Burns lifts Millersville to PSAC title
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 gamewinners.
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.
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 game-winners, 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.
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. KATIE MCERLEAN (PHOENIXVILLE) >> 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 definitely 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. 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 Carolina-Upstate 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.
POP LACEY (BERKS CATHOLIC) >> The junior safety continues to be a standout on defense for the New Hampshire football team, the Wildcats 4-6 overall and 3-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association after a 24-10 league victory over Albany on Nov. 10 in Durham, N.H. The 6-foot, 201-pounder had seven tackles in the game. On Nov. 3, he had a team-high 11 tackles and an interception which he returned 23 yards in a 3524 upset victory over No. 3-ranked James Madison, also in Durham. On the season, Lacey has 72 tackles, 43 unassisted, with two interceptions. 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.