READING, Pa. – Quarterback Tanner Kelly of Olanta (Clearfield Area High School) passed for 230 yards and three touchdowns and Middle Atlantic Conference co-leader Albright College got a last-minute interception to hold off Lebanon Valley 27-20 in the 57th annual Pretzel Bowl in Shirk Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Kelly also ran for 44 yards and averaged 33.8 yards on four punts, three of them pinning the Dutchmen inside their 20, as the Lions improved to 5-0 in the MAC and 7-1 for the season.
The deadlock with Widener atop the MAC will be broken Saturday when Albright takes its seven-game winning streak to Chester. The Pride handed Delaware Valley, Albright\’s final-game foe on Nov. 10, its first MAC setback Friday in the rain, 13-10.
Kelly, who completed 22 of 32 passes, hit Keith Allen with a 14-yard scoring aerial to give the Lions a 10-7 edge early in the second quarter and then connected with Nate Romig for a two-yard TD that snapped a 13-13 tie with just four seconds left in the half.
Romig broke a tackle to turn Kelly\’s bomb into a 39-yard TD for the deciding points in the second minute of the fourth quarter.
Ahead 27-20 with five minutes to play, Albright seemed poised to seal the outcome when Kelly scrambled 15 yards to the LV-1, his longest run of the season. However Romig fumbled on the next play, and the Dutchmen recovered in the end zone.
Lebanon Valley (2-6, 1-4) had two possessions, running out of downs near midfield on the first before threatening in the final minute until Brett Gaul picked off a Dutchman pass at the Albright 22 with 47 seconds left.
Kelly continues to lead the MAC passers in completions (157), completion percentage (67.7), yards (2,143), yards per game (267.9), efficiency (170.3) and touchdowns (20). His four interceptions also are best for starting quarterbacks. The redshirt sophomore is third in attempts (232).
In addition, Kelly is No. 1 in total offense plays (320), yards (2,149) and average (268.6) and No. 2 in punting with a 38.2 average for 40 kicks.
In NCAA Division III statistics for the top 500 players, Kelly ranks No. 6 in passing efficiency, No. 17 in passing yards per game, No. 19 in passing yards, No. 27 in total offense per game and No. 61 in punting average.
* * * * * * * * * *
CLARION, Pa. – Freshman safety/kicker Nick Sipes of Curwensville was involved in nine tackles and broke up a pass on defense and booted one field goal and four extra points while freshmen safety Shawn Sopic of Curwensville had five tackles and broke up one pass as winless Clarion University gave Indiana a scare before falling 38-31 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football battle at Memorial Stadium Saturday.
The Golden Eagles (0-9, 0-4 PSAC West) had the visiting Crimson Hawks (7-1, 4-1) on the ropes with a 21-10 lead early in the second half.
Three scores put IUP, ranked No. 20 in last week\’s American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II Poll, ahead 31-21 with 12:03 left, and the Crimson Hawks answered another Golden Eagle TD with the deciding six-pointer at the 3:51 mark.
Sipes\’ 28-yard field goal with 1:42 remaining set the final score. Clarion did not regain possession after IUP recovered the ensuing onsides kickoff.
With 57 tackles, Sipes moved into a tie with linebacker (and cousin) Kyle Cathcart (Clarion Area High School) and defensive back Quintyn Brazil for the top spot on the Golden Eagles\’ defensive stats. His 35 solo stops lead the team. Sipes has four tackles for losses of 10 yards, one fumble recovery and two passes defended.
Sopic has climbed into a tie for fifth in tackles with 38, including 27 solos. He registered his first tackle for a loss (two yards) as well as his first defended pass against IUP. Sopic owns one of Clarion\’s seven interceptions and has recovered two fumbles.
* * * * * * * * * *
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Sophomore Beau Ryan of Clearfield made his first collegiate start at free safety for the Juniata defense
and had a team-high six solo tackles and four assists in a 41-21 Centennial Football Conference loss to Johns Hopkins in front of 750 fans at Knox Stadium Saturday.
The Eagles are 0-7 in the conference and 0-8 overall.
Ryan is tied for sixth on the team with 28 tackles, including three for losses of five yards.
He also has carried one time for 15 yards and returned four kickoffs for 41 yards.
* * * * * * * * * *
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Nate Sipes of Curwensville was involved in four tackles for Slippery Rock University in its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division showdown with undefeated California on Bob DiSpirito Field Saturday as the visiting Vulcans clinched at least a tie for their third consecutive title with a 22-13 victory.
