This Week in Walsh University Athletics
Monday, November 10, 2008
Thurs. 13
Men's Basketball at Ohio State University (EXH.) 7 pm AM 900 WCER
Fri. 14
Women's Basketball vs. Campbellsville at Georgetown College 6 pm
Sat. 15
Football at Taylor University 1 pm *
Women's Basketball at Georgetown College 5 pm
* Broadcast live on AM 900 WCER and NewsTalk 640 WHLO AM
FOOTBALL: Cavs Lose Fourth Straight, Close Season at Taylor
Walsh (2-8, 0-5) lost its fourth straight game, losing 34-31 in overtime at Marian College on Saturday. The Cavs close the season in Upland, Indiana on Saturday against Taylor University at 1 pm. The game will broadcast live on the Walsh University Football Network (AM 900 WCER, News-Talk 640 WHLO AM).
JaQuan Patilla caught a 25-yard TD pass from Clay Coomer in overtime to give Marian a 34-31 overtime win over the Cavs. Walsh had taken a 31-28 lead in the OT on Eric Buchanan's (So., Green Cove Springs, FL/Clay) 37-yard field goal. The Cavs OT possession was filled with controversy. With the Cavs facing third and eight on the Marian 23-yard line, it appeared that Marc Pullen (Sr., Akron, OH/Ellet) had connected with Mike McGill (Jr., Akron, OH/Coventry) for a first down on the 14-yard line. But the ball was spotted on the 16-yard line, leaving Walsh with fourth and one. The Cavs were set to go for a first down when they were called for a false start, leaving them with fourth and five at the twenty, and Buchanan's field goal. Marian then scored on their first play for the win.
Marian dominated the first half, scoring 21 unanswered second quarter points to lead 21-7 at halftime. Walsh's only first half score came on a 52-yard interception return by Mike Garden (Sr. Akron, OH/Copley) in the first quarter. Walsh tied the game in the third quarter, when Jeff Tallman (Jr., Canton, OH/Perry) scored on runs of 37 and 45 yards. Tallman then gave Walsh the lead at 28-21, when he scored on a four-yard run with 14:36 to play. Walsh held Marian without a first down in the second half until their final drive, which started at the 18-yard line with 1:24 to play. The Knights drove 28 yards in 12 plays, and tied the game on Coomer's 10-yard TD pass to Zach Goodbar in the corner of the end zone with eight seconds to play.
Tallman rushed for a game-high 224 yards for the Cavs on 35 carries. He has gained 849 yards for the year, and is third in the MSFA in rushing. He is averaging 5.3 yards per carry and has reached the end zone nine times. Brian Williams (Jr., Canton, OH/McKinley) leads the MSFA in kick returns (26.6) and Eric Buchanan in field goals per game (0.90).
Walsh and Taylor (2-7, 0-5) close the season in Upland, Indiana on Saturday. The Trojans lost 29-15 at St. Xavier on Saturday. The Cougars led 26-0 at halftime and were never challenged. Taylor has lost its last four games. Trojan tailback Josh Cook leads the MSFA in rushing, averaging 100.9 yards per game. He has rushed for 908 yards and has scored five touchdowns. The Cavs and Trojans are meeting for the ninth time, with Walsh leading the series 7-1. The Cavs won 31-20 at Fawcett Stadium last year and has won the last six meetings.
MEN'S BASKETBALL: Cavs Open 47th Season With Two Road Wins
NAIA No. 11 Walsh (2-0) opened its 47th season with back-to-back road wins at the University of Maine this past weekend. This Thursday, the Cavs play an exhibition game at the Value City Arena against Ohio State University at 7 pm. This is the second exhibition meeting between the schools. OSU downed the Cavs in Columbus 87-62 two years ago. The game will be broadcast live on AM 900 WCER and on the internet at www.wcer.us.
After falling 83-81 at the University of Akron on Thursday, the Cavs traveled east to for the weekend. Walsh opened the season with an 83-52 win over the University of Maine-Fort Kent on Saturday. The Cavs pulled away midway through the first half against Bengals. With the score tied at 17, the Cavs used a 25-7 run to take a 42-24 lead into the locker room. The second half was all Walsh, as they outscored the home team 41-28. Lamar Skeeter (6-0, So., Dayton, OH/Kettering Fairmont) led the Cavs attack with 24 points, shooting 8-10 from the floor, 3-3 from three-point and 5-6 from the line. He also grabbed six rebounds, handed out three assists and had three steals. Earlier in the week, Skeeter scored 25 points in the loss at Akron. Kyelce Cescato (6-10, Jr., Barra Bonita, Brazil, Colmeia Entec) scored 16 points (8-13 FG) and grabbed seven rebounds. Jeremy Shardo (6-3, So., Yorkshire, OH/Versailles) put together an outstanding floor game, handing out 10 assists, against only one turnover, to go with 12 points. Walsh shot 48% (31-65) from the floor, 47% (7-15) from three-point and 70% (14-20) from the line. The Cavs out rebounded the Bengals 46-31.
