Athletics > October 30, 2006 October 30, 2006Monday, October 30, 2006 This Week in Walsh University Athletics Sat. 4 Football at University of Saint Francis (IN) 12 pm AM 900 WCER Cross Country at AMC Championships/Tiffin University Volleyball at Urbana University 2:30 pm Men's Soccer at AMC Qualifying Playoff at University of Rio Grande 6 pm Sun. 5 Men's Basketball at Ohio State University (Exh.) 1 pm AM 900 WCER MEN'S BASKETBALL: Cavs Travel to OSU for Exhibition Walsh will play in front of an expected full house on Sunday, when they meet the Ohio State University Buckeyes at Value City Arena, on the November 5 at 1 pm in an exhibition game. Walsh, picked to win the American Mideast Conference South Division, will meet Head Coach Thad Matta's Buckeyes, who were picked as preseason favorites in the Big Ten. This is Matta's third-year at Ohio State. He led the Buckeyes to a pair of 20-win seasons in the first two years. Ohio State plays the University of Findlay in an exhibition game on Wednesday. Walsh returns 10 letter winners and five starters from their NAIA Elite Eight team that finished 27-7 and 15-3 in the AMC South last season. Despite returning all five starters, third-year Head Coach Jeff Young (55-19) will be without starting point guard Jason Hicks (Sr., Cleveland, OH/Villa Angela-St. Joseph) in Columbus. Hicks, a first-team All-AMC selection and NAIA Honorable Mention All-American, has just one semester of eligibility remaining and will not play until January. The game will be broadcast live on AM 900 WCER and on the internet at www.wcer.us. FOOTBALL (9-0, 4-0): Cavs Remain Perfect, Prepare for Showdown With No. 2 USF NAIA No. 4 Walsh University (9-0, 4-0 MSFA) kept its perfect season alive, with a 24-7 Mid-States Football Association Mideast win over Urbana University (5-4, 1-3 MSFA) on Saturday. The win moved the Cavs closer to clinching a NAIA post season berth for the first time. The Cavs will now meet the University of Saint Francis Cougars in Fort Wayne, Indiana on Saturday (12 pm). The Cavs and Cougars (8-0, 4-0 MSFA) are tied for first place in the MSFA Mideast. USF could very well be the top ranked team in the NAIA, after number one Carroll College was stunned by ninth ranked Montana State-University Northern 10-3. USF was ranked second heading into their game with Seton Hill. Walsh could also move-up, as well as third ranked University of Sioux Falls, who also won on Saturday. Walsh scored first against Urbana, and took a 3-0 lead on Mike Lum's (Sr., North Canton, OH/HS) 23-yard field goal at the 1:27 mark of the first quarter. Urbana took their only lead of the game at the 10:09 mark of the second quarter on a six-yard pass, which gave the Blue Knights a 7-3 lead. Walsh regained the lead at the 6:42 mark, when Marc Pullen (So., Akron, OH/Ellet) hit Antwain Reine' (Jr., Dayton, OH/Trotwood Madison) for a 35-yard score, which gave the Cavs a 10-7 halftime lead. After just one play in the third quarter, the two teams left the field due to lightning, and came back 40 minutes later at 2 pm. Walsh would tack on the only score of the third period, when Pullen scored on an fourth and one play, to extend the Cavs lead to 17-7. Walsh would ice the game in the fourth quarter, on a 16-play, 99-yard drive, when Jeff Tallman (R-Fr., Canton OH/Perry) scored from four yards. Walsh held Urbana's explosive offense to 180 yards, 200 less than their per game average. Walsh rolled-up 340 yards total offense, and held the football for 35 minutes. Pullen completed eight passes for 155 yards, and a touchdown, while Reine led all ball carriers with 69 yards. Rob Lash (Jr., Shelby, OH/HS) caught four passes for 68 yards and rushed for 37 yards on three carries. Walsh and the University of Saint Francis are meeting for the Mideast title for the sixth consecutive season. This is the first time since 1998 that the two teams have not met in the season finale. USF held off the Cavs 21-7 at Fawcett Stadium last season to