Coming off what athletic director Scott Kennell called “unequivocally the most successful year in Penn College history in many ways,” Pennsylvania College of Technology athletic teams are set to begin their 12th season as members of the United East Conference and their ninth season as full-fledged members of the NCAA.
As the campus came alive last week, student-athletes are getting back to work on their fields of dreams.
FALL OPENERS SCHEDULED
Friday, Aug. 29
Men’s soccer: host Centenary University, 2 p.m.
Women’s soccer: at Alfred University, 4 p.m.
Women’s volleyball: Red Dragon Invitational at SUNY Oneonta vs. SUNY Geneseo, 5 p.m.; vs. SUNY Oneonta, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 3
Men’s tennis: at Penn State Altoona, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 6
Women’s tennis: at King’s College Invitational, 9 a.m.
Men’s and women’s cross-country: at Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen Invitational, 10:15 a.m. (W), 11 a.m. (M)
Sunday, Sept. 21
Men’s golf: The Gauntlet at Bucknell Golf Club, 11 a.m.
OVER THE SUMMER
On July 24, it was announced that softball head coach Angie Stackhouse was stepping down to accept the same position at her alma mater, Bucknell University.
Stackhouse spent six years at the helm at Penn College, winning two conference championships, finishing second twice, and reaching the NCAA Tournament three times, while her teams posted a 141-57 record. Her .712 winning percentage is the best in program history, and she reached 100 wins faster than any coach that preceded her.
After graduating from Hughesville High School, Stackhouse played for four years for the NCAA Division I Bison from 2001-04, and earned an All-Patriot League first-team selection. Following a stint playing professionally in Sweden, she returned to Lewisburg to serve for three years as Bucknell’s graduate assistant coach before assisting at Division II Mansfield University for 12 years and then coming to Penn College in 2019.
INSIDE THE UNITED EAST
On July 21, the conference announced that women’s flag football will transition from club to varsity competition beginning in the spring this academic year, with Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Gallaudet University, Keystone College and Penn State Harrisburg fielding varsity programs.
Penn College is not competing at this time.
The United East Conference is home to 15 member institutions, which compete at the highest level of NCAA Division III athletics. Founded in 2004 as the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC), the United East has seen its membership evolve to one that encompasses schools in Pennsylvania, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
In addition to ranging from urban to rural campuses, the United East prides itself on being one of the most diverse conferences in Division III. It comprises both public and private schools as well as faith-based institutions, technical colleges, and the largest deaf and hard-of-hearing institution in the United States.
The 15 core members consist of Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Gallaudet University, Keystone College, Lancaster Bible College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Penn College, Penn State Abington, Penn State Berks, Penn State Brandywine, Penn State Harrisburg, Rosemont College, St. Mary's College of Maryland, University of Valley Forge and Wilson College.
The United East also includes four associate members: Rutgers University-Camden in men’s golf, Immaculata, St. Elizabeth, Pratt Institute and Neumann University in men’s volleyball, Pitt-Bradford in men’s lacrosse and Carlow University in men’s and women’s Indoor and outdoor track and field. The United East has a partnership with the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference in women’s lacrosse.
For additional information, visit pctwildcats.com.
For more about the United East, visit gounitedeast.com.