2012 Juniata Fall Season Recap

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Juniata Athletics fall sports teams completed a schedule that featured numerous conference recognitions and highlights. The centerpiece of the fall slate came during the Homecoming/Family Weekend on Oct. 13.

A large number of returning alumni and family were on hand during halftime of the Juniata-Ursinus football game to witness the dedication of the new synthetic turf at Knox Stadium. Juniata President Dr. Thomas R. Kepple Jr. led the dedication of “Goodman Field” in memory of the late David K. Goodman (’74).

Also recognized during the halftime proceedings were the Juniata Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2012 featuring:

• Matt Eisenberg (’01) – Baseball/Football
  Eagles all-time leader in receiving yardage and all-purpose yards
• Colleen Carver (’00) – Women’s Volleyball
  A two-time All-American who led the Eagles to two national championship matches
• Shad Hoover (’95) – Wrestling
  Holds the record for most wins in a season and is the second winningest wrestler in program history
• Jack McCullough (’76) – Cross Country, Track & Field
  Won 34 track & field and cross-country races in his career
• The late Charles C. “Moon” Mullen (’57) – Football
  A linebacker and defensive tackle on three undefeated Juniata football teams and co-captain on the 1956 Tangerine Bowl football team.

The class was formally inducted in a ceremony held in the Sill Boardroom of the Von Leibig Science Center after the game.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Led by lone senior Kelsey Fuller (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion), the Eagles once again dominated the Landmark Conference by capturing their sixth straight conference championship. Juniata advanced to the NCAA tournament where they knocked off Trinity (Tex.) 3-0 before falling to No.4 ranked Emory (3-1) in the South Regional semifinal to finish their season with a 25-12 mark. Sophomore Amelia Kepler (Kane, Pa./Kane Area) was named to the all-tournament team. The Eagles placed five on All-Landmark Conference teams.  Kepler and junior Courtney Lydick (McKean, Pa./General McLane) were named as first team selections. Fuller was named to the second team along with Sarah McCarthy (Villa Park, Ill./Willowbrook) and sophomore Christine Sumner (Dublin, Ohio/Bishop Watterson). Lydick was also named an All-Mid-Atlantic Region middle blocker by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, continuing the Eagles 16 year history of the honor.  Head coach Heather Pavlik is already looking to next year as she said, “I think that this young crew benefitted from having Kelsey around. The more tough matches you are in, it teaches you who you are and I think that’s where we are headed.”

FOOTBALL
The Juniata football team made great strides during the 2012 season.  They went 3-7, marking the first time since 2003 that the program has had three wins and their accomplishments did not go unnoticed.  Four Eagles were selected to the Centennial All-Conference team with junior Brandon Felus (Columbia, Pa./Columbia) leading the way as he became the first Eagle under Head Coach Tim Launtz to earn first team honors. The 6-3, 240 defensive lineman led the league and team with 16.5 tackles for a loss of over 100 total yards. Felus was also named Centennial Defensive Player of the Week following Juniata’s 24-7 win over McDaniel College when he led the team with a game high 10 tackles. Junior linebacker Kevin Gorman (Waverly,N.Y./Waverly Central) was named to the second team for the second year in a row as he registered a team-high 73 tackles. Junior Jared Shope (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) also garnered second team honors after finishing fourth in the league with 7.5 sacks. Sophomore guard Josh Gongloff (Tyrone, Pa./Bellwood-Antis) received honorable mention recognition. Launtz acknowledged the value of their accomplishments as he offered “It shows what we say to our kids about focusing on the performance and not the outcome.” Despite this years’ improvement Launtz knows that there is still work to be done. “We are not where we want to be, but we are not where were. We just have to continue to focus and work harder.”

CROSS COUNTRY
The men’s and women’s teams both capped off solid seasons as they hosted the Landmark Conference Championships at Fort Roberdeau in Sinking Valley, Pa. Senior Caroline Morgan (Haverton, Pa./Haverford Twp.) and junior Katrina Woods (Shirleyburg, Pa./Mt. Union) finished second and third overall in leading the team to a third place finish. Morgan and Woods were both named to the first team in All-Conference voting. Junior Nate Alter (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) was named to the first team on the men’s side while junior Ryan Trexler (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) garnered second team honors. Alter finished second in the conference championships as the men placed fourth overall. Woods was the Eagles top finisher at the NCAA Division III East Regionals, placing 29th out of 346 runners.  The women finished 18th overall while the men came in 24th.

FIELD HOCKEY
Led by senior Caroline Phillips (Wilmington,DE/Concord) the women finished 9-9 overall and 3-3 in the Landmark Conference. Phillips was named Landmark Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 29) after leading the Eagles to wins over Dickinson (3-2) and Scranton (5-4 OT) to finish the season. She was also recognized by Synapse Sports when they named her to their weekly honor roll. Synapse acknowledges top field hockey student-athletes from across the country and Phillips was one of 13 from division III honored. Four Eagles were named to the all-conference team with junior Emma Dahmus (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) garnering first team honors. Dahmus was one of two Eagles to earn hat tricks during the season and finished first on the team in assists (6) and second in goals (8) and points (22).  Phillips was named to the second team along with freshman Sarah Bilheimer (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) and senior Jill McNeish (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield Area).  Sophomore Kortney Showers (Aspers, Pa./Bilgerville) was the only other Eagle to score a hat trick.  The feat earned her Landmark Offensive Player of the Week honors (Oct. 1).  She and senior Janelle Howard (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) swept the weekly awards as Howard earned defensive player of the week for helping lead the Eagle defense to back-to-back shutout wins.

MEN’S SOCCER
After a strong start the men’s soccer team ended with a 9-9 mark while going 1-6 in conference play. The Eagles will lose five seniors but return a strong group of underclassmen as they head into next year. Senior Ezra Cassel (Denver, Pa./Cocalico) was named First-Team All-Landmark Conference, while junior Dane Azeles (Duncansville, Pa./Hollidaysburg) was selected to the second team. Head coach Dan Dubois praised the selections by saying, “Ezra proved game in and game out that he is one of the best goal keepers in the region and Dane showed all year that he was one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the conference.”

WOMEN’S SOCCER
The Eagles rode a 7-2 home record to a 9-7-1 season while going 2-4 in conference play. Seniors Katie Keating (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon) and Sydney Masters (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte) capped their careers for Juniata. The Eagles had two selections on the All-Landmark Conference team as juniors Alicia Snyder (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) and Paula Pryor (Westbrookville, N.Y./Burke Catholic) both were named to second team. Head Coach Scott McKenzie praised his juniors by observing. “Paula and Alicia are clearly two of a number of players that distinguished themselves this year. Their recognition comes at the assistance of all of their teammates but both really deserve this.”

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