Westmoreland County campus clippings: Seton Hill clinches 1st winning season in PSAC West

When Seton Hill has won football games on coach Dan Day’s watch, defense has usually been the calling card.

Low-scoring games often favor the Griffins.

The team put that stamp on their latest victory, a 14-0 shutout of Mercyhurst that clinched the program’s first winning record in the PSAC West Division.

Redshirt sophomore Ky’Ron Craggette had a 43-yard touchdown run and freshman receiver Cody Rubrecht (Greensburg Salem) pulled in a 30-yard scoring pass from Jake Cruz for the Griffins (5-5, 4-3).

Redshirt sophomore Bryce Dare rushed for 99 yards, while senior defensive lineman Josh Cohen recorded a team-high eight tackles and two sacks, and sophomore defensive back Demetri Whitehead and redshirt junior defensive back Quinton Posey each had an interception.

Football

Allegheny: Senior receiver Declan O’Brien (Norwin) tied the record for the longest touchdown reception in program history — a record set in 1990 — with a 95-yard scoring catch from quarterback Jack Johnson in a 42-14 loss to Case Western Reserve.

O’Brien finished with eight receptions for 131 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

Duquesne: Junior linebacker Gianni Rizzo (Norwin) had three tackles and three pass-breakups as the Dukes defeated Wagner, 34-26.

IUP: The Crimson Hawks defeated Clarion, 39-27, as sophomore defensive end Cole Weightman (Belle Vernon) registered five tackles and three sacks

Saint Vincent: The Bearcats made another late rally, but fell short against Thiel, 30-27, in a PAC game.

SVC (2-7) trailed 30-13 midway through the fourth quarter.

Senior Austin Slye went 19 of 34 for 253 yards and a touchdown, and senior Kaelib McElroy had five receptions for 91 yards.

There also was a local connection for a touchdown when senior Max Pisula (Greensburg Central Catholic) threw a 1-yard touchdown to junior Pete Billey (Mt. Pleasant) with 29 seconds remaining.

Pisula played quarterback in high school.

Senior Nate Sullivan and junior Wiley Purry, linebackers for the Bearcats, tied a team high with 13 tackles. Purray and sophomore Kyle Murray each had an interception.

Wisconsin: Redshirt freshman running back Cade Yacamelli (Penn-Trafford) saw his first extensive action in the backfield for the Badgers, rushing 10 times for a team-high-tying 48 yards in a 20-14 loss to Indiana.

Youngstown State: Junior defensive lineman Anthony Johnson (Jeannette) had fumble recovery, three tackles and half a sack in a 19-7 win over Indiana State.

Men’s soccer

Grove City: Junior midfielder Luke Kimmich (Franklin Regional) scored his fourth goal of the season to help the Wolverines to a 4-1 victory over Franciscan in the PAC semifinals.

Franciscan was the defending conference champion.

Penn State Behrend: Junior midfielder Blake Cooper (Franklin Regional), who scored a goal in a 2-1 semifinal loss to Alfred State, was named to the All-AMCC Tournament team.

Cooper led the Lions with 11 goals and eight assists.

Seton Hill: The Griffins defeated Slippery Rock, 4-2, to secure the No. 3 seed in the PSAC West.

Sophomore midfielder Nevlyn Harper and freshman forward James Aubrey each had a goal and an assist in the win.

Women’s soccer

Bucknell: Senior defender Eva Frankovic (Norwin) won a Patriot League championship with the Bison, the team’s third in a row.

Bucknell edged Army in penalty kicks, 4-3, after the teams could not break a 0-0 tie in regulation and overtime.

Frankovic has started 17 of the 20 games she’s played in, and scored a goal against Colorado College.

Penn State Behrend: Sophomore defender Annie Klingensmith (Franklin Regional) won an AMCC title with the Lions.

In eight games, she has two goals and one assist.

Pitt-Greensburg: Sophomore Megan Hickey had two goals, while sophomore Maya Wertelet, junior Sarah Tonkovich, junior Logan Jennings, Maggie Knorr and sophomore Abby Henise had one apiece as the Bobcats cruised past Penn State Altoona, 7-0, in the AMCC semifinals.

UPG advanced to the title game for the fourth straight time. They lost to Penn State Behrend on penalty kicks after the teams tied 0-0 after 90 minutes.

Seton Hill: With a 3-0 shutout of Clarion, the Griffins clinched a PSAC playoff berth.

Senior Victoria Rothrauff (Franklin Regional) had two goals to pace Seton Hill.

Towson: Redshirt freshman Sydney Linderman (Franklin Regional) has one assist over 17 games played for the Tigers, who won the CAA championship to adance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

Westminster: Junior Brooke Horvath (Franklin Regional) scored her 12th goal of the season, but the Titans fell to Franciscan, 2-1, in the PAC semifinals.

