2011-12 NEWS ARCHIVE
 

PENN ST. BEHREND MEN, WOMEN FALL AT NCAA TENNIS TOURNAMENT
5/11/12

The competition proved too stiff at the NCAA Division III men's and women's tennis tournaments for AMCC champion Penn St. Behrend.  The Behrend women fell to Hunter College, 5-3, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday afternoon. The Lions took two of the three doubles matches but only won one singles match.  Jade Buhite and Rachel Harris teamed up to win their doubles match, 8-5. Megan Noschese and Carissa Zozos also won their doubles match, 9-8.  In singles competition, Nochese was the lone Behrend winner. Nochese won 6-1, 6-1.  Meanwhile the Behrend men were defeated by Kalamazoo College, the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions, 5-0, in Gambier, OH. 

BRAZIL IS DESTINATION FOR PENN ST. BEHREND WOMEN'S SOCCER, BASKETBALL TEAMS
5/10/12

The Penn State Behrend women’s basketball and women's soccer teams are off to Brazil for an eight day international sports tour.  The trip will include two games against local Brazilian teams. In addition, the squads will visit the cities of Sao Bento do Sapucia, Paraty, and Ilha Grande.  Outside of their competition, the contingent will go on historical tours, take various cultural classes, and put on a clinic at a school in Sao Bento do Sapucia.  Members from both teams will chronicle the tour in “blogs”, which can be followed at psblions.com.

PENN ST. BEHREND MEN, WOMEN TO COMPETE IN NCAA TENNIS TOURNAMENT
5/9/12

Pairings were announced for the NCAA men's and women's tennis tournaments, and Penn St. Behrend will be headed in different directions with the same goal.  Both squads captured the AMCC team title earlier this year and will represent the conference in the national tournament.

The men are off to Gambier, OH where they will take on Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association champion Kalamazoo College on Friday.  The women go south, meeting up with City University of New York Athletic Conference champion Hunter College in Fredericksburg, VA.

MOUNT ALOYSIUS TEAMS UP WITH SPECIAL OLYMPICS AND MYI
5/9/12

On Saturday April 28th the Mount Aloysius College athletic department paired up with the Special Olympics. Along with these athletes were 11 seventh grade students who are involved in the Mercy Youth Initiative (MYI) that is provided through the college. The MYI is a mentor program designed for Youth of Promise and the Mount Aloysius students. These students are those that they believe will benefit from learning about college, building communication and learning social skills. Each session includes a career, mentor and athletic event. The SAAC has taken the lead in coordination teambuilding activities to get the kids up and moving.

Both the student-athletes and the students from the MYI listened to Jennifer Tresp, Senior Competition Director, discuss the purpose of Special Olympics in addition to her journey within the organization. Jennifer discussed the importance of communication and support among team members. She then facilitated a group activity in which the athletes and MYI students had to come up with a strategy to get paper air planes across the finish line. Then, they discussed ways in which we as an athletic department can get more involved in the Special Olympics. After that the athletes divided up into groups in which they provided games and skill work in basketball, soccer and volleyball. To end the session the student-athletes and the MYI students played a fun game of kickball.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: May 7

PENN STATE BEHREND WINS SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP, EARNS NCAA AUTOMATIC BID
5/6/12

Penn St. Behrend defeated Penn St. Altoona, 5-4, in 9 innings today to win their fourth AMCC title in program history.  The victory includes a trip to the NCAA DIvision III tournament.  After a seventh inning rally by Penn St. Altoona to knot the score at 4-4, Behrend third baseman Ashley Gruber stroked a walk-off home run in the ninth to close the door.  Behrend (26-13), who did not drop a game in the tournament, will await the results of the NCAA selection call, to be announced Monday, to learn of their first round opponent in the NCAA regional.  Penn St. Altoona (32-10) will learn Monday if they earned an NCAA at-large bid or ECAC regional tournament invitation.

UPSETS MARK BASEBALL TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND
5/5/12

#5 Pitt-Bradford and #6 Mount Aloysius College won their first round series on Saturday to advance to the championship round of the AMCC baseball tournament.  The Mounties will face #2 seed Penn St. Behrend in the first game on Thursday at 9am, while the Panthers will take on top seed and tournament host La Roche College in game two at approximately 12n.

Pitt-Bradford upset #4 seed and defending champion Penn St. Altoona in straight victories, posting scores of 6-2 and 3-1.  Meanwhile it took three games for the underdog Mounties to move on.  They defeated Pitt-Greensburg, 4-2, in game one, but the Bobcats clawed back to take game 2, 6-5, on a walk off home run in the 8th inning.  Game 3 was all Mount Aloysius, with a 13-5 final score.

MOUNT ALOYSIUS TENNIS TEAM CELEBRATES EARTH DAY VOLUNTEERING AT LOCAL HISTORIC SITE
5/3/12

Mount Aloysius College student-athletes teamed up to do horticultural and environmental work at the Allegheny-Portage National Historical Site on Earth Day, with six members of the men’s tennis team along with head coach Ryan Navarro joining forces with other members of the campus community.  The National Park Service, in collaboration with the United Way of the Laurel Highlands, held their first annual National Park Service Day of Caring on April 22. This event also kicked off National Park Week.
Sophomore player Ryan Bressler said he found the community service to be enjoyable and beneficial.  "Although our part was small, we contributed to the much larger picture," said Bressler.  "Simple community service makes the parks cleaner and creates a much more picturesque atmosphere. It is surprising how much trash and weeds a group of volunteers can collect in a short amount of time.”

LA ROCHE MEN'S BASKETBALL TALKS EDUCATION AT MIDDLE SCHOOL
4/27/12

Last Friday, four members of the La Roche College men’s basketball team traveled to Arsenal Middle School in Pittsburgh to talk with eighth grade students about the value of education and staying in school.  Mike Dixon, Daron Tabron, Oneal Brown, and Joel McIntosh joined assistant baseball coach Ryan Juran and the staff at Arsenal who organized the event.  “It’s nice for the students to see college kids who were once in the same situation, make the right choices to get where they are today," Juran said.  "Along with that, the La Roche players emphasized the importance of getting an education and how it has impacted their lives."

PITT-BRADFORD BASEBALL PLAYER LEADS DIV. III IN BATTING AVERAGE
4/25/12

The NCAA announced their latest statistical rankings in baseball, and Pitt-Bradford junior Derek Smith leads Division III with a .538 batting average. He has ranked at or near the top of the weekly standings all season long.  Smith is one of only two players qualified that are hitting better than .500 on the season. The third baseman has collected 56 hits in 104 at bats. He also ranks in the top 10 nationally in slugging percentage (.827) and on base percentage (.575).  Smith leads the AMCC in hits and triples (3), and is among the league leaders in RBI (41), doubles (15) and total bases (86).  He currently ranks second all-time in program history with 118 career runs batted in, 14 shy of the Ryan Briskar’s (2001-04) mark of 132.

FRANCISCAN'S LACAYO HEADS MEN'S TENNIS AWARD WINNERS
4/24/12

Franciscan University sophomore Leonel Lacayo, a double winner at the AMCC championship tournament at #1 singles and #2 doubles, has been named the conference's Men's Tennis Player of the Year.  Penn St. Behrend freshman Taimi Ando was selected as the Newcomer of the Year, while Behrend Lions' head coach Jeff Barger earned Coach of the Year honors after guiding his squad to the league title and their first ever automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.  Click here for the complete all-conference team.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: APRIL 23
4/23/12

MEDAILLE WINS ECAC SOUTH MEN'S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
4/21/12

AMCC champion Medaille College battled two stellar opponents to win the ECAC Division III South Championship today.  Senior right side hitter Nick Johnson was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player with a 37 kill, 8 dig and 3 block assist performance.  The Mavs got revenge on Stevens Institute of Technology, the team that ousted them from the UVC tournament two weeks ago, with a 3-1 decision (25-16, 27-25, 24-26, 25-21) in the semifinals.  Medaille, seeded #11 in the tournament, then conjured an upset when they took down #4 seed Juniata College in a 5 set duel (25-18, 22-25, 18-25, 25-23, 15-13)

PENN STATE ALTOONA'S HEINE NAMED TO D3BASEBALL.COM TEAM OF WEEK
4/1712

Penn State Altoona senior first baseman Cord Heine has been named to D3Baseball.com's Team of the Week.  Heine's inclusion honors him as the top first baseman last week in all of Division III baseball. He hit .600 (9-for-15) in four games, with a double and at least one RBI in each contest. He totalled 7 RBIs, scored 7 runs, and added a triple to help the Lions go 3-1 in a pair of doubleheaders.  Heine leads the Lions with a .412 batting average. He also holds the team-high in doubles with 13.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: APRIL 16
4/16/12

PENN STATE BEHREND WINS AMCC FIRST AUTOMATIC BID IN MEN'S TENNIS
4/15/12

Penn State Behrend emerged from a weekend-long, neck and neck battle with defending champion Franciscan University to win the 2012 AMCC title and with it, the conference's first-ever automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.  It is their sixth title overall, and fourth in five years.  The Lions were led by junior Chris Galvin, who was a two-time individual champion in the tournament.  He won the #2 singles title as well as the #1 doubles crown, teaming up with freshman Taimi Ando.  In all, Behrend captured four of six singles and 2 doubles titles.
Click here for complete tournament results.

PENN STATE ALTOONA CELEBRATES DIV. III WEEK WITH SPECIAL OLYMPIANS
4/14/12

Penn State Altoona joined with the Special Olympics of Blair County last Wednesday by hosting a Faculty/Staff vs. Student-Athletes Charity Basketball Game in the Adler Gym. The event raised $270 for the Special Olympics of Blair County and highlighted the athletic department’s commitment to community service during NCAA Division III Week.  During halftime, the student-athletes took the court alongside the Special Olympics of Blair County’s basketball team for a game of their own.  The event raised money for the Special Olympics through collecting donations at the door, conducting a 50/50 drawing, and holding a basket raffle.

PENN STATE BEHREND STRENGTHENS HOLD ON PRESIDENTS CUP LEAD
AFTER STRONG WINTER SEASON
4/13/12

On the fifth and final day of Division III Week, the AMCC celebrates athletics excellence.  In the conference, that is measured by points earned based on regular season standings in league sponsored championships.  Add them all up, and Penn State Behrend is poised to win its eleventh AMCC Presidents Cup trophy in 12 years--and eighth in a row--after a strong winter championship season.  After their fall sports propelled the Lions to an early Presidents Cup lead, their winter teams took over.  Men's and women's swimming and diving both won conference titles, and men's and women's basketball both finished in the top three.

Behrend now has a commanding lead in the race, with 81 points heading into the spring season finale with solid contenders in softball, baseball and men's tennis.  The battle for second place is heated, however, with a sliver of 1.5 points separating Penn State Altoona (61), Pitt-Bradford (60) and Medaille College (59.5).  Click here for the complete Presidents Cup standings and sport-by-sport list of team champions.

MOUNT ALOYSIUS HEADS ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM,
WINNING INAUGURAL PEAK PERFORMANCE AWARD
4/12/12

With 50.31% of their student-athletes earning a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher,  Mount Aloysius College heads the AMCC Academic All-Conference Team on Day 4 of Division III Week.  The Mounties' stellar overall academic achievement earns them the inaugural AMCC Peak Performance Award.  Overall, 37% of AMCC student-athletes achieved a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA by the conclusion of the Fall 2011 semester.  An additional 106 student-athletes were selected as members of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National Collegiate Student-Athlete Honor Society.  Chi Alpha Sigma induction requires an academic class rank of junior or senior, a minimum GPA of 3.4, and demonstration of good moral character.

