SID Blog #31 (We are blowing away the field!!)
It’s been quite awhile since we last spoke, so it’s time to catch up a little on news and notes about former Rock student athletes.
First, though, "shout-outs" to Rock women's soccer coaches
Noreen Herlihy and
Ashley Martin, women's volleyball coaches
Laurie Lokash and
Erin Street and their student athletes on earning NCAA Division II playoff berths; to
George Mihalik,
Vic Campagna,
Shawn Lutz and the rest of The Rock football coaching staff and their student athletes on the PSAC-West co-championship and PSAC runner-up honors and to field hockey coaches
Julie Zoolkoski Swiney and
Maribeth Brozena and their student athletes on earning an elusive PSAC playoff berth.
ROCK PRIDE exemplified!
Speaking of soccer successes ...
• Former Rock women’s soccer standout
Blair Gantz has coached the Mars High School girls’ team to the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) Class AA championship and a berth in the state semifinals this fall. The Fighting Planets take a 23-0-1 record into their match Tuesday vs. South Park.
•
Lisa Castiglione, another former Rock women’s soccer standout, guided the Karns City High School girls’ team to a 15-1-2 final record and a PIAA District 9 runner-up finish.
• Former Rock men’s soccer standout
Steve Perri coached the Knoch High School girls’ team to a 16-2-2 final record and a berth in the WPIAL quarterfinals.
•
Matt Adams, who earned Division II national Player of the Year honors in 2009 as a member of The Rock baseball team and the St. Louis Cardinals’ top minor-league power-hitting prospect, was hitting .250 with four home runs and 19 RBIs in 20 Arizona Fall League games as of Nov. 10.
Adams hit .300 with 32 HRs and 101 RBIs last summer for the Cardinals’ double-A affiliate in Springfield, Mo.
Jon Mayo, mlb.com’s draft and prospect expert, ranks Adams as the No. 10 minor-league first baseman and St. Louis’ No. 10 minor-league prospect.
•
Matt Howard, who earned Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division “Player of Year” honors last spring as a senior center fielder for The Rock baseball team, recently signed a professional contract to play for the Traverse City (Mich.) Beach Bums of Frontier League. He will join fellow Rock pitchers Scott Dunn and Don Pugliese on the Beach Bums’ roster.
• Football team alumnus
A.J. Saunders recently signed a contract to play for the Erie Explosion of the Ultimate Indoor Football League. Last spring, he played for the Reading Express of the Indoor Football League. In the interim, he was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Valley High School, and participated in offseason combines for the Canadian Football League, Arena Football League and other indoor football teams. It was at an Oct. 22 combine session at the Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena in Cheswick that Saunders caught the eye of Explosion head coach Shawn Liotta and subsequently received the contract offer.
“Without a doubt, we liked what we saw at the combine,” Liotta said in a Nov. 14 Valley News Dispatch story written by Paul Kogut. “(Saunders) stood out. He's got great ball skills and quickness. That translates well to the arena game.”
Saunders’ younger brother, Anthony, 20, was a starting cornerback on this fall’s Rock squad.
If you have any other news and notes about former Rock student athletes, please e-mail them to me at
robert.mccomas@sru.edu or Assistant Sports Information Director
Jon Holtz at
jonathan.holtz@sru.edu.
While I'm handing out kudos, HUGE attaboys to Jon, SID graduate assistant
Tyler McIntosh and our student worker crew for making me/us look good and helping to keep our department as the pacesetters among PSAC sports info staffs!!
I close on a sad note, tempered by good memories. I’m going to miss seeing the devilish smile and feeling the warm embrace of dear friend and fellow cancer survivor
Emily McFarland, who lost her battle Oct. 21. A 37-year employee of SRU, Emily was a great lady who touched and improved many a life, particularly through her coordination of American Cancer Society “Relay for Life” events. May her daughter, former SRU co-worker Melody Nail, and the family take comfort knowing they are in our thoughts and prayers.
That’s all for now. Until next time,
GO ROCK!!!
Bob McComas
Sports Information Director
