Posts Tagged ‘Youngstown State University’

The Youngstown State women’s golf team rode a strong second day performance to finish first at the YSU Invitational which concluded on Tuesday at the Links at Firestone Farms.

Leading the way were freshmen Aislynn Merling (lower photo) and Allison Metzel. Merling finished first with a two-round total of 152. She opened the event with a 79 on Monday and came back to fire an impressive low-round of 73 on Tuesday. Metzel also had a strong second day. After an opening round 82 on Monday she came back to fire a 73 on Tuesday.

In the team competition, the Guins shot a 313 on the day to card a 641 and come back to win the tournament. The Penguins trailed Bethel by three strokes after the first round, but the Pilots carded a 322 and finished second with a 647. Robert Morris was third with a 666 (336-330).

Finishing in eighth for YSU was Sarah Heimlich who had a two-round total of 164 (84-80) and freshman Sana Kahn was 14th with a 168 (83-85). Other finishers for the Penguins were Sarah Scheidemantel was 22nd with 177 (90-87), Jessica Parham who was 23rd with a 178 (93-85),  Jamie Berndt was 28th with a 195 (102-93) and Ali DeLuca was 29th with a 210.

The Penguins return to action on Sept. 17 at the Ball State Invitational.

** Both photos, courtesy of Ron Stevens.

The Youngstown State women’s soccer team (2-1-1) seeks its first three-game winning streak in school history when it hosts Ursuline College, Friday, Sept. 2, at 3 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium. The Guins also visit Canisius, Sunday, Sept. 4, at 2 p.m.

The Guins are coming off two straight victories, a 3-1 win over the Virginia Military Institute on Aug. 26, and a 1-0 overtime win over Robert Morris on Aug. 28.

In just her first four college games, freshman Jade Flory has made a significant impact on the Penguins. Flory leads the team with three goals and seven points. She has scored a goal in the last three contests, including the game-winner in a 1-0 overtime win over Robert Morris on Aug. 28.

Sophomore goalkeeper Ali Viola recorded her first career shutout in the Guins’ 1-0 overtime win over Robert Morris on Aug. 28. Viola owns a record of 2-0-1 with 16 saves and a goals-against average of 0.61.

Just 16 games into her college career, sophomore Allison Ludwig now ranks fifth on the YSU career goals list with 10. She is also just the fifth player in school history to score at least 10 career goals. Last season, Ludwig tied the YSU freshmen record with eight goals.

* Photo Courtesy of Ron Stevens

Camp is over, school is in session, and football is in the air.  Youngstown State will start the 2011 season on the road at East Lansing to face off against the #17 ranked Michigan State Spartans.  The game is set for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff and will be televised on the Big-10 Network.  Friday’s contest will mark the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

Michigan State knows what it is like to be on National Television with this game extending that streak to 103 consecutive games dating back to 2002.  Youngstown State, on the other hand got some exposure in recent years with games against Penn State, Pitt, and Ohio State.  The Spartans are 5-4 at home in prime-time TV appearances.

“We will not just be satisfied if we score a touchdown”, exclaimed YSU Coach Eric Wolford.  “We cleared that hurdle last season and I am very confident in this football team.  This is a new season, last year does not matter anymore.  Today was the first day of classes and usually that means a bad practice takes place.  I was happy to say that this was a very good practice and we are very focused on what we need to do for the Michigan State game.”

“It’s okay to be excited, but we are keeping our focus on what we have to do Friday”, remarked YSU Senior Captain, John Sasson.  “Our goal is to win this game, our goal is to win every game and we have to do that one week at a time.  It is a very long season and games will be focused on one at a time.”

For Youngstown State to have any shot at an upset, they have to control the clock, move the sticks and keep the ball away from the Spartans.  Sophomore QB Kurt Hess and RB Jamaine Cook, both recently named co-captains, lead a very experienced and talented Youngstown State backfield.  The Penguins averaged over 400 yards per game on offense in 2010 and have the backfield returning.