Click here for the complete Academic All-Conference Team.

AMCC STAFF AND STUDENTS GIVE BACK TO CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY
4/11/12

Community service takes center stage on Day 3 of Division III Week, with AMCC student-athletes, coaches and administrators stepping up to show they care on campus and in the community.  Since September, AMCC team members and athletic department staff have donated more than 9,000 hours and generated more than $23,000 toward worthy causes and people in need.  Organizations that have benefited include the Special Olympics, United Way, CARE for Children, Habitat for Humanity, Project Bundle Up, and numerous cancer research programs.  Student-athletes are also active on their own, donating more than 2,600 to causes such as soup kitchens, food banks, campus ministry, area hospitals, and volunteer fire companies.

Click here for a look at what AMCC members are doing to help make the world a better place.

AMCC ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF TEAM PEAK PERFORMER AWARDS
4/10/12

Division III Week continues for the AMCC, as the conference takes time this week to honor the academic accomplishments of the more than 1,700 student-athletes who participate in AMCC championship sports.

Today the conference is please to unveil a new set of awards which recognize the team in each sport with the highest cumulative grade point average.  Fall sport winners are determined by the GPA achieved at the conclusion of the Fall 2011 semester; winter and spring sport winners will be announced June 1, based on GPAs earned at the conclusion of the Spring 2012 semester.

Click here to see the complete list of fall sport honorees.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: APRIL 9
4/9/12

Penn St. Altoona 1B/OF Kelly Chambers hit .611 in a 5-1 week, with 4 doubles, 3 HR and 12 RBI. She did not strike out in 18 at-bats.		Men's Tennis: Brian Schultz, Penn St. Altoona
		Baseball Player: Shane Healey, La Roche College
		Baseball Pitcher: Andrew Cornell, Pitt-Greensburg
		Softball Player: Kelly Chambers, Penn St. Altoona
		Softball Pitcher: Alison Stugart, Penn St. Altoona

AMCC KICKS OFF DIVISION III WEEK HONORING SPORTSMANSHIP
4/9/12

In recognition of one of the core values of AMCC membership, the conference is kicking off NCAA Division III Week by announcing the members of the AMCC All-Sportsmanship Team.

After each season, student-athletes vote on their team's nomination to the All-Sportsmanship Team.  The honor is open to members of every team in an AMCC championship sport.  The student-athlete selected must consistently demonstrate a high level of ethical conduct, respect and fair play in both practice and competition, whether on the sidelines or as an active competitor. Such sportsmanship shall be evident toward teammates, coaches, opponents, officials and fans. He/She must also serve as a positive representative of school spirit when a spectator at other teams’ sporting events.

Click here for the Fall 2011 and Winter 2012 All-Sportsmanship Teams.  Spring sport honorees will be announced June 1.  Click here to view the conference's Sportsmanship page.

BEHREND MEN'S BASKETBALL FINISHES #1 IN COUNTRY FOR DEFENSE
4/5/12

The Penn State Behrend men’s basketball team finished the season as the top-ranked school in scoring defense among all Division III teams according to the final 2011-12 statistics.  Out of a 405 qualifying schools, the Lions had the nation’s best defense. Behrend only gave up 56 points per game and let just one team score more than 70 in 28 contests.  The Lions’ stingy defense led them to the AMCC championship game and a bid to the ECAC South Tournament.

BEHREND'S GRUBER IN THE SPOTLIGHT FOR ECAC SOFTBALL HONOR
4/4/12

With a standout offensive effort, Penn St. Behrend third baseman Ashley Gruber has earned ECAC South Region Player of the Week honors.  Gruber drove in 17 runs on 11 hits, batting .423 in a 6-2 week for the Lions (5-1 vs. AMCC opponents). The senior single-handedly helped the Lions defeat Mt. Aloysius with a single home run and a three-run homer in game one, going 4-for-4 at the plate. She also added three doubles on the week and another home run, while scoring 8 runs. Gruber is ranked #1 in the AMCC with 31 RBI to date.

LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE: SECOND PERFECT GAME FOR PENN ST. ALTOONA
4/4/12

For the second time in three games, a Penn State Altoona softball pitcher has tossed a perfect game. Sophomore Allison Stugart threw five spotless innings in a 20-0 win over Franciscan University in the first game of a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon at Stewart Athletic Field.  She recorded five strikeouts in her first career perfect game. Junior teammate Jackie Smith accomplished the task on Saturday against Hilbert College.

Stugart's perfect game is the second one ever pitched since the Penn State Altoona softball program's inception in 2001.  She currently leads the the Lady Lions with eight wins this season.

MEDAILLE'S KELLY HEADS MEN'S VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
4/3/12

After leading his team to the first-ever AMCC men's volleyball championship title, Medaille College middle blocker Erin Kelly has been named the league's Player of the Year.  Kelly led the league with a .446 hitting percentage while averaging 2.87 kpg and .78 bpg.  Teammate Jordan James, a first year middle blocker, earned Newcomer of the Year recognition.  Penn St. Behrend's Phil Pisano, who guided his team to an 8-17 record as a first year varsity program along with a berth in the United Volleyball Conference tournament, was voted Coach of the Year.  Click here for the complete all-conference team.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: APRIL 2
4/2/12

PENN STATE ALTOONA SOFTBALL PITCHER THROWS PERFECT GAME
3/31/12

Penn State Altoona softball's 17-0 and 23-5 victories over AMCC opponent Hilbert College on Saturday were impressive, but they were upstaged by perfection.  In game one of the doubleheader, junior pitcher Jackie Smith threw a perfect game. She pitched five innings, allowing no runs, hits, or walks while striking out seven of the 15 batters she faced.  Smith's perfect game is the first perfect game pitched in the modern history of Penn State Altoona softball, dating back to the program's inception in 2001.

MEDAILLE WINS INAUGURAL AMCC MEN'S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
3/31/12

Capping a perfect season among AMCC competition, Medaille College emerged triumphant in the conference's first ever men's volleyball championship tournament. The Mavericks, ranked #9 nationally in NCAA Division III, defeated D'Youville College by a 3-0 margin (25-17, 28-26, 25-15). Middle hitter Erin Kelly led the Mavericks with 10 kills, 3 blocks and 2 aces. Medaille rolled in straight sets over Hilbert College in the first match of the day to advance to the finals, while D'Youville battled to victory in a hard fought 3-2 decision over Penn St. Behrend to earn a shot at the title.

Medaille (#3 seed) and Penn St. Behrend (#8 seed) will continue their post-season aspirations, competing in the United Volleyball Conference tournament April 14-15 at New York University. The tournament winner will receive and automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

PITT-BRADFORD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCORES WITH CARE PROGRAM
3/27/12

The tradition continued for the 11th straight year as the annual CARE/Lady Panthers
Basketball Camp took place on campus last weekend.  Pitt-Bradford Coach Molly Brennan and the Panthers players hosted 43 children in the local community as part of their ongoing partnership with CARE for Children, whose mission is to improve the lives of children of all abilities.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: MARCH 26
3/26/12

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: MARCH 19
3/19/12

MEDAILLE'S TRAVIS, BEHREND'S CONLEY NAMED D3HOOPS.COM ALL-STARS
3/14/12

Medaille senior forward Tanisha Travis and Penn St. Behrend junior center Russ Conley have been named to the D3hoops.com All-Great Lakes Region Second Teams.

Travis led the Mavericks to a runner-up finish at the AMCC tournament and the school's first-ever ECAC tournament title.  A first team all-AMCC selection, Travis averaged  13.3 ppg and 10.5 rpg while shooting 52.1% from the field.  Conley led Behrend in scoring (16.7 ppg), rebounding (7.3 rpg), field-goal percentage (57.9), free-throw percentage (82.0), and blocks (1.0 bpg).  He was also honored as the AMCC Co-Player of the Year and was awarded first team all-AMCC accolades. During the season, he eclipsed the 1,000 career-point plateau and was named the AMCC Player of the Week twice.

KRAGNES IS FIRST ECAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR SPRING 2012
3/13/12

Penn St. Behrend junior outfielder Ryan Kragnes hits at the top of the order for his team, and as the lead-off nominee for the ECAC Player of the Week program, he was equally successful.  Kragnes led the Lions to a 2-4 week in Florida, hitting .474 (9-19) from the lead off spot, striking out just once. He also scored 7 runs, drove in 4, drew 6 walks and was 5-for-5 in stolen bases.

BEHREND TO HOST TOPS SOCCER PROGRAM FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN
3/13/12

Continuing an 11 year tradition, the Penn St. Behrend men's and women's soccer teams will host TOPSoccer, a community-based program for special needs children from northwestern Pennsylvania.  The seven week program, which starts on Wednesday, provides an opportunity to participate with the Penn State Behrend student-athletes to build life-long friendships while developing soccer skills to carry throughout the summer.

The program, in partnership with Behrend athletics and student-body, promotes good health, awareness and basic soccer skills to the community's youth. The goal has been to pair a child with at least one student-athlete while working to develop soccer talent.

"This is a great opportunity for our student body to make a positive impact on the Erie community," said head men's soccer coach Dan Perritano. "It gives them a chance to broaden their collegiate experience."

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: MARCH 12
3/12/12

D'YOUVILLE MEN'S SOCCER STEPS UP FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS
3/9/12

The D'Youville College men's soccer team joined the ever-growing number of NCAA Division III student-athletes in partnership with Special Olympics nationwide.  On January 29 the team provided players and coaches to work at Thruway Lanes for the Western New York Special Olympics Senior Bowling Tournament. The group covered the day by assisting in the lane assignments, team morale for the bowlers, award presentations and handing out post-tournament refreshments to each participant.

"This is a terrific way for the team to be involved with something more than just campus wide events," said Coach Matt McCormick. "None of the guys had ever been involved with volunteering for the Special Olympics, and it is something that means a lot to me.  I was very proud of the efforts they put forth during the day. It is something that they won't forget, and had a great time doing, some of the guys have already inquired about volunteering in the near future with the Special Olympics on their own."

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: MARCH 5
3/5/12

MEDAILLE WOMEN CELEBRATE ECAC BASKETBALL TITLE
3/4/11

The Medaille College women's basketball team has done what no other Mavericks program has accomplished: they won an ECAC tournament title. With a 77-68 win over #2 seed Moravian College, the top seeded Mavericks culminated a 24-5 season on a high note by winning the Division III South Region championship.  Medaille was led by senior forward Tanisha Travis.  With 21 points, 17 rebounds and 5 blocks in the championship game, she was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

FRANCISCAN CROSS COUNTRY, BEHREND SWIMMING/DIVING RECOGNIZED FOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
3/2/12

AMCC teams continue to earn recognition for their classroom achievements in 2011-12.

The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) recently announced that the Franciscan University men's and women's teams are members of its all-academic teams.  Junior Bill Jones led the way with scholar student-athlete honors while both teams earned a place as all-academic teams.
In order to qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic team, a student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or greater through the most recent semester, and placed in the top 35 at the NCAA Regional Championships. Meeting all requirements—notably placing fourth at the 2011 NCAA Div. III Great Lakes Regional Meet—junior Bill Jones was the only Franciscan runner to place within the 141 student-athletes representing 80 Div. III institutions.

