(Posted October 28, 2002)

FOOTBALL (5-3, 4-3 MAC); No game this week.
*MAC game.
The Juniata football team ran into an opponent with a red-hot offense and simply could not match the firepower, as the Susquehanna Crusaders blitzed Juniata 45-17 in Selinsgrove. The Eagles played Susquehanna even in the second half, but a 35-popint first half for the Crusaders doomed the Eagles. The loss dropped Juniata to 5-3 on the year and 4-3 in Commonwealth Conference play. The Eagles looked as though the day might go differently early on as Juniata took an early lead on a Dusty Lehr (Bermudian Springs/New Oxford) field goal. John Collins (Lewistown/Lewistown), starting at quarterback for the injured Greg Troutman (Meyersdale/Meyersdale), had some success early on with his legs, as he gained 17 yards on Juniata's first two drives. He struggled, however throwing the ball early in the game completing only six of 18 passes in the first half.

Susquehanna responded to the Juniata field goal by reeling off 45 unanswered points spanning the remainder of the first quarter with their final touchdown coming in the third frame. Susquehanna racked up 304 yards of total offense in the first half, while Juniata could manage only 87 yards of offense. The Crusaders used a balanced offense. The first half saw the home team have 125 yards of rushing offense, and 179 yards through the air. Susquehanna quarterback Mike Bowman was 12 of 20 for 179 yards at the half. Also for Susquehanna, Jason Eck rushed for four touchdowns for the second-consecutive week. Juniata played the Crusaders even in the second half, with quarterback Mike Holtje (F.W. Springstead/Spring Hill, Fla.) on in relief of Collins. Behind Holtje's arm and Craig Moshier's (Coudersport/Coudersport) legs, the Eagles scored two second half touchdowns. Moshier had another fine game running the ball for Juniata. The junior rushed for 175 yards and a touchdown. This marks the second straight week he has run for more than 170 yards. Holtje finished his day 11-22 for 148 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown pass went to Nate Leach Shade/Central City) who led the Eagles with seven catches for 99 yards. Defensively for Juniata, Fred Taber (Calvert Hall College/Bel Air, Md.) continued to pace the Eagle "D." Taber had eight tackles, seven of them solo, and three of them for a loss including two sacks, Peter Thomas (Mechanicsburg/Mechanicsburg) led the Eagles with 11 tackles on the day. Stephen Parsons (Beaver Falls/Beaver Falls) also had eight tackles, along with an interception. The Eagles are off this coming weekend, before they host defending MAC Champion Widener on November 9th.

MEN'S SOCCER (6-8-1, 2-4 Commonwealth): Oct. 30 at Messiah*.
*Commonwealth Conference match.
The Eagles dropped a pair of heartbreaking one-goal games this past week. Freshman Robert Bowser (Dallastown/York) scored a pair of goals as the Eagles fell 3-2 to Pitt-Greensburg. Juniata twice rallied from one-goal deficits before falling by a goal. Joel Abe (Archbishop Hoban/Akron, Ohio) and Ryan Young (Warwick/Lititz) each scored a goal but the Eagles couldn't top conference opponent Elizabethtown. Nathan Ayres (Clearfield/Clearfield) had the lone assist for Juniata in the loss, while goalie Chris Zimmerman (Westmont Hilltop/Johnstown) made 10 saves. Juniata again needed to come from behind against Elizabethtown after surrendering two goals in the first half. The Eagles scored a goal late in the first half, and then scored late in the second half, but ran out of time before they could draw even.

WOMEN'S FIELD HOCKEY (12-6, 3-3 Commonwealth): Oct 30 vs. Lebanon Valley*; Nov. 2 at Montclair State. *Commonwealth Conference match.
The Juniata field hockey team split a pair of conference games this past week. The Eagles topped Albright by a 2-0 score, and lost to Susquehanna 2-1. The win against Albright set a new record for the Juniata field hockey program for wins in a season. Jamie Wallish (Northern Lebanon/Grantville) and Betsy Kusniez (Boyertown/Gilbertsville) each had a goal in the win. Both goals were assisted by Billie Rickenbaugh (East Juniata/McAlisterville). Melonie Sappe' (Dallas/Shavertown) recorded her sixth shutout of the season in the win. Rickenbaugh had the lone goal in the game against Susquehanna, and Sappe' made five saves in the contest.

