Amy Frizzell & Kevin Fiorenzo,
Sports Editors
On Deck
Behrend
Athletic
Events
Saturday
Women\ tennk, Behrend
Invitational
9a.m
Men's Water Polo (°' Bucknell
Invitational
TBA
Cross Country, Bel - trend
Invitational
1 1 a.m.
Women's Soccer
Westminster
Ip.m.
Men's Soccer v. Wesiminstet
3:30p.m
Behrcnd
Invitational
9a.m.
Sunday
Women's Tennis v. Frosthur2
9a.in
Men's Water Polo 13uchnell
Invitational
TI3A
I\londav
Golf (.( 1 Penn Stale AROOna
1 2p.m
Tuesday
Women's Tennis @ Fredonia
3:30p.m
Wednesday
Women's Soccer v. Hilbert
41 .1n
Thursday
Golf, Behrend Invitational
@ Peak 'n Peek
1 2p.m
Volleyball v. Lake Erie
7p.m
Women's Tennis @ Buffalo
Statc
3:30p.m
Friday
Women's Tennis v. Chatham
4p.m
A new season for Behrend women's tennis
by Allen I,u
staff writer
The women's tennis team began the season on a
promising note with a strong win against
Westminster and a hard lost at the hands of
Waynesburg
Among the players is a girl named Mindy Calvert.
Her talents were not wasted last September 4', when
the girl's tennis team had there first match against
Westminster.
The Tennis team faced a challenging opponent
hut they managed to win their first two doubles
matches. I. fnfortunately, the team also suffered their
first loss at third doubles.
At ter a win from sophomore, Amber Weckowski
at first single, and freshman. tennaYankow ski at
fourth singles the score was 4-4. The deciding match
was laid upon ('alverts shoulders.
Confident in herself, she managed to hold her
ground. She was able to heat her adversary
Women's soccer kicks grass
by Rachel Lyon
titan writer
Chalk up another win tor the Lady Lions. The
liehrend omen's soccer team made Thiel College
just another victim in Tuesday's 3-0 win. The I ,ions
are red-hot to start out the 2003 soccer season
winning their first four games.
Tuesday's victory can be attributed to kicks from
!leather Crawford, Michelle Newland, and Jen
Baker. which all hit the hack of the net. Sophomore
Ashleigh Ounsmore controlled the Lion's net with
~iVCti
Although the season has just begun. the Lions
have already shown turn around since last season's
12 finish. Five games into the 2002 season, the
Lady Lions posted a 2-3 record. This season has
hcen a different story.
The successful start began at the end of August
in the herb I .auffer Memorial Soccer Tournament.
Men's
begin
by Adam Nlassaro
state rite!
Sports teams rehuild from year to year the men's
eater polo team is just heginning to the lay the loun
dal it tn.
With a squad comprised primarily of green fresh
man. new head coach Joe Tristan is laced with the
arduous task of building a program from the ground
These are not unfamiliar waters for Tristan, who
coached the Eastern Michigan women's cluh water
polo program in their inaugural season.
Tristan acquired the team weeks before the be
ginning of the season, as previous head coach Josh
Ilevnes resitmed. llevnes had coached the team
since the programs inception three years ago.
At Tristan's disposal for this reconstruction. are
building block freshmen Justin Ryder and John
Ellesion, two out-of-state recruits. Elleston and
Ryder are just two of the 11 incoming freshman that
will suit up for the team this year.
"The mindset is excitement," said Ryder. "The
young players who have never played before, want
to learn and get better and of the players who have
played before it is the excitement of potential."
Albeit, the heavy lifting, will fall on the shoul
ders of team captains Nick McGrady, Eric Phillips.
and Dario Kis.
Kis will he called upon to galvanize the offense
from his driver position- -the only member of the
team, who has played since the inception of the pro
gram three years ago,
The Lions finished 6-21 last year with a southern
championship win over Nilerc. hurst. This year's
AMCC
ATHLETE
OF THE
WEEK
PENNSTA[E
Erie
2(JSfY
September 12, 2003
water polo
to rebuild
Am6ei-
Weck-oski
IoN•e
This gave the team there first victory and marked
a good start for the season. The Lion's were very
pleased that they heat Westminster after two tough
losses to them last season. Many congratulations
were given to Calvert, who Wlm the deciding match
that day.
Calvert is from the town of Warren and has been
playing tennis ever since she was ten. A Business
Administration major, she came to Behrend because
of it's short distance from home and the small site
of the school.
"It's a very small team, with only six players
hut we all get along really well and I just liwc them.'
said Calvert.
- The coaching is good too. I think that we can
work on our doubles matches a little hut other than
that, I think we will have a very successful season. -
Another big event in women's tennis revokes
around Weckoski. Weckowski is from Forest Hills
high school in Johnston, PA. She was recently
named the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate
which look place at Penn State Behrend. The Lady
Lions defeated Baldwin-Wallace 2-0 in the
championship game thanks to a pair of goals front
Michelle Newland. The sophomore's performance
had Newland named tournament MVP. Sophomore
Dara Neilsen kept Baldwin-Wallace out of the net
with six saves. Penn State Behrend advanced to
the championship by defeating Maclaine in a 9-0
route
Behrend defeated Alford a week later
Crawford put in the winning dual.
