Sports shorts
Tennis Vulcans win pair
The California University of Pa. women’s tennis team opened the 2005 portion of the season Wednesday with a 7-2 win at Saint Vincent College, and then followed with a 6-3 win Thursday at Seton Hill University.
The Vulcans swept the doubles with the No. 1 squad of Linda Escobedo and Olga Gonzalez winning an 8-5 decision, the No. 2 team of Jessica Brown and Melissa Anderson winning 8-0, and Brownsville’s Gina Pelehac teaming with Andra Preda at No. 3 doubles for an 8-2 victory.
Gonzalez won her No. 2 singles match, 8-2. Whitney Laurien defeated Julie Pokrifka, 8-0, at No. 5 singles and Daniella Zevallos earned a split of the singles matches for the Vulcans with an 8-2 win at No. 6 singles.
Anderson (8-2), Brown (8-4), Gonzalez (8-4) and Laurien (8-6) all won their singles matches to stake the Vulcans to a 4-2 lead after the singles matches.
The visitors swept the doubles. The No. 1 doubles team of Gonzalez and Zevallos taking an 8-6 victory while the No. 2 doubles team of Anderson and Brown won an 8-6 decision. Laurien teamed with Andra Preda at No. 3 doubles to sweep the Lady Bearcats with an 8-4 win.
Football
WVU reveals schedule
West Virginia will face four bowl teams among its six home games during the 2005 football season.
The Mountaineers released their schedule on Friday, and it includes games at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium against Virginia Tech, Louisville, Connecticut and Pittsburgh, all of which made bowl games last season.
“It’s an exciting home schedule for our fans,” WVU coach Rich Rodriguez.
West Virginia opens at Syracuse on either Saturday, Sept. 3, or Sunday, Sept. 4.
Its next six games are on consecutive Saturdays against Wofford (Sept. 10), at Maryland (Sept. 17), against East Carolina (Sept. 24), against Virginia Tech (Oct. 1), at Rutgers (Oct. 8), against Louisville (Oct. 15) and at South Florida (Oct. 22).
Oddly, none of the Mountaineers’ final three games are on Saturday. West Virginia hosts Connecticut on Wednesday, Nov. 2, travels to Cincinnati on Wednesday, Nov. 9, and then hosts Pitt on Thursday, Nov. 24.
Four of WVU’s games are already slated for national television, those being Syracuse, Connecticut, Cincinnati and Pitt.
“Our program will get a lot of national exposure, in addition to being a great challenge for our young football team,” Rodriguez said.
West Virginia begins spring practice on March 21. The Gold-Blue Game is set for Saturday, April 16, at Mountaineer Field.
Hockey
Cal falls to Colorado
Colorado freshman David Ludwig scored two goals to lead the number two-ranked Buffaloes to a 5-4 overtime victory over 10th-ranked California (Pa.) in the second round of the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division III national championship tournament.
The Vulcans (18-4-4) had four goals from four different players including freshman William DePaoli’s goal and assist.
Cal will play in the consolation-bracket game today against 13th-ranked Fresno State. The game will be played at 4:30 p.m.
Basketball
Clarion falls
Shippensburg upset Clarion, 56-51, in the first round of the PSAC men’s basketball playoffs on Tuesday.
Uniontown graduate Terrance Vaughns scored seven points for the Bald Eagles (17-11), who won the PSAC-West regular season title. Vaughns also had three rebounds, two steals and two assists before fouling out.
Garrett Heath and Lee Church both came off the bench to lead Clarion in scoring with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Ryan Wells contributed eight points and 10 rebounds.
Chuck Davis led the Raiders (18-10) with 17 points.
Stringer Coach of Year
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Big East conference champion Rutgers nearly made a clean sweep of the league’s top awards Friday night.
C. Vivian Stringer drew a standing ovation as she accepted the award, another milestone in 33-year career.
Her Scarlet Knights nailed down the top seed in this weekend’s tournament after winning the regular-season title outright for the first time.
Rutgers’ senior Chelsea Newton was the Defensive Player of the Year and rookie teammate Matee Ajavon earned top freshman honors.
Stringer earned her second Big East coaching honor in her 10th year at Rutgers.
The Scarlet Knights (23-5) were ranked as high as No. 4 in the country this season after knocking off three straight top 10 teams in Tennessee, Texas and LSU. Rutgers was a perfect 13-0 at home and captured the league title with a 14-2 regular-season record, ending Connecticut’s run of 11 straight regular-season titles.
Skiing
Leskinen wins superpipe
Laurel Highlands graduate Kristi Leskinen had a battle with rival Sarah Burke, but Leskinen made the most of her opportunities for a gold medal in the ski superpipe competition at the Gravity Games in Copper Mt., Colo.
Leskinen scored 85.7 points to edge past Burke’s total of 84.3 points.
Running
Hawkins to emcee races
Uniontown native and distance runner Brent Hawkins will be the emcee/public address announcer for Boston’s Run to Remember on March 13. Hawkins will emcee the 5-mile and half-marathon and over 8,000 runners have already entered.
Hawkins has announced races dating back to 1985 with the Pittsburgh Marathon.