WOMEN'S SOCCER (7-6-2, 1-4 Commonwealth): Oct. 30 at Messiah*; Nov. 2 vs. Elizabethtown*.
* Commonwealth Conference Match.
The Eagles dropped their only game of the week, 2-1 at home versus Widener. Desiree Wagner (Harbor Creek/Erie) scored the lone goal for Juniata on a corner kick. The assist went to Lauren Smith (Emmaus/Zionsville) on the goal. Juniata goalkeepers Lindsey Treon (Hollidaysburg/Duncansville) and Kira Troutman (Line Mountain/Valley View) made five and six saves respectively. Juniata took the lead on the Wagner goal, but couldn't hold the lead as Widener had a goal in each half.

CROSS COUNTRY: Nov. 2 at MAC Championship at Lancaster.

The men's and women's cross country teams had their final warm-up before the conference championships this past weekend at the Gettysburg Invitational. Chris Sheaffer (Central York/York) paced the men's team finishing in 61st place with a time of 28:13. Right behind him was Will Cantara (West Branch/Allport) who raced home in a time of 28:17.37, good for 65th in the race. The Eagles placed 17th out of 34 teams. On the women's side Michele Palmer (Littlestown/Littlestown) crossed the tape first for Juniata, she finished 49th. Stefanie Rynkewitz (Lewistown/Lewistown) placed second among Eagle runners, she crossed the line in 56th. The women's team placed 14th out of 30 teams in the race.

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL (27-2, 7-0 Commonwealth): Nov. 1-2 at Wittenberg Quad-National.
*Commonwealth Conference match
The Eagles did not drop a game en route to a perfect 5-0 week. The Eagles finished the conference regular season with a three-game victory over Elizabethtown. Juniata then swept four matches at the "Wid" Guisler Invitational played at Juniata. Niki Mueller (Bishop Guilfoyle/Altoona) led the Eagles in kills in three of the matches. Mueller finished the week with 58 kills and a hitting percentage of .456 while adding 13 blocks. Katie Charles (Manheim Township/Lancaster) continued her hot play as she knocked down 44 kills on the week including a team-leading 10 against Elizabethtow. Erin Wisor (Altoona/Altoona) was also a force for the Eagles as she pounded out 48 kills along with six blocks and 48 digs. Wisor reached double figures in kills in two matches for Juniata. Freshman Katie Laucks (West York/York) also got into the offensive act as she led the team in kills with 15 against California (Penn.) in the final game of the Guisler Invitational. Laucks finished the week with 47 kills, nearly four per game, and a team-best .470 hitting percentage. Carli Dale (Cochranton/Cochranton) had 188 assists on the week. Along with 32 digs and seven aces. Johanna Holtan (Fargo North/Fargo, N.D.) led the Eagle defense with 74 digs. Holtan averaged nearly six digs per game for the week.

WOMEN'S SWIMMING (1-0, 0-0 Commonwealth): Nov. 2 at MAC Relays.
*Commonwealth Conference

The women's swimming team opened up the season in successful fashion as the team downed Penn State-Altoona 86-64 in a dual meet. The Eagles had a competitor place first in all but one event in the meet. Some top performances included a victory in the 400-medley relay featuring Alissa Schneider (Mililani/Mililani, Hi.), Amy Hanson (/Elizabethtown), Cynthia Long (Emmaus/Emmaus) and Andrea Nulton (/Tyrone). Schneider also earned firs-place in the 200 IM and the 100 Backstroke.

Our readers respond...

Be the first to provide a response.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.