Sports

by Ken Baker '99

College Retires #24, Honors Governor Shafer

Allegheny has retired the #24 men's basketball jersey worn by the Honorable Raymond P. Shafer '38 during his playing days in the 1930s. Shafer is the first Allegheny player in College history to have his number retired.

President Richard Cook presented Shafer with a replica of his 1938 Allegheny basketball jersey at halftime of the men's basketball game against Ohio Wesleyan on February 14.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Allegheny, Shafer majored in history and political science and was a Rhodes Scholar candidate. On the playing field, he won nine varsity letters, four each in basketball and soccer and one in track and field. Shafer was the basketball team's leading scorer for three seasons and was an all-America halfback in soccer, at a time when division classification did not exist in collegiate athletics. He was inducted into the Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 2002.

Shafer served as governor of Pennsylvania from 1967 to 1971. He resides in Meadville, where he is retired but still associated with the Shafer Law Firm.

Pisanick Plays in 2003 Aztec Bowl

Senior defensive tackle David Pisanick was selected to play for the American Football Coaches Association's Division III all-star team that represented the United States against the Mexican National Team at the 2003 Aztec Bowl on December 13 in Cancun, Mexico.

Pisanick led the Gators in tackles with 69 this season and shared the team lead with 18.0 tackles for loss. The senior captain also registered 8.5 sacks, finishing second on the squad in that category. Pisanick also had three quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble.

Pisanick is the fourth Allegheny player selected to play in the Aztec Bowl. Jim Mormino '98 was the first, followed by Corey Belaney '00 in 1999, Bill Andrews '01 in 2000, and Shane Ream '02 in 2001.

Pisanick recorded four tackles, including two for loss and a half sack. However, the American squad was penalized 22 times for 180 yards as they lost to the Mexican team, 34-31.

Mormino caught the game-winning pass of 43 yards in 1997 and also rushed nine times for 24 yards. Belaney had three tackles for the 1999 squad, and Andrews was an offensive lineman for the 2000 team. Ream led the American rushing attack with 12 carries for 48 yards in 2001.

The Aztec Bowl is the traditional season-ending game for Mexico's college football season. The game has been played 29 times since 1947, with the last seven contests featuring the United States - Mexico match-up.

Pisanick is one of 42 NCAA Division III seniors from around the country who made up this year's team.

Gators Rake in Post-Season Awards

Allegheny scholar-athletes had a definite presence among the post-season teams announced by the North Coast Athletic Conference in the fall season. Among the six All-NCAC squads, 174 athletes were chosen. Gator scholar-athletes accounted for 36 of those spots.

Let's look at that from a purely statistical view. Those six sports have 56 total teams for an average of 9.3 teams per sport. On average, each team should have 18.7 players appearing on the All-NCAC squads. Allegheny has 36, or twice what the statistical average should be.

Allegheny had two scholar-athletes named Player of the Year and two coaches named Coach of the Year. Junior Kevin Pool won the NCAC Men's Cross Country Championships with a time of 26:12 to earn Runner of the Year, while senior Ben Montgomery was the Co-Offensive Player of the Year in men's soccer.

Paul Bonus led the women's soccer team to their first NCAC title since 1992 and their first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1989 to earn Coach of the Year. Mark Matlak's football team was picked to finish fourth in the NCAC by the conference coaches and media in preseason polls. As it turned out, the Gator gridders rolled to their first undefeated conference season since 1996 and their first NCAC title since 1997.

In addition to athletic recognition, several scholar-athletes earned commendation for their academic prowess. Senior Joan Anderson, a goalie on the women's soccer team, was named to the Academic All-America second team, posting a 3.61 grade point average as a biology and psychology double-major. Anderson was a first-team Academic All-District selection.

Senior Aaron Polack, a punter on the football team, appeared as a second-team Academic All-America selection with a 3.51 GPA in economics. Classmate and teammate Jon Turner was a second-team Academic All-District selection with a 3.51 GPA as a psychology major.