spoil Walsh's bid for the MSFA Mideast title and playoff berth. Walsh's only win over the Cougars came at Saint Francis in 1998, when they won 44-41 in overtime. The Cougars lead the series 7-1. USF kept their perfect season alive last Saturday, by blanking Seton Hill 55-0, in a game that was called due to the weather early in the fourth quarter. The Cougars scored 28 points in the first quarter and led 45-0 at the half. USF is first in scoring in the MFSFA, averaging 44.9 points, scoring defense (7.0 ppg) and total offense 498.9 yards per game. They have also won 31 consecutive MSFA Mideast games, with six straight undefeated seasons in MSFA play. Rob Lash leads the MSFA in all purpose yards (133.4) and Joe Phinisee (Jr., Warren, OH/Harding) is second in interceptions (0.56 pg). The Cavs lead the MSFA in turnover margin at +15 and in punt return average (13.9). They are second in scoring defense (9.8 ppg), rushing defense (81.9 ypg), kickoff returns (23.9 ypg), red zone defense (56.5) and third in total defense (250.7 ypg). The game will be broadcast live on AM 900 WCER and on the internet at www.wcer.us., starting with the pre-game show at 11:45 am. MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY: Cavs Set for AMC/Region IX Championships at Tiffin
Walsh (42-14) tuned-up for the American Mideast Conference/NAIA Region IX Championships, with their 4x3 K relay on campus last Saturday. Walsh's "A" Team finished first, the "B" squad second, and "C" team sixth. Josh Rogers (Jr., Hartville, OH/Lake), Tim Geabler (Sr., Canton, OH/GlenOak), Chris Zundel (Sr., Madison, OH/HS) and Brendan McKee (So., Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) were on the winning "A" team, with a time (40:46).
Walsh finished sixth at the AMC/Region IX Meet last year, with McKee and Zundel qualifying for the national meet. WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY: Cavs Set for AMC/Region IX Championships at Tiffin Walsh (38-24) tuned-up for the American Mideast Conference/NAIA Region IX Championships, with their 4x3 K relay on campus last Saturday. The Cavs "A" Team finished second, with other teams finishing fourth, fifth and eighth. Kristen LeFever (Fr., Walsh finished 12th at the AMC/Region IX Meet last year. MEN'S SOCCER (11-5-1, 4-3-1 AMC S): Cavs Clinch Playoff Berth, Head to Rio Grande Walsh (11-5-1, 4-3-1) clinched a berth in the American Mideast Conference Qualifying Tournament, by defeating Malone College (2-1 OT) and playing Tiffin University to a double overtime 0-0 tie last week. The Cavs earned the final spot in the South with 13 points, edging out Mount Vernon Nazarene (12 pts.). The Cavs will travel to the University of Rio Grande on Saturday (6 pm), for the second straight year, for their playoff opener. Rio edged the Cavs 3-1 last year in the post season, and narrowly escaped with a 2-1 regular season win over the Cavs on September 24. The Cavs have won four of their last five games and are unbeaten in their last five games.
Walsh kept its post season hopes alive, with a thrilling overtime win against Malone under the lights on Wednesday. Ryan Inama (Sr., Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) opened the scoring at the 10-minute mark, which gave the Cavs a 1-0 lead at the half. Malone's Alex Fernandez (Sr., Elche, Spain) tied the game at 1-1, at the 55-minute mark. Casey Eck (So., North Canton, OH/Hoover) then scored the overtime winner for the Cavs on a header, four minutes into sudden death on an assist from Inama. Cavs' keeper Ben Pflum (So., Napoleon, OH/HS) had six saves. Walsh out shot Malone 12-8 and led in corner kicks 3-1.
The weather provided the offense in Walsh's 0-0, double overtime tie against Tiffin on Saturday. High winds and rain kept both teams from mounting any offense. Tiffin out shot the Cavs 15-8 and led in corner kicks 12-4. Walsh keeper Ben Pflum had 11 saves in recording the shutout, his eighth of the season. Eck lowered his goals against average to 0.88.
