Westmoreland campus clippings: Hempfield grad Tara Zollinger leads Shippensburg back to NCAA Tournament

Tara Zollinger had instant success when she took over the Shippensburg field hockey team, guiding the Raiders to back-to-back NCAA Division II championships — the only coach to do so.

Three years later, the Hempfield graduate is still at it.

Zollinger led the team this season to a perfect regular season and its first PSAC championship since 2005.

For her efforts, she was named the conference coach of the year.

Shippensburg (18-0) will likely be the top seed in the NCAA Division II Tournament beginning Nov. 13.

In five seasons, she has a record of 66-14 and has never lost in the NCAA Tournament (6-0).

In 2017 and ‘18, Zollinger and her assistants were named the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year, as well as the Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

A Maryland graduate, Zollinger is active in her sport all year round. In ‘19, she was named a performance analyst for USA Field Hockey’s Women’ Junior High Performance staff. Winning has followed her career path.

She also served as an assistant at Syracuse, where she won a third national title, her first as a coach.

She won two NCAA titles at Maryland, and also has coached and played overseas.

Football

Maine: Grad tight end Steve Petrick (Norwin) has six catches for 38 yards and a touchdown this season for the Bears. Petrick spent three years at Robert Morris and two at Temple before choosing to play his extra year at Maine.

Wrestling

Bucknell: Senior Zach Hartman (Belle Vernon), a two-time All-American and an NCAA semifinalist, begins the season ranked No. 1 at 165 pounds in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association. Sophomore Kurt Phipps (Norwin) is No. 8 at 133.

Washington & Jefferson: Senior 174-pounder Jaden Datz (Southmoreland) posted a 3-0 record, the third win coming on a major decision, at the Lycoming Invitational. Datz was named PAC Wrestler of the Week.

Women’s soccer

Chatham: Freshman Lauren Hall (Norwin) registered her first career assist and she did so on a big stage, the PAC championship.

Hall assisted a score by teammate Greta Mort as the Cougars won the conference title for a second straight time with a 4-3, double-overtime victory over Westminster.

Ohio: Goalkeeper Sam Wexell (Norwin) was named first-team All-Mid-American Conference after a stellar senior season. Wexell started every game for the Bobcats (11-5-3) this season, posted 10 shutouts and made 55 saves for a goals-against average of 0.75.

Ohio lost to Kent State, 3-2, in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament.

Pitt-Greensburg: The Bobcats reached the AMCC championship for the second year in a row but lost to Penn State Behrend, 2-0. The team finished 16-3 and had the top three goal scorers in the conference in senior Tiffany Michalak (22), junior Ashley Lucas (14) and freshman Emily Bonelli (14). Senior goalkeeepr Lauren Yoder has the school record for career shutouts (17).

Michalak, Lucas and sophomore Nylah Pannebaker were all-tournament selections.

Seton Hill: The Griffins (7-9-1, 6-9-1) won three straight games to close out the regular season, including a pair of 1-0 shutouts against IUP and Cal (Pa.). The final game was a 3-2 win over Edinboro, which saw senior defender Julia Scamardi (Norwin), senior Alyssa Neast and freshman Corynna Rotoli scores goals, and sophomore Leah Policarpio hand out two assists.

Valparaiso: Junior forward Kylie Dugan (Penn-Trafford) was named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Tournament team. Dugan, who also garnered All-MVC second-team honors, had two assists and 29 shots this season for Valpo (10-6-2), which fell to Evansville in the first round, 2-1.

Westminster: The Titans earned the top seed but fell in the championship game of the PAC Tournament, 4-3 in double overtime against defending champion Chatham.

Freshmen Natalie Vilchek (Yough) and Brooke Horvath (Franklin Regional) each had an assist in the loss.

In a 4-0 win over Washington & Jefferson in the semifinals, Vilchek scored two goals, including one that was assisted by Horvath, who had two helpers in the win.

Men’s soccer

Pitt-Greensburg: The Bobcats returned to the AMCC postseason for the first time since 2014 but fell to Mt. Aloysius, 4-0, in the opening round to finish the season at 7-10-1. Freshman Ross Hartley and freshman defender Adam Yoder were named to the all-tournament team.

Women’s volleyball

Seton Hill: Cameron Baril had 20 kills and Mara Yahner added 14, while Carrie Leazer provided 23 digs on defense to pace the Griffins (12-13, 5-9 PSAC) to their second straight win, 3-2 over Clarion.

Westminster: The Titans continued their domination of conference opponents by winning their third straight PAC championship, 3-0, over Bethany.

Senior Samantha Kelly (Penn-Trafford) had 27 assists, six digs, four kills and an ace in the victory, which gives Westminster (28-4) a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Men’s cross country

Westminster: Freshman Joseph Hill (Latrobe) finished 16th in a time of 17 minutes, 57.59 seconds as the Grove City College Twilight 5K. Westminster finished second in the team standings.

Women’s cross country

Seton Hill: With a second-place finish at the NCAA Atlantic Regional, Seton Hill qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships for the second straight year.

Nationals will be Nov. 20 at St. Leo University (Fla.).

Senior Sydney Wolf took fourth place at the regional, contested on the West Branch Cross Country Course in Lock Haven.

Freshman Hannah Smrcka was ninth.

Men’s swimming

Allegheny: Sophomore Payne Rizzer (Franklin Regional) finished second in the 50-yard freestyle in 23.57 seconds as the Gators dunked Edinboro, 149-100.

Women’s swimming

Chatham: Freshman Maddy Cisco (Hempfield) was named the PAC Rookie of the Week. She won the 50-yard freestyle (25.88 seconds), 100-yard backstroke (1:04.54) and the 200 backstroke (2:14.38) in a loss to Washington & Jefferson.

Washington & Jefferson: Senior Kimber Randolph (Hempfield) and sophomore Amanda Graves (Penn-Trafford) helped lead the 200-yard medley relay to victory during a 155-137 victory. The team finished in a time of 2 minutes, 61 seconds.

Graves also won the 100 butterfly (1:03.66) and took second in the 200 backstroke (2:17.04).

Men’s golf

West Virginia: Grad student Mark Goetz (Greensburg/The Kiski School) jumped 29 spots in the PGA Tour University Global Rankings.

Goetz moved to No. 28 with 826.1891 points over 11 eligible events. He had an strong fall season, posting a school-record 63 on the way to winning the Mountaineer Invitational, tying for 18th at the Gopher Invitational and winning three matches at Big 12 Match Play.

Goetz was the stroke-play medalist at the U.S. Amateur in August at Oakmont Country Club and the Longue Vue Club.