Penn College News

Four Penn College teams set for UE postseason

Sunday, October 27, 2024

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Four Pennsylvania College of Technology fall sports teams will step into United East Conference postseason action this week while the wrestling team opens its season.

•       The men’s soccer team, which posted its first 10-win season since 2013, is seeded sixth going into its home first-round playoff match against 11th-seeded Keystone College on Wednesday. The winner will face third-seeded Cairn University on Saturday in a quarterfinal.

•       The multi-record-breaking women’s soccer team, which completed the first undefeated regular season in program history, drew a bye into Saturday’s quarterfinals as the second seed and will host the winner of Tuesday’s first-round match between Wilson and Cedar Crest colleges.

•       The men’s and women’s cross-country teams will run in the conference championships hosted by St. Mary’s (Md.) College on Saturday, where the men’s squad will defend its title.

In addition, the wrestlers, under new head coach Dalton Rohrbaugh, open on Friday and Saturday at the Ithaca College Bombers Invitational.

Preview stories for those teams will be forthcoming.

Men’s Soccer
Hosting first-time UE foe Cairn University on Tuesday, the teams drew 1-1, with Tommy DeGeyter of Long Valley, New Jersey, scoring the lone Wildcats’ goal.

On Saturday at Valley Forge in the UE regular-season finale, Penn College posted a 3-2 victory as Logan Confer of Watsontown scored in the 83rd minute to snap a tie. Cole Catherman of Selinsgrove and Justin Potts of Media split halves in the goal, with each making one stop.

Final UE regular-season standings: St. Mary’s (Md.) College 8-0, Penn State Abington 7-0-1, Cairn University 7-0-1, St. Penn State Harrisburg 6-1-1, Elizabeth University 6-2, Penn College 5-1-2, Rosemont College 4-4, Penn State Brandywine 4-4, Notre Dame (Md.) 3-5, Lancaster Bible College 2-4-2, Keystone College 2-4-2, Wilson College 2-6, Penn State Berks 1-6-1, Gallaudet University 1-7, Bryn Athyn 1-7, Valley Forge 0-8.

Record/Schedule/Series History
Overall: 10-4-3
UE: 5-1-2
Tuesday, Oct. 22 — host Cairn University (UE), 1-1 draw
Saturday, Oct. 26 — at Valley Forge (UE), W, 3-2
Wednesday, Oct. 30 — host United East First Round vs. Keystone College, TBA
Saturday, Nov. 2 — United East Quarterfinals, Penn College-Keystone College winner at Cairn University, TBA
Tuesday, Nov. 5 — United East Semifinals, TBA
Saturday, Nov. 9 — United East Championship, TBA

Women’s Soccer
The team’s record-breaking season continued on Tuesday with a 9-0 UE home win against Keystone College as:
•       Win number 13 set a single-season record, eclipsing 12 in 2018.
•       Freshman Megan Kurian of Royersford scored three goals and had three assists, giving her 62 points that surpassed the mark of 54 points in a season set by Kaelynn Sheetz of Elizabethtown a year ago and tying Sheetz’ single-season goal record of 24 also set last season. (Sheetz also holds career records with 49 goals and 113 points).
•       Increased this year’s record unbeaten streak to 17.
•       Goalie Nicole Lightinger of Erie earned her record 11th shutout of the season lowering her goal-against average to 0.15.
Also, during the match, Cassie Johnson of Richland scored three goals.

Wrapping up the regular season on Saturday, the team posted a 5-1 home UE win over Bryn Athyn to become the first in program history to complete the regular season undefeated with a 14-0-4 record. Johnson led the offense with three goals and Lichtinger made eight saves in goal for her 10th win and hiked her save percentage to 0.914.