A total of 131 institutions representing 34 conferences composed the group that earned the men’s 2011 Division III All-Academic Cross Country status. To qualify as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team, the team must have had a cumulative team GPA of 3.10 or better. Franciscan's men's squad earned the status with a team cumulative GPA of 3.34.  Not to be outdone, in a group of 187 institutions representing 38 conferences, the women's team earned the all-academic status with a team cumulative GPA of 3.41.

Meanwhile, the Penn State Behrend women’s swimming and diving team has been named to the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team.  This award is presented to college and university swimming and diving teams who have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher who have reached this standard in the fall semester and in the semester of the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships (Winter/Spring).  The Lions are one of 131 Division III teams chosen to receive this honor.

BEHREND'S COOK, BRADFORD'S PETRILLI HEAD SWIMMING AND DIVING ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
2/29/12

Penn St. Behrend senior Julie Cook and Pitt-Bradford sophomore Fernando Petrilli are the 2012 AMCC Swimmers of the Year.

Cook won the 100 and 200 breaststroke at the AMCC championship meet and was a part of 3 first place relay teams to lead Behrend to its sixth straight conference title.  She is joined by freshman teammate Meghan Wade, AMCC champion in both the 1m and 3m events, as Women's Diver of the Year.  Franciscan University also landed two award winners.  Freshman Maria Giuliani, gold medalist in the 100 freestyle and silver medalist in the 500 freestyle, was named Women's Newcomer of the Year, while head coach Rebecca Recznik earned Women's Coach of the Year recognition.  Recznik guided the Lady Barons to a second place finish at the conference meet in just their first year of varsity competition.

Petrilli won Men's Swimmer of the Year for the second straight season.  The high point scorer at the championship meet, he won the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke and 200 individual medley, helping the Panthers to a runner-up team performance.  Cabrini College freshman Evan Strickland, winner of the 50 freestyle and runner up in the 100 butterfly, was named Men's Newcomer of the Year.  Penn St. Behrend sophomore Lucas Kachurick captured both diving events to repeat as Men's Diver of the Year.  Penn St. Behrend's Jen Wallace and Pitt-Bradford's Ed Bahan split the voting for Men's Coach of the Year, as the teams finished 1-2 respectively at the championship meet.

Click here for the complete all-conference teams:   Women     Men

BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM AND AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
2/28/12

A mix of old and new faces grace the AMCC basketball all-conference teams for 2012.

La Roche College forward Jessica Pitts (left) was selected as both the Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year for the women, after leading the Redhawks to their second straight championship.  Pitts averaged 12.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg and led the league with 3.3 spg.  Franciscan University freshman forward Lacy Huck was voted Newcomer of the Year, recording 12.2 ppg and 8.5 rpg in her rookie campaign.  Coach of the Year honors were shared by La Roche's Eddie Benton Jr. (17-1 AMCC, 22-5 overall) and Medaille College's Bill Agronin (16-2 AMCC, 22-5 overall), whose squads clashed in the finals for the second year in a row.  Click here for the complete women's all-conference team.

Once again there are Co-Players of the Year for the men, with Pitt-Greensburg forward David Palmer (left) and Penn St. Behrend center Russ Conley (right) sharing the  spotlight.  Palmer was the AMCC's second leading scorer (18.8 ppg) and top rebounder (13.0 rpg), while Conley's 16.7 ppg and 7.2 rpg propelled his team to the conference tournament finals. La Roche senior guard Mike Dixon was a repeat selection as Defensive Player of the Year.  Newcomer of the Year honors were shared by Medaille's first year forward Sean Bellomo (9.6 ppg, .600 field goal percentage) and Franciscan freshman forward Nolan Albrecht (15.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg).  Medaille head coach Michael MacDonald was honored as Coach of the Year after guiding the conference champion Mavericks to a 25-2 record and a 13 game win streak heading into the NCAA tournament.   Click here for the complete men's all-conference team.

MORE POST-SEASON OPPORTUNITIES FOR AMCC TEAMS
2/27/12

In addition to the NCAA basketball tournament bids secured by the Medaille men and La Roche women, several other AMCC teams are still active in the post-season.

The league placed four teams in the ECAC South Region Tournament.  Medaille, runner-up in the AMCC title game, is the top seed in the women's bracket, and will meet the winner of Marywood/Bethany on Saturday.  Penn St. Behrend, the third seed and semifinalist in the AMCC tournament, is the #6 seed and will travel to Waynesburg Wednesday night.  Seeded #2, the La Roche men will play host to DeSales on Wednesday, while #8 Penn St. Behrend will meet #1 seed Juniata in the first round.

Two Pitt-Bradford men's swimmers also had their seasons extended over the weekend.  Fernando Petrilli and Matt Patterson both travelled to the US Naval Academy to compete at the ECAC Swimming and Diving Open Championships in Annapolis, Md.  Petrilli finished third in the 200 individual medley and 12th in the 100 breaststroke opening time trials. Patterson finished sixth in the 200 and 11th in the 100 free opening time trials.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: FEBRUARY 27
2/27/12

LA ROCHE WOMEN, MEDAILLE MEN CROWNED BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS
2/25/12

The Medaille College men are AMCC champions for the third time in four years, while the La Roche College women successfully defended their title for the second straight season.
With the wins, both teams will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. 

Senior guard Phil Maiarana had 17 points to lead the Mavericks past #3 seed Penn St. Behrend, 65-52.  With a record of 25-2, the Mavs set a single season record for wins.  Junior center Russ Conley had 21 points, 5 boards and 3 blocks for the Lions.

La Roche sophomore forward Jessica Pitts led the Redhawks to a 55-49 victory over Medaille for the second year in a row, scoring 17 points to go with 7 rebounds and 8 steals.  Senior forward Tanisha Travis stood out for the Mavericks, recording 18 points and 18 rebounds.

Pairings and schedules for the NCAA and ECAC tournaments will be announced Monday afternoon.  The all-conference team will posted on Tuesday.

BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT FINAL WEEKEND PAIRINGS SET
2/22/12

The seeding held true for the first round of the AMCC playoffs, with Mount Aloysius College and Penn St. Behrend advancing on the women's side, and Hilbert College and Penn St. Behrend victorious in the men's bracket.  The quest for the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament continues on Friday.

On the women's side, #1 seed and tournament host La Roche College will take on the #4 Mounties at 6pm.  The defending champion Redhawks will be led by 5-8 forward Jessica Pitts (left), who is averaging 12.2 ppg and 7.8 rpg.  Mount Aloysius, who handled Pitt-Bradford, 64-50 Tuesday night, will look to 5-10 forward Kaylee Keagy (12.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg) to help them pull the upset of a team that beat them twice in the regular campaign.  #2 Medaille College, a four-time AMCC champion, have 6-0 forward Tanesha Travis in their arsenal, averaging 12.6 ppg and 10.9 rpg.  The Mavericks will meet #3 Penn St. Behrend at 8pm.  The two teams split their regular season match-ups.  The Lions, 75-54 winners over Pitt-Greensburg last night, will will rely on the leadership of 5-6 guard Brittany Wilwohl, who directs the offense with 15.8 ppg and 2.5 apg.

For the men, top seeded Medaille College will play host to the final four.  The Mavericks will face cross-town rival and #4 seed Hilbert in a 5:30pm tip-off.  The Hawks defeated D'Youville College in Tuesday's first round contest.  Hilbert will try to solve the Medaille match-up after 2 regular season losses to the Mavs with the help of 6-1 guard Dan McFarland (18.3 ppg, 3.2 apg), while the Mavs will look to 5-10 guard Phil Mairana (left), with 11.3 ppg and 2.6 apg to lead them to their third AMCC title.  In the 8pm game, defending champion and #2 seed La Roche squares off against #3 Penn St. Behrend.  The Redhawks have handled the Lions twice already behind the standout play of 6-1 guard/forward Mike Dixon (12.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.5 apg).  Behrend will counter with 6-9 center Russ Conley, who leads the team in both scoring (16.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg).

Both championship games will be played at 3pm on Saturday.

PITT-BRADFORD HONORS SPECIAL OLYMPIANS AT LAST HOME GAME
2/21/12

As part of their partnership with the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania, the Pitt-Bradford athletic department invited local Olympians to attend their final home basketball doubleheader vs. AMCC rival Pitt-Greensburg this past Saturday.  The athletes were recognized at halftime, with team photographs and autograph session afterwards.  In the fall UPB hosted a Special Olympics "Bowl with a Buddy" event that involved more than 100 Panther team members and Special Olympians.  Student-athletes, coaches and staff members from D'Youville College, Hilbert College and Pitt-Greensburg all participated in the "Polar Plunge" in December, a popular fundraiser that involves a mid-winter dip in a local outdoor body of water such as Lake Erie (Buffalo) and the Allegheny River (Pittsburgh).

The NCAA Division III SAAC chose the Special Olympics as a partner organization in 2011 to encourage a common community service focus across all institutions in the division.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: FEBRUARY 20
2/20/12

BEHREND DEFENDS SWIMMING/DIVING TITLES FOR SIXTH STRAIGHT TIME
2/18/12

The Penn St. Behrend men and women led from beginning to end at the AMCC Swimming and Diving Championships to earn their sixth titles in a row.  The men finished with 402 points, followed by Pitt-Bradford with 167.  The Lions were led by freshman Dan Simon, who won both the 100 and 200 backstroke, qualifying for NCAA championship meet  consideration with B cut times.  Pitt-Bradford  sophomore Fernando Petrilli was the high  point scorer of the meet for the men, winning both breaststroke events for the second year in a row.  Behrend sophonore Lukas Kachurick was also honored as the men's standout diver of the Longnecker Invitational, the overall meet winner in both the 1m. and 3m. events, while diving coach Gordy Schmidt was chosen as Men's Diving Coach of the meet. Not to be outdone, the Behrend women racked up 187 points to successfully defend their title, with the first year Franciscan University program placing second with 150 points. The Lions looked to high point scorer Anne Lawrence to set the pace.  Lawrence was an individual champion in both the 100 and 200 butterfly.

Click here for complete meet results.

BASKETBALL PLAYOFF PAIRINGS SET; MEDAILLE MEN, LA ROCHE WOMEN HOST FINAL FOUR
2/18/12

The La Roche College women will be aiming to defend their title while the Medaille College men will seek to re-gain the crown they held in 2009 and 2010 when the AMCC tournament opens on Tuesday night.  Both schools will host the final four round on Friday and Saturday.

For the women, La Roche and Medaille will receive first round byes as the #1 and #2 seeds respectively.  Tuesday night's match-ups will feature #6 Pitt-Greensburg at #3 Penn St. Behrend (8pm) and #5 Pitt-Bradford at #4 Mount Aloysius (7pm).  The semifinals on Friday will feature La Roche facing the winner of Mount Aloysius/Pitt-Bradford while Medaille will take on the winner of Behrend/Pitt-Greensburg at 8pm.

The Mavericks and Redhawks will also receive first round byes on the men's side.  Penn St. Behrend is #3 and will host #6 Pitt-Bradford (6pm) on Tuesday.  #5 D'Youville College will travel cross town to meet #4 Hilbert College (7pm).  In the semifinal match-ups on Friday, top seeded Medaille will then face the winner of Hilbert/D'Youville at 5:30pm, and #2 seed and defending champion La Roche will tip off against the winner of Berhend/Pitt-Bradford at 8pm.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: FEBRUARY 13
2/13/12

AMCC WOMEN'S HOOPS TEAMS  HELP IN FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER
2/13/12

Once again the AMCC has women's basketball teams stepping up to raise funds and awareness about breast cancer.

