Sports (1002)
Appalachian State Field Hockey Wins in Overtime
Written by Jason Savage
An overtime goal by freshman Meghan Smart helped Appalachian State University field hockey (4-7, 1-3 MAC) secure a 2-1 win over Virginia Commonwealth (8-3, 2-1 A-10) on Sunday afternoon at Cary Street Field.
Appalachian struck its first goal at 21' when Ali Williams sent a pass across the net to Taylor Cimbalist for the senior's seventh goal of the season.
The Rams would tie the game up at '42 on a penalty corner goal, but App State goalkeeper Rachel Gaines made two second-half saves and Annette Jarosz made a defensive save to send the game into overtime.
In overtime, it took nine minutes before either side was able to get a shot off. Savanna Sheridan had one shot before Smart scored the game winner on a breakaway.
Gaines picked up her fourth victory, amassing five saves.
App State's overtime triumph is the first since Sept. 14, 2014, when the Mountaineers defeated Davidson, 3-2. Just like today's victory, a freshman scored the game-winning goal: Taylor Cimbalist.
The Mountaineers have a quick turnaround as they prepare to host No. 13 Wake Forest on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Lenoir-Rhyne (4-2-2, 1-2-1) and Queens (4-3-3, 1-2-2) ended in a scoreless tie after 110 minutes of action in a South Atlantic Conference match at Dickson Field on Saturday night.
The Royals held a 13-6 edge in shots taken while the Bears tied their second consecutive opponent.
Lenoir-Rhyne senior Zach King (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) notched his fourth shutout of the year after stopping three shots while Queens' goalkeeper, Sergio Lemus (Santiago, CHILE), also picked up the shutout. Lemus made two saves on the night.
Lenoir-Rhyne hosts Mars Hill at the Moretz Sports – Athletic Complex on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m.
Appalachian State Softball Swept By UT Arlington
Written by Jason Savage
Appalachian State volleyball (6-12) loses to Sun Belt Conference opponent UT Arlington (8-9) in three matches on Oct. 1.
After starting behind in the first set, the Mountaineers volleyed to tie the score at 10-10. Grace Morrison led the first set in kills for App State, attempting to keep App State in the game with a service ace and a kill to bring the score closer at 21-19. UTA won the match 25-20.
Lexi Kohut started the second set off strong for App State with a kill to put App State up 1-0. The Mavericks continued to push ahead throughout the second set despite Melissa McMath's efforts at the end of the set with several kills. The Mavericks won 25-15.
UT Arlington started the third set with an early lead that allowed them to stay ahead and defeat the Mountaineers 25-15 to settle the match. Cassidy Stephenson and Amanda Krahl both stood out in the third set to lessen UT Arlington's lead.
Grace Morrison and Lexi Kohut led the team today with seven kills each. Kara Spicer, Amanda Krahl and Melissa McMath all follow with five kills. Olivia Loeffler had 13 digs, and Emma Reilly followed with nine. The Mountaineers and the Mavericks had a tie score ten times throughout the match, making it a tough competition. The Mountaineers are now 1-3 in Sun Belt play.
App State will play again at Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, N.C. for their next SBC match against Georgia State on Friday, Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m.
Lenoir-Rhyne Football Defeats Tusculum On The Road
Written by Jason Savage
The Lenoir-Rhyne University Football Team (2-3, 1-2) earned its first South Atlantic Conference win of the year with a 23-7 triumph over Tusculum (2-3, 0-2) Saturday evening at Pioneer Field.
Lenoir-Rhyne sophomore running back Nelson Brown (Salisbury, Md.) rushed for 256 yards on 30 carries – fourth-highest in school history – to go along with two scores as the Bears defeated the Pioneers for the sixth straight year. Brown's 261 yards against the Pioneers last year (September 17, 2016, in a 31-3 win) is the program's third-highest in single-game history.
Lenoir-Rhyne staked itself to a 10-0 lead when sophomore tight end Sam Camargo (Kissimmee, Fla.) caught his team-leading fourth touchdown pass of the year, a 15-yarder from sophomore quarterback Jarrod Kellar (Shinnston, W.Va.) midway through the second quarter.
Brown gave the Bears a 16-0 advantage with his first of two rushing touchdowns – a three-yarder – with 2:38 left in the first half before Tusculum finally got on the board just 12 seconds before halftime.
Tusculum's Evan Gates (Charlotte, N.C.) caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Alex Ogle (Hobe Sound, Fla.) but the Bears were able to keep the Pioneers off the scoreboard the rest of the way. Lenoir-Rhyne's defense held Tusculum to just 257 yards of offense including 49 on the ground in addition to three sacks.