A crowd of 8,250 in N. Kerr Thompson Stadium saw The Rock (7-2, 2-2 PSAC West) roll up 347 yards against the highly-touted Vulcan defense and close to within 15-13 midway through the fourth quarter before California (9-0, 5-0) drove 68 yards for its final TD with three minutes remaining.
The Vulcans were ranked No. 6 and The Rock No. 24 in last week\’s American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II Poll.
Sipes switched from offense to defense and assisted on two tackles on California\’s first possession. The redshirt sophomore also had one solo tackle and one assist for The Rock\’s kickoff unit.
For the season, Sipes has nine tackles, three carries for nine yards and one kickoff return for 10 yards.
Slippery Rock, ranked seventh in the Northeast Region, will travel to Lock Haven Thursday for a 5:15 p.m. kickoff.
* * * * * * * * * *
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Redshirt junior Dave Richards of Clearfield was not a part of Shippensburg\’s record-setting offense Saturday when the Red Raiders rolled past Lock Haven 56-10 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division football action at Seth Grove Stadium on Homecoming and Senior Day.
Redshirt freshman Kevin Marshall started in place of Richards at right halfback and led the Shippensburg (3-6, 2-2 PSAC West) ground game with 135 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries.
Fullback Aaron Dykes rushed for 129 yards and two TDs and quarterback Gabe Maiocco passed for 369 yards and three scores as the Red Raiders amassed a school-record 749 yards, second all-time for the PSAC.
* * * * * * * * * *
ALTOONA, Pa. – Goalkeeper Brandon McQuillen of Woodland (Clearfield Area High School) stopped four Lake Erie shots for his sixth shutout of the season as the third-seeded Penn State-Altoona men\’s soccer team advanced to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Playoffs semifinals with a 4-0 win Sunday.
The Lions (15-4, 7-2 AMCC) will travel to Erie Wednesday to play second-seed Penn State-Behrend (11-4-2, 7-2). Penn State-Altoona lost 3-1 in their previous meeting.
The winner advances to the championship game Saturday afternoon against top seed Medaille (15-1-2, 8-0-1) or fifth seed Frostburg (Md.) State (10-7-1, 5-3-1. Frostburg ousted fourth seed LaRoche (11-8-1, 6-3) by 1-0 in the other first round game.
McQuillen, who gave up both goals 60:04 in Lions\’ 9-2 rout of Mount Aloysius in their final conference game on Oct. 24, was listed among the \”Best of the Rest\” in AMCC Goalkeeper of the Week recognition.
In nine AMCC games, the sophomore finished third in goals-against average (1.07), fourth in save percentage (78.0), seventh in saves (32) and was tied for second in shutouts with three.
For the season, McQuillen has made 57 saves while allowing 15 goals in 17 games. He has a GAA of 0.93 and a save percentage of 79.2
* * * * * * * * * *
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Freshman midfielder Mark Auman of Clearfield and the Lock Haven University men\’s soccer team begins its bid for the 2007 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship Wednesday afternoon with a semifinal home game against Millersville after splitting two games last week.
Auman started in the 1-0 loss to PSAC regular season champion East Stroudsburg (17-2-1, 14-2 PSAC) Saturday. He did not play in the Bald Eagles\’ 2-1 win over Slippery Rock (9-8-2, 8-6-2) Oct. 24 that clinched second place.
Trailing Lock Haven (12-6, 11-5) in the PSAC standings were Millersville (11-7-1, 10-5-1) and West Chester (9-9, 9-7).
The PSAC title game is set for Saturday on the home field of the higher seed.
Auman has one goal and one assist in 10 games, two as a starter.
* * * * * * * * * *
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Alan Baldwin of Clearfield is a member of the Westminster College men\’s soccer team that will be seeking to repeat as Presidents\’ Athletic Conference champion this week.
The 10-5-3 Titans won the regular season crown with a 5-0-1 record and will host fourth place Thomas More (12-5, 3-3) in a semifinal game Wednesday afternoon. The two teams met Saturday with the Titans posting a 4-0 shutout.
Runner-up Washington & Jefferson (10-5-3, 4-0-2) welcomes Bethany (8-7-3, 3-1-2) in the other semi.
The winners will meet Saturday for the championship.
Baldwin has scored one goal and one assist for three points in seven games.
