had just beaten him with a belt, a metal ladder and her fists. He was crying, shaking and distraught, with scratches around the eyes, cheeks and neck, according to a four-page police domestic-violence report obtained by the Daily News . His mother, Sierra Thomas Street, ex-wife of Sharif Street, is now a candidate for judge in Philadelphia. The Police Department's Special Victims Unit and the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office later decided no crime was committed during the March 7 incident.

COMCAST'S "watchathon" week couldn't have come at a better time for those who'd like to catch up with HBO's "Game of Thrones" before Sunday's season premiere. Legally, that is. The first two seasons of the show - the most pirated of 2012, according to TorrentFreak.com, which reported that there were about 4.3 million downloads - are available to the cable company's customers until Sunday (along with a lot of other premium-cable content), whether or not they subscribe to HBO. Look for the show through On Demand under "watchathon" or at Xfinity.com or on the Xfinity Player apps (both of which require a login and password to prove you're a customer)

A Shawnee girls' lacrosse varsity jersey is something to strive for, something players dream about wearing when they start, usually around third grade, in Shawnee's feeder system. But this season, game jerseys won't mean nearly as much as the team's neon shoelaces or its white warm-up shirts - the T-shirts with the gray No. 22 on the back and, on the front, a cry of support for the team's "hero," Katie. Shawnee senior defender and team captain Katie Kernan was diagnosed with brain cancer in late January.

DAYTON, Ohio - What's different now compared with the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012 NCAA tournaments - which all ended in opening-round setbacks for Temple? "Other times we've been here, it seems like we might be happy just to be here," Owls senior guard Khalif Wyatt said. "I don't think that's the feeling this time around. I think guys are focused, and the main goal is to try to get a win, get some wins. " That was evident in the demeanor that Temple, seeded ninth in the East Regional, displayed at Thursday's news conference and in the locker room.

DAYTON, Ohio - On Sunday, Fran Dunphy set the tone for his team's foray into the NCAA tournament. Moments after a roomful of fans and supporters roared approval at Temple's selection, Dunphy walked in and apologized. The coach was talking specifically about the team's quarterfinal loss to Massachusetts in the Atlantic Ten tournament. But the theme has carried all the way to Dayton, where the Owls prepared for Friday's game against North Carolina State. "I can't sit here today and tell you we have a fabulous NCAA record," Dunphy said.

A FLIGHT HOME from Tampa Bay and 2 full days away from each other provided the Flyers with not only a change in latitude, but a change in attitude. "Sometimes, you need to get away from the rink, away from the coaches, away from the guys," Scott Hartnell said, as the Flyers resumed practice Thursday. "Somedays, it's like Groundhog Day. You come in here after a loss, and it's like we've always had practice after a devastating loss. "Sometimes, it's good to get your mind right.

The remains of a woman found in Burlington County last year revealed little about her life - or death. Officials hope an emerging portrait of what she may have looked like could generate new leads. This week, officials released a sketch that puts a face on the body found by two motorcyclists riding trails in a wooded section of Pemberton Township last summer. After months passed with no significant clues to who she was or how and when she died, forensic experts created what they think she looked like, giving her brown eyes, brown hair, and common features.

PHOENIX - The NFL wants to put the shoulder back into football and take the helmet out. It took a significant step toward accomplishing that Wednesday when the league's owners overwhelmingly approved a rule-change proposal that will make it illegal for offensive or defensive players to initiate "forcible contact" outside the tackle box by delivering a blow with the crown of the helmet. The proposal passed by a 31-1 vote. The only club to vote against it was the Cincinnati Bengals.

WASHINGTON - The Republican Party ended months of self-criticism Monday with a wide-ranging plan to transform itself into a modern, welcoming home for a rapidly diversifying American electorate. Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus presented a 100-page blueprint aimed at rebuilding his struggling GOP after a four-month analysis, and delivered a particularly blistering assessment of the party's problems appealing to women and minorities at the polls. Priebus called for Republicans to embrace comprehensive immigration reform, overhaul the party's digital and research operations, and hold a shorter, more controlled presidential primary season.

WASHINGTON - Reeling from back-to-back presidential losses and struggling to cope with the country's changing racial and ethnic makeup, the Republican National Committee plans to spend $10 million this year to send hundreds of party workers into Hispanic, black, and Asian communities to promote its brand among voters who overwhelmingly supported Democrats in 2012. RNC chairman Reince Priebus on Sunday also proposed shortening the presidential nominating calendar in 2016 and limiting the number of primary-season debates to avoid the self-inflicted damage from inside-party squabbling on the eventual nominee.