Hess (above) doesn’t look toward the Michigan State game feeling any pressure as a newly named captain, the first sophomore in YSU history to be donned with such an honorable title.  “I am trying to have fun.  I don’t see this as pressure as much as I do responsibility.  The responsibility is every day and you can’t take plays off at practice, being a leader means you are accountable.”

Still in question is the passing game.  With the loss of Dominique Barnes and a slew of new faces in camp, the air game is the biggest question mark for the Penguins going into 2011.  Michigan State is not a team that will be easy to tear apart in third-and-long situations with Senior FS Trenton Robinson, a 2010 All-Conference Pick,  roaming the middle, and a solid pass rush featuring DT Jerel Worthy.

“I think we are going to play a good game and stayed focused.  We want to stay grounded and fight until it is over and we are ready to play this game.  We have a lot of bad taste in our mouth from last season and I know we are hungry”, added Hess.

Offensively, the Spartans feature one of the best quarterbacks in the Big-10, Kirk Cousins.  Cousins is like a right-handed Steve Young who has good mobility and arm strength and makes very precise decisions.  Edwin Baker will receive the majority of the carries for Michigan State and earned post-season Big-10 honors last year.  The Penguins, who will look much better on defense this season will have their hands full with a well-balanced offense.

On a sad note, prayers are with Spartan Coach Mark Dantonio whose father passed away Sunday.  Dantonio, from Zanesville, Ohio, will hold his press conference on Tuesday and leave to attend the services.  He is expected to be back for the opener on Friday.

With a nation of football-starved fanatics, the Penguins have vowed to give it their best shot on Friday.  Michigan State has a lofty goal of winning the Big-10 Championship outright this season.  Let the games begin!

Youngstown State Head Football Coach Eric Wolford announced to the Penguins on Saturday morning that senior linebacker John Sasson (Pittsburgh, Pa.), senior defensive tackle Andrew Johnson (Detroit, Mich.), junior tailback Jamaine Cook (Cleveland, Ohio) and sophomore quarterback Kurt Hess (Dayton, Ohio) have been selected as team captains for the 2011 season.

Hess is believed to be the first sophomore in school history to be named captain. He is the first quarterback to be tabbed a captain since Tom Zetts in 2007. Last year as a redshirt freshman Hess started all 11 games at quarterback.

Cook, who is on the preseason Watch List for the Walter Payton Award, rushed for 1,276 yards as a sophomore and was named second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Confernece last year.

Sasson is coming off a career-high 89 tackles from the 2010 campaign. Entering last year he had a total of 90 career tackles before doubling his career output last season.

Johnson, who transfered from Bowling Green prior to last season, had a strong camp and should be ready for a breakout season on the defensive line. He started last year on a good note before being slowed by an ankle injury the remainder of the season.

YSU is set to practice on Sunday morning at Stambaugh Stadium. Monday brings the first day of classes and the first evening practice of the season. The Guins are scheduled to practice beginning at 7 p.m. that night.

YSU opens the season on Friday, Sept. 2 at Michigan State. The contest will be televised on the Big Ten Network and carried on 570 WKBN AM.

Season and Individual Game Tickets for the 2011 season are now on sale through the YSU Athletic Ticket Office. For ticket information contact the YSU Athletic Ticket Office at (330) 941-1978.

Former Youngstown State star Donald Jones is settling in nicely with the Buffalo Bills.  Jones is scorching up the depth charts and will see ample playing time in Buffalo this season.  I will be featuring Jones every week during the NFL season to recap what went right in the games, and what may have caused problems for Jones and the Bills.

With Lee Evans gone, a huge void in the Bills offense is up for grabs.  Bills Coach, Chan Gailey, has already made his feelings known by praising Jones.  The biggest compliment a coach can give a player at that level is playing time.  Jones is currently listed as the #2 receiver for the Bills behind Stevie Johnson.  The other players for the Bills with some game experience, David Nelson and Roscoe Parrish are inside slot-type receivers, opening the door for Jones to replace Evans to be a deep threat and game breaker in 2011.

“I am having the best training camp I have ever had at any level”, commented Jones.  “There are plenty of opportunities to get involved with the offense and I am going to bust my butt to take advantage of my chances here.”

