After the golf team won its second straight championship over the weekend, United East Conference playoff action is scheduled to continue this week with two more Pennsylvania College of Technology teams seeking titles.
The second-seeded men’s lacrosse team will host No. 3 seed Keystone College at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
On Friday at 10 a.m., the women’s softball team, seeded second in the Volt Division playoffs, will open the Volt Division playoffs against third-seeded Penn State Berks in a double-elimination tournament hosted by PS Harrisburg.
GOLF
Led by medalist and individual tournament champ Peyton Mussina of Montoursville, Penn College not only captured its second straight UE crown on Sunday but it earned a trip to the NCAA Division III Championship next month.
For their efforts, Mussina was named the UE Golfer of the Year and earned a first-team spot along with teammate Trevor Keaton of Lansdale. Gavin Baer of Bainbridge, Gunner Redmond of Lock Haven and Will Orwig of Mifflintown were named to the UE second team, and Rob Lytle garnered his second consecutive Coach of the Year honor.
Mussina posted rounds of 70 on Saturday and 79 on Sunday for a 149 to lead the 45-player field — and win by five strokes — on the par-70, 6,502-yard Philmont Country Club North Course. Also for the Wildcats, Keaton shot 80-78 —158 and tied for fourth, Orwig shot 78-81 — 159 and tied for sixth, Baer shot 78-82 —160 and tied for eighth, and Redmond shot 78-82 — 160, also tied for eighth, with his Saturday score used toward the team total and Keaton’s Sunday round only used toward the team total as only the low four individual scores are used for each round.
As a team, Penn College had rounds of 304-320 — 624 and bettered Penn State Harrisburg’s 311-322 — 633 by nine shots. Following were Lancaster Bible College 335-322 — 657, Rutgers-Camden 332-327 — 659, Penn State Abington 327-336 — 663, Wilson College 336-346 — 682, Penn State Berks 345-345 — 690, Rosemont 376-378 — 754, and Clarks Summit 446-414 — 860.
Up next for the Wildcats: the NCAA Division III Championship May 14-17 at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nevada.
Also, for the second straight week and seventh time in his career, Mussina was named United East Men's Golfer of the Week for April 15-21 after he finished second of 63 players at the Gettysburg Spring Shootout April 20-21.
Schedule
Saturday-Sunday, April 27-28 — United East Championship at Philmont Country Club, Huntingdon, team 1 of 9; Mussina 1 of 45
Tuesday-Friday, May 14-17 — NCAA Division III Championship at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nevada.
MEN’S LACROSSE
Hosting Lycoming College in nonconference action on Wednesday, Penn College lost 11-8 in the first meeting between the crosstown rivals. Harrison Schlachta of Collegeville led the Wildcats’ offense with three goals.
Closing out the regular UE season on Saturday at Keystone College, after giving up three early goals, Penn College scored eight in a row en route to a 23-9 win that sealed its No. 2 seed and home field entering Tuesday’s playoff match against fourth-seeded Cairn University.
Aidan McFalls of Gilbertsville scored six goals and had two assists against Keystone, Jake Small of Bloomsbury, New Jersey, had four goals and four assists and AJ Dotson of Wilmington, Delaware, added two goals and seven assists. In goal, Alex Hammond of Lincoln University earned the win with five saves in just under 53 minutes of work.
Also, it was announced on Monday that McFalls was named United East Men’s Player of the Week after he scored a season-high 11 points to lead the Wildcats to a 19-3 victory at Bryn Athyn on April 20. McFalls recorded his sixth hat-trick of the season with four goals and dished out a season-high seven assists while firing off 13 shots with six on goal. Defensively, he added a caused turnover.
Final UE regular-season standings: St. Mary’s (Md.) College 5-0, Penn College 4-1, Keystone College 3-2, Cairn University 2-3, Bryn Athyn 1-4, Rosemont 0-5.
Schedule/Record/Series History
Overall record: 9-8
UE record: 4-1
Wednesday, April 24 — host Lycoming College, L, 11-8
Saturday, April 27 — at Keystone College (UE), W, 23-9
Tuesday, April 30 — United East semifinal host Keystone College, TBA
Saturday, May 4 — United East Championship hosted by highest seed, TBA
SOFTBALL
Mackenzie Weaver of Montoursville fired her third one-hitter of the season in an 8-0 first-game win over Lancaster Bible College on Monday. She also had two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs.
