SPORTS Sunday, December 15, 2013 THE DALLAS POST Sunday, December 15, 2013 DALLAS/LAKE-LEH N LADY CAGERS AY T Last year’s champion Mountaineers have a different look this year TOM ROBINSON For The Dallas Post The Dallas girls bas- ketball team that travels to Lake-Lehman to meet its biggest rival Monday night will have a distinctly different look from the team that used a frantic pace to run all the way to the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 championship last season. The Mountaineers scored 60 or more points in nine of their last 11 games, including a shock- ing, 74-44 romp over Pittston Area in a playoff for the division title. After graduating three starters and losing anoth- er who decided not to play this season, Dallas is turn- ing to a young group to try to recreate as much of that style as possible. “We lack experience in being able to read one another,” Mountaineers coach Kelly Johnson said after the team lost its opener, 7542, to Honesdale in the season and tournament opener at Wyoming Valley West. “We're a little fragmented right now.” The opening match-up was a difficult one. Honesdale, which broke away in the second half, ended the Dallas season last year with a quarterfi- nal upset on the way to its second straight District 2 Class AAA championship. The Hornets have a vet- eran team that appears to be the favorite in Division 2 of the Lackawanna League. Senior guards Katy Comitz and Samantha Missal, who split time at a starting spot last season, are the leading returnees for Dallas. Comitz had 16 points in the loss to Honesdale. Missal was Giving up basketball for soccer TOM ROBINSON For The Dallas Post Dallas junior Talia Szatkowski led the Wyoming Valley Conference in girls soc- cer scoring with more than two goals per game this fall. Even when the Mountaineers finally had their season come to an end in the state Class AA quarterfinals, Szatkowski scored three times in the loss. When it was over, Szatkowski decided not to try to carry her scoring ability over to basketball season where she would have been the top return- ing scorer on the defend- ing Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 champions. “She’s interested in playing soccer in col- lege and wants to play through the winter,” Dallas girls basketball coach Kelly Johnson said. While Szatkowski works on her soccer abil- ities in the winter, the Mountaineers will have to make up for the loss of what would have been a key player in their hopes to continue the success from last season. Using the same speed, athletic ability and intensity that made her a conference scoring champion and leader of a conference champion- ship team on the soccer field, Szatkowski was a force both offensively and defensively last bas- ketball season. She had as many as 10 steals in a game to help fuel a pres- sure defense that often ignited the Dallas offense in transition. “I was very disappoint- ed,” Johnson said. “She’s a phenomenal athlete. CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK FILE PHOTO | FOR THE DALLAS POST ; han Lindsey Jacobs (No. 34) goes up for a Dallas basket agianst Pittston Area's (No. 31) Jordan Fritz in a Wyoming Valley Basketball Conference game last year. Lehman So el foams will have to wait fifth and Comitz sixth in scoring on last year’s championship team. “We're young,” Johnson said. “Our lack of experi- ence showed. There is a lot we can work on. Thank goodness I have a hard- working group of kids that are committed to getting better.” Johnson is hoping Maggie Michael can be a force on the inside. Michael and fellow senior forward Steff Cybulski both have some experi- ence from last season. The four seniors will try to guide their younger teammates through a dif- ficult schedule that con- tinues with facing another of the opponents who sup- plied a disappointing loss in an otherwise successful 18-5 season. Dallas will be on the road again Monday to play its Back Mountain rival in the Black and Blue Rivalry Trophy Game at Lake- Lehman. Lake-Lehman, which plays in a lower division and went 159 overall, jumped on Dallas early in last season’s meeting on the way to a 73-62 victory. At this point, Johnson is still seeking an identity for her new lineup. “With the style we play, we like to run, we like to do a lot in transition,” she said, “but, we'll have to play to the strengths of our team.” Lindsay Jacobs is the only junior on the team, which features 10 fresh- men and sophomores. Sophomore Katie Kravitsky and fresh- man point guard Talia Kosierowski completed the opening night starting lineup. Courtney Hoats, a guard, and Nikki Wren, a post player, are two more sophomores that Johnson expects to see