We briefly discussed his relative unknown status in fantasy football leagues too.  “Hopefully a lot of people draft me and I can get them some points. But right now I don’t really think about being a starter. I’m just out here getting ready for the season, learning my playbook, and working hard at getting better.  The rest of it is out of my hands, it’s up to the coaches, and if they decide to start me, I will give them all I can.”

I asked Jones if there were any wrinkles in the new playbook designed for him.  “We can’t really discuss that (laughs), but there are a couple of neat things that the people will like to see.”

Youngstown State’s seventh-year men’s basketball Head Coach Jerry Slocum announced his team’s 29-game 2011-12 schedule which features 13 home games, match ups against three NCAA Tournament participants, a Big Ten opponent and two contests against the two-time national runners-up.

“This is a very competitive schedule for our program this year,” Slocum said. “With the Horizon League continually getting better and better, we know our players have to be ready to play night in and night out. We feel this schedule will prepare our team for league play.”

The Guins open the 2011-12 campaign on the road at Samford (Nov. 12) before hosting two straight home games – Notre Dame College (Nov. 15) in the home opener and UC-Riverside (Nov. 18) in a return game from the 2010 BracketBuster.

Seven of the Guins’ next eight games are on the road, including four consecutive away contests – at Big Ten-member Penn State (Nov. 23), at Saint Francis (Pa.) (Nov. 26), at Detroit (Dec. 1) and at Wright State (Dec. 3). It also marks the third straight season and the sixth time in the last seven years the Guins will open Horizon League play on the road.

After hosting Fredonia State (Dec. 6), the Guins visit three teams from the Mid-American – at Buffalo (Dec. 10), at Toledo (Dec. 17) and at Akron (Dec. 19) – then host Robert Morris (Dec. 22) just before Christmas.

The Guins return to action and begin the Horizon League portion of the slate with a New Year’s Eve tilt at Cleveland State (Dec. 31). They then start 2012 with two home games against Loyola (Jan. 5) and UIC (Jan. 7).

A swing through the Hoosier state to visit Valparaiso (Jan. 12) and two-time national runner-up Butler (Jan. 14) precedes the Guins’ longest homestand of the season. The Guins host Milwaukee (Jan. 19) and Green Bay (Jan. 21) before starting the second half of league play with a home contest against Cleveland State (Jan. 28).

The Guins second road swing of at least three games starts at Milwaukee (Jan. 31) and continues in Chicago with a pair of games at UIC (Feb. 2) and at Loyola (Feb. 4).

The rest of the month of February includes home games against Butler (Feb. 9), Valparaiso (Feb. 11) and Wright State (Feb. 23) and Detroit (Feb. 25) in the final weekend of the regular season.

The Guins also visit Green Bay (Feb. 14) and a yet to be named opponent in the BracketBuster game on Feb. 18.

First-round games of the Horizon League Championship begin on Feb. 28 while the second round is March 2. The league semifinals are March 3 while the championship game is March 6.

The Youngstown State women’s soccer team opens its 16th season with a pair of games at the UMKC Tournament beginning with a match up against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Friday, Aug. 19, at 6 p.m. The Guins will face host UMKC, Sunday, Aug. 21, at 12:05 p.m.

About the Guins
The Guins return 17 letterwinners and 10 starters from last season’s 3-13-1 team led by defender and three-year senior captain Kelsey Kempton and sophomore Allison Ludwig. Kempton, who scored two goals with an assist last season, was a 2010 CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-District IV selection.

Ludwig, who recorded a hat trick in her collegiate debut last season, was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team after scoring eight goals and ranking in the top five in several offensive categories. She also tied the YSU freshman record with eight goals scored.

Next week, the Guins visit the Virginia Military Institute, Friday, Aug. 26, at 5 p.m. before hosting Robert Morris, Sunday, Aug. 28, at Noon at Stambaugh Stadium.

Youngstown State got its first taste of bad news on Thursday when Coach Eric Wolford announced that Zach Larson (#56, above), a returning letterman from 2010, would probably be redshirted after an injury that would cause him to miss the bulk of the 2011 season.