Walsh cruised to a 111-56 win over St. Thomas College (2-6) in their final game at the Bengal Classic on Sunday, hosted by the University of Maine-Fort Kent. Lamar Skeeter was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament, receiving the Lowell "Ozzie" Osgood Award. Kyelce Cescato and Jeremy Shardo were also named to the all-tournament team. Walsh shot 62% (21-34) in the first half, and led 53-24 at halftime. In the second half, the Cavs connected on 23-31 (75%) from the floor, to finish the game 44-65 (68%). Joe Shardo (6-5, Sr., Yorkshire, OH/Versailles) had the hot hand, connecting on 11-12 from the field, to lead all scorers with 22 points. He also contributed five assists and four steals. Five other Cavs reached double figures, led by Jeremy Shardo's 17 points (7-9 FG). Shardo also dished out seven assists and had three steals. For the tournament, Shardo handed out 17 assists in the two games. Brandon Speck (6-0, Jr., Mansfield, OH/St. Peter's), Greg Howard 6-4, So., Cincinnati, OH/Withrow/West Liberty State) and L.J. Sutton (6-4, Fr., Youngstown, OH/Cardinal Mooney) each contributed 12 points. Speck shot 3-4 from the floor, Howard 5-8 and Sutton 5-6. Howard and Sutton each had five rebounds. Skeeter added 10 points and Cescato chipped in eight points and six rebounds.
Lamar Skeeter has averaged 17.0 points after two games and is shooting 57% from the floor. Jeremy Shardo is averaging 14.5 points and 8.5 assists. Shardo is shooting 71% (10-14) from the field. Joe Shardo is averaging 14.0 points and is shooting 66%. Kyelce Cescato is averaging 12.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and is shooting 63% from the field.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Cavs Split Games in Tennessee
Walsh (1-1) opened its 30th season with a split at the Rotary Classic in Mckenzie, Tennessee this past weekend. The Cavs lost 78-51 to NAIA Division-l Martin Methodist on Friday, but rebounded for an 82-79 win over host, and NAIA D-l Bethel College on Saturday. This weekend the Cavs travel to Georgetown, Kentucky for the Habitat for Humanity Tournament. The Cavs meet Campbellsville on Friday (6 pm) and play host Georgetown on Saturday (5 pm).
Walsh trailed 41-22 at the half against Martin Methodist and never recovered in the season opener on Friday. Leah Seaman (5-8, Jr., Louisville, OH/HS) nailed 9-10 free throws and paced the Cavs with 14 points. She also led with seven rebounds. Freshman Mandi Swickard (6-1, Alexandria, OH/Northridge) added seven points off the bench and Dianca Gordon (5-8, Jr., Akron, OH/Central-Hower) chipped in with six points.
Walsh rebounded from a 27-point loss on Friday against Martin Methodist, with an impressive 82-79 win over NAIA No. 30. Bethel College on Saturday. Walsh shot a blistering 61% (17-28) in the first half, but led only 41-38 at the break. The second half was nip and tuck, with Leah Seaman hitting a three-pointer with 30 seconds to play to give the Cavs a five-point lead at 79-74. Bethel answered with a three ball of their own to cut the Walsh lead back to two points at 79-77. Katie Berry (5-11, So., Cleveland, OH/St. Joseph's) then hit 2-2 from the free throw line with 19 seconds to play to give Walsh a 81-77 lead. Bethel would score to pull to with two at 81-79 with 15 seconds left. Berry was then fouled with 12 seconds left, but hit only 1-2 to give Walsh an 82-79 lead. The Walsh defense then tightened up and held Bethel without a shot in the final seconds. Berry led Walsh with 14 points and five rebounds. Seaman, Cara Bedard (6-0, So., Randolph, OH/Waterloo) and Chelsea Chaffin (5-3, Fr., Shaker Heights, OH/HS) each added 12 points. Brittani Maddox (5-11, Jr., Cleveland Heights, OH/HS) added 13 points (6-9 FG) and five rebounds off the bench. Walsh shot 53% from the floor (32-61) and 79% from the line (15-19).