Brown rounded out the scoring with a 19-yard run midway through the fourth quarter while sophomore safety Denzal Gilmore (Concord, N.C.) totaled nine tackles, three pass break-ups and a forced fumble to lead the Bears on defense. Lenoir-Rhyne totaled 356 yards on offense in the victory.
Lenoir-Rhyne returns to Moretz Stadium to host Newberry next Saturday as part of Homecoming Weekend beginning at 2:00 p.m.
Appalachian State University men's soccer (3-2-5) showcased a stingy defensive performance against High Point (3-3-2) in a 0-0 draw on Saturday evening at Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex.
The shutout for App is the second in the last four matches while the Black and Gold have blanked their counterparts in back-to-back home games in 200-plus minutes of allowing zero goals. Jake Chasteen and the Mountaineer defense posted another clean sheet, and in five home contests, Appalachian has allowed just three scores.
Appalachian's defensive performance is even more impressive coming against a sound High Point team that scored a season-high three goals in its previous outing against UNC Asheville.
"We're very proud of the team tonight to shutout a good team like HPU," head coach Jason O'Keefe said following the match. "We will build on it and continue to get better. We are excited to open up Sun Belt play at Howard on Saturday."
The Mountaineers did have some clean looks at the frame but would nearly miss on the opportunities including two by Marc Pfrogner that went just high of the net, which would have given App the lead. In the final overtime period, Ian Bennett got off a clean look at the back of the net but just barely missed to the left of the goal.
Appalachian's backline forced some tough shots from High Point while getting just two shots on goal. Jake Chasteen came away with one stop while the defense came away with a team save as well.
Conference play opens up for App starting next Saturday, as the Mountaineers will face Howard on the road at 7 p.m.
The Queens University of Charlotte Women's Soccer Team (5-2-1, 3-2) shut out Lenoir-Rhyne (5-3-1, 1-2-1), 2-0, Saturday evening at Dickson Field.
The Royals received goals from Elizabeth Phan (Guilford, ENGLAND) off a free kick from Alyssa Bosak (Charleston, S.C.) and Emma Rose Stockton (Spring, Texas) in each half in the 41st and 80th minutes, respectively. Queens also held an 11-8 edge in shots taken in the victory as well.
Queens goalkeeper, Rachel Quest (Charlotte, N.C.), stopped a pair of shots for her third shutout of the season while Lenoir-Rhyne senior Alayna Morris (Westminster, Md.) suffered the setback in goal despite totaling six saves on the evening.
Lenoir-Rhyne returns home to take on Mars Hill in a conference match at the Moretz Sports – Athletic Complex Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Appalachian State University field hockey (3-7, 1-2 MAC) dropped a 4-1 decision to Longwood (9-1, 2-0 MAC), who moved into first place in the Mid-American standings with the win. Rebecca McLean scored her first goal of the season, which was also the senior's fifth of her Mountaineer career.
App State was unable to score in the first half behind seven shots, all in the final five minutes before halftime. The Mountaineer defense and goalkeeper Rachel Gaines faced eight shots in the first half, but Gaines made five saves while allowing just one goal.
The Lancers scored three more times in the second half to take a 4-0 lead. McLean found the back of the net on a penalty corner in the 56th minute. Her senior classmates, Savanna Sheridan and Taylor Cimbalist, earned the assist on McLean's score.
The Lenoir-Rhyne Volleyball Team (7-4, 4-2) fell to Queens (9-4, 4-3), 3-1, in a South Atlantic Conference match Saturday afternoon at Shuford Memorial Gymnasium.
The Royals took the final three sets and won by scores of 21-25, 25-16, 25-20 and 25-11 in picking up their second consecutive victory.
Queens was led by Rebecca Cochran (Harrisburg, N.C.) with 12 kills and 21 digs while Casey Tarvin (Leander, Texas) added 10 kills as the Royals totaled 10 service aces in the win.
Lenoir-Rhyne senior outside hitter Brooke Redmond (Statesville, N.C.) finished with eight kills and 20 digs and senior middle blocker Emily Steele (Greenville, N.C.) and sophomore middle blocker Jaclyn Denny (North Wilkesboro, N.C.) totaled six kills each in the setback.
Lenoir-Rhyne, however, totaled 15 blocks on the afternoon but was limited to a .000 hitting percentage.