Last Wednesday, the Penn State Altoona women’s basketball team spearheaded a Pink Zone event, raising money to benefit the fight against breast cancer. The team presented the Altoona Hospital Foundation for Life with a check for $2,000.  The Lady Lions collected donations through selling Pink Zone t-shirts, raffling off several themed baskets, and encouraging fans to give money in support of the cause. All gate fees also went toward the team’s objective.

Meanwhile, the Penn State Behrend women’s basketball team will hold “Play 4Kay”, formerly known as WBCA Pink Zone, on February 14 in a non-conference match up against Nazareth at the Junker Center beginning at 7 p.m.  Play 4Kay is an initiative that allows the sports community at large to raise breast cancer awareness and funds for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund in support of cancer research on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond.  Pink stadium cups are the promotional item that will be distributed at the game, while dance and cheer competition t-shirts will be for sale, with the proceeds benefiting the John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation.

PENN ST. BEHREND SOFTBALL TEAM DONATES TIME TO LESS FORTUNATE
2/8/12

As part of an on-going team effort to serve the local community, the Penn State Behrend softball team volunteered their time at the Erie City Mission on Saturday. The team included 11 players and two coaches, who helped prepare foods, serve the less fortunate and assist in the clean-up.

“Volunteering our time is just one small way for our team to give back to the community,” said head coach Stacy Pondo. “We value the life lessons learned from such a great experience.”

MEDAILLE'S KELLY NAMED AVCA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
2/7/12

The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) released their weekly awards and the AMCC found one of their own on the list.  Medaille College middle blocker Erin Kelly, who averaged 3.44 kills per set and recorded a .487 hitting percentage, was named National Player of the Week.  In addition to the AVCA honor he was also selected as the AMCC, United Volleyball Conference (UVC), and Medaille Player of the Week.

Kelly led the Mavericks to a 4-1 week that included a thrilling five-set win over defending national champion and fifth ranked Nazareth College in the UVC opener for both schools. He hit .450 with 12 kills, three digs, and two blocks in that victory. Kelly posted a week-high 19 kills without an error, helping the Mavericks’ win over Stevenson. Additionally he hit .737 against Mt. St. Joseph with 14 kills and no errors in 19 total attacks. He had a three game stretch where he committed zero errors.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: FEBRUARY 6
2/6/12

AMCC STUDENTS EXPERIENCE NCAA CONVENTION FIRSTHAND
2/2/12

For the fourth year in a row, the AMCC has used NCAA conference grant funds to send four student-athletes to the NCAA convention for an up close and personal look at how their school, the conference, and the NCAA does business.  The contingent included (pictured L-R) D'Youville College softball player Gabrielle Lathrop, Hilbert Collect soccer player Rebecca Elensky, Franciscan University cross country runner Joey Schlueter, and Penn St. Behrend cross country runner Alex Myers.  The students arrived in Indianapolis on Thursday, January 12 and had their first taste of the size and scope of the NCAA membership when they attended the opening business session that included representatives from all three divisions.  The following day's agenda included the Division III Issues Forum, lunch with the Division III SAAC, the AMCC administrator's meeting, and finally the NCAA Honors Celebration.  Events wrapped up on Saturday with the Division III business session where delegates voted on legislative proposals.

"I loved the convention and thought it was beneficial for a student-athlete to see how everything goes on behind the scenes," said Elensky.  "The best part for me was the conference meeting because I got to hear from each school their opinions on how things should happen."
"The NCAA convention was a wonderful learning experience," commented Lathrop.  "I wish more students could go because you learn so much.  I had no idea what goes into NCAA legislation. As athletes we feel that everything should just happen instantaneously and that is not true.  there is so much that goes into Division III athletics that we do not know about and I wish more students could see all the hard work being done on our behalf."

PITT-BRADFORD ATHLETICS LAUDED FOR OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE
2/1/12

The athletic department at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford received the Jostens Community Service Overall Winner Award from the National Association of Division III Athletics Administrators (NADIIIA) for its longstanding relationship with the CARE For Children program and other service projects.  The award was presented to Lori Mazza, director of athletics, at the NCAA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind.
In 2001, then-UPB head women’s basketball coach Daly Ann Fuller approached CARE with the idea of collaborating on an adaptive basketball camp to give children with motor and learning deficiencies the opportunity to play basketball. The initial camp had 20 participants. Now, 10 years later, the basketball mini camp has grown to more than 100 participants, who learn from the coaches and players on to dribble, pass and shoot.  Since then, more than 230 student-athletes in all 14 sports have offered their time and support to the CARE organization.

In addition to its work with CARE, the athletics department has taken part in many other community service projects, including serving food to needy families at the Friendship Table, participating in reading programs at local Bradford schools, raising $600 for local veterans and assisting with a veterans breakfast to honor all veterans in the campus community.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: JANUARY 30
1/30/12

PRESEASON BASEBALL HONORS NOTED FOR PENN ST. ALTOONA AND BEHREND
1/25/12

AMCC defending champion Penn State Altoona received two votes in the Preseason 2012 D3Baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division III Top 25 Poll, which was released on Tuesday.  The Lions finished the 2011 season with a 29-13 overall record, and competed in the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Tournament, where they posted a dramatic upset of #15 ranked Adrian College.  Penn State Altoona baseball began to garner regional attention when it received 10 votes in the final regular season edition of the top 25 poll, which was released last May 17.

Meanwhile, Collegiate Baseball Magazine announced its 2012 NCAA Division III Player to Watch List in January, which includes four Penn State Behrend players.  Juniors Matt Bittner (Lancaster, NY/St. Mary’s), Jay Condit (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley), and Ryan Kragnes (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) along with sophomore relief pitcher Chad Zurat (Clearfield, PA/Clearfield) made the prestigious list.

COSTANZA TABBED AS ECAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
1/24/12

Pitt-Bradford senior guard Maria Costanza is the first AMCC basketball player to be named Player of the Week by the ECAC this season, it was announced today.  Costanz averaged 18.7 points per game last week on her way to becoming the eighth woman in Panther history to reach the 1,000 point plateau for her career. The senior guard highlighted her week with 20-point effort, including a career-high six 3-pointers in an 82-58 victory over Franciscan University of Steubenville. She also scored a team-high 15 points and six steals in a 54-43 triumph over Hilbert College and added 21 points in a 73-56 win over D’Youville College.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: JANUARY 23
1/23/12

AMCC STUDENT-ATHLETES CONTINUE TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITIES
1/20/12

On top of classwork and competition, AMCC student-athletes add a third C to their days--community.  The Mount Aloysius College Student Athlete Advisory Committee and the Penn State Behrend baseball team are just the latest examples of this.

Members of the Mounties' SAAC made sure nothing was wasted when students went home for Christmas break. SAAC members decorated boxes and placed them throughout campus, collecting food for the local food bank. The decorated boxes were also put in dorms so students could donate non-perishable packaged items left from the past semester. Typically, some food goes to waste when students go home for the holidays. There was a great turnout of donations with 415 food items collected and donated to a food bank in Altoona.

More recently, the Behrend baseball program contributed volunteer hours to Habitat for Humanity.  On January 14 the team provided two groups of 12 players and coaches to continue work on a home refurbishing. The group combined to donate a full staff covering an eight hour work day by completing some mudding, sanding, and painting of the interior of a home.

"This is a terrific way for our program to give back to the Erie community," said head coach Paul Benim. "We were able to make a difference for a local family by doing a little work. It was a great day for all of us. Habitat for Humanity is an organization that does some amazing things assisting families."

In previous years with Habitat, the baseball program has built storage sheds for new homes, completed roofing, worked on interiors and exteriors of homes, and organized the Habitat warehouse. The Behrend Lions athletic staff and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee have also worked in the past for Habitat for Humanity as a community service project.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: JANUARY 16
1/16/12

PITT-GREENSBURG RAISES OVER $1,000 FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS
1/10/12

As part of their ongoing efforts in support of Special Olympics, the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg hosted an exhibition basketball game on Saturday for members of Special Olympics of Pennsylvania (SOPA) Westmoreland County.  The game was held as part of a double-header against AMCC rival Penn State-Behrend.  In December, several Bobcats' staff members participated in the Polar Plunge fundraiser, jumping into the Allegheny River near Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

The Special Olympic athletes started the day by eating breakfast with the Pitt-Greensburg student athletes.  Following the breakfast, the Special Olympic athletes watched both the men’s and women’s basketball games with the student athletes.  The Pitt-Greensburg Chapter of the Student Pennsylvania State Education Association (SPSEA) and the Bobcats' SAAC sponsored the SOPA exhibition game and the fund-raising activity. The two associations donated all the proceeds from game ticket sales, a 50/50 raffle and a chinese auction which featured prizes such as a Jamie Dixon autographed basketball and four tickets to a Pitt women’s basketball game, totaling $1,116.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: JANUARY 9
1/9/12

PENN STATE ALTOONA'S BAIRD RECOGNIZED AS EMERGING LEADER
1/5/12

Penn State Altoona Assistant Director of Athletics and Compliance Officer Brent Baird has been named the recipient of the Emerging Athletic Administrator Award by the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators. He will be presented with the award on January 14 at the NCAA Convention/NADIIIAA Reception in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The award recognizes one NCAA Division III athletics administrator for his or her leadership roles on campus or in a conference office. The recipient is also honored for community involvement and demonstrating a commitment to professional development.

Baird is in his fifth year as the Assistant Director of Athletics and Compliance Officer at Penn State Altoona. He has worked a total of 17 years at the school, also holding positions as an Admissions Counselor, Sports Information Director and Faculty member for parts of that period.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: JANUARY 2
1/2/12

PITT-BRADFORD SOCCER PLAYER AIMS FOR SPOT ON NATIONAL TEAM
12/14/11

Keishawn Daly, a member of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men’s soccer team, will be trying out for the Trinidad and Tobago National U23 team in early January 2012. Daly, who formerly trained with the Trinidad and Tobago National U17 team, was invited to the week-long tryouts that culminate in a match against Finland.  “This means a lot to me, and could open the door to my dreams of playing at a high level in soccer and maybe moving on to the pro level,” said Daly, a criminal justice major. 

A sophomore from Philadelphia, Pa., Daly appeared in 17 games this past season for the Panthers while finishing with one assist and nine shots, including two on goal. In two seasons at Pitt-Bradford, he has a total of 10 points with four goals scored and two assists. 

“This is a great opportunity for Keishawn to get some positive experience as well as another step toward his dream of playing for the senior national team,” said head coach Darek Panol. “I hope Keishawn plays to his abilities, and I think he will have a great shot of making the team.

D3SOCCER.COM, ECAC ANNOUNCE SOCCER AWARDS
1/4/11

The post-season soccer honors continue to roll in for Medaille forward Alex Rouse, who was selected as a Third Team All-American by D3Soccer.Com and was named ECAC South Region Offensive Player of the Year.  Rouse led the nation in goals scored (28), ranked 4th in goals per game (1.17), and 5th in points per game (2.58).  La Roche forward Bryan Weimerskirch was also in the ECAC spotlight, voted Rookie of the Year for the south region.

In all, six AMCC players were named to the ECAC all-star team.  In addition to Rouse, first team members included Medaille midfielder David Pihlblad, Penn St. Behrend midfielder Aaron Meehl, and Penn St. Behrend back Kyle McKinney.  Penn St. Altoona back Sam Aumiller received second team honors.

