September 29, 2008

This Week in Walsh University Athletics

Monday, September 29, 2008

Monday 29

Men's Golf at Mt. Union Fall Invitational at Alliance Country Club 10 am

Tuesday 30

Volleyball at Notre Dame 7 pm

Friday 3

Women's Golf at Ohio Dominican University 10 am

Saturday 4

Football at St. Xavier University 2 pm *

Women's Soccer at Ursuline 1 pm

Men's Soccer (H) University of Rio Grande 7 pm

Volleyball at Cedarville 3 pm, vs. Shawnee State 1 pm

Women's Golf at Ohio Dominican University 10 am

* Broadcast live on AM 900 WCER, News-Talk 640 AM WHLO

FOOTBALL: Cavs (1-3) Fall for Third Straight Time/Open MSFA Play at St. Xavier

Walsh (1-3) lost for the third straight time last Saturday, falling 27-25 to Quincy University in a non-conference game at Fawcett Stadium.  The loss was also the third straight at home, marking the first home three-game losing streak since Walsh started football in 1995.  Walsh is also 1-3 for the first time since the 2000 season.   This week, the Cavs open Mid-States Football Association Mideast play in Chicago against Saint Xavier University.  The game will be broadcast live on AM 900 WCER and News-Talk 640 AM WHLO and on the web at www.wcer.us and

Walsh opened the scoring at the 7:35 mark of the first quarter on Eric Buchanan's (So., Green Cove Springs, FL/Clay) 42-yard field goal.  Quincy would then score twice, both on big plays, to take a 14-3 first period lead, one on a 47-yard TD pas and the other on a 41-yard pass.  The Hawks passed for 347 yards on 27-44.  The two teams combined for 25 second quarter points, as Quincy led 24-18 at halftime.  Walsh closed to within 14-9, when Marc Pullen (Sr., Akron, OH/Ellet) threw a 33-yard TD pass to Eric Magnacca (Fr., Massillon, OH/Perry).  Buchanan's PAT hit the upright.  Walsh then regained the lead at 15-14, when Clinton Blossomgame (So., Columbus, OH/Beechcroft) scored on a one-yard run.  Walsh's two-point bid failed.  The teams then traded field goals, and Walsh led 18-17 with 1:17 seconds left in the first half.  But another big play enabled Quincy to take a 24-18 halftime lead, when Corey Williams raced 67 yards to pay-dirt with 59 seconds to play in the half.  The third quarter was scoreless.  Quincy then added a 27-yard field goal with 14:49 to play to take a 27-18 lead.  Walsh closed to within 27-25 with 1:22 to play when Pullen hit John Rutan (Jr., Hartville, OH/Lake) for a two-yard score.  Walsh's onside kick attempt failed, and Quincy ran out the clock to earn their first win of the season and first against the Cavs in five tries.

Blossomgame rushed for 189 yards and has totaled 579 yards to lead the MSFA.  He is averaging 4.7 yards per carry and 144.8 yards per game, and has rushed for over 100 yards in a single game the last eight games dating back to last year.

Saint Xavier rolled to their second win, with a 56-0 pounding of Trinity International.  The Cougars scored all 56 points in the first half, netting 28 in each the first and second quarters.  Three of their scores were on plays of 48, 45 and 67 yards.  Donnie Selby rushed for 140 yards and Mike Halajcsik scored twice, once on a 67-yard run. Quarterback Jeremy Zientek passed for 218 yards on 9-11, with four TDs.  Saint Xavier scored their 56 points in a little over 22 minutes (22:22).  This will be the fifth meeting for the Cavs and Cougars.  The all-time series is 2-2.  Saint Xavier evened the series with a 13-10 win at Fawcett Stadium last year and has won the last two meetings.  The Cougars won the only meeting in Chicago, 42-17 in 2003. 

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY: Cavs (29-10) Take Top 5 Places, Win Rio Invitational

Walsh (29-10) captured the top five places to win the University of Rio Grande Invitational today.  Walsh (15) bested second place Rio Grande (64) with a perfect score.  Andrea DiNinno (Sr., Harrison City, PA/Greensburg CC) won the race for the Cavs in a time of 19:30.94.  It was the second win of the season for DiNinno.  The Cavs are idle this week and are back in action on October 10 at the All-Ohio Championships.