“Larson will probably be redshirted which hurts because he was having a really good camp, and was working hard”, remarked Wolford.  “He was playing some center for us and we will probably redshirt him and get him back for the next three years. Unfortunately, it is a part of the game this time of the year when you are hitting and tackling at full speed and have to expect some fallout.  We moved [Zach] Conlan over there and I addressed in preseason that the depth of the offensive line had me worried a little bit, we tried to address some other needs first.”

Wolford admitted that no depth chart exists, not until Monday.  ” We haven’t posted a depth chart yet.  We are just out there running around right now.  We will have a better idea with a depth chart after Saturday’s scrimmage. We [coaching staff] will go over everything in detail on Sunday and post it on Monday.  I have a pretty good idea of who the 60 guys are, but we will officially post something on Monday.”

Most men hate shaving. Marc Kanetsky showed up for camp with more than a full beard and has been getting double takes from everyone who has not seen him since last season.  Kanetsky, a senior from Hubbard, is standing out more than ever and has even gotten some black dye involved to add somewhat of an exclamation point.

“I started growing it out earlier in the Summer and it was coming in pretty good”, commented Kanetsky.  “I was talking to my brother who encouraged me that no matter what I did, not to shave it off.  As it was growing out, I figured I might as well dye it black, like Brian Wilson the baseball player.  I think it came out pretty good.  I’m not a Giants fan though, I remain a Tribe fan.”

Kanetsky, who is good friends with starter Kurt Hess and backup Patrick Angle, said he is preparing for the upcoming season.  ” I know Kurt is the guy, but I am going to be prepared every week in the event that I am called upon.  I am dying to get a chance, I have been waiting for three years to get in there and prove that I can play.”

Kanetsky’s father, Marty, commented on his sons facial hair experimentation.  “It’s a mans beard and I couldn’t grow one like that.  I tried, but I quit.  When he dyed it black, I thought it was awesome. Now what he has to do is dye the other half red and by the Michigan State game, he has a chance to be the lead-in for Sportscenter.”

Kanetsky is a 3.9 student attending YSU on academic scholarships that cover his housing and his books, he plays football because of a burning desire to compete and a sheer love of the game.

Youngstown State University hit the field for the first time in full pads on Wednesday.  With so many guys dressed and so few positions to be awarded, everyone was trying to make a good impression.  There was a definitive twinkle in Eric Wolford‘s eyes as guys were going all out on both sides of the ball and the word ‘competition’ was given extra significance.

In a seven-on-seven skeleton passing drill, Will Shaw had running back coverage from his linebacker post.  The running back, Jamaine Cook, got a step on Shaw.  To avoid giving up a touchdown, Shaw grabbed Cook to prevent a catch, which was obvious and blatant interference.  A little pushing and shoving ensued and the two would eventually be separated.  Shaw and Cook are teammates from last season and will surely work out their differences putting the team goals in front of personal gains at a practice.

Several more high intensity skirmishes broke out throughout practice.  Is this a bad thing?  Not if the Penguins can keep it on the field and understand that a unified team is a dangerous force to be reckoned with.  If anything, it was good.  Nobody was hurt and it gets everybody’s blood flowing.  Football is a full-contact sport and every single play is a car wreck.

“Some guys are combine guys and look good running around in shorts, but when you put the pads on, you find out who the real men are“, commented Coach Eric Wolford.  “I have a lot of confidence in these guys and I know that this is very important to them.  There is a lot of competition.  These guys compete just to get in the food line. They are competing for attention right now, and that is a good thing.  Some guys think it isn’t cool to ask the coaches questions, but not this group, they are competing for our attention.”

The defense looks much improved from last season and one of the returners from a year ago, DJ Moss, talked about the improvements so far.  “Last year we didn’t have as much depth and we were adjusting all year.  We understand the defense now, we are ready to hit.  We are getting into the swing of things and we understand the full spectrum of the defense.  Last year at this time we knew we were slanting to the A gap and that a linebacker was filling.  This year we understand where everyone is and who has what responsibilities.”

The Penguins open scrimmage play this Saturday at 9:45 on the shiny new turf of the Ice Castle.  The scrimmage is open to the public.