In the second game 10-2 win against LBC, Madison Herriman of Danville and Ivvy Morder of Mechanicsburg drove in three runs each and helped starting pitcher Fayth Anderson of Lykens earn her 10th win of the campaign.
During the twin bill, Madison Shaffer of Trout Run joined teammates Margaret Mangene of Boalsburg and Morder in the career 100-hit club as Mangene reached the mark last Saturday and Morder did it in March.
At Gallaudet University in UE action on Wednesday, Penn College swept by scores of 9-0 and 11-0, with Weaver and Anderson pitching two hitters. Weaver struck out eight and Anderson fanned nine without issuing a walk.
Harriman, Morder and Sofia LaSpina of Bellmore, New York, all drove in two runs in the opener.
In the second game against Gallaudet, the Wildcats scored seven first-inning runs on four hits and six Gallaudet errors en route to an 11-0 win. Harriman, Weaver and LaSpina each had two hits.
Closing out the regular season at Lancaster Bible College on Saturday, Penn College scored 16 runs in the first three innings of the opener and went on for an 18-4 victory before dropping in the second game 9-8 and seeing its five-game win streak snapped.
In the first game, Shaffer went 4 for 4 with two triples and three RBIs; Harriman, with two RBIs, and Morder, with one RBI, both had three hits; and Weaver had three RBIs in addition to recording her 13th win in the circle.
After the Wildcats had pulled ahead 8-4 with a four-run top of the eighth inning in the second game, Lancaster Bible battled back using three doubles to score five runs in the bottom of the frame for its win, with Weaver taking the loss in relief of Anderson. Harriman and Shaffer both had three hits in the game.
Although Penn College and Penn State Harrisburg finished with identical conference records and split four games during the regular season, with the home team winning both games in each twin bill, Harrisburg earned the top seed as a result of the second tiebreaker — run differential — as it outscored the Wildcats 13-10 in those games. That snapped Penn College’s run of three consecutive regular-season championships under coach Angela Stackhouse.
Final UE Volt Division regular-season standings: Penn State Harrisburg 15-5, Penn College 15-5, Penn State Berks 13-7, Penn State Abington 11-9, Lancaster Bible College 6-14, Gallaudet University 0-20.
Final UE Skye Division regular-season standings: Wilson College 13-3, Rosemont 12-4, Notre Dame (Md.) 11-5, Clarks Summit 9-7, Keystone College 9-7, St. Elizabeth University 8-8, Cairn University 5-11, Cedar Crest College 4-12, Valley Forge 1-15.
Schedule/Record/Series History
Overall: 25-9
UE Volt Division: 15-5
(Home games at Elm Park)
Monday, April 22 — host Lancaster Bible College (UE, 2), W, 8-0 in 5 innings; W, 10-2
Wednesday, April 24 — at Gallaudet University (UE, 2), W, 9-0 in 6 innings; W, 11-0 in 5 innings
Saturday, April 27 — at Lancaster Bible College (UE, 2) W, 18-4 in 5 innings; L, 9-8
Friday, May 3 — United East Volt Division playoffs at Penn State Harrisburg vs. Penn State Berks, TBA
BASEBALL
A seven-run ninth inning, aided by three walks, a hit batter and an error, lifted the Wildcats to an 11-6 win at Mount Aloysius on Monday. Matt Munoz of Tobyhanna led the offense with three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored.
On Tuesday against crosstown rival Lycoming College, Penn College was held to four hits in each game and was shut out twice by scores of 2-0 and 8-0.
Down to the final weekend of the UE regular season with a playoff spot on the line, in the first of a three-game home series with conference-unbeaten Penn State Harrisburg on Friday, the Wildcats lost 10-0 as they were held to six singles, three by Dallas Griess of Williamsport.
In Saturday’s doubleheader against the Lions, Penn College lost 8-1 and 10-0 as Harrisburg’s pitching continued to dominate.
In the first game, the Wildcats were held to four hits, two by Jaydon Goebel of Honey Brook, and in the second they were limited to two hits as they failed to reach postseason play for only the second time in 17 full seasons under coach Chris Howard.