Junior Natalie Vilchek (Yough) assisted on the score.

Women’s volleyball

Chatham: Freshman Paige Watson (Latrobe) was named the PAC Newcomer of the Week. She had 15 kills and hit .407 over a pair of wins that earned the Cougars the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.

Senior Kaylee George led the Bobcats with 36 assists for UPG (6-21), which won two of its final four matches.

Seton Hill: Junior outside hitter Paige Cole posted 16 kills and junior setter Abby Oesterling had 20 assists as the Griffins picked up a 3-0 win over Slippery Rock on their senior day.

Thiel: Freshman Arin Delattre (Hempfield) contributed nine kills, five blocks and five digs in a 3-0 loss to Grove City.

Women’s cross country

Cal (Pa.): Senior Malia Anderson (Greensburg Salem) earned a spot in the NCAA Division II Championships with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Regional race at Lock Haven.

She finished in 21 minutes, 10.9 seconds in a field of 175. Anderson is the fourth runner in program history to record a top-10 finish at regionals.

Women’s tennis

Saint Vincent: Sophomore Carolina Walters (Latrobe) was named to the All-PAC First Team at first singles.

Men’s swimming

Clarion: Freshman Henry Miller (Southmoreland) and junior Austin Prokopec (Penn-Trafford) teamed up to win the 200-yard medley relay in 1 minute, 34,64 seconds as Clarion defeated Shippensburg, 147-84.

Prokopec also took second in the 200 freestyle.

Saint Vincent: Freshman Liam Randolph (Hempfield) was named the PAC Newcomer of the Week. Randolph earned a pair of wins against York College, winning the 200-yard individual medley (2:02.60), and the 100 breaststroke (1:00.05).

Women’s swimming

Cal (Pa.): Sophomore Ashlyn Hornick (Mt. Pleasant) swam a leg of the winning 300-yard freestyle relay that touched the wall in 2 minutes, 52.61 seconds, and also won the 50 free (26.68), as the Vulcans defeated Lock Haven, 154-133.

Clarion: Junior Jordan Kutchak (Norwin) helped the 200-yard freestyle relay to a victory in 1:39.23, and also finished second in the open 200 free, as the Golden Eagles downed Shippensburg 173-70.

Saint Vincent: Junior Sarah Alexander won the 1,000-yard freestyle in 11:38.54, the 500 free (5:42.67), and the 400 free relay in the Bearcats’ 119-81 win over York.

Freshman Valerie Clabaugh was named the PAC Newcomer of the Week. She won the 100 butterfly (1:06.94) and the 200 medley relay, in a meet against York.

Wrestling

Army: Sophomore Ethan Berginc (Hempfield) earned a 6-1 decision in his first match of the season, but the Black Knights fell to Campbell, 25-9.

Berginc qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season at 125 pounds.

Pembroke: Redshirt junior Logan Seliga (Belle Vernon) and grad student Scotty Joll (Belle Vernon) won titles at 125 and 174 pounds at the 42nd Pembroke Classic.

Four wrestlers for the home team combined for nine pins in 15 matches.

Pitt: Redshirt freshman Finn Solomon (Franklin Regional) pulled an upset as the Panthers opened the season at the Clarion Open.

Solomon defeated No. 26-ranked Dylan Chappell of Bucknell, 6-5, in the 149-pound semifinals for his fifth win of the day.

He joined other local placewinners in redshirt freshmen Briar Priest (Hempfield) and Jack Pletcher (Latrobe), who took third (141) and sixth (149) in the tournament.

Saint Vincent: Returning to the mat for the first time in 48 years, the Bearcats opened their reboot season with a seventh-place finish at the Adrian College Invitational in Michigan.

Freshmen Sean Cain (Mt. Pleasant) and Ryan Klingensmith (Kiski Area) each took fifth individually at 125 and 133 pounds.

Seton Hill: The Griffins went 2-1 at the season-opening Buffalo Duals, defeating Niagara County Community College, 39-13, for coach Vince DeAugustine’s first win.

Riley O’Mara had a pair of pins for Seton Hill.

At the Glenville State Invitational, 197-pound senior Brendan Finnerty finished 4-0 to win a title.

Washington & Jefferson: Freshman Christian McChesney (Greensburg Salem) won his opening match of the season by forfeit at 197 pounds in a 40-13 win over Pitt-Bradford.

Men’s basketball

Mercyhurst: Freshman Adam Bilinsky (Norwin) played 21 minutes in his college debut, scoring seven points in a 97-58 loss to Central Oklahoma.