Football

READING, Pa. – Redshirt junior quarterback Tanner Kelly of Olanta helped spur Albright’s fourth quarter comeback that just fell short as visiting Salisbury (Md.) State escaped Shirk Stadium with a 30-28 win in Saturday night’s duel of teams ranked in the USA Today Sports Weekly NCAA Division III pre-season poll.

Salisbury, which defeated the Lions 42-12 last year, was ranked No. 11, while Albright cracked the Top 25 at No. 24. The Sea Gulls also went into the game No. 3 in the D3Football.com Division III poll.

Salisbury shut out the Lions in the first half and led 23-7 early in the fourth quarter before the Albright offense finally came to life.

Kelly passed for two extra points following Josan Holmes’ 12-yard touchdown run with 9:11 remaining, and, after Salisbury extended its lead to 30-15, the 2007 Middle Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Year hit for two TD aerials in the final 3:42.

Kelly, who was named the second-team quarterback on the 2007 D3Football.com All-East Region, had gotten the Lions on the board with a 21-yard scoring strike to favorite target Nate Romig in the third period.

The 6-4, 221-pounder wound up with 225 yards for 17 completions in 27 attempts. He was intercepted once and sacked three times.

Kelly kept the ball 14 times and netted 21 of Albright’s 36 rushing yards.

In addition, he averaged 35 yards on four punts, one a 50-yarder.

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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Sophomore fullback Nick Sipes rushed for 31 yards and sophomore free safety Shawn Sopic made five stops as the former Curwensville Area High School teammates helped Clarion University end a 16-game losing streak with a come-from-behind 26-20 victory over Kutztown Saturday.

Down 20-0 at halftime, the Golden Eagles scored 26 unanswered points, capped by quarterback Gino Rometo’s one-yard touchdown with 4:14 remaining one play after Sipes reeled off a 10-yard run.

The University Field crowd of 650 fans who braved heavy rains had to stick around to the end, for the Golden Bears drove to a first-and-goal at the C-1 in the final minute. Clarion’s defense rose up to deny the hosts on four plays, including a fourth-down sack at the three with 16 seconds left.

Sipes, who carried six times, caught one pass for a loss of four yards and also made a tackle when a Rometo pass was intercepted at the K-25 with 11:46 to play and the scored knotted 20-20.

Sopic had three solo tackles and two assists.

In two games, Sipes has 66 yards rushing, three receptions and four solo tackles. Sopic is tied for sixth among Golden Eagle defenders with nine tackles.

Clarion (1-1) will host East Stroudsburg in another Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference “crossover” game Saturday that will be televised on PA – Sportsfever at 4 p.m.

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MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – Linebacker Nate Sipes of Curwensville saw action in a reserve role for Slippery Rock University in a 28-24 win over Millersville in a PSAC “crossover” game at Chryst Field Saturday.

Because of Tropical Storm Hanna, only 350 fans saw The Rock outscore the Marauders 24-7 in the second half to even its record at 1-1.

Ryan Lehmeier, getting the start at running back because Corey Manfull was injured in The Rock’s opener at Seton Hill, tallied the winning touchdown from 13 yards out with 22 seconds remaining.

Lehmeier was named PSAC-West Offensive Player of the Week for his 201-yard, two-TD performance.

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HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Two former Clearfield Area High School gridders, defensive back Beau Ryan of Clearfield and fullback Devin Yastro of Olanta, played Saturday in Juniata College’s season opener, a 34-18 loss to visiting Allegheny.

Ryan, a 6-1, 180-junior letterman, was credited with two solo tackles for the Eagles, who trailed 34-6 before scoring twice in the final eight minutes in front of 1,300 fans at Knox Stadium.

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CARLISLE, Pa. – Tyler Kirkwood (Frenchville/Clearfield Area High School) saw his first collegiate action in Grove City’s season-opening 34-7 loss to Dickinson Saturday.

The sophomore is listed on the Wolverines’ roster as a 5-10, 210-pound tailback after appearing in the media guide as a linebacker.

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MEN’S SOCCER

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Junior forward Lucas Feathers of Clearfield scored the game-winning goal in the 12th minute as Slippery Rock blanked host West Virginia Wesleyan 2-0 on Sept. 3.

Then, he made it three goals in as many games Saturday in a double-overtime 3-3 tie with visiting Ohio Valley (W.Va.) that left both teams with 1-1-1 records.

Feathers got off four shots, all on goal, against West Virginia Wesleyan (0-2) and three shots, one on goal, against Ohio Valley.

He leads The Rock in goals and points.

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LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Mark Auman of Clearfield managed three shots, one on goal, but was unable to find the net in Lock Haven’s 2-1 road loss to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division newcomer Gannon Sept. 3.

The sophomore midfielder also started in the Bald Eagles’ 1-0 victory over Alderson-Broaddus at Philippi, W.Va., on Sunday.

He was used in a reserve role Friday in Lock Haven’s 4-2 loss to Seton Hill at Greensburg.

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MARIETTA, Ohio – Sophomore defender Alan Baldwin (Olanta/Clearfield Area H.S.) saw action for Westminster in a 3-1 loss to Christopher Newport (Va.) in the first round of the Marietta College Invitational Saturday.

He did not play in Sunday’s consolation game against Marietta, which shut out the Titans 2-0.

Baldwin has played in four games for the 3-2 Titans.

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WOMEN’S SOCCER

SLIPPERY ROCK – Sophomore forward Juliana Howell of Clearfield made it two goals in as many games for Slippery Rock in a 3-1 win at Clarion on Sept. 3.

She found the net with her only shot in The Rock’s Pennsylvania Stat Athletic Conference West Division opener.

On Saturday, Howell got off one shot in The Rock’s double-overtime 1-1 tie with visiting Edinboro.

She has two goals on five shots in three starts for The Rock, which moved up from No. 17 to No. 13 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America NCAA Division III Poll last week. Slippery Rock is ranked No. 2 in the Atlantic Region.

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NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Dani Struble (Lumber City/Curwensville Area H.S.) played in all three games as Westminster went 2-0-1 last week.

The sophomore midfielder got her second start of the season against SUNY-Brockport in the first game of the Marietta (Ohio) College Invitational Saturday. The Titans tied the Golden Eagles 2-2.

Penalty kicks were used to determine which team advanced to the title game, and Westminster was edged 4-3.

The Titans claimed third place with a 3-1 victory over Marietta, and Struble attempted four shots, with one on goal.

She had one shot in Westminster’s 3-0 win over visiting Pitt-Bradford on Sept. 3.

The Titans sport a 3-1-1 record.

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BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – Senior goalkeeper Amber Weaver of Clearfield saw action for the first time this season for Geneva Sept. 2 when the Golden Tornadoes lost 2-0 to visiting Point Park.

Weaver made two saves and gave up one goal in the second 45-minute period.

She did not play Saturday when Geneva (2-2) was nipped 1-0 by Pitt-Bradford.

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LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Jen Williams, a sophomore midfielder from Clearfield, played for Lock Haven in two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division games last week.

The Lady Eagles (1-3, 0-2 PSAC-West) were beaten 4-2 at Gannon on Sept. 3 and 3-0 at Indiana Saturday.