The ECAC South Women's Soccer All-Stars are headed by Pitt-Bradford junior goalkeeper Alisa Cornell, who was named to the first team.  Joining her are teammate Linsey Stack, a defender selected to the second team, along with Penn St. Altoona back Meredith Barcia.
 
MEDAILLE'S FAHY TABBED FOR ECAC VOLLEYBALL ALL STAR HONORS
12/22/11

AMCC Player of the Year Meghan Fahy has been selected to the ECAC South Women's Volleyball All-Star Team.  The Medaille College outside hitter was named to the first team following a standout season which saw her lead the conference with 4.98 kills per game and rank sixth with a .261 hitting percentage..

FIVE FROM AMCC NAMED TO NSCAA ACADEMIC TEAMS
12/20/11

Adept on both the soccer pitch and in the classroom, five AMCC men's soccer players have been named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) academic honor roll.  Medaille College senior forward Alexander Rouse was named to the All-East First Team and the All-America Second Team.  He is a communications major with a 3.64 GPA.  Penn St. Behrend senior midfielder Aaron Meehl was selected for the All-East Third Team, holding a 3.38 GPA in Biology.  Three additional players received All-East Honorable Mention Team recognition:  Pitt-Bradford senior midfielder Kyle Lewis (history/political science, 3.53 GPA), Medaille senior midfielder David Pihlblad (elementary education, 3.97 GPA), and Medaille goalkeeper Nick Kurtz (communications, 3.36 GPA).

The women's academic teams are expected to be released later this week.

AMCC REPRESENTED ON NSCAA REGIONAL ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
12/13/11

Five AMCC players have been named to the 2011 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Regional All-American Teams. 

Medaille College landed two In the men's East region: senior forward Alexander Rouse earned first team honors while junior forward George Tor was named to the second team. The duo ranked 1-2 in conference scoring in 2011 with Rouse averaging 2.70 ppg (28 goals, 6 assists) and Tor recording 2.08 ppg (18 goals, 14 assists).  In the men's Great Lakes region, Pitt-Bradford senior forward Toby Abdul-Razaq was named to the third team.  With 14 goals and 3 assists, Abdul-Razaq led that Panthers in scoring and was named AMCC Co-Player of the Year along with Rouse.  Joining him on the third team was Penn St. Behrend senior midfielder Aaron Meehl, who finished the season with 16 points and led the Lions to the conference championship.

Penn St. Altoona junior defender Meredith Barcia was named to the women's Great Lakes region third team.  Barcia was the Lions' back line anchor while also contributing 3 goals and 4 assists.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: DECEMBER 12
12/12/11

D'YOUVILLE MEN, HILBERT WOMEN RECOGNIZED FOR ACADEMICS BY NSCAA
12/8/11

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America have recognized the D'Youville College men's team and the Hilbert College women's team for their academic performance this past year.  Both squads earned the Team Academic Award for having achieved a collective GPA of 3.0 or higher.  The Spartan men, under the direction of head coach Matt McCormick, posted a 3.03 GPA while Hawks head coach Kelly Starchok-Gillow's team stepped up with a 3.04.

PITT-GREENSBURG COACHES TO TAKE POLAR PLUNGE FOR SPECIALS OLYMPICS; HILBERT SAAC TAKES THE PLUNGE IN LAKE ERIE
12/6/11

Four Pitt-Greensburg coaches are prepared to jump into the Allegheny River outside Heinz Field in downtown Pittsburgh this Sunday as part of a fund-raising effort for Special Olympics.

AD and golf coach Tony Berich, women's basketball coach Erin Eaton, baseball coach Anthony Williams, and women's soccer coach Betsy Warren have all stepped up to take the "Polar Plunge", and are encouraging faculty, staff and students to donate spare change towards the effort.  Any coach whose collection of change raises at least $50 must take the plunge.

"We call it 'Freezin' for a Reason'," said Eaton.  "We're curious to know what students will pay to see us do this."

Further north, Hilbert College SAAC members raised $600 through pre-plunge donations, resulting in 11 students and advisors taking a dip in Lake Erie at Woodlawn Beach State Park on December 3.

“We raise nearly a million dollars in polar pledges each year which allows our athletes to train and compete year round, at no cost to them or their families," said Renee Snyder of the Special Olympics. "So right here today we’re expecting to raise about $150,000 through donations with nearly 1,000 people jumping in the lake.”

The NCAA Division III S.A.A.C. announced a partnership with Special Olympics at last year’s NCAA Convention in January. Each of the ten Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference member institution S.A.A.C.s are encouraged to support the Special Olympics through a variety of activities whether they participate in fundraising events, host special events to honor the Special Olympians or become coaches within the organization.

PENN STATE BEHREND LEADS PRESIDENTS CUP RACE AFTER FALL SEASON
11/30/11

Winning five of seven fall sport conference championships, Penn State Behrend sits atop the AMCC Presidents Cup standings for the ninth straight season.  The Lions accumulated 59.5 points and won titles in men's and women's soccer, men's cross country, men's golf and women's tennis.  Just 6.5 points behind is Penn State Altoona, bolstered by a women's volleyball championship and a regular season title in women's soccer.  Click here for the complete Presidents Cup standings.

PITT-BRADFORD'S MAZZA ELECTED TO NACWAA BOARD
11/29/11

University of Pittsburgh at Bradford athletics director Lori Mazza was recently appointed to the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators Board of Directors.  In her 14th year at UPB, Mazza is one of three members representing NCAA Division III schools.  She was named the vice-chair of the nominating committee. All board members serve a four-year term.  NACWAA is the premier advocacy organization that empowers, develops, assists, celebrates, affirms, involves and honors women working in all fields of intercollegiate athletics and takes a pro-active role in advancing women into positions of influence.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: NOVEMBER 28
11/28/11

MOUNT ALOYSIUS VOLLEYBALL TEAM GIVES THANKS BY HELPING TEAM IN NEED IN HONDURAS
11/26/11

Volleyball season may be over, but the Mount Aloysius College volleyball team continues to work hard.

Led by head coach Brianna Baker, the team has been collecting and donating volleyball supplies to a program in Honduras for the past two years. This past year the team donated  their old team uniforms (photo, right).  Coach Baker spent the summer in Honduras and took 81 uniforms, as well as other volleyball supplies, with her. The effort started when Baker, who has been traveling to Honduras for 8 years and volunteers at an orphanage in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, became friends with Pamela Condezza, another volunteer that goes to the orphanage.  The two have teamed up to get the local girls outfitted and provided with proper equipment.  It is hard to get volleyball supplies in Honduras and if they can get them, they are very expensive.  So Baker decided to start collecting volleyball uniforms and gear to take with her when she goes visits.  The Pitt-Bradford, La Roche College and Penn St. Behrend teams, along with AMCC Commissioner Donna Ledwin, have all donated volleyball items, including balls and ball carts (photo, left). Baker transports the items, and Condezza then distributes the gear to local players.

The collaboration between Baker and Condezza has extended state-side.  Condezza, who plays indoor volleyball as well as professional beach volleyball, served as an assistant coach with the Mounties this past season.  The cultural exchange has proven to be a win-win proposition on both sides of the equator.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: NOVEMBER 21
11/21/11

AMCC WELCOMES EXPERTS ON SPORTS PERFORMANCE NUTRITION, GENDER EQUITY FOR EDUCATION SESSIONS
11/18/11

With the benefit of the NCAA Division III conference grant program, the AMCC welcomed two renowned experts--one in sports nutrition, the other in gender equity--for campus education session during the fall semester.

Leslie Bonci (right), the director of sports nutrition at the UPMC Center for Sports  Medicine, visited every AMCC campus in September and October to meet with student-athletes and coaches to discuss the way  diet and nutrition affects their athletic performance as well as how to make better choices in the college living environment when it comes to diet, supplements and training.  Bonci shared her experience working with professional athletes from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Steelers and Penguins and translated it to practical application at the collegiate level.  Janet Judge (below), an attorney who advises and represents colleges and  universities on a wide variety of sports-related issues including NCAA eligibility, infractions and certification, EADA compliance, contracts, and pay equity, met with athletic administrators and Title IX officers from the AMCC membership this past week.  Her presentation included explanations of Office of Civil Rights interpretations and enforcement of the nearly 40-year-old law, a review of court decisions in a variety of cases relevant to intercollegiate athletics and Title IX, and recommendations for best practices on gender equity. 

FRANCISCAN'S JONES, KRAJEWSKI HEAD CROSS COUNTRY ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM; JONES QUALIFIES FOR NATIONAL MEET
11/14/11

Franciscan junior Bill Jones (left) and sophomore Nicole Krajewski (right), individual  champions at the AMCC cross country championship, have been selected as  conference Runners of the Year.    The pair also earned All-American honors this past weekend at the Great Lakes regional meet, and Jones has qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championship Meet on Sat., November 19 at Winniconne, WI.  Penn St. Behrend freshman Billy Cvecko is the men's Newcomer of the Year while the Lions' freshman Carrie Chelich was named Newcomer of the Year on the women's side.  Both were the fastest first year competitors at the AMCC championship meet.

On the men's side, Coach of the Year honors went to Medaille College first year head coach Judy Arlington, who guided a much improved Mavericks squad to a fifth place tie at the AMCC meet.  Matt and Heidi Manfred, co-head coaches of the Penn State Altoona program, were recognized as the women's Coaches of the Year.  The Lions capped a strong season effort with a third place finish at the conference championship.

Men's Cross Country All-Conference Team     Women's Cross Country All-Conference Team

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: NOVEMBER 14
11/14/11

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS AND AWARDS ANNOUNCED FOR VOLLEYBALL, SOCCER
11/8/11

As AMCC volleyball and soccer teams head into the NCAA and ECAC post-season tournaments, the conference is pleased to announce the all-conference teams and award winners for the 2011 season.

Medaille outside hitter Meghan Fahy headlines the women's volleyball all-conference team as Player of the Year.  The junior led the league with 4.98 kpg and became the first player in Mavericks' history to surpass 1,000 kills in a career.  Newcomer of the Year honors go to Penn State Altoona middle hitter Robin Tabaka, the only freshman named to the all-conference team, while Lions' head coach Phil Peterman was tabbed as Coach of the Year, leading the team to its second conference championship and first ever NCAA tournament bid.  Click here for the complete women's volleyball all-conference team and award winners.

Penn State Behrend forward Valerie Wagner is the women's soccer Player of the Year.  A three team All-AMCC selection, Wagner recorded 27 points (11 goals, 5 assists) and a conference-high 4 game-winning goals in leading the Behrend Lions to the AMCC title.  Teammate Maddie Monte, the center back on a defense with a .90 GAA, is the Newcomer of the Year.  Guiding the Panthers to a 13-3-2 record and the #2 seed in the AMCC tournament, Pitt-Bradford coach Mike Idland is the women's soccer Coach of the Year.  Click here for the complete women's soccer all-conference team and award winners.

Once again men's soccer Player of the Year honors are shared by Pitt-Bradford's Toby Abdul-Razaq and Medaille College's Alexander Rouse.  Both senior  forwards, Abdul-Razaq recorded 1.72 ppg (14 goals, 3 assists) to rank #5 in the league, while Rouse turned in another standout season, leading the AMCC in both goals (28) and points (62).  La Roche College forward Bryan Weimerskirch got the nod as Newcomer of the Year following a noteworthy freshman campaign where he ranked in the conference top 5 in goals (12), assists (9) and points (33). Completing the year with a 6-2-1 league record, the Panthers' most successful conference season ever, Pitt-Bradford coach Darek Panol is the choice for Coach of the Year.  Click here for the complete men's soccer all-conference team and award winners.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: NOVEMBER 7
11/7/11

THREE NEW CHAMPIONS CROWNED IN SOCCER, VOLLEYBALL
11/5/11

Three new team champions emerged in men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball, all by defeating the defending champion and earning the opportunity to represent the AMCC in their respective NCAA Division III tournaments.

