Last week in review: Seasons came to a close for the soccer and women’s volleyball teams, but first, the men’s soccer team made modern history by reaching the United East Conference Championship match for its first time ever.
Also, the basketball seasons got underway, with the women’s team off to its best start in 17 seasons, and the wrestling team had two individual champions at an invitational.
On the horizon: Penn College’s cross-country runners close out their season on Saturday in the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship at Big Spring High School in Newville. A year ago at regionals, the men finished 22nd of 29, and the women were 29th of 30. In the team’s last outing a week ago at the United East Championships, the top five Penn College men were Mitchell Campbell, of Riegelsville; Chase Ebeling, of Bellefonte; Ben Causak, of Lebanon; Holden Furey, of Williamsport; and Aaron Guerrisky, of South Williamsport. The top five women were Alexis Durn, of Spring Mills; Elaina Brady, of McConnellsburg; Ellie Miller, of Hughesville; Natalie Greiner, of Mount Joy; and Gwynn Johnson, of Staunton, Virginia.
“This will be a large race with greater than 200 runners. Our regional is strong on both the men’s and women’s sides. The first goal for us is to improve on the individual times we ran on this course earlier this season. Another goal is to improve our team finishes over last season,” coach Tom Leeser said.
At the Dickinson College Long-Short Invitational on Sept. 27 at Newville, Causak turned in a 29:28, Campbell a 30:00, Ebeling at 30:01, Furey a 30:07 and Guerrisky a 31:13 over an 8K course for the men, while for the women in a 6K run, Brady finished in 27:56, Miller posted a 29:40, Greiner a 32:16 and Johnson a 34:28. Durn did not run in that race.
Schedule
Saturday, Nov. 15 – NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship at Big Spring High School in Newville, men 11 a.m., women noon
MEN’S SOCCER
Last week’s highlights: In Wednesday’s semifinal at conference unbeaten and top-seed St. Mary’s College, the fifth-seeded Wildcats, trailing 1-0, scored the final two goals for the win. The first goal came by Logan Pietrzak, of Philadelphia, at 69:48, and the game-winner was by Diego Diaz, of Abbottstown, at 78:20. Justin Crismale, of Glen Gardner, New Jersey, made six saves in the goal to help the team advance to the United East title match for its first time in the NCAA era (since 2014) and its first trip to a final since 2012 when it won the Penn State University Athletic Conference championship. It also marked Penn College’s first win over St. Mary’s after four losses dating to 2021.
Facing second-seeded Penn State Harrisburg in the championship on Saturday, Harrisburg limited Penn College to one shot on goal by Robert Antonio, of Schuylkill Haven, while taking eight, and Crismale had five stops in goal in the loss.
Schedule/Records
Final overall: 11-7-2
Final UEC: 6-3-2 (4-2-2 UE regular season)
Wednesday, Nov. 5 – UEC Semifinal at No. 1 St. Mary’s (Md.) College, W, 2-1
Saturday, Nov. 8 – UEC Championship at No. 2 Penn State Harrisburg, L, 3-0
End of season
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Last week’s highlights: Sara Darlington, of West Chester, got the Wildcats’ only two shots on goal, although neither connected in Tuesday’s loss to St. Mary’s. In lifetime encounters against St. Mary’s, Penn College is 1-3-1.
Schedule/Records
Final overall: 15-3-2
Final UEC: 8-2 (7-1 UE regular season)
Tuesday, Nov. 4 – UEC Semifinal: No. 3 Penn College at No. 2 St. Mary’s (Md.) College, St. Mary’s won, 2-0
End of season
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Last week’s highlights: Statistical leaders for 10th-seeded Penn College in Wednesday’s loss to seventh-seeded Penn State Abington included Lilly Stockum, of Dauphin, with 14 kills; Ellen Banfill, of Mill Hall, with 16 assists; and Stockum, Kylie Kline, of Coopersburg, and Haylie Thomsen, of High Bridge, New Jersey, with eight digs each.
Schedule/Records
Final overall: 6-22
Final UEC: 3-8 (3-7 regular season)
Wednesday, Nov. 5 – UEC First Round at No. 7 Penn State Abington, L, 3-0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-21)
End of season
WRESTLING
Last week’s highlights: TJ Martin, of Honesdale, at 149 pounds, and Carter Davis, of York, at 165, both finished first, with Martin going 5-0 and Davis going 4-0, at the Ithaca College Invitational on Friday and Saturday. Also, Nicholai Brotzman, of Marietta, was fourth at 285. Placing fifth were Blake Dergham, of Slatington, at 133, David M’Balla, of Easton, at 149, and Jason Petroski, of Randolph, New Jersey, at 174, and taking sixth was Kaden Ware, of Brooklyn, Connecticut, at 141.
SCHEDULE
Friday-Saturday, Nov. 7-8 – at Ithaca Invitational, 3 of 9
Sunday, Nov. 16 – Shenandoah Invitational at Winchester, Va., 10 a.m.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Last week’s highlights: Breana Valentine, of Fairfield, scored 18 points and had 10 rebounds, and Gigi Parlante, of Williamsport, scored 16 points and also had 10 rebounds in Friday’s season-opening win at Alfred State.
Hosting Keuka College on Saturday, Parlante and Valentine each scored 25 points as Penn College dominated in points in the paint 44-26 in the team’s first 2-0 season start since it began 3-0 in the 2008-09 campaign.
SCHEDULE/RECORDS
Overall: 2-0
UEC: 0-0
Friday, Nov. 7 – at Alfred State College, W, 65-56
Saturday, Nov. 8 – host Keuka College, W, 74-67
Tuesday, Nov. 11 – host Penn State Mont Alto, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 15 – at Pitt-Bradford, 2 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 17 – host Penn State Altoona, 6 p.m.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Last week’s highlights: Joe Savage, of Williamsport, and Jay Henry, of Warminster, each scored 15 points, and Ethan Roman, of Bethlehem, added 12 in Saturday’s loss to King’s College.
SCHEDULE/RECORDS
Overall: 0-1
UEC: 0-0
Saturday, Nov. 8 – host King’s College, L, 95-65
Monday, Nov. 10 – at Penn State Hazleton, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 12 – host Muhlenberg, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 15 – at Keuka College, 1 p.m.
For additional information about Wildcat Athletics, visit pctwildcats.com. For more about the United East Conference, visit gounitedeast.com .