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First Posted: 12/4/2012
Paige Semenza is having a big final season with the Ohio State women’s hockey team.
Semenza, from Pittston (North American Hockey Academy), leads the Buckeyes in scoring with 19 points on 11 goals and eight assists. She has a plus-6 on-ice percentage (playing when her team scores and the other team does not).
Paige has played extremely well, coach Nate Handrahan said. She has had success with scoring but her biggest strength is her work ethic and leadership. She is a consistent worker and has had greater opportunities to play in more of an expanded role and has done well.
Semenza has helped Ohio State earn a No. 10 ranking with a 12-5-1 record and a 9-4-1 mark in the Western Collegiate Hockey League. She had two goals and two assists in a 7-2 victory over Lindenwood, two goals in a 5-3 triumph over North Dakota and a goal and an assist in last Saturday’s 4-3 victory over Minnesota State.
The 5-foot-4 forward entered this season having played in 120 games with 16 goals and 24 assists.
I would expect Paige to continue to have a great season because she has been so consistent, Handrahan said.
The Buckeyes host RIT in non-league play Saturday and Sunday in Columbus.
HONOR FOR ROOSA – Bloomsburg senior Josh Roosa (Crestwood) was recently named Eastern Wrestling League Performer of the Week after capturing the 149-pound title at the Keystone Classic in Philadelphia. He won five matches on the day to help Bloomsburg finish fourth in the team standings.
Roosa, who was seeded second, wrapped up the title with a 5-2 victory over top seed Kevin Tao of American University in the final.
Roosa is 5-2 in dual action this season as well and has a 45-27 lifetime mark despite being slowed by injuries during his career.
Josh keeps doing what is needed to continue to get better, veteran coach John Stutzman said. I know that a healthy Roosa is a good Roosa.
Sophomore Michael Mirra (Crestwood) is also on the squad. He’s 7-7 in tourney competition at 197 pounds. He’s 15-16 for his career.Josh and Mike are doing well, Stutzman said. They both are on course to graduate and are competing very well. We look forward to the remainder of the season.
The Huskies are 6-1 in dual meet action and are ranked 15th in the latest Division I poll. They return to action Saturday in the PSAC Championships at Kutztown.
ALEXIS FINDS A HOME –After spending a year at Penn State as a red-shirt, Peter Alexis is doing a great job as a freshman with the Philadelphia University men’s basketball team.
Alexis (Holy Redeemer) is averaging 14.7 points and 9.3 rebounds and has 15 blocked shots for the Rams, who are 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. The 6-foot-10, 255-pound center had a career-high 25 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in a recent 77-69 victory over Bridgeport and last Saturday, had nine points, seven rebounds and two blocks in a 77-72 victory over Felician.
Pete has been a tremendous help to our team so far this year, assistant coach James Reilly said. He has already been named CACC Rookie of the Week twice.
The Rams host Holy Family in a league game tonight in Philadelphia.
FAZZINI A BIG SHOT – Adam Fazzini (Crestwood) is off to a hot start as shooting guard for the Stonehill men’s basketball team.
The 6-foot-6 senior is second on the team in scoring (11.4) and has hit 19 of 39 shots from the field (.487) and has hit 16-of-32 from 3-point range. He had 14 points, including four of eight from outside the arc, in last Saturday’s 51-47 home game victory over St. Michael’s in Easton, MA.
The great thing about Adam is his work ethic and his ability to improve each season, coach David McLaughlin said. Last year, he grasped his role as sixth man and his overall performance was an integral part of our success.
This season he’s starting for the 3-2 Skyhawks.
We expect another step forward this year in all areas, McLaughlin said. His leadership skills and defensive abilities will be needed daily. And, he has also expanded his offensive game and will need to make it a goal to score in the paint and get to the foul line.
PISANO IN THE SWIM – Sophomore Anthony Pisano (Hanover Area) is doing the job in the pool for the Marywood men’s swim team.
Pisano finished second in the 50 free (22.41), eighth in the 200 free (1:52.48) and 12th in the 100 free (50.61) at last weekend’s Diamond City Invitational in Wilkes-Barre. He also helped the 200 and 400 free and the 200 medley relay teams finish third.
Anthony is having an outstanding year, coach Greg Brown said. He recently re-broke his own school record in the 50 free with a time of 22.30 which easily beat the old mark of 22.41.
That effort ranks Pisano fourth in the Landmark Conference.
Anthony has shown tremendous growth this season, Brown said. He has worked harder than ever and his times are as fast right now as they were at the end of last season. His goal is a top three finish at the conference meet.
Junior Michael Legath (Bishop Hafey) is also swimming for the Pacers. He’s been scoring points in the 100 free, 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley and Brown is impressed at how much he’s improved.
Michael has worked harder than ever and we are excited to see how much faster he can get, the coach said.
FLANAGAN’S SOLID – Senior Alyssa Flanagan has been a key performer for the Bloomsburg women’s basketball team the past four seasons and is having another strong effort for the unbeaten Huskies this season.
Flanagan (Hazleton Area) is averaging 6.8 points and 3.6 rebounds with 16 assists and 11 steals. She had nine points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals in an 84-59 victory over Edinboro last Sunday.
But, according to coach Bill Cleary, statistics are just half the story when describing Flanagan’s play.
Alyssa is a fierce competitor and always ready to compete, he said. She has improved every year but where she has the most impact is her leadership. The players RESPECT her and it is always nice when you have another coach in the locker room and on the floor competing.
Junior Briana Dudeck (Hazleton Area) is a key reserve on the squad, which plays 10 players 11 or more minutes a game. The 5-foot-5 guard is averaging 2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds.
Briana has improved greatly since she first arrived here, Cleary said. She hustles all the time and brings a spark and an energy off the bench. She’s always working hard to get better.
The Huskies, 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the PSAC, have a big league game at Millersville Saturday.
ZIMINSKI CHIPPING IN – The Lycoming women’s basketball team is off to a 0-5 start but sophomore Janelle Ziminski is doing a solid job for the Warriors.
Ziminski (Hazleton Area) has played in all five games with three starts and is averaging 5.2 points per game. She has seven rebounds, four steals, three blocked shots and three assists and has hit 11 of 22 shots from the field (.500).
But coach Chris Ditzler is more impressed with the other things Ziminski does on the court.
Janelle’s defense and work ethic will again be critical to our success, he said. We would like to see her shoot a bit more, but she does all the little things right.
Lycoming will try to break into the win column with a Centennial Conference contest at Elizabethtown on Wednesday.
Bill Arsenault covers local athletes competing at the collegiate level for The Times Leader. Reach him at [email protected].