significant playing time. TT TE PETE G. WILCOX FILE PHOTO | THE TIMES LEADER Lady Mountaineer Talia Szatkowski (No. 8), showing here trying to slide tackle the ball away from Scranton Prep’s Eileen Casey (No. 10) in the second half of the District 2 Class 2A final at Lake Lehman High School this year, is foregoing this year’s basketball season to concentrate on her soc- cer abilities. impressive soccer tal- ents. plans to use the time to improve her already She’s very gifted.” The junior forward As the team gains expe- rience, Johnson thinks she has the necessary tools with which to work. “I have good balance,” she said. “I have ball-han- dlers. I have kids who can shoot. I have some kids inside. Right now, it’s the lack of experience and losing our core from last year.” Lake-Lehman returns an experienced squad, includ- ing the three leaders of last season's upset of Dallas. Cayle Spencer, a junior center who led the team in scoring on the season, had 33 points against Dallas. Emily Sutton hit all four of her 3-pointers while scoring 22 points. Danae Sutliff had 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals in the win. ad BILL TARUTISFILE PHOTO | FOR THE DALLAS POST Lake-Lehman’s Cayle Spencer, left, has the ball knocked loose from behind by Hanover Area's Sam Masher in WVC interdivisional girls basketball in Hanover Township in action earlier this year. . Plenty of riers in club’s first meet of season Dec. 7 The Dallas Mountaineer Aquatic Club opened the 2013-14 Northeast PA Age Group Swim League season with a win at Elk Lake on Dec. 7. The fol- lowing swimmers placed in their events: GIRLS 8 & UNDER 25 Free - Victoria Spaciano, first; Clare Stretanski, third 50 Free - Jordan Bond, first; Olivia Thomas, sec- ond 25 Fly - Jordan Bond, first; Chelcie Strobel, third 25 Back - Victoria Spaciano, first; Olivia Martin, second 25 Breast - Clare Stretanski, first; Erika Doran, second; Olivia Thomas, third 10 & UNDER 100 IM - Emma Thomas, first; Gabriela Krochta, second; Sydney Tellis, third 50 Free - Spaciano, first; Hurst, second 50 Fly - Amanda Puza, first; Hayley Vasek, sec- ond; Morgan Sakulich, third 50 Back - Gabriella Spaciano, first; Morgan Sakulich, second; Lauren Hurst, third 50 Breast - Emma Thomas, first; Rhiannon Borchert, second 100 Free - Hayley Vasek, first; Gabriela Krochta, second; Rhiannon Borchert, third 12 & UNDER 100 IM - Ava Baur, first; Kaitlyn VanEtten, second; Grace Ciaccia, third 50 Free - Madison Federici, first; Jennifer Leonard, second; Grace Ciaccia, third 50 Fly - Gabiella Lauren Hannah Thomas, first; Melissa 50 Fly - Thomas Doran, Leonard, second; Abigail first; Tanner Manzoni, Bartuska, third third 50 Back - Ava Baur, 100 Free - Gary Weaver, first; Grace Ciaccia, third first; Stephen Brdaric, 50 Breast - Sydney third Bittner, first; Kaitlyn 50 Breast - Tal VanEtten, second Richards, first; Aidan 100 Free - Abigail Chapple, second Bartuska, first; Hannah 50 Back - Stephen Thomas , second Brdaric, first 200 Free - Madison 100 IM - Thomas Federici, first; Melissa Doran, first; Tanner Leonard, second; Sydney Manzoni, second Bittner, third 12 & UNDER 14 & UNDER 100 IM - Dennis 200 Free - Abby Zolner, Dukinas, first; Logan first; Holly Holthaus, sec- Stambaugh, third ond 50 Free - Samuel 50 Free - Heather Zondlo, first; Shane Shively, first; Peyton Ross, Szczecinski, second second 50 Fly - Zachary 100 Fly - Annalise Blockus, first; Trent Cheshire, first; Lindsey Szczecinski, third Jorda, third 100 Free - Bobby 100 Free - Holly DeLuna, first; Trent Holthaus, first; Peyton Szczecinski, second Ross, second; Melinda 50 Back - Zachary Ratchford, third Blockus, first 100 Back - Madison 50 Breast - Dennis Hurst, first; Heather Dukinas, second; Logan Shively, second Stambaugh, third 100 Breast - Annalise 200 Free - Shane Cheshire, first; Melinda Ratchford, second Szczecinski, first; Samuel Zondlo, second 200 IM - Melinda 14 & UNDER Ratchford, first; Lindsey 200 Free - Dylan Jorda, second; Jessica Lisnow, first Ravert, third 50 Free - Tyler Manzoni, BOYS first; Tony Caravaggio, 8 & UNDER third 25 Free - Richard 200 IM - Mikail DeLuna, first; Stephen Krochta, first; Andrew Miller, third Herrick, second 25 Fly - Jakob Baur, 100 Fly - Thomas first Manzoni, first; Issa 50 Free - Jakob Baur, Dahdal, third first; Gabriel DeLuna, 100 Free - Thomas third Manzoni, second; Andrew 25 Back - Gabriel Herrick, third DeLuna, first; Jackson 100 Back - Tony Kuhar, second Caravaggio, first; Garrett 25 Breast - Richard Pall, second DeLuna, second 100 Breast - Tyler 10 & UNDER Manzoni, first; Mikail 50 Free - Gary Weaver, Krochta, second; Evan frst Sabecky, third ik te
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