CLARION, Pa. – Former Curwensville Area High School football standout Nick Sipes, switched from defensive safety to fullback for his sophomore season at Clarion University, rambled 34 yards for the tying touchdown with 3:29 remaining, but Alex Ashley booted a 39-yard field goal as time expired to give Fairmont (W.Va.) State a 23-20 win over the Golden Eagles Thursday night at Memorial Stadium.
Sipes broke three tackles on just his third carry of the season-opening game, played in front of 5,000 fans.
The 5-11, 215-pounder finished with 35 yards, accounting for all but 12 of Clarion’s net total for 26 rushing plays.
Sipes caught two passes, one for two yards and the other for a loss of two when he fumbled.
In addition, Sipes made three solo tackles as a member of the Golden Eagle punting unit.
Shawn Sopic, who also starred at Curwensville, started at safety for Clarion and was credited with three solo tackles and one assist.
The 6-2, 210-pound sophomore also broke up on Fairmont State pass.
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GREENSBURG, Pa. – Reserve linebacker Nate Sipes of Curwensville was involved in six stops, including two on special teams, for Slippery Rock University in a surprising 27-20 loss to homestanding Seton Hill Saturday night.
The redshirt junior posted three solo tackles and three assists in opening game for both teams that attracted 2,315 fans to Offutt Field.
The Rock, coming off a 9-2 campaign, was picked by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division coaches to finish fourth behind defending champion California, Indiana and Edinboro.
Newcomers Mercyhurst and Gannon sandwiched Clarion in the final three spots of the new-look PSAC-West.
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PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Former Clearfield Area High School quarterback Andrew Janocko made his debut as holder for University of Pittsburgh field goal and extra point kicker Connor Lee Saturday at Heinz Field.
Lee extended his school record of consecutive PAT conversions to 77 and nailed a 36-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to give the Panthers a 17-14 lead, but Bowling Green stunned the crowd of 45,063 with a second-half comeback to upset the No. 25-ranked Panthers 27-17.
Bowling Green, expected to contend for the Mid-American Conference title, outscored Pitt 27-3 after falling behind 14-0 early in the second quarter.
Pitt went into the game 24-0 at home and 25-2 all-time against MAC opponents.
Lee was wide left on a 42-yard field goal attempt that would have cut the Falcons’ lead to a TD with 3:58 remaining. The miss was only his seventh in 38 career FG tries.
Janocko is a 6-1, 200-pound redshirt freshman quarterback.
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ASHLAND, Ohio – Lucas Feathers of Clearfield scored on his only shot for Slippery Rock University’s lone goal in a season-opening 2-1 loss to Ashland in non-conference soccer action Saturday.
The 5-10, 155-pound junior forward’s goal came on a penalty kick in the 62nd minute.
Ashland (2-0) scored its goals in the first 20 minutes.
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division coaches predicted a fourth-place finish for The Rock behind Gannon, Lock Haven and Mercyhurst.
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NEW CASTLE, Del. – Sophomore midfielder Mark Auman of Clearfield was in the opening-game starting lineup for the Lock Haven University men’s soccer team Friday.
The Bald Eagles were shut out 1-0 by host Wilmington.
Auman set Clearfield Area High School records for season (27) and career (73) assists.
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NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Alan Baldwin (Olanta/Clearfield Area H.S.) played in both games as the Westminster College men’s team opened the season with victories over Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) 5-0 Friday and Point Park 4-2 Saturday in the Westminster-Grove City Soccer Invitational.
The 5-10 sophomore defender got off one shot against Mount St. Joseph.
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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Juliana Howell of Clearfield scored the final goal for the Slippery Rock University women’s soccer team in its 5-0 win over Seton Hill Sunday in N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.
The 5-6 sophomore forward, after an assist by Courtney Hoover, found the net in the 78th minute on her third shot of the game. She had two of The Rock’s 18 shots on goal.
Allison Hindley accounted for the other four goals, only the fourth player in SRU history to accomplish that feat.
The Rock was pegged as the favorite for the PSAC-West championship in the pre-season coaches’ poll.
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NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Sophomore Dani Struble (Lumber City/Curwensville Area H.S.) cracked the starting lineup for the Westminster College women’s soccer team after transferring from Pitt-Greensburg, where she was a 2007 All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference honorable mention selection.
The Titans were nipped 1-0 by Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) on Friday and rebounded to defeat Medaille (N.Y.) 6-2 on Saturday.
Struble, a 5-7 midfielder, had one shot against Medaille.
At Pitt-Greensburg, Struble led the team in every offensive category with five goals, eight assists, 44 shots and 28 shots on goal. She tied for first in the AMCC with six assists and shared 11th place in points with 10.