"We've created !scot ing chances." said coach I kill
Pe FT larlo. \ e
done a nood joh getting the hall
I() our g();t1 (sorcrs
Both SMUT (1:1\ ;111(1 \Ain', ranee
non-conlerence opponents. Nlountain
Colleiate Cottle' ence platy I)egins later this month
against l'iti-Bradlot(1 on September 24.
"this veal ('cache' Preseason poll preLl.p.:(
remain optinutic in I.ll . l)aing that mark
think wr ‘llll di) OK (tilk
game , . or 1110 re 15 a redlktic p();11. Improvemcnt 1 , ,
the hi ke‘, sai l Ili lei.
-
1 he huildinrprocess be ran immediatek for the
Lions, as they squared tilt against stout competi
tion in the Coo\ 'ity Invitational. Craw ling away
ith a I -2 record, the team found themsel \ es in a
hole early on, atter a hard 101.1r111 9-12 los, to Grove
('its' (lollelle
"We played great against ( iro% City. We started
slow in the first quarter. but %ve \AM.` ahiC to read
just and give (irove City a run, - said Tristan.
"The tournament showed the players are doing
their hest and pritencing the fundamental bilsi(..s
Rebounding Frith a 12-19 vs itt over Mete k bu r st
the Lions stayed afloat.
However, cross-town rival Gannon dominated
the waterways, sinking the Lions in a 2-13 shel
lacking, to complete the invitational.
"It was a good measuring point for us. We played
against a really good team in Gannon, - said
11lesion. "It showed us where we stand and where
we need to go. -
llnfortunately, that maturation process could not
come quick enough as the team faced Gannon in a
regular season, home rematch. Gannon played the
lions in similar fashion to the Grove City Invita
tional match, pitching a 0-15 shutout.
With the loss, the Lions are I -3 in the first le!,
the season
?-1 afire
SPORT: Tennis and doubles against
CLASS: Sophomore Westminster and
BATE: September 8 Waynesburg.
Amber Weckoski
(Forest Hills HS/
Johnstown, Pa) was
selected as this week's
AMCC Athlete of the
Week.
This past week,
Weckoski went unde
feated in both singles
The Behrend Beacon
Conference Player of the Week for her great
performance during the week of Septemeber
She is currently undefeated in number one singles
and number one doubles playing with Calvert.
The girls played Waynesburg on the 6th and were
defeated with a score of 2-7. Weckowski and
Calvert came away with the sole win in doubles for
the Behrend squad, also Weckowski in singles.
The team will host Chatham. Penn State Altoona,
Fredonia. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and
California State University of Pennsylvania among
others in its annual Rehrend Tennis Invitational on
Saturday. September I starting at Y a.m
Penn State Behrend predicted to finish 2nd, and La
Roche the behind at 3rd. Although Frostburg
Stale \ ill he the team to heat, Coach Perritano wants
to he knocking at the door - at the end of the season.
The last time Behrend captured the AMCC crown
it came in 2000, as part of a four year reign as
champs Currently sophomore forward Holly
Greiner and Senior midfield/forward Erin Mauer
are tied for 3rd overall in the AMCC in scoring.
Neilson leads the league with two shutouts and
sophomore midfielder Stephanie Bowen and
Newland are named as AMCC players to watch.
"We ha‘ , “,inc talented freshmen," said
sophomore Amanda ( 'hat ney
. 1 he ne\k. class (‘I I reshmen joins an already very
r~pericnerd and talented veteran squad led by
seniors %Lind\ (jcsuale, Andrea Krahe and Erin
Manci. ( 'Hine\ also points out that the team has
"great support for each other."
ross Country
uns Away with
by Courtney Straub
news editor
On Saturday, Sept. 6, 2003 the Behrend nien's
and women's cross country teams started their
season with an invitational at Thiel College. Both
teams came home with a victory.
"Saturday's wins at the Thiel College invitational
were a good sign of things to conic this season,"
said Dave Cooper, Cross Country Coach.
This year the men's team has a 15- member
squad. The women's team only has eight
members which leaves them vulnerable should
iniurics occur
Nevertheless both the men's and women's
teams strengths lie in a balance of talented
freshmen and talented and experienced
upperclassmen
"I was very pleased with the performances of
both the men's and women's teams."
>
The men's team captured their
points, followed by Westminster watt 35
The women's team captured their *Ora*,
45 points, followed by Setonllillwithps44:i.:
For the men's team, Brad Ruff() it•s,ooe:
record with 27:20.1. For the women's fain,
Jessica Knapp set a course record with 24:469.
On Saturday Sept. 13, 2003 Behrend will be
hosting an invitational. Fifteen teams will be
competing.
"We hope to be in the chase for the top three
places," said Cooper.
The men's and women's goals for the season
are to recapture the AMCC title from Frostburg
State and make an improvement in the NCAA
Regional standings.
The team's will next
participate in the
Behrend Invitational
on Saturday, Sept. 13
Page 11