A new wrestling coach was named. Three new hall of fame inductees. Wins by the men’s and women’s soccer teams in their United East openers, and both teams won twice. There was plenty to applaud for Pennsylvania College of Technology athletics over the past week.
Wrestling
Dalton Rohrbaugh of Spring Grove was named the head coach on Tuesday. Rohrbaugh previously spent one season on the Shenandoah University wrestling coaching staff and before that he served as an assistant coach at Mayfield Mat Academy from 2020-23.
As a collegiate wrestler, he helped Lock Haven University to two Eastern Wrestling League and PSAC championships in 2018 and 2019 and was a two-time NCAA Division III All-American at York College. In 2023, he capped his collegiate career as the NCAA Division III runner-up at 133 pounds, finishing with a career 75-22 record (23-18 at Lock Haven and 52-4 at York).
At Spring Grove High School, Rohrbaugh was a two-time PIAA Class AAA bronze medalist and four-time state qualifier. He also was the school’s all-time career wins leader with a 153-16 record.
Rohrbaugh succeeds Pankil Chander, who left the Wildcats after two seasons to become the assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator of men’s wrestling at Wilkes University.
Hall of Fame
The addition of three new members — Ned Baumbach of Elizabethtown (men’s golf 2015-19), Courtney Gernert of Palmyra (women’s volleyball, 2011-14) and Taylor Krow of Mechanicsburg (women’s softball, 2016-19), all previously announced, brought the Athletic Hall of Fame total to 51 when they were inducted on Friday.
Men’s Soccer
Hosting Alfred State College on Tuesday, Penn College scored a 2-1 win, getting goals from Scott Goldfeder of Mechanicsburg and Logan Pietrzak of Philadelphia, while goalie Cole Catherman of Selinsgrove made two saves.
At home with new opponent Rosemont College on Saturday, the Wildcats got their UE season going on a 4-1 win with goals from four players and an eight-save effort in goal from Catherman.
UE standings through Sunday: Penn College 1-0, Cairn University 1-0, St. Elizabeth University 1-0, Lancaster Bible College 1-0, St. Mary’s (Md.) College 1-0, Penn State Abington 1-0, Notre Dame (Md.) 1-1, Penn State Harrisburg 1-0, Gallaudet University 0-0, Keystone College 0-1, Rosemont College 0-1, Wilson College 0-1, Penn State Brandywine 0-1, Bryn Athyn 0-1, Valley Forge 0-1, Penn State Berks 0-1.
Record/Schedule/Series History
Overall: 6-3-1
UE: 1-0
Tuesday, Sept. 24 — host Alfred State College, W, 2-1
Saturday, Sept. 28 — host Rosemont College (UE, Wildcat Weekend), W, 4-1
Wednesday, Oct. 2 — at Penn State Abington (UE), 3:30 p.m. (Abington leads 8-0, with 2 ties)
Saturday, Oct. 5 — host Gallaudet University (UE), 3:30 p.m. (Penn College leads 6-1)
Saturday, Oct. 12 — at Notre Dame (Md.) University, 3:30 p.m. (first-time opponent)
Women’s Soccer
At SUNY ESF on Tuesday, Penn College won its fourth in a row and upped its season unbeaten string to nine with a 3-0 victory as Megan Kurian of Royersford scored twice and Morgan Solano of Shavertown made eight saves in goal.
In Saturday’s UE opener at Valley Forge University, the Wildcats won 7-0, extending their season record to 7-0-3 as Rylee Oliphant of Red Lion scored three times and Kurian scored twice. The Penn College defense held the home team to no shots on goal.
Also, Kurian, a freshman, was tabbed the United East Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending Sept. 21 after she scored seven goals and added four assists in the Wildcats’ 3-0 week against Mount Aloysius, Carlow and La Roche.
UE standings through Sunday: Penn College 1-0, St. Mary’s (Md.) College 1-0, St. Elizabeth University 1-0, Penn State Harrisburg 1-0, Penn State Berks 1-0, Cairn University 1-0, Wilson College 1-0, Cedar Crest 1-1, Bryn Athyn 1-1, Penn State Abington 0-0, Rosemont 0-0, Lancaster Bible College 0-1, Keystone College 0-1, Valley Forge 0-1, Penn State Brandywine 0-1, Notre Dame (Md.) 0-1.