Kristen LeFever (Jr., Alliance, OH/Marlington) was next (2nd) for the Cavs in a time of 19:39.36.  Katie Laughlin (Fr., Malvern, OH/Canton South) finished third (19:48.53), Megan Case (So., Louisville, OH/HS) fourth (20:27.94) and Jackie Delamater (So., Uniontown, OH/Hoover) fifth (20:28.93).  Erin Koppel (Sr., McDonald, OH/HS) was seventh (20:41.36) and Richards (So., Akron, OH/East) 10th (21:04.93). 

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY: Cavs, McKee Win at Rio Grande

Brendan McKee (Sr., Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) placed first (26:23.51), and Walsh (21-12) bested host Rio Grande to win the Red Storms' two-team invitational.  The Cavs are idle this week and are back in action on October 10 at the All-Ohio Championships.

Mike Groholy (Sr., Parma, OH/Valley Forge) finished second (26:47.96), David Leary (Fr., Northwest, OH/Canal Fulton) sixth (27:52.47), Phil Kress (Fr., Canton, OH/St. Thomas Aquinas) eighth (28:11.53), Dan Opeka (Fr., Louisville, OH/St. Thomas Aquinas) ninth (28:13.67) and Matt Long (Jr., Mogadore, OH/Field) tenth (28:38.93).

MEN'S GOLF: Cavs Second at Phipps Memorial

Walsh finished second (307), 16 strokes behind Malone College (291), at the Phipps Stark County Memorial Golf Tournament last Monday.  The Cavs are playing the second and final round of the Mount Union Fall Invitational on Monday.

Freshman Cody Cutright (Springfield HS) finished third and paced the Cavs with a 73.  Cutright fired a 34 on the back nine.  Freshman Collin Mottice tied for eighth with a 76.  Sam Troyer (Sr., Sugarcreek, OH/Garaway) and Jessie Green (Sr., Sugarcreek, OH/Garaway) each shot 79 and tied for 15th.  Nick Gallo (Sr., Wickliffe, OH/HS) shot a 94 and finished 29th.

WOMEN'S GOLF: Cavs Win Phipps Memorial, Finish Third at Capital

Walsh (20-5) played well last week, winning the Phipps Stark County Memorial Tournament and finishing third at the Capital University Fall Invitational on Saturday.  This week, the Cavs travel to Columbus for Ohio Dominican University's Kiser Classic at Cumberland Trail Golf Course on Friday and Saturday.

Walsh won the three-team Phipps Stark County Memorial, held at the Congress Lake Country Club in Hartville.  The Cavs scored 370, besting Malone College and Mount Union College, who each shot 396.  Freshman Kim Smith (Whitehouse Station, NJ/Hunterdon Central Regional) finished as tournament medalist, after paring the second hole of a sudden death playoff.  Smith shot 89, with a 43 on the back nine.  Mackenzie Smith (Fr., Magnolia, OH/Canton Central Catholic) and Abbey Kimar (Fr., Canton, OH/Jackson) each shot 93 and tied for fifth.  Nikki Kulasa (Fr., Amherst, OH/Amherst Steele) finished 8th with a 95 and Katy Collins (Fr., Youngstown, OH/Ursuline) was 9th with a 96.  Jera Dougherty (Fr., Louisville, OH/HS) and Courtney Klemens (Fr., Mentor, OH/HS) each shot 99 and tied for 11th.

Walsh finished third (340) at the eight-team Capital University Fall Invitational on Saturday.  The University of Northwestern Ohio won in a playoff with Ohio Dominican University.  UNOH and ODU each finished with a 338.  Kim Smith tied for fifth place with teammate Abbey Kimar, as each shot 84.  Smith shot 41-43, with Kimar carding a 40 on the front nine and a 44 on the back nine.  Katy Collins tied for ninth with an 85 (43-42), Nikki Kulasa tied for 16th with an 87 (46-41) and Mackenzie Smith tied for 20th (41-47=88).

MEN'S SOCCER: Cavs (4-5-1, 3-2) Split AMC Games/Face Top Ranked Rio Grande on Saturday

Walsh (4-5-1, 3-2) split a pair of American Mideast Conference games last week.  The Cavs blanked Point Park College 1-0 at home on Tuesday, but fell 1-0 at NAIA No. 19 Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday.  This week the Cavs host the NAIA's top ranked team, when the University of Rio Grande (8-0-1, 2-0-1) comes in for an AMC game on Saturday at 7 pm.  Rio leads the all-time series 19-13-1and has won the last 11 meetings.  The Cavs have not played at home against Rio since the 2003 season. Walsh last beat Rio Grande in 200 (1-0).

