FOOTBALL
CLARION – Senior Nick Sipes of Curwensville starred for a defense that kept Clarion in its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division opener with nationally-ranked California until late in the fourth quarter Saturday night.
Ten solo stops highlighted a 17-tackle performance by the 5-10, 215-pound strong safety as the Golden Eagles ‘D’ kept it a one-possession game until the final minutes.
Clarion led 7-3 at the half and trailed 17-9 when California, No. 13 in the last week’s NCAA Division II Coaches Poll, scored an insurance touchdown with 2:46 left for a 24-9 win that disappointed a Memorial Stadium crowd of 4,000.
Sipes has led Clarion (0-4) in tackles each game for a total of 46 that is tops in the PSAC.
He ranks second in assists with 26 and seventh in solo stops with 20.
Sipes has made five tackles and two assists behind the line of scrimmage, a 1.5 average that is tied for sixth in the PSAC.
* * * * *
HIRAM, Ohio – Sophomore cornerback David Kalgren of Curwensville had a team-high seven tackles and intercepted a pass as Oberlin rolled past Hiram 47-21 Saturday afternoon for its first 2-1 start since 1989.
The 419 fans at Henry Field saw the Yeomen amass a school-record 622 yards in balancing their North East Conference log at 1-1.
Kalgren also broke up one pass and handled two punts for the Yeomen.
He is second on the team in stops with 18.5 on 17 solo tackles and three assists.
He has two interceptions, three punt returns for 24 yards and one kickoff return for 18 yards.
* * * * *
ERIE – Wide receiver Jesse Hoover of Curwensville accounted for two-thirds of Lock Haven’s offense in a 41-0 loss to Mercyhurst at Tullio Field Saturday afternoon.
The redshirt freshman caught five passes for 81 yards for the Bald Eagles, who trailed only 7-0 at the half before the Lakers exploded for four touchdowns in the third quarter of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division opener for both squads.
Lock Haven (0-4) was held to 120 net yards in its 25th consecutive defeat.
Hoover, who had a career-best 38-yard reception in the fourth quarter, leads the Bald Eagles with a 14.9 average for his nine catches.
He has scored one touchdown.
* * * * *
LANCASTER – Sophomore defensive back Isiah Morgan of Clearfield made two solo tackles on back-to-back plays in the first quarter and assisted on two stops for visiting Juniata (0-4) against Franklin & Marshall Saturday.
It was a long afternoon for the Eagle defense, though, as the Diplomats sent a crowd of 1,749 home happy with a 55-13 romp in the Centennial Conference game.
Morgan has four solo tackles and two assists in four games, two as a starter at safety.
* * * * *
WAYNESBURG – Senior Tyler Kirkwood of Frenchville started at wingback for Grove City (2-2) in a 42-16 Presidents’ Athletic Conference setback administered by Waynesburg with 1,110 looking on at Wiley Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The Clearfield Area High School graduate has caught one pass for nine yards for the Wolverines, who are 1-1 in the PAC.
* * * * *
PITTSBURGH – A 27-yard field goal by Dan Hutchins out of the hold of redshirt junior quarterback Andrew Janocko of Clearfield averted a shutout for Pitt (1-2) in Thursday night’s nationally-televised game with Miami (Fla.).
The No. 18 Hurricanes blew past the Panthers 31-3 in the non-conference game that drew a crowd of 58,115 into Heinz Field.
Hutchins’ season-long 52-yard attempt by Hutchins 11 seconds before intermission was wide left.
* * * * *
PITTSBURGH – Redshirt freshman Nick Redden of Clearfield got his first taste of collegiate action in Duquesne’s North East Conference opener Saturday, and it was at a position he has never played before – fullback.
Sidelined until the previous week because of an off-season shoulder injury, the 6-1, 280-pounder was switched from back-up center to provide extra blocking for the Dukes in their 28-17 upset of Albany (N.Y.) that delighted a Rooney Field crowd of 1,287.
In the NEC pre-season coaches poll, Albany was ranked No. 3 and Duquesne No. 7.
* * * * *
WILLIAMSPORT – Sophomore wide receiver Jarrin Campman of Clearfield saw action in a big Lycoming (2-1) upset Saturday.