Record/Schedule/Series History
Overall: 7-0-3
UE: 1-0
Tuesday, Sept. 24 — at SUNY ESF, W, 3-0
Saturday, Sept. 28 — at Valley Forge (UE), W, 7-0
Wednesday, Oct. 2 — at Penn State Abington (UE), 1 p.m. (Penn College leads 7-3-1)
Saturday, Oct. 5 — host Rosemont College (UE), 1 p.m. (Rosemont leads 2-0)
Tuesday, Oct. 8 — at Cedar Crest College, 7 p.m. (first-time opponent)
Men’s Golf
Led by the individual third-place tie finish of Peyton Mussina of Montoursville, Penn College, competing on its home course at Williamsport Country Club, shaved 21 strokes on Sunday off of its Saturday 326 team total but still landed last a 20-team field at the Northeast Elite Invitational.
Mussina opened play on Saturday with a 4-under 67 on the par 71, 6,516-yard WCC course and was tied for the individual lead with Hamilton’s Ramon Aroca Gonzalez. Mussina shot even par on a rain-plagued Sunday to finish with a 138, while Gonzalez fired a 68 on Sunday to medal with a 135 in a field of 104.
Trinity College won the team title with rounds of 282-283—565. Penn College ended 326-305—631.
Schedule
Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 28-29 — host Northeast Elite at Williamsport Country Club, 20 of 20
Wednesday, Oct. 2 — Drew Birdie Bash at Flanders Valley Golf Course, TBA
Monday, Oct. 7 — United East Fall Preview at Chambersburg Country Club, TBA
Men’s/Women’s Cross-Country
Penn College’s men placed ninth in an 18-team field, and its women’s team placed 14th of 15 in the Lock Haven University Invitational on Saturday.
Matthew Woolcock of Oil City led the men over an 8K course in 27:43 and finished 27th in a field of 187. For the women, Elaina Brady of McConnellsburg finished 65th in 27:03 to pace Penn College over a 6K course in a field of 141.
Schedule
Saturday, Sept. 28 — at Lock Haven Invitational, men 9 of 18, women 14 of 15
Saturday, Oct. 12 — at DeSales Invitational, 10:30 a.m.
Men’s/Women’s Tennis
On Friday, the women’s tennis team dropped a 5-2 nonconference home decision against first-time opponent Kean University. Winning for the Wildcats were Ellen Buckley of Binghamton, New York, at No. 1 singles and Kayla Weinzierl of Summer Hills at No. 3 singles, and Buckley-Emilyn Kinley of Williamsport at No. 1 doubles.
On Sunday at King’s College, the men lost 4-3. In the lifetime series between the two, King’s has won all nine encounters, but Sunday’s outcome was the closest Penn College ever has come to winning. Picking up victories for the Wildcats were Logan Ogden of South Williamsport at No. 4 singles, Seth Priestman of Bloomsburg at No. 5 singles, Priestman-Matt Williams of Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, at No. 2 doubles, and Ogden-Jayden Manbeck of Bethel at No. 3 doubles.
Record/Men’s Schedule/Series History
Overall record: 1-3
Sunday, Sept. 29 — at King’s College, L, 4-3
Saturday, Oct. 5 — host Juniata College at Central PA Tennis Center, 1:30 p.m. (first-time opponent)
End of fall season
Record/Women’s Record/Series History
Overall record: 0-3
Friday, Sept. 27 — host Kean University at Central PA Tennis Center, L, 5-2
Friday, Oct. 4 — at Penn State Altoona, 4 p.m. (Altoona leads 1-0)
Saturday, Oct. 5 — host Juniata College at Central PA Tennis Center, 1:30 p.m. (first-time opponent)
End of fall season
Women’s Volleyball
Penn College went 0-3 against Arcadia University on Friday and Penn State Berks and Messiah University on Saturday.
Among the leaders against Arcadia was Jo Hess of Jersey Shore with 10 assists. Against Penn State Berks, Ava Harple of Downingtown had 14 digs. Against Messiah, Harple had 10 digs.
The Wildcats step into United East play on Tuesday at Rosemont College.
Record/Schedule/Series History
Overall: 2-13
UE: 0-0
Friday, Sept. 27 — at Arcadia University, L, 3-0 (11-25, 10-25, 21-25)
Saturday, Sept. 28 — at Messiah University tri-match vs. Penn State Berks, L, 3-0 (19-25, 24-26, 11-25); vs. Messiah, L, 3-0 (8-25, 13-25, 11-25)
Tuesday, Oct. 1 — at Rosemont College (UE), 6 p.m. (first-time opponent)
Saturday, Oct. 5 — host Cairn University (UE), 1 p.m. (series tied 1-1)
Wednesday, Oct. 9 — host Penn State Brandywine (UE), 6 p.m. (Brandywine leads 1-0)
For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website.
For more about the United East, visit the conference website.