Fall Sports Teams Fill 'Wildcat Weekly' With Sterling Achievements

Vol. 6, No. 11

Schedule/Results/Records Through Sunday, Oct. 29

Baseball Final overall fall record: 13-7 Final PSUAC fall regular season record: 8-1 Final overall PSUAC fall record: 11-1

Cross CountryOverall record: Men 24-15 Final PSUAC regular season records: Men 10-0, Women 2-3

Women's VolleyballOverall record: 17-1 Final PSUAC regular-season record: 15-0 Monday, Oct. 16 at Lycoming College, L, 3-0 Tuesday, Oct. 17 at Penn State Hazleton, W, 3-0 Friday, Oct. 20 at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, W, 3-0 Saturday, Oct. 28 PSUAC divisional playoffs at Bardo Gym vs. Penn State Hazleton, W, 3-0 Sunday, Nov. 5 PSUAC Championships at University Park, TBA

GolfFinal overall PSUAC record: 30-0, won championship

Men's SoccerOverall record: 12-1-2 PSUAC record: 12-1 Tuesday, Oct. 24 at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, W, 7-1 Wednesday, Nov. 1 host PSUAC playoff, 5 p.m.

Women's SoccerOverall record: 9-1 Final EPCC record: 2-0 Tuesday, Oct. 24 at Reading Community College, W, 4-0 Saturday, Oct. 28 host Penn State Abington, W, 5-1

Team TennisOverall, PSUAC record: 7-2 Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 28-29 PSUAC Tournament at University Park

'Cat TalesWomen's VlleyballAt 1 p.m. Saturday, the Lady Wildcats stepped onto the Bardo Gymnasium court as the top seed in the Penn State University Athletic Conference North Division playoffs. A little more than an hour later, they walked off as champs.

Facing Penn State Hazleton, originally the No. 3 seed in what was to have been a four-team playoff, but moved up to No. 2 when Penn State Wilkes-Barre and Penn State Schuylkill opted not to participate, Penn College came out strong, winning the first game 30-4.

"Our girls were playing our game," Bambi Hawkins, coach of the Lady Wildcats, said of the first-game blowout. "I don't think Hazleton had gotten into it yet. (But) they started playing scrappier the second game."

The Wildcats sputtered a bit for the next game and a half, overcoming a 27-29 match-point deficit in the second game to win, 31-29, and trailing twice early in the third game before tying the score at 12-all. After that, they rolled to a 30-14 victory and the division title.

Michelle McNett (Canton) had 19 assists and three aces, Maria Bova (Bethlehem) had five digs and Liz Mast (Morgantown), Johncie Clark (Imler), Angela Sweely (Mansfield) and Janell Thompson (Westfield) had five kills each.

"I'm glad Hazleton came to play. They really played well," Hawkins said, whose team is now 17-1 overall and is headed for Sunday's conference championship.

Men's SoccerThe Wildcats closed out their regular season with a win over Penn State Wilkes-Barre and in doing so captured the PSUAC regular season title. Steve Lis (Elliottsburg) scored two goals for Penn College while Steve Bullock (Manheim) and Coleby Frye (Dover) each had a goal and an assist. The Wildcats enter the conference playoffs at 5 p.m. Wednesday hosting a yet-to-be-determined opponent.

Women's SoccerIn blanking Reading Community College, Ashley Janoka (Shamokin) had two goals while Carrie Meyer (Ashland, Wisc.) had a goal and two assists.

Penn College closed out its season Saturday with a win over Penn State Abington that gave it a final record of 9-1 and completed during coach Kim Antanitis' first season a turnaround from last year's 2-5-1 mark.

"We honestly did not think it (the turnaround) would happen this quick," Antanitis said after the match.

"We are very happy with the outcome and the girls' excitement for the season. They, actually, are what turned it around. They were all very dedicated and we always had enough girls for games and always had people at practice. It was their dedication that really turned it around," the coach said.

"We played great every game. They really came together as a team," Antanitis continued. "We outscored our opponents tremendously in every game. We did have one loss (Penn State Harrisburg), and then turned around and beat them later in the season (6-3 win)."

In the season finale, Blair Smith (South Williamsport) and Sarah Coulbourn (Elysburg) each scored two goals while Carrie Meyer (Ashland, Wisc.) had two assists and Smith one.

During the season, key Lady Wildcat players in the middle who controlled the field and added to the team's overall strength were Kara Bauer (Erie), Ashley Olvera (Marysville), Meyer and Justine Wareham (Hollidaysburg). Antanitis also had high praise for goal keeper Kim Carbaugh (Jonestown).

Looking ahead to next season, Antanitis said she is hopeful of a tougher schedule that will further help to build the program.

"It was a great season, and I can't wait for next year," the coach added.

Commenting on the team's season, which also included winning the Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference championship, Mike Stanzione, college athletic director, said, "It starts with a good coaching staff and recruiting our players in. Obviously, we've turned the tables and brought Penn College women's soccer up to the level of the rest of our teams. It's been a very, very rewarding season."

Team TennisPenn College saw three of its singles players finish second in their respective divisions, as did its women's doubles team in the end-of-the-season Penn State University Athletic Conference Championships.

A.J. Shaffer (South Williamsport) ended second in No. 4 men's singles as did Sarah Bastian (Mansfield) and Angela Charcas (Deltona, Fla.) at the Nos. 1 and 2 women's singles positions, respectively. Bastian-Charcas also finished second in women's doubles in competition over the weekend at University Park.

"The girls were right there, they just lost tight matches in the finals," Davis Santucci, the Wildcats' second-year coach, said Sunday evening.

"Overall, I got several comments from some coaches there, and some players, about not only how well we competed, but how polite our players were and their sportsmanship," the coach continued.

Commenting on his team's 7-2 regular season, a turnabout from last year's 3-7 record, Santucci said, "The progress we made throughout the season was phenomenal. I was very pleased with that. And that came from the recruiting and the help I had from (athletic director) Mike Stanzione.

"(With a good off-season of recruitment) we expect to have just as good, or better, team next year," Santucci added.

(Complete rosters and season schedules are available on the college's Athletics Web site .)