McErlean, Johns Hopkins make Final Four
Phoenixville grad scores goal in upset of No. 1 Messiah
The season is continuing for junior Katie McErlean and the Johns Hopkins field hockey team.
The Blue Jays defeated No. 1-ranked Messiah 3-2 in double overtime in the third round of the NCAA Division III Tournament last Sunday in Grantham to move onto the semifinals.
McErlean, from Phoenixville (Phoenixville High), had a goal in that game and also had a goal in a 4-0 triumph over FDU-Florham last Saturday, also in Grantham.
Prior to the tournament, the 5-foot-4 midfielder was named to the Centennial Conference first team. She has 10 goals and five assists for 25 points with three game-winners.
“We were so excited to see Katie earn that much deserved honor,” coach Jane Wells said. “She is an integral part of both our corner defense and corner attack units.”
The coach said that she has enjoyed seeing some really amazing goals from McErlean this fall.
“Katie ability to eliminate defenders and her strong hit defi-
“We were so excited to see Katie earn that much deserved honor (Centennial Conference first team selection). She is an integral part of both our corner defense and corner attack units.”
– Johns Hopkins field hockey coach Jane Wells on junior Katie McErlean
nitely stands out at this level,” Wells said. “Her ability to jump-start our attack or come up with a big goal when we need it most have been keys to our success. She’s an incredibly talented player.”
The Blue Jays will take a 19-2 record into Saturday’s semifinal game against Tufts (18-2) at Spooky Nook Sports in Manheim. Middlebury and Rowan meet in the other semifinal, the title match set for Sunday, also in Manheim. MARK FORREST (THE HILL SCHOOL) >> The senior was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight time and a first team All-League pick for the second straight year on Nov. 5. The 6-foot-3 forward from Douglassville led the Lehigh men’s soccer team in scoring with eight goals and five assists for 21 points. He finished his career with 41 goals, three shy of the Lehigh record and 103 points, four shy of the team’s top mark.
“I’m delighted that Mark was selected again with some really good competition this year,” coach Dean Koski said. “It’s a credit to not only Mark, but I’m appreciative of the coaches for seeing what Mark’s potential is and voting for him.”
The Mountain Hawks saw the season end with a 2-1 loss to Colgate in the league semifinals last Friday in Baltimore, Md. Lehigh finished 9-8-2 overall and 6-3-0 in league play. JAXSON BURNS (DANIEL BOONE) >> The senior keyed Millersville’s two victories to capture the PSAC men’s soccer title. He had a goal in a 2-0 victory over Seton Hill in the semifinals Nov. 2 in West Chester and then had the game-tying goal in a 1-1 double overtime tie against West Chester in the title game and had a goal in the shootout as the Marauders outscored the Golden Rams 4-2. He earned MVP for his performance.
“After not being recognized as an all-conference player after the amount of game-winners that Jaxson had this season, I think his performance was a perfect redemption,” coach Steve Widdowson said. “He has been such a valuable player throughout his career.”
Burns finished with eight goals and three assists for 19 points with five game-winners and finished his career 18 goals and 10 assists for 46 points with seven game-winners.