* * * * * * * * * *
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The season ended on a disappointing note for Lucas Feathers of Clearfield and the Slippery Rock University men\’s soccer team last week as losses at Lock Haven 2-1 and Millersville 1-0 cost The Rock as berth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Playoffs.
The Rock finished tied for fifth in the PSAC at 8-6-2 for 26 points and was 9-8-2 overall.
Feathers, a sophomore forward, got off one shot on goal against second place Lock Haven (12-6, 11-5, 33 points) and three shots against third place Millersville (11-7-1, 10-5-1, 31 points).
He scored one goal and one assist for three points in 20 games. Seven of his 20 shots were on goal.
* * * * * * * * * *
GREENSBURG, Pa. – Dani Struble of Curwensville finished her freshman season as the leading shotmaker and scorer for the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg women\’s soccer team, which lost 3-0 at Penn State-Altoona in the first round of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Tournament Sunday afternoon.
The win was a post-season first for the 13-5-1 Lions, who were third in the AMCC with a 6-2-1 record.
Pitt-Greensburg, which was edged 1-0 by Franciscan (6-8-2) at Steubenville, Ohio, in their regular season finale Oct. 22, wound up 6-13-1. The Lady Bobcats, who were shut out nine times, finished sixth in the AMCC at 4-5.
Struble, a forward, scored at least one point in each of Pitt-Greensburg\’s wins.
She topped the Lady Bobcats with five goals, including one game-winner, and eight assists for 18 points as well as shots (44) and shots on goal (24).
Struble was one of three Lady Bobcats to play in every game and one of four with 19 starts.
* * * * * * * * * *
BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – After missing one game because of a concussion in mid-October, junior goalkeeper Amber Weaver of Clearfield saw limited duty in the final week as the Geneva College women\’s soccer team fell to Grove City 2-0 and Bethany (W.Va.) 1-0.
Weaver made one save in 16:28 of the Grove City game and stopped one of the two shots on goal in the first half of the finale against Bethany.
Lack of offense plagued the Golden Tornadoes all season. They were shut out 11 times and finished 2-15-1.
Geneva managed only two goals against future Presidents\’ Athletic Conference opponents, finishing 0-8-1 in its first year as an NCAA Division III provisional member. The Golden Tornadoes\’ games did not count in the PAC standings.
In 15 games, 12 as the starter, Weaver allowed 36 goals but stopped 130 shots. Her goals-against average was 2.71 and her save percentage was 78.3.
Weaver, whose record was 2-11-1, registered double-digit saves in eight games, with a season-high of 19 against Seton Hill on Sept. 10.
That total tied Weaver for second among PAC goalkeepers. She ranked No. 3 in saves and saves per game (8.67) and ninth in save percentage.
* * * * * * * * * *
CALIFORNIA, Pa. – Ashleigh Mohney of Bigler (Clearfield Area High School) was credited with five shots in 20 games for the California University women\’s soccer team which ended its season with a 1-0 win at Shippensburg Oct. 24 and an 8-2 loss to Indiana in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division action Saturday.
The sophomore forward started 14 games for the Lady Vulcans, who finished 1-8-1 in the PSAC-West and 4-15-1 overall.
* * * * * * * * * *
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Lycoming College junior swimmer Brandon Good of Clearfield placed in three events, highlighted by a 10th in the 22-man 100-yard butterfly, at the Clarion University Fall Classic on Oct. 19 and 20.
Good, a two-year letterman who has been named co-captain of the 2007-2008 Warriors, swam his specialty in 1:00.33.
He also finished 20th in 24.32 seconds in the 50 free, which has 42 entries, and 23rd in 54.94 in the 100 free, which had 37 entries.
* * * * * * * * * *
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Freshmen John Bodle and Chris Bodle of Clearfield have participated in two meets for the Westminster College men\’s swimming team.
At the Clarion University Fall Classic on Oct. 19 and 20, John finished 17th in the 100-yard butterfly in 1:04.82 and 19th in the 200 freestyle in 2:01.26, while Chris placed 19th in the 100 fly in 1:05.82, 19th in the 200 free in 2:01.26 and 26th in the 100 free in 55.03.
Entries totaled 22 in the 100 fly, 37 in the 100 free and 30 in the 200 free.
The two helped the Westminster 400 free relay team to a third-place finish in the Titan Relay Carnival last Friday, John swimming the 100 in 52.21 and Chris swimming a 53.61 leg.