Women's Soccer, Football Highlight Fall Season

A look at the numbers from the fall of 2003 reveals incredible successes by Allegheny teams, highlighted by the Gator football and women's soccer teams claiming North Coast Athletic Conference Championships and advancing to NCAA Tournament play. In addition to those first-place finishes, the men's and women's cross country and volleyball teams finished second in the conference, while the men's soccer team finished fourth in a tight finish.

In the four head-to-head sports - football, volleyball, and men's and women's soccer - Allegheny posted a phenomenal record of 61-24-4 (.708) overall and 28-3-1 (.890) in NCAC play. If the cross country results are scored on a head-to-head basis, the overall winning percentage becomes even more impressive at 272-54-4. That's an unbelievable .830 winning percentage across all six of Allegheny's traditional fall sports.

In addition, 36 school records were tied or set this past fall. The football team had 18 records eclipsed, volleyball saw 12 fall, and the men's and women's soccer teams each tied two records, while the men's and women's cross country course records both fell.

Sports Wrap-Up

FOOTBALL
7-4, 7-0 NCAC - Champions
NCAA Playoffs First Round

The football team became just the second team in the history of the NCAA to lose their first three games and make it to the NCAA playoffs.

A brutal early schedule saw Mark Matlak's crew travel to Baldwin-Wallace and Washington & Jefferson to start the season. The Gators dropped both of those games before returning to Robertson Field for a game against Westminster. Unfortunately, a torrential downpour made playing conditions less than ideal - the Gators fell 3-0 in overtime.

Things looked bleak with Wabash, ranked as high as third in some preseason polls, scheduled to visit in week four. Trailing 6-0, the turning point in Allegheny's season came during that Homecoming day. Mike Soltis recovered a fumble at the Little Giants nine-yard line late in the third quarter, and three plays later Bubba Smith hit tight end Will McMahon over the middle - Allegheny went on to win 7-6.

That moment defined the season. The team rolled to wins in seven straight games, winning the NCAC and earning a trip to the NCAA Playoffs for the first time since 1997. The season also marked the first time since 1996 that Allegheny went through the conference schedule without a loss. The Gators lost a close game to Montclair State, 20-19, in the first round of the playoffs, but after such a tumultuous start, this season can only be defined as a success.

During the run to a 7-4 record, Smith set nine school records, receiver Jon Turner set four, return specialist and wide receiver Brian Woods set four, and defensive tackle David Pisanick became Allegheny's all-time career sack leader with 29.5. Woods led the nation, averaging 20.1 yards per punt return and earning third-team recognition on the Don Hansen's Football Gazette All-America team and the CoSIDA All-America team.

Twelve Gators earned All-NCAC recognition, while Matlak was named NCAC Coach of the Year. Smith, offensive lineman Phil Huffman, Soltis, Pisanick, and Woods were all first-team picks. Woods was a second-team pick at wide receiver along with Turner, running back Jamie Sye, defensive back Steve Williams, and punter Aaron Polack. Offensive lineman Steve Nemeth and defensive back Matt Komar were honorable mention selections.

WOMEN'S SOCCER
15-2-2, 8-0 NCAC - Champions
NCAA Regionals

The women's soccer team, like the football squad, started the season slow. In their first three games, Paul Bonus's squad was 1-1-1. From there, they rattled off a school-record 14 straight wins sandwiched in between two ties, which set another new record of a 16-game unbeaten streak. They finished the season with a 15-2-2 record.

During their trip to a perfect 8-0 NCAC record and championship, the team snapped one record - Ohio Wesleyan's record-winning streak. The Battling Bishops visited Robertson Field on October 25 with an NCAA record 60-game win streak, only to fall 3-1 to Allegheny.

The Gators tied Wooster, 0-0, in regulation of their NCAC semifinal contest but did not advance after a 3-1 loss in a penalty kick shootout. Despite the early exit from the tournament, Allegheny still earned the one-seed in their region, but fell to a tough Wilmington (Ohio) team, 1-0, in the regionals.