Millersville saw its season end with a 1-0 loss to Charleston in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament on Nov. 10 in Charleston, W.Va., the Marauders finishing 10-4-6. KAYLA MESAROS (POPE JOHN PAUL II) >> The freshman came off the bench in all 19 games for the St. John’s women’s soccer team, the Red Storm finishing 9-9-1 overall and 5-3-1 in the Big East Conference after dropping a quarterfinal game in the league tournament 1-0 to Providence on Oct. 28 in Queens. She scored her first collegiate goal in a 3-0 non-league victory over Sacred Heart on Aug. 27 in Queens. Mesaros also helped the defense hold foes to 26 goals (1.36 goals against average) with four shutouts. LEON MARIC (BOYERTOWN) >> The 6-foot-5, 200-pound forward led the St. Joseph’s men’s soccer team in scoring with 25 points on 12 goals and an assist. He was 2-for-2 on penalty kicks. The Virginia transfer had three gamewinners, one coming in a 3-2 Atlantic 10 Conference victory over Fordham on Oct. 6 in Philadelphia. The Hawks finished with an 8-7-3 overall record and a 2-3-3 in league play after a 3-3 double overtime tie with St. Louis in a league game on Oct. 31 in Philadelphia. Maric scored the first goal for St. Joseph’s in the game. KELLY TORNETTA (POPE JOHN PAUL II) >> The 5-foot-8 junior outside hitter was named to the Centennial Conference second team and the All-Mid-Atlantic first team for the second straight season for her play with the Muhlenberg women’s volleyball team. Tornetta led the Mules in kills (325) and points (354.5), was third in digs (265) and added 20 total blocks and 18 service aces. Muhlenberg finished 20-8 after dropping a 3-0 decision to McDaniel in the first round of the league tournament on Oct. 31 in Westminster, Md. VINNY TASCA (METHACTON) >> The senior was named Goalkeeper of the Year in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference on Oct. 30 for his play with the Wilmington (Del) men’s soccer team. The 6-foot-5, 190-pounder was also named to the first team. He’s started all 22 games and played all but 14:35 in front of the cage for the Wildcats. He has given up 20 goals with 60 saves and seven shutouts. He didn’t have to make a save in a 4-1 first-round victory over Le Moyne in the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament last Friday in Syracuse and had three saves as the Wildcats saw their season end with a 2-1 loss to No. 1 seed Adelphi last Sunday in Syracuse. KELSEY GIESE (UPPER PERKIOMEN) >> Indiana suffered through a 4-13 season with a 1-7 mark in the Big Ten Conference, but the junior had a solid season for the Hoosiers. The 5-foot-7 midfielder started all 17 games and led the team in scoring with 10 points on four goals and two assists. One of her goals came in a 3-2 overtime loss to Michigan State in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Oct. 26 in College Park, Md. She took six shots in the game, four on goal. Giese has nine goals and four assists for 22 points in her career. MEGAN CLERICO (POPE JOHN PAUL II) >> The senior libero battled back problems early in the season but she came on strong for the 13-17 Fairmont State women’s volleyball team and earned Mountain East Conference honorable mention. She played in 16 matches and 64 sets and led the team with 240 digs with 54 assists and nine service aces. Redshirt sophomore Rebecca Feeney (Daniel Boone) also had a solid season for the Fighting Falcons. The 6-foot-3 middle hitter had a team-high 135.0 total blocks and was second on the team in kills with 218. EMILIE KUPSOV (OWEN J. ROBERTS) >> The 5-foot-5 junior led the Longwood women’s soccer team in scoring. She played in all 18 games with 17 starts and had eight goals and two assists for 18 points with a game-winner. That came when she scored all three goals in a 3-0 Big South Conference victory over South CarolinaUpstate on Oct. 6 in Spartanburg, S.C. The Lancers faced the same team in the quarterfinals of the league tournament but fell as the No. 3 seed 1-0 to the No. 6 seed on Oct. 27 in Farmville, Va. to finish 8-7-3. KATHRYN LEHMAN (UPPER PERKIOMEN) >> The sophomore along with fellow sophomore Michaela Swenk (Upper Perkiomen) had strong seasons for the Gwynedd Mercy field hockey team, the Griffins finishing 13-7 after a 2-0 loss to Franklin & Marshall in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament last Wednesday in Lancaster. Lehman, named Atlantic East Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year, finished with four goals and six assists for 14 points with a game-winner and a defensive save. Swenk had five goals and two assists for 12 points with a pair of game-winners. CLARE KENNEDY (SPRING-FORD) >> The 5-foot-8 freshman midfielder played in 16 games with one start for the Brown field hockey team, the Bears finishing 7-10 overall and 1-6 in the Ivy League after a 3-2 league loss to Yale on Nov. 3 in Providence, R.I. She saw 262 minutes of action on a young team which had just five seniors on the roster. She helped the Brown defense post three shutouts during the season.