A 23-yard field goal by T.J. Chiardonza with seven seconds left gave the Warriors a 26-24 win over Ithaca, ranked No. 13 in NCAA Division III, in front of 1,781 partisan fans at Person Field.
Campman has played in two games.
* * * * * * * * * *
MEN’S SOCCER
BEREA, Ohio – Senior midfielder Alan Baldwin of Olanta started for the second time this season in Westminster’s non-conference loss to host Baldwin-Wallace Saturday.
The Titans managed only two shots in falling to 1-5-2.
Baldwin, a Clearfield Area High School graduate, has played in seven games.
* * * * *
WASHINGTON – Senior midfielder John Lhota of Clearfield and his Washington & Jefferson teammates had their five-game unbeaten streak halted by visiting Fairleigh Dickinson-Fordham 1-0 at Alexandre Stadium Sunday.
The non-conference game was the first that Lhota did not record a shot.
He had 14 in his other six starts, including Thursday’s 2-0 win over LaRoche at Pittsburgh.
Lhota has one assist for the 4-2-1 Presidents.
* * * * *
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Reserve freshman midfielder Kurtis Graham of Clearfield assisted on the final goal as Penn State-Altoona (4-6) handled host D’Youville 3-0 in their Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opener Saturday.
He did not play in a 4-3 loss to St. Vincent Friday but did have two shots in a 2-1 loss to Gwynedd Mercy at Gwynedd Valley on Sept. 21.
Graham has two assists and has been credited with seven shots, four on goal, in nine games.
* * * * * * * * * *
WOMEN’S SOCCER
NEW WILMINGTON – Danielle Struble of Curwensville totaled 14 shots but was unable to score in Westminster’s double-overtime 0-0 tie with John Carroll Wednesday and 4-2 loss to Baldwin-Wallace at Berea, Ohio, Saturday.
Five of the senior forward’s eight attempts against B-W were on goal.
Struble the 4-3-1 Lady Titans with 40 shots, including 17 on goal, and ranks second on the team in goals (4) and points (10). She has one game-winning goal.
* * * * *
LOCK HAVEN – Senior Jenny Williams of Clearfield was a starting midfielder for Lock Haven (3-5) in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference losses to visiting Shippensburg 2-1 Friday and No. 13-ranked California 4-1 Saturday.
She got off one shot in each game for the Lady Eagles, now 1-5 in the PSAC.
Williams scored two goals in one only two games that she hasn’t started and has logged seven shots with three on goal.
* * * * *
SLIPPERY ROCK – Senior forward Juliana Howell of Clearfield started in Slippery Rock’s 3-0 loss No. 13-ranked and undefeated California Friday and subbed in a 3-2 overtime victory over Shippensburg Saturday.
The Rock (5-3) emerged from the games at Egli Field with a 3-3 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference record
Howell shares The Rock lead in assists with three and has five shots, three on goal, in seven games.
* * * * *
DUBOIS – Curwensville Area High School grad Jilissa Keller of Grampian is a starting forward for Penn State-DuBois, which slipped to 2-5 with losses to Mercyhurst-Northeast 6-1 Saturday at Erie and 8-0 to LaRoche Sunday at the Spider Lake Complex.
The sophomore midfielder has registered one assist.
* * * * *
MOON TOWNSHIP – Freshman forward/midfielder Brooke Mohney of Clearfield saw action Sunday as St. Francis wrapped up the first unbeaten September in school history with 4-1 win over Robert Morris in their North East Conference opener.
The Red Flash finished the month 5-0-1 for a 7-2-1 ledger.
Mohney has played in three games.
* * * * * * * * * *
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
DUBOIS – Freshmen Lindsay Barrett and Stephanie Neeper of Curwensville are starters and sophomore Sophia Reed of Clearfield also plays for Penn State-DuBois, which bounced back from its first loss of the season with a thrilling 3-2 win over Penn State-Fayette in the Multipurpose Building Gym Sunday.
The Lady Lions slipped past the U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association’s 15th-ranked team 25-22, 25-23, 24-26, 10-25, 15-13 for a 6-1 record to claim second place in the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference.
On Saturday, Penn State-Beaver halted the Lady Lions’ five-match winning streak 25-12, 23-25, 21-25, 25-17.
Earlier in the week, Penn State-DuBois outclassed Penn State-Greater Allegheny 2-3, 25-6, 25-8 at McKeesport.
