Published: June 15, 2009 11:45 pm      

Local sports briefs 6/16/2009

Football

All-Stars to hold youth clinic

The Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Stars will conduct a youth football clinic on Wednesday at Johnstown’s Trojan Stadium.

The clinic will be held from 6-8 p.m. for athletes in grades 1-6. The first 150 kids will receive a free T-shirt.

The rainout location is the Cambria County War Memorial Arena.



Juniata welcomes 28

HUNTINGDON – Four players from The Tribune-Democrat’s coverage area are among those in the Juniata College recruiting class released Monday by first-year coach Carmen Felus.

“In our first recruiting class we feel like we addressed our numbers issue,” Felus said. “We have, to date, brought in 28 student-athletes, and that will let us head into training camp with 82 players on our roster. That helps us depth-wise at every position.”

Local players in the class are: Quadir Christian (Greater Johnstown, RB, 5-6, 145); Justin Clapper (Bedford, LB, 6-2, 190); Jon Maurizio (Greater Johnstown, K, 5-11, 200); and George Schwaderer (Penn Cambria, LB, 6-0, 195).



Hockey

Chiefs get Reading forward

The Johnstown Chiefs announced Monday that they have acquired forward Erik Felde to finish a trade with the Reading Royals.

The Chiefs traded the rights to Max Taylor to Reading on Dec. 10. Taylor’s rights, along with defenseman David Schulz, were originally picked up by the Chiefs in exchange for defenseman Andrew Martens on Aug. 28. Taylor was under contract to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies (the Royals’ AHL affiliate) and did not play in a game for the Chiefs in 2008-09.

During his rookie season, Felde combined for nine points in 29 games with Alaska and eight with Reading.

“Felde is a versatile player, who has proven to be effective on the wing, as well as on the defensive end,” said Bill Bredin, the Chiefs’ vice president and general manager. “He is a strong skater who will add depth.”



ECHL has ties to Stanley Cup

PRINCETON, N.J. – For the ninth consecutive year the ECHL is represented on the Stanley Cup-winning team, including three Johnstown natives.

Pittsburgh Penguins equipment managers Dana Heinze and Dave Zeigler and athletic trainer Chris Stewart are from Johnstown had previously worked with the ECHL’s Chiefs. Scott Adams, an athletic trainer, had also worked with the Chiefs.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, forward Ruslan Fedotenko and scout Derek Clancey also have ties to the league.



Colleges

NEC leader dies at 51

Brenda Weare, who helped the Northeast Conference gain an automatic bid to next year’s NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, has died after a battle with synovial cell sarcoma, a rare form of cancer.

She was 51.

Weare, who grew up in Denver and played volleyball at the University of Wisconsin, became the NEC’s third full-time commissioner in August 2006.

“The St .Francis University community is deeply grieved at the loss of Brenda Weare,” said the Rev. Gabriel Zeis, the school’s president. “She had been a tremendous asset to the Northeast Conference and to all of its members, especially to St. Francis.”

Weare introduced a number of programs aimed at upgrading the NEC’s championship sports, and she secured Bryant as the league’s 12th full-time member.



Red Flash athletes fare well

LORETTO – Student-athletes at St. Francis have combined for a 3.149 overall grade point average, the 21st consecutive semester their GPA has topped 3.0.

The women’s golf team took top honors, with a team GPA of 3.563. Soccer was the highest-ranking men’s team, with a team GPA of 3.302.

Basketball player Kurt Hoffman, a Greater Johnstown graduate who was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 2 team, was one of 32 St. Francis student-athletes to post a 4.0 in the spring semester.



AAABA

Delweld 2, Martella 0

Delweld took first place in the league standings away from Martella’s Pharmacy on the strength of two unearned runs in the early game at Point Stadium.

Drew Westover scored on a throwing error in the fourth inning and Nick Barbera came home on a wild pitch in the fifth to give Delweld all the runs it needed.

Winning pitcher Brett Vescovi held Martella’s to two hits while striking out seven.



Principle 14 Creamery 13

Matt Stahl’s one-out hit up the middle brought Matt Donaldson home from second with the winning run to end a nine-inning stalemate at Roxbury Park.

Donaldson, the winning pitcher, was 3-for-4 with five runs scored while Stahl finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs.

Teammate Andy Rubal was 2-for-4 with two RBIs while Eric Nalisnick was 2-for-2 and Dino Tessari hit a thre-run homer in the fourth.

Wayne Deneen led Roxberry Creamery with a 3-for-5 effort that included a seventh-inning grand slam and nine RBIs.

Nate Antone was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored while teammate Alex Buccilli scored three runs. Ty Holderbaum was 2-for-5 with three runs scored.



Cambria Legion

Westmont 7, Ebensburg 3

EBENSBURG – Brian Marshall and Chase Wallace had three hits and drove in one run each to lead Westmont.

Dan Blasko had two hits and scored twice for the winners.

Eric Ocipa’s three hits and two runs scored led visiting Ebensburg. Teammate Justin Wissinger had three hits.



Nanty Glo 7, Lilly 6

LILLY – Winning pitcher Greg Malloy went 4-for-4 with two RBIs as Nanty Glo won in eight innings.

Adam Eckenrode went

2-for-4 with three RBIs for Lilly.



Bedford 2, Patton 0

PATTON – Rylan Schnabley held Patton to one hit while striking out nine and giving up three walks, and Brad Ewing’s three-run homer in the fourth provided the offense for Bedford’s narrow win.



Claysburg 12 Somerset 4

SOMERSET – Cody Swope was 4-for-4 with four runs scored while Drew Ebersole went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Claysburg.

Gunnar Smith led Somerset with a 2-for-4 effort and one RBI.



Cernic’s 11, Stoystown 4

Alex Martin, Jason Lechak and Nick Eidem each had two hits to help Cernic’s win at Franklin Field.

Martin and Eidem each reached base four times and scored twice.

Stoystown starter Grant Hill had a hit and scored twice.



St. Michael 17, Serenko FH 7

PORTAGE – St. Michael pounded out 15 hits en route to a win at Portage.

Joe McCall led St. Michael, going 3-for-4, scoring three runs and driving in three more.

Matt Washko, Luke Shoemaker, Josh Paulson and Colin Gdula had two hits each for the winners, with Gdula’s three RBIs including a home run in the third inning.

Zach Petrunak led Serenko with a 3-for-3 effort while Spencer Price was 2-for-4, including a grand slam in the fifth inning. Jeremy Piatak also went 2-for-4.