Lauren Moser, who anchored the Gators' defense at sweeper, became Allegheny's 10th women's soccer player to earn all-America honors as she was selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas All-America squad. Bonus also garnered attention from the soccer coaches' national body, earning NSCAA Mid-East Region Coach of the Year.

The women's soccer team saw six players earn All-NCAC honors, while Bonus was named the NCAC Coach of the Year. Moser became a three-time All-NCAC pick, and Jill Malone and Sharon Greene earned their first selections to the first team. Jen Bilec was a second-team pick, while Jill Gray and Teresa Lettrich were honorable mention selections.

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
NCAC - 2nd
NCAA Regionals - 6th

Junior Kevin Pool became Allegheny's first-ever All-American in men's cross country, finishing 10th at the NCAA Division III Championships hosted by Hanover College. Pool finished the eight-kilometer course in 25:31.3. His finish was also the best ever by a NCAC runner at the national competition. Junior Jeff Conroy and sophomore Chris Carrier earned All-Region honors with finishes of 28th and 27th, respectively, at the Mid East Regional Championships. In addition to these honors, Pool, Conroy, and Carrier, along with freshman Ben Mourer, earned All-NCAC honors as the Gators finished second at the conference meet.

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
NCAC - 2nd
NCAA Regionals - 2nd
NCAA Championships - 13th

In their first trip to the NCAA Championships since 1992, the women's cross country team finished 13th in the 24-team event. Six team members earned spots on the All-Region team as the Gators finished second at the Mid East Region Championship hosted by Dickinson College. Junior Leigh Ciofani was fourth and senior Chelsea Benson was 13th, followed by classmate Maureen Copeland in 19th. Junior sisters Leah and Lindsey Shouey took 21st and 22nd, with freshman Scarlett Graham coming across the line in 29th to round out the all-region finishers. Graham was the third freshman to finish, earning All-Region All-Rookie team honors as well. In addition, all six of these runners were All-NCAC selections, while Ciofani and Leah Shouey earned spots on the first team.

MEN'S SOCCER
11-5-2, 6-2-1 NCAC - 4th

The men's soccer team opened the season 6-0-1 and finished the season 11-5-2. The Gators were ranked as high as 21st in the nation and 3rd in the Great Lakes Region. The season saw two records tied as the team finished with 10 shutouts, tying the record set in 2000. Junior Josh Johnson registered a hat-trick - the ninth time that was accomplished by an Allegheny player - in a 5-0 win against Marietta College on September 17. Junior Ben Montgomery was the Co-Offensive Player of the Year in the NCAC and a first-team All-NCAC pick as he scored four goals and set up three more from his midfield position. Senior Matt Moffa was also a first-team pick as a defender. Junior Marc Sciulli led the Gators with nine goals and was a second-team All-NCAC pick, along with senior defender Eric Bland and sophomore goalie Brian Manougian.

VOLLEYBALL
28-13, 7-1 NCAC - 2nd

Vicki Kajder rewrote the Allegheny record books in her senior season as she set six school records and the team set six more. In addition to earning a honorable mention spot on the American Volleyball Coaches' Association All-America team, Kajder became the Gators' career assists leader with 4,836 and the aces leader with 292. This season she also set records for each of those categories with 1,596 assists and 129 aces. Kajder and sophomore Lindsey Tupman were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Great Lakes All-Region team. Kajder was a first-team pick, and Tupman set Allegheny's season attack percentage mark at .380 to garner an honorable mention selection. The team set records for kills (1,998), attack percentage (.317), assists (1,708), blocks (315), and aces (382) and tied the digs record (2,758). Kajder and Tupman were All-NCAC picks, while junior Katie Bradshaw was an honorable mention selection as an outside hitter.

For updates on how our teams and athletes are doing throughout their seasons, check out the athletics Web site: www.allegheny.edu/athletics.