In another classic battle between these two fierce conference rivals, #2 seed Penn State Behrend upset three-time defending title-holder Medaille College, 1-0, on a goal by freshman midfielder Sean Polosky in the 83rd minute.  The two squads have met in the conference finals for five consecutive years, with Behrend last winning in 2007.The Behrend Lions were also victorious on the women's soccer side of the house, knocking off top seeded Penn St. Altoona in a scoreless tie that had to go to penalty kicks to determine who would advance.  Behrend prevailed by a 4-2 margin to win their seventh AMCC title, and first since 2007.  Penn St. Altoona took a different tack in women's volleyball, sweeping #2 seed Pitt-Bradford in 3 sets to claim championship number two in the program's history.  Senior outside hitter Samantha Link had 11 kills and 9 digs while setter Kelsie Bumbarger recorded 29 assists.

Pairings and location for the NCAA tournament first round games will be announced on Monday.

CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND LOOMING FOR SOCCER, VOLLEYBALL
11/2/11

Two familiar pairings are set for men's and women's soccer finals this Saturday, while women's volleyball will take it to the next level on Friday night with the semifinal round.

Three-time defending title-holder Medaille College will host the men's championship, facing rival Penn St. Behrend for the fifth year in a row.  The Mavericks will be led by senior forward Alexander Rouse, the AMCC scoring leader who is averaging 3.22 ppg.  The Behrend Lions, who last won the crown in 2007, have a heavy duty scoring threat of their own in senior forward Jake Gamble, who is the program's career scoring leader and currently has 14 goals to his credit in 2011.  Saturday's kick-off is at 6pm at All High Stadium in Buffalo.

Defending champion Penn St. Altoona will host the women's finals as the top-seeded Lions take on #3 seed Penn St. Behrend in a rematch of the 2010 title game.  A pair of high scoring junior forwards lead both squads.  Penn St. Altoona boasts Allysia Ketchem (10 goals, 7 assists) while Penn St. Behrend will look to Valerie Wagner (11 goals, 5 assists) to ignite their offense.  Kick-off on Saturday is at 3:30pm at Spring Run Stadium on the Altoona campus.

Penn St. Altoona will also welcome the women's volleyball final four.  Friday night semifinal matches will start at 6pm when defending champion and #2 seed Pitt-Bradford takes on #3 Medaille College.  The Panthers' attack will be led by junior middle hitter Maggie Johnson, with 2.26 kpg and 78 total blocks, while the Lady Mavs will rely on junior outside hitter Meghan Fahy, with 4.86 kpg and 2.91 dpg.  The 8pm match will feature the top seeded Lions and senior outside hitter Samantha Link, who is sporting 3.38 kpg and 3.67 dpg.  The will take on #4 Penn St. Behrend and junior outside hitter Mary Sperry, who averages 2.33 kpg and 4.58 dpg.  The winners will meet for title on Saturday at 1:00pm.

All three championship teams will receive the AMCC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.

FOUR AMCC ATHLETES AGAIN HONORED BY ECAC
11/1/11

AMCC competitors continue to shine among ECAC members this fall season.  This week it's a pair of Medaille women's soccer players and a cross country twosome from Franciscan in the spotlight.

Breanna Hyman and Denay O'Connor got the nod as women's soccer players of the week for Division III South.  The are the fifth and sixth AMCC women to be recognized this season.  In a big 2-0 week for the Mavericks, Hyman netted a beautiful game winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Hilbert and then assisted on the game winner in the first round of the AMCC playoffs at D'Youville to propel the Lady Mavs into the semifinals.  Meanwhile, O'Connor anchored the Medaille defense by allowing just one goal in those two games. She recorded her fifth shutout of the season vs. Hilbert and then stopped 6 shots to help defeat D'Youville.

It was a deja vu moment in cross country as Franciscan standouts Bill Jones and Nicole Krajewski both were repeat selections as runners of the week, Jones for the third time and Krajewski for the second time this year.  Finishing ahead of the field by 1:15, Jones won his second consecutive AMCC title and third in four years on Saturday.  He recorded a 26:53 for the 8K course and led  the Barons to their second straight team championship.  Krajewski ran a 23:31 to capture the individual title at the 6K AMCC championship.  It was Krajewski's second league title, and propelled the Lady Barons to their fourth straight team crown.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: OCTOBER 31
10/31/11

FRANCISCAN SWEEPS MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY TITLES
10/29/11

Franciscan University won its fourth straight women's title and second consecutive men's title at the AMCC cross country championships held in Grand Island, NY today.  Junior Bill Jones and sophomore Nicole Krajewski repeated as individual champions.  Jones clocked a 26:53 for the 8K course while Krajewski was timed at 23:31 for the 6K.   Penn State Behrend was the runner-up team in both races.  All AMCC teams are eligible to compete in the NCAA regional meets in two weeks.

Click here for meet results.

CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR SATURDAY IN BUFFALO
10/28/11

Franciscan University will be aiming for its fourth straight women's title while the men will be looking to repeat when the AMCC cross country championships take place this Saturday at Beaver Island State Park in Grand Island, NY.  Penn State Behrend, with three AMCC titles to their credit on the women's side and four on the men's, will be looking to spoil the Barons' party.

The women will run a 6K race starting at 11:00am, and the men will line up for an 8K run at 12:00n.

CHRISTMAN EARNS FOURTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR HONOR FOR WOMEN'S TENNIS
10/27/11

Penn St. Behrend senior Arica Christman (left) won her fourth straight AMCC Women's Tennis Player of the Year award after completing another undefeated season in conference competition at #1 singles and #2 doubles.  Franciscan University freshman Alanna Murray (right), with an unblemished regular season record at #2  singles, was named Newcomer of the Year.  Coach of the Year honors were shared by Penn St. Behrend's Jeff Barger, who led his team to their seventh consecutive title and eleventh in AMCC history, and first year La Roche College coach Aaron Wilf, whose Redhawks concluded a standout season at 6-2 in AMCC play under his tutelage.

Click here for the complete all-conference team.

PITT-GREENSBURG WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PARTNERS WITH SALVATION ARMY FOR "PROJECT BUNDLE UP"
10/26/11

Members of the Pitt-Greensburg women’s basketball team and coaching staff recently joined the Greensburg Salvation Army for their annual “Project Bundle-Up”. A program that serves needy and disabled senior citizens and disadvantaged children, ranging from infant to teens, “Project Bundle Up” provides those in need with winter outerwear. Every year the Salvation Army joins forces with local merchants to raise money to fund this project.

This past Saturday, 11 Bobcat players and coaches headed to the Greensburg Wal*Mart to be paired up with a child whom they would take on a personal shopping spree. The children were thrilled to be the center of attention and spent the morning talking with the volunteers about their families, school, and favorite sports. After all of the winter coats, fleece jackets, snow pants, boots, hats, gloves, and scarves were brought to check-out, everyone headed to McDonalds for breakfast. As the morning concluded, the vans were loaded up and the children were anxious to head back home to show off their new purchases.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: OCTOBER 24
10/24/11

PITT-BRADFORD SAAC HOSTS "BOWL WITH A BUDDY" FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS
10/24/11

The Pitt-Bradford Athletic Department and Student Athlete Advisory Committee hosted "Bowl with a Buddy" on Sunday.  The event brought together nearly 60 Special Olympians and more than 60 Panther student-athletes.  The Special Olympics tournament is scheduled for next weekend.  The UPB SAAC board will be present to medals to the winners.

TOP SEEDS CONFIRMED FOR SOCCER, VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENTS
10/22/11

The soccer and volleyball playoff pictures came into somewhat sharper focus today, as the top seeds emerged for all three championships.

Penn St. Altoona will be the #1 seed for women's volleyball, earning the right to host the semifinal and championship rounds on November 4-5, while Pitt-Bradford, the defending champion, claimed the #2 seed.  Both will receive first round byes when the tournament begins on Tuesday, November 1.

It was a deja-vu moment In women's soccer as well, with the defending champion Lions taking the top spot while the Panthers earned the #2 seed.  In men's soccer, five-time champions Medaille College head the ranks followed by #2 Penn St. Behrend, four-time conference title-holders.  All four squads will receive a first round bye when the playoffs kick off next Saturday.

Remaining regular season contests in the upcoming week will determine the final tournament participants and seeding.  The winners of all three championships will receive automatic bids to the NCAA Division III tournament.

LA ROCHE'S LOUTSENHIZER DOUBLE WINNER IN MEN'S GOLF AWARDS
10/21/11

La Roche College freshman Kevin Loutsenhizer has been voted both Newcomer of the Year and Player of the Year for men's golf for the 2011 season.  Redhawks' head coach Jim Tinkey earned Coach of the Year honors in mentoring a standout season for his squad.
Loutsenhizer finished no worse than 7th in 6 tournaments, winning two and coming in second in a third.  His season scoring average was 74.5.

Click here for the complete all-conference team.

JONES, FAHY REPEAT AS STANDOUT COMPETITORS IN ECAC WEEKLY AWARDS
10/20/11

For the second time this season, Franciscan University cross country runner Bill Jones and Medaille College volleyball player Meghan Fahy have been selected as ECAC Players of the Week for their sports.

Jones was the fastest man at the Inter-Regional Rumble hosted by Oberlin College, posting an 8K time of 25:23 in a field of 315 runners. Fahy led the Mavericks to a 1-1  week and in doing so became the program's all-time kills leader. In a 4 set loss to Pitt-Bradford, Fahy delivered 23 kills and 5 digs.  Coming back with a 3-1 win over Mount Aloysius, the junior led the way with another 23 kills along with 5 blocks and 23 digs.  She finished the week averaging 5.5 kpg, 3.5 dpg and a .265 hitting percentage.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: OCTOBER 17
10/17/11

BEHREND CAPTURES WOMEN'S TENNIS TITLE, NCAA TOURNAMENT BID
10/16/11

Penn State Behrend won eight of nine individual titles at the AMCC women's tennis championship to capture their sixth consecutive title and twelfth overall.  Franciscan University finished second, while La Roche College came in third. 

Arica Christman, Stephanie Cattron, Leslie Durante, Alison Quigley and Jade Buhite were all double winners for the Lions.  Franciscan freshman Sarah Pettit was the only non-Behrend to win a title, taking the crown at #6 singles.

Click below for complete tournament results.

Singles Draw     Doubles Draw     Point Totals

WOMEN'S TENNIS TOURNAMENT BEGINS SATURDAY, AQ IN BALANCE
10/13/11

The AMCC women's tennis championship begins on Saturday, with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament in May.  Penn State Behrend, which had their second consecutive undefeated regular season in conference competition (8-0), is seeking its sixth AMCC consecutive title and twelfth overall.  The Lions will be challenged by Franciscan University (7-1), who will be competing in their first ever conference tournament, and La Roche College (6-2).

