Sports

On Campus

The Duke University field hockey team came up with a big victory last Saturday and a pair of former Wyoming Valley Conference standouts were right in the middle of things.

Duke upset No. 1-ranked Maryland 3-2 in College Park, Md. and the Blue Devils got key performances from junior Amie Survilla (Crestwood) and Laura Suchoski (Wyoming Seminary).

Survilla scored the first two goals for Duke, which is 9-3 overall and 2-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. She leads the Blue Devils in scoring with seven goals (14 points).

“I think Amie’s two goals say it all,” Duke coach Beth Bozman said. “We take a lot of shots as a team, but you need to finish your chances and Amie proved early in the season that she’s a great finisher. Saturday was a great example of that.”

Suchoski didn’t score, but the three-time All-American played her usual fine game in the field.

“This is by far her best season,” Bozman said. “She is going out in grand style. She is very focused and determined to make this her best season at Duke.”

The Blue Devils, ranked ninth in the country entering the game, figure to move up in the rankings when they are announced later this week.

KEARNEY STARTING – After not seeing action in the first game and coming off the bench in the second, sophomore JP Kearney (Coughlin) has started the last three games at quarterback for the St. Lawrence University football team.

Kearney, a 6-foot, 185-pounder, has hit on 61 of 123 passes for 634 yards with two touchdowns. He’s been intercepted eight times. He hit 21 of 31 passes for a career-high 300 yards in a 23-17 loss to King’s Point.

“JP has shown tremendous growth over the past couple of games,” coach Chris Phelps said. “He is a very competitive player and is continually striving to improve.”

According to Phelps, Kearney fits well with the team’s No-Huddle offense.

“I have been proud of how he has persevered through adversity during games,” the coach said. “He is gaining valuable experience that will allow him to become a very talented quarterback in our league.”

The Saints are off to an 0-5 start and travel to Schenectady, N.Y. Saturday to battle Liberty League foe Union College.

BRESLIN GETTING HIS KICKS – Matt Breslin is the leading scorer on the Widener College football team and the freshman is doing it with his foot.

Breslin (Hazleton Area) has scored 20 points for the 3-2 Pride. He’s hit four of five field goals attempts and is eight for 10 kicking extra points. In Widener’s 17-3 victory over King’s College last Saturday in Wilkes-Barre, Breslin kicked a 36-yard field goal and a pair of extra points. In that game, the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder missed his only field goal attempt to date – from 49 yards out.

“Matt has done a great job,” coach Dave Wood said. “He has an excellent foot and has kicked very well since he came into camp.”

Breslin, who kicked for Bishop Hafey before attending Hazleton Area his senior year, will also be a member of the Widener golf team next spring and that makes Wood happy as well.

“I’m the golf coach, too,” Wood said. “If he hits a golf ball as well as he kicks a football, I think he’ll make a difference on our golf team.”

LEHMAN SHOWS HER SKILL – Freshman Jenna Lehman (Wyoming Valley West) is the starting goalkeeper for the University of New Hampshire field hockey team.

Lehman has given up 39 goals and has 86 saves for the 6-8 Wildcats. She had 13 saves in a 4-3 victory over the University of Maine last Saturday.

“Jenna had a great skill set coming here and that, combined with her work ethic and natural athleticism, makes her a key player for us,” coach Margaux Shute said. “She does not play like a freshman because of her poise and decision-making in the cage.”

Shute stated that Lehman doesn’t only make saves she comes up with big ones in games.

“In almost every game, Jenna has come up with two or three huge saves to keep a goal off the scoreboard,” the coach said. “This gives her teammates great confidence in her and gives us the ability to be very aggressive on the offensive side of the ball.”

KONYCKI A YOUNG VET – Corey Konycki (Wyoming Seminary) is just a sophomore but the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder is in his second season as a starter for the Robert Morris football team.

Konycki started in eight games at right guard as a freshman and is holding down that spot again this season for the Colonials, who are 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the Northeast Conference.

Konycki, also a grad from Bishop Hoban, helped Robert Morris pick up 440 yards in total offense in a 34-27 victory over Duquesne last Saturday.