Final UE Volt Division regular-season standings: Penn State Harrisburg 15-0, Penn State Abington 8-7, Lancaster Bible College 7-7-1, St. Mary’s (Md.) College 7-8, Penn College 5-10, Penn State Berks 2-12-1.
Final UE Skye Division regular-season standings: Keystone College 16-2, Cairn University 14-4, Wilson College 13-5, Rosemont 8-10, Valley Forge 6-12, St. Elizabeth University 4-14, Clarks Summit University 2-16.
Schedule/Record
Final overall: 17-21
Final UE Volt Division: 5-10
(Home games at Bowman Field)
Monday, April 22 — at Mt. Aloysius, W, 11-6
Tuesday, April 23 — host Lycoming College (2), L, 2-0; L, 8-0
Friday, April 26 — host Penn State Harrisburg (UE), L, 10-0
Saturday, April 27 — host Penn State Harrisburg (UE, 2), L, 8-1; L, 10-0
(End of season)
ARCHERY
Matthew Byrnes of Manahawkin, New Jersey, earned All-East honors for the second consecutive season following action April 20-21 at the USA Archery East Region Outdoor Championship and Adam Wheatcroft Memorial in Harrisonburg, Virginia. And, he helped the men’s compound team to a second-place finish while the Wildcats’ fixed pins men’s team placed third.
Competing in the men’s compound event, Byrnes led the 17-person qualifying field with a score of 686, and his finish, along with a seventh he had at the indoor nationals in February, put him among the nation’s elite.
In addition to Byrnes in the men’s compound, Emery Gunsallus of Mill Hall qualified seventh with a 654 and Alexander Edwards of Kutztown qualified 10th with a 648, giving Penn College a 1,988 score that was second to Alfred State College by one point.
In fixed pins, Aydan McLain of Newmanstown qualified sixth with a 616, Atley Cooper of Coatesville qualified eighth with a 613 and Ben Malehorn of Selinsgrove qualified 10th with a 478 for a 1,707 team total and third-place finish.
Schedule
Saturday-Sunday, April 20-21 — USA Archery East Region Outdoor Championship and Adam Wheatcroft Memorial at Harrisonburg, Va. (Byrnes All-East, men’s compound second, men’s fixed pins third).
Friday-Sunday, May 17-19 — USA Archery Collegiate Target Nationals at Statesboro, Ga.
CATS AWARDS
Honored during the annual Celebrating Athletic Triumphs and Successes (CATS) Award ceremonies on Thursday were Male Athlete of the Year: Gavin Barrett of Roselle, New Jersey, men’s basketball); Female Athlete of the Year: Kaelynn Sheetz of Elizabethtown, women’s soccer); Male Newcomers of the Year: Dallas Griess of Williamsport, baseball); Kaden Ware of Brooklyn, Connecticut, wrestling); Female Newcomer of the Year: Grace Lorson of Jersey Shore, softball); Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Matthew Woolcock of Oil City, men’s cross-country); Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Sheetz; Staff Member of the Year: Becca Rohrer; Community Service Award: Men’s lacrosse team.
Barrett, the program’s first back-to-back United East first-team selection in the NCAA era (since 2014), repeated as the Male Athlete of the Year after he averaged 16.9 points, 8.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds. He led NCAA Division III in assists (201), assists per game (7.7) and tied for first in triple-doubles (2).
Sheetz garnered her second UE first-team selection and a spot on the United Soccer Coaches All-Region squad after breaking multiple program records, including career goals (49) and points (113), after she finished her final season with a program single-season record of 24 goals and 54 total points and added six assists. Her 54 points in 2023 tied for seventh in NCAA Division III and her seven game-winning goals led the United East while she finished second in the league in total goals and points.
As of the ceremonies, Griess led the Wildcats’ offensive production with a .394 batting average, .683 slugging percentage and a .462 on-base percentage, and Lorson was fourth on the team with a .337 batting average.
A welding major, Woolcock carries a 4.0 GPA while Sheetz owns a 3.94 GPA as a nursing major.
During the wrestling season, Ware posted a 33-12 record at 133 pounds and led the team with seven technical falls and nine major decisions.
For more about the United East, visit the conference website.
For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website.