The tournament will be held at  Oxford Athletic Club in Wexford, PA.  Saturday's matches will begin at 2:30pm, with the semifinal and championship rounds on Sunday starting at 9:00am.      Singles Draw     Doubles Draw

PITT-BRADFORD'S CORNELL NAMED ECAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
10/11/11

Pitt-Bradford goalkeeper Alisa Cornell is the third different AMCC netminder this season to be named Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week by the ECAC for the Division III South Region.  Cornell was between the pipes for 200 scoreless minutes as the Panthers went 1-0-1.  She did not have to make a save but couldn't relax in a 1-0 win over Hilbert, then turned away 8 Redhawk shots in a 0-0 double overtime tie with La Roche.

PENN STATE BEHREND WINS THIRD AMCC MEN'S GOLF TITLE
10/10/11

Penn State Behrend led both days of the AMCC championship golf tournament and finished 17 strokes ahead of runner up La Roche College to win their third conference title and second in three years.  With a team total of 300, the Lions were led by freshman Scott Klein, who carded a 74/73/147 to finish as the individual runner up after a sudden death playoff hole.  La Roche freshman Shane Eichenlaub (73/74/147) won the hole to claim medalist honors.

Click here for complete tournament results.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: OCTOBER 10
10/10/11

D'YOUVILLE SOFTBALL RAISES FUNDS FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH
10/6/11

The D’Youville College softball team took part in the 2011 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk held October 2nd in downtown Buffalo. The team raised over $1700 at the event.  The 3.1 mile walk had almost 10,000 participants and raised $600,000 for the American Cancer Society, a new record for this event.  “I’m very proud and honored to have our team be a part of such a great event. Breast cancer has affected so many people worldwide and as a women’s collegiate team I think it is extremely important that we get involved and give back. Western New York hosts a great event and I’m just happy that D’Youville College can help be a part of the fight to find a cure,” said Head coach Angie Churchill.

ANOTHER BANNER WEEK FOR AMCC PLAYERS AND ECAC RECOGNITION
10/5/11

AMCC student-athletes  made another splash this weekend on the ECAC honor role, recognized for their accomplishments in cross country and women's soccer.

Franciscan University runners Bill Jones and Nicole Krajewski were both named  Athletes of the Week for cross country in the NCAA Division III South region.  Jones was the fastest Division III man at the All-Ohio Championships, finishing fifth behind 4 Division I runners in a field of 310 from 45 schools.  He recorded a 25:15.75 for the 8K course.  Krajewski ran a strong 5K time of 18:51.85 at the All-Ohio Championships, finishing 38th of 317 competitors.  Only 3 Division III women ran faster times.

The La Roche College tandem of Bethanie Moreschi and Ralene Zajac also stood out from the crowd last week.  The Redhawks scored 9 goals last week and  Moreschi scored or assisted on 8 of them (6 goals, 2 assists) in a 2-0 week.  Zajac upped her season shutout total to 3 with a pair last week.  She made 12 saves in 180 mins. of play. 

PITT-BRADFORD TO HOST DIG PINK EVENT TUESDAY
10/4/11

Pitt-Bradford volleyball team will host Dig Pink Night on Tuesday, October 4 at 7 p.m. as part of their conference match against D’Youville.  The event is planned to create awareness for breast cancer research.

The Panthers will collect donations throughout the match, and the players will wear pink shirts during warm-ups. Any fans wearing pink will receive free admission to the match.

Dig Pink is a national initiative of the Side-Out Foundation. Side-Out was established in 2004 to unite volleyball players and coaches, and to have them work toward the common goal of furthering breast cancer awareness, education and patient services.
Donations are accepted online at:
http://www.side-out.org/application/ous/fundraising_page/9460.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: OCTOBER 3
10/3/11

PITT-GREENSBURG CROSS COUNTRY MEET SUPPORTS OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS
9/29/11

The Ninth Annual Bobcat Invitational is “going teal” to support ovarian cancer awareness this Saturday.  Every athlete participating in this year’s race will be wearing a teal ribbon on his or her uniform to promote the cause. This event is the vision of and a united effort between the Pitt-Greensburg and Washington and Jefferson College cross country programs to raise awareness and advance education on ovarian cancer as both programs have been impacted by this disease. 

Haley Roberts, a sophomore at Washington & Jefferson College and member of the W&J cross-country team, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer as a junior in high school. She said the idea to combine an awareness event with the invitational came to her after she participated in an awareness walk but couldn’t find an associated race. She thought it would be “awesome, easy, and highly effective” to organize her own event around a preexisting cross-country race. So Roberts approached Pitt-Greensburg Coach Joyce Brobeck, not knowing that Brobeck’s mother died of ovarian cancer. Brobeck took to the idea right away. “The Bobcat Invitational has always been a signature event for Pitt Greensburg,” said Brobeck. “This just elevates the meaning of the entire race.”

Both teams are dedicated to spreading the word in local student communities in order to shatter the fallacies surrounding ovarian cancer and its incidence, detection, prognosis, and treatment.  The 18 team event begins with the women’s 6K race at 10:00 AM at the Westmoreland County Fairgrounds followed by the men’s 8K race at 11:00 AM.

AMCC ATHLETES SHINE IN THREE SPORTS WITH ECAC HONORS
9/27/11

In what is a first for the conference, three AMCC student-athletes in three different sport have been recognized by the ECAC as standout performers in their weekly honor roll for the Division III South region.

Medaille College junior right side hitter Meghan Fahy was named for volleyball; Penn St. Behrend freshman midfielder Sean Polosky was selected for men's soccer offensive player; and Behrend sophomore Denny Lydon was recognized in men's cross country.

Fahy was dominant in a 2-1 week for the Lady Mavs, which included 2 AMCC wins. She pounded out 59 kills while hitting at a .372 clip and coming up with 36 digs. Fahy (left) finished the week with 5.9 kpg (.372) and 3.6 dpg.  Polosky delivered in the clutch in the Lions' 5-4 OT win over La Roche.  With under 3 minutes remaining, Polosky (right) netted a goal to cut the Redhawks' lead to 4-3. Seconds later, Polosky fired a shot that deflected off off Jake Gamble to tie the game at 4-4. Less than 2 minutes into OT, Polosky netted his second goal of the game for the winner.  Lydon (left) finished in the top 15 for the third time this season, clocking a 27:03 to finish 8th of 117 runners at the 8K Harry F. Anderson Invitational at Roberts Wesleyan.

AMCC BASKETBALL COACHES RECOGNIZED FOR SPORTSMANSHIP
9/27/11

A pair of first year head coaches have been recognized by the Collegiate Basketball Officiating Association (CBOA) for the sportsmanship displayed by them and their respective teams during the 2010-11 seasons. 

The award is presented to a coach, team and college or university which, in the judgment of the CBOA officials, best exemplifies "the highest degree of sportsmanship, character, and ethics among their players, coaches and spectators."
Pitt-Bradford women's coach Molly Brennan and La Roche College men's coach Harry Jenkins were honored by the group, which was meeting in Western Pennsylvania at Baldwin High School on Sunday. Coach Brennan was accompanied by team members Danielle Zeamer and Caitlyn Jordan, while Coach Jenkins accepted the award along with last season's team captain Nate Wojciechowski and Mike Dixon.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: SEPTEMBER 26
9/26/11

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: SEPTEMBER 19
9/19/11

ECAC HONORS PENN STATE ALTOONA'S RASPANTI AND MEDAILLE'S ROUSE
9/17/11

Penn St. Altoona goalkeeper Lindsay Raspanti and Medaille forward Alexander Rouse have been selected for ECAC South Region Players of the Week honors.  Raspanti was recognized as the women's Defensive Player of the Week, an award she won twice in 2010.  The senior had a 1-0-1 week for the Lions, holding #21 ranked Dickinson College at bay and recording a season-high 12 saves against Capital to preserve the 2-0 shutout win.  Rouse was named the men's Offensive Player of the Week.  The senior had game-winning goals in both Mavs' wins, including an overtime victory over Cortland State and a hat trick vs. Regis.  He finished the week with 4 goals, 1 assist and 7 points.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: SEPTEMBER 12
9/12/11

PITT-BRADFORD WOMEN'S SOCCER CARES ABOUT KIDS
9/7/11

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women’s soccer team held a clinic with CARE for Children last Thursday, Sept. 1.  Members of the team worked with children of all ages on the basics of soccer. The players also interacted with the families of the children and shared snacks. It marked the second straight year in which the women’s soccer program put on an event with CARE for Children.  CARE for Children is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children of all abilities.

“Our day with CARE for Children is one of the most important days of the year for our team,” said head coach Mike Idland. “The players love working with the kids, and it is an opportunity for us to put our energy into something that is much bigger and more important than soccer.” 

Idland also put the responsibility of setting up the clinic on his players.  “I have the players contact CARE’s directors and organize the whole event themselves, so they take ownership of the event,” said Idland. “It is a great team builder and a very rewarding experience for the players, coaches, parents and – most importantly – the kids.”

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: SEPTEMBER 6
9/6/11

BEHREND TO HOST SOFTBALL PITCHING GREAT CRYSTL BUSTOS
9/6/11

Penn State Behrend Athletics, the Erie Cheetahs and LECOM will be hosting Crystl Bustos, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, at the Junker Center on Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1. There will be a coach/parent clinic on Friday night from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. and two players clinics will be held on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Bustos will also conduct a brief autograph session following each clinic.

Bustos is one of the most prolific power hitters in USA softball history. She holds the world record for home runs during an Olympic series with six. Bustos has been committed to passing on her knowledge and experience to younger players.  For more information, contact Stacy Pondo, Penn State Behrend head softball coach at slp15@psu.edu/814-898-6240.

HILBERT NAMES DECKER TO LEAD NEW WOMEN'S LACROSSE TEAM
9/6/11

Julia Decker has been introduced as the new women’s lacrosse head coach at Hilbert College. The 2008 College of Brockport graduate will perform administrative support for the athletic department and will lead the 2011-12 club lacrosse team into its first year of full-varsity status during the 2012-13 academic year. 

Decker will draw from her coaching experiences as much as she will pull from her playing days as a Golden Eagle to lead the Hawks into Division III competition.  As a stand-out lacrosse player at the College at Brockport, Decker propelled her team to new heights her final two seasons.  Since the fall of 2009, Decker served as an assistant lacrosse coach at the State University of New York at Geneseo, Decker is pursuing her masters of science in physical education – athletic administration from the College of Brockport.

PENN STATE ALTOONA ADDS TWO NEW COACHES TO STAFF
9/3/11

Penn St. Altoona enters the 2011-12 season with new coaches to lead the tennis as well as the swimming and diving programs.

Bobby Morris has been hired as the new head coach for men's and women's tennis. Morris played for Hollidaysburg Area High School, where he and teammate David Genter won the PIAA AAA State Doubles Title in 2003.  After high school, he attended Penn State University, graduating in 2010 with degrees in Finance and Economics. The fall 2011 season marks his first venture in to collegiate coaching.

PITT-GREENSBURG NAMES DETWEILER TO COACH NEW WOMEN'S BOWLING PROGRAM
8/25/11

The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg has hired Aaron Detweiler as its first ever women’s bowling coach.  The women’s bowling team will begin competition on the varsity level in the 2011-12 school year.

The Bobcats are the third AMCC school to sponsor intercollegiate women's bowling, joining Medaille College and Penn St. Altoona.  It is currently an association-wide championship for women in the NCAA.

Detweiler brings more than 20 years of bowling experience with him both as a sanctioned bowler and instructor for youth leagues in the Youngstown, OH area.  He earned his degree in History from Westminster College in 2004, where he was an offensive lineman on the school’s football team. 