Casey Eck leads the Cavs in scoring with 10 goals and 23 points. Ryan Inama leads the team with seven assists and is second with 19 points.
WOMEN'S SOCCER (7-10, 3-5 AMC S): Cavs Lose Finale, Miss Post Season Walsh (7-10, 3-5 AMC S) fell 5-1 to American Mideast Conference South co-champion Mount Vernon Nazarene University 5-1, and failed to qualify for the AMC Qualifying Tournament. The Cavs finished tied for fifth in the AMC South with Urbana.
Mount Vernon built a 3-0 halftime lead, scoring at the 16, 42 and 43-minute marks of the first half. Walsh only tally came at the 52-minute mark, when Haley Rogers (So., Green, OH/HS) scored on a corner to trim the lead to 3-1. Amanda Waltz (Jr., North Canton, OH/Hoover) assisted on the goal. The Cougars then iced the game, with goals at the 52 and 76-minute marks. Mt. Vernon out shot the Cavs 23-6 and had four corner kicks to the Cavs three. Rachel Burcher (Fr., Wadsworth, OH/HS) had seven saves in goal for the Cavs.
Haley Rogers led the Cavs in scoring with eight goals and 17 points. Abby Swope (Jr., Wadsworth, OH/HS) finished second in scoring with five goals and 13 points. Meghan Patton (Sr., Parma, OH/Holy Name) led the team with five assists and became the all-time leader with 24. Cavs' keeper, Rachel Burcher, finished a fine freshman season with three shutouts and a 1.53 goals against average. VOLLEYBALL (31-2, 14-1): Cavs Clinch AMC South Crown NAIA No. 17 Walsh (31-2, 14-1 AMC S) clinched its first American Conference South Division crown since 2003, when they defeated Malone College, Cedarville University and the University of Rio Grande last week. By clinching, the Cavs earn an automatic bid to the regional tournament that they will host on November 17-18. The Cavs enter the final week of the regular season with 26 wins in their last 27 matches, and with a nine-match win streak. Walsh closes the regular season, with an AMC South contest, at Urbana University on Saturday at 2:30 pm.
Walsh extended its win streak to seven matches, by downing Malone College 30-22, 30-23, 30-21 at Malone's Osborne Hall on Tuesday. Jamie Herr (5-9, Sr., Attica, OH/Seneca East) had a double-double, with 20 kills and 18 digs. Jillian Barry (5-5, Jr., Salem, OH/HS) handed out 53 assists and Jen Carona (So., Canton, OH/Perry) and Erica Parker (6-0, So., Concord, OH/Mentor) each had one ace. Parker also contributed 15 kills, with a .500 hitting percentage. Megan McDonald (5-10, So., Kirkland, IL/Rockford Lutheran) added 13 kills and Heather Hernandez (5-9, Jr., Oakdale, CA/HS) 18 digs.
Walsh defeated NAIA No. 24 Cedarville 30-16, 30-25, 27-30, 30-25 last Saturday at the PE Center. Walsh was led by Megan McDonald's 26 kills and Jillian Barry's 53 assists. Heather Hernandez paced the defense with 16 digs. Jamie Herr, starting her final regular season home match, had a double-double with 19 kills and 14 digs. Amy Police (5-5, Fr., Perry, OH/HS) added 14 digs, while Herr also had a team-high two aces. McDonald and Laura Galbraith (6-0, Fr., Akron, OH/Revere) each had 2.5 blocks. In the second match of the day, Walsh swept the University of Rio Grande 30-17, 30-28, 36-34. Barry paced the offense with 62 assists. Herr had a team-high 16 kills, while McDonald contributed 14 kills. Caitlin Whealy (6-2, So., Avon Lake, OH/HS) also added 11 kills. Hernandez led the defense with 22 digs, while Herr added another double-double to her career, with 15 digs. It was her 21st double-double of the year.
Erica Parker was named the AMC and Region IX Player of the Week and Jillian Barry was tabbed named the AMC and Region IX Setter of the Week for October 16-22. Barry leads the AMC in assists, averaging 13.64 per game, while Parker is second in attack percentage (.386). Danielle Evancho (Fr., 5-11,
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