Chad Flath's (Fr., Wadsworth, OH/HS) goal at the 81-minute mark gave the Cavs their 1-0 AMC win over visiting Point Park University.  Ben Truax (Fr., Mansfield, OH/St. Peters) assisted on the Flath goal.  Walsh out shot the Pioneers 15-1.

NAIA No. 19 Roberts Wesleyan scored at the 77-minute mark, and then held on to beat the Cavs 1-0 in New York.  Cavs keeper Ben Pflum (Sr., Napoleon, OH/HS) left the game after the Wesleyan goal due to a concussion.  Pflum was magnificent in goal stopping 12 shots.  He is questionable for this week's game with Rio.  Alex Birtcher (Sr., Napoleon, OH), who missed the Point Park game with an ankle injury, returned against Wesleyan.

WOMEN'S SOCCER: Cavs (6-5, 4-2) Hand Cedarville First Loss

Walsh improved to 6-5 overall and to 4-2 in the American Mideast Conference, after posting two conference wins last week.  The Cavs beat AMC foes Point Park College (4-0) and Cedarville University (1-0), but lost a non-conference game at Wilmington (3-1).   The Cavs are tied for fourth place in the AMC with Cedarville with 12 points.  This week, the Cavs play an AMC game on Saturday at Ursuline College (1-6-1, 0-5-1) at 1 pm.

The Cavs opened their three-game week with a 4-0 white-wash of AMC opponent Point Park University.  Megan Jurcak (Fr., Hudson, OH/HS), Rachel Naumann (So., Hinckley, OH/Highland), Amanda Patrick (Jr., Medina, OH/Cloverleaf) and Theresa Boyne (Fr., Strongsville, OH/Padua Franciscan) all scored for the Cavs.  Abbie Sullivan (Sr., Canton, OH/GlenOak) and Jess Wilson (Fr., Hartville, OH/Lake) handed out assists.  Amanda Butera (Fr., North Olmsted, OH/HS) recorded the shutout in goal. 

The next day, Wilmington College scored two second half goals to defeat the Cavs 3-1.  Leah Wilklow (Fr., Rochester, NY/Nazareth Academy) scored on an assist from Niki Vengrow (Sr., Akron, OH/Firestone) for Walsh's lone tally. 

Walsh handed Cedarville its first loss of the season, 2-1 on the road on Saturday.  Leya Spence (Sr., Mansfield, OH/Madison) scored on assist from Jurcak to give Walsh a 1-0 lead in the first half.  What proved to be the winning goal for the Cavs came on a deflection off of a Yellow Jacket late in the first half.  Jillian Zanney (Fr., Brunswick, OH/HS) stopped eight shots for the Cavs.

Amanda Patrick and Jess Wilson lead the Cavs in scoring with 11 points.  Each has dished out a team-leading five assists.  Abbie Sullivan and Leah Spence each have nine points.  Sullivan leads the Cavs with four goals.

VOLLEYBALL: 24th Ranked Cavs (12-7, 2-0) Win Streak Reaches Six

NAIA No. 24 Walsh (12-7, 2-0) extended its win streak to six matches, with American Mideast Conference wins over Ursuline College and the University of Rio Grande.  This week, the Cavs hit the road for two AMC matches.  They play at Notre Dame College (AMC) on Tuesday night (7 pm) and at Cedarville University (3 pm) (non-league) on Saturday, with Shawnee State University (AMC) (1 pm).

Walsh swept at Ursuline College (25-13, 25-10 and 25-17) on the road last Tuesday.  Erica Parker (6-0, Sr., Concord, OH/Mentor) led the attack with 14 kills.  Jessica Schmidt (5-8, Fr., Michigan City, IN/HS) handed out 38 assists and Amy Police (5-5, Jr., Perry, OH/HS) had 23 digs, with Ashley Yuhas (5-9, So., Elyria, OH/HS) adding 22.

Walsh kept their streak alive with a sweep of Rio Grande (25-17, 25-10, and 25-19). The Cavaliers were led by Jessica Schmidt's 37 assists and three service aces.  Erica Parker led the team with nine kills and 2.5 blocks.  Amy Police added a team-high 10 digs.  Megan McDonald (5-10, Sr., Kirkland, IL/Rockford Lutheran) and Jamie Kapferer (5-11, Fr., Jefferson, OH/St. John and Paul) each added seven kills.