Final regular-season UE standings: Penn State Harrisburg 7-0-1, Penn College 7-0-1, St. Mary’s (Md.) College 7-0-1, Penn State Berks 6-1-1, Penn State Abington 5-1-2, Lancaster Bible College 5-3, Wilson College 5-3, Cairn University 5-3, Bryn Athyn 3-4-1, Cedar Crest 3-4-1, Rosemont 2-6, St. Elizabeth University 2-6, Notre Dame (Md.) 1-6-1, Keystone College 1-7, Valley Forge 0-7-1, Penn State Brandywine 0-8.

Record/Schedule/Series History
Overall: 14-0-4
UE: 7-0-1
Tuesday, Oct. 22 — host Keystone College (UE), W, 9-0
Saturday, Oct. 26 — host Bryn Athyn (UE, Senior Day), W, 5-1
Saturday, Nov. 2 — host United East Quarterfinal vs. Wilson College-Cedar Crest College winner, TBA
Wednesday, Nov. 6 — United East Semifinals, TBA
Saturday, Nov. 9 — United East Championship, TBA

Women’s Volleyball
At Widener University in a nonconference match on Friday, the Wildcats lost 3-0. Statistical leaders included Nevaeh Ward of Odenton, Maryland, with eight kills, seven digs and two aces, and Jo Hess of Jersey Shore, with 13 assists.

Hosting St. Mary’s (Md.) College in UE play on Saturday, Penn College lost 3-0 as Ward led with seven kills, Hess had 13 assists and Laney Wolfe of Ford City had nine digs.

UE standings through Sunday: Gallaudet University 8-0, St. Mary’s (Md.) College 8-1, Lancaster Bible College 6-1, Cairn University 6-2, Penn State Harrisburg 6-2, Keystone College 5-3, Penn State Abington 5-3, Notre Dame (Md.) University 5-3, Cedar Crest College 4-4, Penn State Berks 3-5, Penn State Brandywine 3-5, Wilson College 3-5, Bryn Athyn 2-6, St. Elizabeth University 2-6, Penn College 1-7, Rosemont College 1-7, Valley Forge 0-8.

Record/Schedule/Series History
Overall: 3-22
UE: 1-7
Friday, Oct. 25 — at Widener University, L, 3-0 (5-25, 16-25, 6-25)
Saturday, Oct. 26 — host St. Mary’s (Md.) College (UE), L, 3-0 (9-25, 13-25, 12-25)
Tuesday, Oct. 29 — host Penn State Abington (UE), 6 p.m. (Abington leads 10-0)
Saturday, Nov. 2 — at St. Elizabeth College (UE), 1 p.m. (St. Elizabeth leads 4-1)
Wednesday, Nov. 6-Saturday, Nov. 16 — United East playoffs (top 12 of 17 teams), TBA

Men’s/Women’s Cross-Country
Schedule
Saturday, Nov. 2 — United East Championships hosted by St. Mary’s (Md.) College, women 11 a.m., men noon

Wrestling
Schedule
Friday-Saturday, Nov. 1-2 — at Ithaca College Invitational, 3 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday
Saturday, Nov. 16 — host Penn State Altoona (AMCC), 12:30 p.m. (first-time opponent)

Men’s Golf
Senior Peyton Mussina of Montoursville closed out his fall season with his second consecutive United East Golfer of the Week honor after carding two sub-par tournament finishes — individual medalist honors at the Alvernia Fall Invitational on Oct. 15-16 and a tie for third at the George Cangero Invitational on Oct. 19-20. It was his third weekly honor this fall and the 11th of his three-year career.

Women’s flag football
Penn College joined the United East Conference in announcing the anticipated addition of women’s flag football as an intercollegiate and conference-sponsored sport beginning in 2025-26.

In addition to Penn College, the league will have at least four institutions participating at the club level in Spring 2025, including Gallaudet University, Keystone College, Lancaster Bible College and Rosemont College.

The United East will assist in coordinating club-level competition with its five new programs in spring 2025. Once elevated to the varsity level, women’s flag football will become the 21st sport sponsored by the United East and the 16th intercollegiate sport at Penn College, with the first projected conference championship to be played in Spring 2026.

For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website.
For more about the United East, visit the conference website.