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY: Cavs 5th at AMC Championships McKee, Groholy Fail to Qualify
Walsh (53-27) finished fifth at the American Mideast Conference Championships on Saturday at Ursuline College. Malone University finished first, with Cedarville University finishing second. Both teams will receive bids to the NAIA National Meet in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Brendan McKee (Sr., Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) paced the Cavs with a 26th place finish in a time of 28:26.8. Mike Groholy (Sr., Parma, OH/Valley Forge) was next, placing 29th (28:31.3). David Leary (Fr., Northwest, OH/Canal Fulton) finished 33rd (28:47.5), Matt Long (Jr., Mogadore, OH/Field) 39th (29:29.3), Phil Kress (Fr., Canton, OH/St. Thomas Aquinas) 41st (29:42.0), Dan Opeka (Fr., Louisville, OH/St. Thomas Aquinas) 42nd (29:49.4) and Jordan Johnson (So., Louisville, OH/HS) 45th (30:03.7).
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY: Cavs 6th at AMC Championships, DiNinno Waits for Possible At-Large
Walsh (61-29) finished sixth at the American Mideast Conference Championships on Saturday at Ursuline College. Cedarville University won the race for the fourth straight year, with Malone University second.
Andrea DiNinno (Sr., Harrison City, PA/Greensburg CC) paced the Cavs with a 19th place finish in a time of 20:16.4. She will find out on Tuesday if she will receive an at-large bid to the NAIA National Meet in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Katie Laughlin (Fr., Malvern, OH/Canton South) finished 29th (21:13.0), Megan Case (So., Louisville, OH/HS) 31st (21:20.4), Kim Swartz (Fr., Tiffin, OH/Tiffin Calvert) 35th (21:45.3), Jackie Delamater (So., Uniontown, OH/Hoover) 37th (21:54.7), Ashley Demsey (Sr., Parma, OH/Padua Franciscan) 40th (21:11.0) and Erin Koppel (Sr., McDonald, OH/HS) 43rd (22:17.7).
WOMEN'S SOCCER: Cavs Fall 2-1 to Roberts Wesleyan in Double Overtime Thriller
Walsh's (9-9-1, 7-5-1) return to the post season ended in a 2-1 double overtime loss at Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday. The Cavs closed the season with four losses in their last five games, scoring just two goals in the four losses.
The Raiders drew first blood, as Laura Willit broke a scoreless tie at the 56-minute mark. Walsh answered at the 64:05 mark, on an unassisted goal by freshman Theresa Boyne (Strongsville, OH/Padua). Roberts Wesleyan's Willit then scored her second goal of the game, the game-winner, at the 1:03 mark in the second overtime. The Raiders out shot the Cavs 8-4
VOLLEYBALL: Cavs Win AMC; Clinch National Tourney Berth
NAIA No. 24 Walsh (28-10, 13-1) captured the American Mideast Conference championship, and their first NAIA National Tournament bid in five years, when they defeated Roberts Wesleyan in three games last Friday night. The selection process and bracket announcement will be made on Sunday, November 16. The first round of the national tournament will be played on campus sites. Walsh is hoping to host on November 22.
Ohio Dominican University (21-10, 11-3) handed the Cavs its first conference loss of the season in Columbus on Tuesday night. Walsh captured game one 25-17, before the Panthers evened the match with a 25-19 win in game two. The Cavs took control of the match in game three, winning 25-20, but fell flat in game four losing 25-12. The Panthers then prevailed on their home floor in game five winning 16-14. Megan McDonald (5-10, Sr., Kirkland, IL/Rockford Lutheran) led the Cavs with 17 kills and 2.5 blocks. Marie Jubak (5-7, Fr., Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) dished out 24 assists and Jessica Schmidt (5-8, Fr., Michigan City, IN/HS) 22. Ashley Yuhas (5-9, So., Elyria, OH/HS) led the defense with 35 digs.
Walsh earned an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament with a sweep of Roberts Wesleyan College on Friday. Set scores were 25-16, 25-17 and 25-10. The Cavaliers were paced by Megan McDonald with 16 kills and Jessica Schmidt with 31 assists. Erica Parker (6-0, Sr., Concord, OH/Mentor) had a match-high four aces, while and also adding six digs. Ashley Yuhas had a team-high 15 digs and added two aces. Hilary Dattilo (5-10, Sr., Mason, OH/HS) added one block and Caitlin Whealy (6-2, Sr., Avon Lake, OH/HS) contributed six kills.
Walsh finished the regular season with a sweep of Point Park University on Saturday. Set scores were 25-22, 25-17 and 25-21. Walsh was led by Megan McDonald with 13 kills. Erica Parker had a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs. Jessica Schmidt had 37 assists, Ashley Yuhas had a team-high 14 digs and two service aces. Hilary Dattilo added 3.5 blocks and Caitlin Whealy (6-2, Sr., Avon Lake, OH/HS) had 1.5 blocks and eight kills.
Megan McDonald, who has been named AMC Player of the Week three times this season, leads the conference in kills per game (4.1). Erica Parker is 9th in attack percentage (.320) an Ashley Yuhas in 8th in digs (4.2).