“Corey has done a great job for us this year,” offensive line coach Andy Richardson said. “He has really made a big improvement from last year and I think that it started last winter. That’s when I really saw that he had a great work ethic and wanted to be the best he could be.”

According to Richardson, that’s one of the reasons why Konycki is so easy to coach and that he has a big future ahead of him.

“Corey has the talent to become one of the best linemen to ever come through Robert Morris,” the coach said. “He still has a long way to go, but I believe with his work ethic and natural ability he will get there.”

DUO HELPS MANSFIELD – Senior Shantee Proctor (Wyoming Valley West) and freshman Sami Swingle (Lake-Lehman) have started all 15 games on defense for the Mansfield field hockey team which is 7-8 overall and 3-3-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The Mountaineers have two shutouts thus far this season.

“Shantee came back to campus ready to play,” coach Diane Monkiewicz said. “She was fit and motivated. Her steady improvement throughout the years has led her to become a very dependable, poised and calculated defender.”

Swingle also came to camp ready to play according to Monkiewicz.

“She’s working hard to grasp the nuances of collegiate field hockey, especially with regards to defensive positioning,” the coach said. “She is improving with every competition and her natural instincts are working well within our team’s game plan.”

Monkiewicz sees a strong finish for both women.

“Shantee’s leadership will prove to be invaluable as crunch time approaches,” the coach said. “And, I expect Sami to continue to develop as a defender the remainder of the season.”

PRYOR LEADS THE WAY – Senior Mike Pryor (Coughlin) is a co-captain on the West Chester men’s soccer team, but the 5-foot-8 forward is also doing a job on the field. He leads the 7-5-2 Golden Rams in scoring with 14 points (seven goals) and has two game-winners.

“Mike is first and foremost an individual of fine moral fiber,” coach Kendall Walkes said. “He’s a captain with a quiet demeanor but speaks loudly with his play.”

Walkes isn’t surprised with Pryor’s scoring figures.

“Mike is the quintessential goal scorer,” the coach said. “He scores with the greatest of ease and had four goals (in a 6-3 victory over Mercy) in one game.”

Pryor is also a standout in the class room. He has a 3.4 grade point average majoring in professional studies.

“Speaking for everyone associated with Golden Rams soccer, we are very proud of Mike and hopefully we can enjoy a shared goal of a league (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) championship.”

DUO SEES DOUBLE – Sophomore Aubrey Klesh (Hazleton Area) and freshman Morgan Foreck (Pittston Area) are solid doubles performers for the Marywood University women’s tennis team. But they are not partners.

Klesh, with freshman teammate Ashley Karli, is 6-2 at No. 2 doubles for the Pacers, who are 8-3 overall and 7-1 in the Colonial States Athletic Conference. The team has captured three straight.

“Aubrey has proven to be a great asset to our team,” coach Peter Hubiak said. “She has a very smooth style of play with exceptional ball control and shot-making ability. She is capable of rallying with a great deal of consistency at a moderate pace and then, seemingly without effort or warning, change the pace to a powerful ground stroke which usually results in a winning shot.”

Foreck is 7-3 at No. 3 doubles with fellow freshman Beth Schneider. The duo has won five straight matches.

“Morgan’s open stance style of play is somewhat unusual,” Hubiak said. “However, she is capable of using it to effectively disguise her shot placement. Keys for her are her consistency and excellent court movement. And, she has a solid lefty serve.”

GORMAN AT HER BEST – Senior Molly Gorman (Wyoming Valley West) came up with her best scoring round of her career and it helped the Towson University women’s golf team set a school-record in winning the recent Lady Herd Golf Classic at Marshall University in Huntington, West, Va.

After an opening round 87, Gorman posted a 79 for a 166 total as the Tigers finished first in the 12-team event.

“Molly’s play at Marshall is indicative of the type of fighter she is,” coach Peter Schlehr said. “She got off to a slow start (six over par after four holes), but she battled back.”

Schlehr wasn’t surprised by Gorman’s performance.

“Molly has reached a new level in her ball striking ability,” the coach said. “She is one of the top players on our team in that regard. She is working on her putting and once that part of her game improves, her scores will drop more than they already have.”

Bill Arsenault writes On Campus for The Times Leader. He can be reached at billarsenault70@msn.com.