LAMANNA SELECTED TO DIRECT MEN'S BASKETBALL AT FRANCISCAN
8/21/11

Franciscan University of Steubenville is proud to announce the hiring of John Lamanna as the new head men’s basketball coach.  He comes to Steubenville from a five-year stint as an assistant basketball coach at the University of California, Davis,

The Spokane, Wash., native earned a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Washington State University and garnered firsthand experience of a collegiate athletics program as a student assistant during his four years there. Upon graduating in 2004, Lamanna pursued a master’s in counseling at Loyola Marymount University while serving as director of basketball operations for the Lions. From there he was hired at UC Davis as an assistant men’s basketball coach. During this span of time, Lamanna held two stints working with USA Basketball—first with the Youth Festival Trials and second with the Junior National Team and Pan American Team trials. He also served as assistant coach on a college all-star team that competed against professional teams in New Zealand.

BEHREND STAFF BUILDS WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY FOR FIFTH YEAR
8/21/11

Members of the Penn State Behrend athletic department volunteered to help build a home for an Erie family through Habitat for Humanity earlier this month, marking the fifth straight year the staff dedicated time and labor toward a sustainable and healthy house in the community.  
Habitat for Humanity is non-profit organization dedicated to eliminate substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to make adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action. Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses alongside the homeowner  families.

PITT-GREENSBURG HIRES WILLIAMS AS HEAD BASEBALL COACH
8/12/11

Anthony Williams Is the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg’s new head baseball coach.  Williams works in the Video and Advanced Scouting Department for the Pittsburgh Pirates where he is responsible for assisting with preparing advanced scouting reports and video for the Pirates Major League Affiliate.

His collegiate experience includes serving as an assistant baseball coach at NCAA Division I UMBC, where he worked primarily with hitters and infielders while also specializing in base running and speed/agility. During the two previous seasons, Williams was the top assistant at Frostburg State University.  Prior to Frostburg State Williams worked as an intern with the Bowie Baysox “AA” affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles and the Baseball Factory, a recruiting service for high school players. Williams was also an instructor and advisor for the BATT Academy, an indoor baseball training facility in Glen Burnie, MD.

Williams played collegiate baseball at NCAA Division II Slippery Rock University (PA) and also played four seasons in the Eddie Brooks League with the Maryland Hurricanes.  Williams earned his MBA from Frostburg State University and holds a BS in Sport Management from Slippery Rock University.

HILBERT NAMES DVORNSKI TO COACH MEN'S GOLF
8/12/11

Andrew Dvornski has been named as the head golf coach at Hilbert College. Dvornski has called Wanakah Country Club home for the last seven years, having worked his way up to first assistant golf professional in 2008. When not leading the golf program at Hilbert beginning this fall, the Blasdell native will continue his daily responsibilities at Wanakah. He manages all aspects of Tournament Operations, oversees and manages the Women’s Golf Program in addition to providing instruction to men, women and children of all ages and all levels of ability. Prior to Wanakah, Dvornski served as a junior golf instructor in the Hook-a-Kid on Golf program as well as head golf coach in the Challenge Golf league at the Hamburg Golf Course in 2004.

Dvornski graduated from San Diego Academy of Golf, earning a Certificate of Completion in Teaching, Tournament Operations and Club Repair. That year, Dvornski earned Player’s Credentials which is awarded to the San Diego Academy of Golf’s elite golfers.  In 2009 he successfully passed the PGA Player Ability Test with two consecutive rounds of 76. Dvornski is continually working towards PGA membership with his recent completion of Level 2 of the PGA/PGM program, and competes in PGA Section Events.

MEDAILLE MEN'S SOCCER RANKED #16 NATIONALLY IN PRESEASON POLL
8/11/11

The Medaille College men's soccer team, picked to win the AMCC championship in the conference coaches' preseason poll, is ranked #16 nationally in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III preseason poll.  Click here for the complete men's poll.

PRESEASON COACHES' POLLS ANNOUNCED FOR SOCCER, VOLLEYBALL
8/2/11

Medaille College in men's soccer and Penn St. Altoona in women's soccer and volleyball--those are the coaches' picks to lead the AMCC in Fall 2011.  Players from those teams also stand out as Preseason Player of the Year selections.

Medaille senior forward Alexander Rouse has been tabbed as the best of the brightest in AMCC men's soccer.  The 2010 AMCC Co-Player of the Year and three-time  AMCC first team all-conference pick is also a two-time NSCAA Regional All-American and was an ECAC first team all-region selection in 2010.

The women's soccer Preseason Player of the Year honor is shared by Penn St. Altoona goalkeeper Lindsay Raspanti, left, and La Roche College junior forward Bethanie Moreschi, right.  Raspanti was the top goalkeeper in the AMCC in 2010 with a .44 GAA and .861 save percentage.  She set a school and AMCC record with 13 shutouts, allowing just 10 goals in 22 games.  Moreschi was a first team all-conference selection last season, leading the AMCC in scoring with 22 goals and 51 points, while ranked 11^th in the nation in scoring and 12^th in points.

Penn St. Altoona outside hitter Samantha Link was selected as the women's volleyball Preseason Player of the Year.  The senior was a first team all-conference selection last season, averaging 2.93 kpg (361 total), along with contributing 419 digs, 37 aces, 17 assists, and 15 blocks. 

The AMCC kicks off conference play in all three sports on Saturday, September 24, and the championships will be Saturday, November 5, hosted by the number #1 seeds.  The winners will receive the AMCC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

NEW MOUNTIES SOCCER COACH ON BOARD FOR WOMEN'S TEAM
7/27/11

Mount Aloysius College has named Hollidaysburg, PA native Jeremy Harkins as the program’s new women’s soccer coach. Harkins replaces Barry Snyder, who led the Lady Mounties the previous three years.  Snyder resigned at the conclusion of 2010 season to pursue a career in the United States Air Force. Harkins enjoyed a four-year career on the men’s soccer team at Grace College in Winona Lake, IN.  He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from Grace, and was named captain of the team his senior season. Harkins previously coached the U-19 team in the Spring Cove AYSO, and was also an assistant coach for the Central Martinsburg Jr. High team.

PASCARELLA LEADS AMCC SELECTIONS TO ECAC BASEBALL ALL-STARS
 7/25/11
 
The AMCC has landed three players on the ECAC South Region All-Star Team, led by AMCC Player and Newcomer of the Year Michael Pascarella.  The Pitt-Bradford second baseman was named to the first team and also honored as the region's Rookie of the Year.  Joining Pascarella are a pair of Penn St. Altoona standouts, first baseman Grady Luzier and outfielder Cord Heine.  The duo, members of the 2011 AMCC champion Lions, earned second team honors.

HILBERT SELECTS STARCHOK-GILLOW FOR WOMEN'S SOCCER POST
7/21/11

Kelly Starchok-Gillow is the new head coach of women’s soccer at Hilbert College.  Starchok-Gillow will also serve as the athletic department’s Compliance and Student Services Coordinator. She will build on a recently-launched program developed specifically for at-risk student-athletes at Hilbert College. As the compliance coordinator, she will oversee all student-athlete eligibility matters.

Starchok-Gillow brings over ten years of coaching experience along with team and coaching awards to Hilbert. During her four years at Genesee Community College (GCC) , she led the Cougars to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) National Tournament in 2010 (runner-up) and became the NJCAA Division III District A Champions and Region 3 Champions in both 2009 and 2010. In 2007 and again in 2010, GCC earned the Western New York Athletic Conference championship as the 2009 squad was honored with the NJCAA Division III National Tournament Sportsmanship Award.

Personally, Starchok-Gillow was named the NSCAA/Mondo Junior College National Northeast Coach of the Year (2010), the NJCAA Region III Coach of the Year (2009, 2010) and the New York State ODP Coach of the Year (2008).

Starchok-Gillow served as an assistant coach at Canisius College (2001 – 2004) and as a head coach with the Empire United Soccer Academy (2001 to present). Beginning in 2006, Starchok-Gillow assumed a head coaching position with the Olympic Development Program a year before she became the head coach at GCC.
Having graduated from the University at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Arts degree in early childhood development in 2001, Starchok-Gillow then earned her Master’s Degree in Education from Canisius College. Starchok-Gillow currently holds her USSF National C License Certification.

SCHUNK TO LEAD D'YOUVILLE MEN'S BASKETBALL PROGRAM
7/21/11

D’Youville College has name Earl Schunk head men’s basketball coach and assistant athletic director. In addition to his coaching duties, he will be responsible for game management for all fall sports and the student-athlete recruitment coordinator for D’Youville's part-time coaches.

Schunk was the Athletic Coach at Grover Cleveland High School from 1995 to 2010, leading the varsity basketball team to championships in 2004 and 2008. Schunk also coached baseball, track and field; girls’ cross country and softball at the high school. His coaching record at Grover was 165-64 from 2000-2010 and the high school was Section 6 Champions in 2004 going to the New York State ‘final four’ that season.

As varsity basketball coach at Tapestry Charter School for 2010, Schunk led a young Tapestry High School team to a record of 17-4 and Tapestry was Section 6 finalists last year.  He spent 33 years in the Buffalo public School system teaching mathematics and technology Integration. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Canisius College.

MOUNT ALOYSIUS NAMES TWO NEW COACHES FOR BASKETBALL, TENNIS
7/19/11

Mount Aloysisu College has two new additions to their head coaching staff.

Former Altoona High School standout Kristi Little-Kaack is the College’s new women’s basketball coach.  Little takes over for Brian Gennett who was 52-73 in five years.  Following a stellar career at Altoona High, where she finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer, Little-Kaack accepted a full scholarship to Duquesne University.  She was a three-year starting point guard for Coach Suzie McConnell-Serio’s Lady Dukes. Little-Kaack was named a first team All-Conference selection in 2009, and is only the second player in Atlantic 10 history to earn back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors.  Following her collegiate basketball career, she played one season of professional basketball in Baja Hungary. Little-Kaack spent last season as an assistant coach for the girls varsity basketball team at Bellwood-Antis High School.

Ryan Navarro is the new men’s tennis coach for the Mounties.  Navarro was a four-year competitor for the Juniata College men’s tennis team. During his time at Juniata, the team reached the conference semifinals on three different occasions. During his junior year, Navarro received All-Landmark Conference honors.  In addition to his playing career at Juniata, Navarro also participated in the Tennis on Campus program, while completing his master’s degree at Duquesne University.

LYNCH AND ELLIS APPOINTED TO TENNIS POSTS AT FRANCISCAN
7/5/11

Serving as assistant tennis coaches under head coach Curtis Allen this past year, Jenna Lynch and Jeremy Ellis are stepping up to take over the Franciscan University tennis program as Allen heads back to his home state of California. Both are ready to challenge the young teams with a new level of success this season.  Lynch, a graduate of FUS and an accomplished high school player, is walking onto the court with an assistant coach’s familiarity, but is faced with leading a  women's team with only one season of experience.  The Lady Barons finished their first season 4-4 in the AMCC. Ellis will inherit a men's tennis team that just wrapped up a 9-1 second season, and has already reached the top in the AMCC, overcoming conference heavyweight Penn State Behrend at the 2011 tournament.  He originally hails from Okeechobee, FL, and first honed his skills as No. 1 seed in singles and doubles at Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind. Before taking on the position as assistant men’s tennis coach at Franciscan, Ellis was the head teaching professional and tennis director at Dayton Center Courts in Dayton, Ohio.