Lenoir-Rhyne next hosts Mars Hill on Tuesday night beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Appalachian State Women's Soccer Draws With Arkansas State
Written by Jason Savage
Appalachian State University women's soccer (2-7-3, 1-2-1 SBC) played to a 1-1 tie against a formidable Arkansas State (6-4-1, 2-2-1 SBC) team on Saturday evening at Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex.
Appalachian showed resiliency and fight after falling to the visitors, 1-0, following a goal from Taylor Schneider in the 63rd minute. Taylor Ray stopped the shot, but the ball barely crossed the line. If it weren't for that score, the Black and Gold would be talking about an impressive win and getting back to .500 in conference play.
Appalachian had four shots on the target before the most important one of the match with just over five minutes left in regulation. Sarah Peatross was on the break down the middle of the field before finding a cutting Kat Greer on the left side of the box and then fired off an impressive shot past one of the Sun Belt's top goalkeepers in Megan McClure to the right corner for the score, tying up the match, 1-1.
For Greer, it was the fourth goal of the season and her third score in the past four matches, while all four of her goals have either given App the lead or tied up the match. Also, the assist for Peatross to Greer was the first of the season for the redshirt junior.
The Mountaineers attempted three more shots at the net including a near miss by Morgan Mosack in the first overtime period. App and Arkansas State wouldn't get a shot off at the frame in the final overtime stanza, leading to the first draw for either team in league action.
App State held a 13-10 edge in shots highlighted by a season-high eight shots on goal and a .615 shot on goal percentage. Also, Appalachian posted a season-high seven corner kicks.
Three different student-athletes in Lindsey Tully, Sarah Peatross, and Mosack registered multiple shots on goal with Tully staying aggressive as she totaled five shot attempts. Taylor Ray had a solid outing with five saves on 10 shots from the Red Wolves.
App didn't get the win but did pick up a point in the league standings to stay in a tie with Little Rock for seventh.
Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Cross Country Finish 11th, Men Sixth at Queens Invitational
Written by Jason Savage
The Lenoir-Rhyne University Women's Cross Country Team took 11th place out of 25 schools Friday afternoon at McAlpine Creek Park in the Royals Challenge.
Lenoir-Rhyne was led once again by junior Audra Yarber (Abingdon, Va.), who took 47th overall with a time of 19:05 on the 5K course. Lee was the top overall team while Saint Leo's Colett Rampf won the race, clocking a 17:05.
Lenoir-Rhyne remains in Charlotte, N.C., on Friday, October 13, to compete in the Queen City Invitational.
Royals Cross Country Challenge
September 29, 2017 – McAlpine Creek Park
Charlotte, N.C.
WOMEN
1. Lee 52
2. Queens 61
3. Saint Leo 96
4. Alabama-Huntsville 127
5. Tampa 150
6. Southeastern 161
7. Siena Heights 235
8. Florida Tech 242
9. St. Thomas (Fla.) 243
10. Radford 265
11. Lenoir-Rhyne 300
12. Lynn 311
13. Catawba 357
14. Reinhardt 439
15. North Greenville 491
16. Tusculum 502
17. Southern Wesleyan 518
18. Emmanuel (Ga.) 526
19. Francis Marion 544
20. Barton 579
21. Louisburg 634
22. Mars Hill 634
23. Converse 673
24. Benedict 702
25. Johnson C. Smith 711
Lenoir-Rhyne's Individuals
47. Audra Yarber 19:05
53. Kendall Toineeta 19:17
66. Blakely Gantt 19:35
71. Kylie Dahlberg 19:39
105. Adie Bjerkness 20:19
106. Erin Illich 20:20
110. Gabriella Dalton 20:25
120. Brooke Zeman 20:42
156. Faith Faller 21:29
The Lenoir-Rhyne University Men's Cross Country Team finished sixth out of 22 teams Friday at the Royals Challenge at McAlpine Creek Park.
The Bears were led by senior Jacob Black (Manassas, Va.), who placed 10th overall with a time of 24:52 over the 8K course while Saint Leo's Ronald Cheserek placed first overall (23:48). Queens, the host school, had three runners in the top five and took home team honors.
Lenoir-Rhyne returns to Charlotte, N.C., to compete in the Queen City Invitational on Friday, October 13, beginning at 4:00 p.m.
Royals Cross Country Challenge
September 29, 2017 – McAlpine Creek Park
Charlotte, N.C.
MEN
1. Queens 37
2. Lee 59
3. Alabama-Huntsville 104
4. Saint Leo 117
5. Louisburg 161
6. Lenoir-Rhyne 183
7. Mars Hill 230
8. Reinhardt 247
9. Radford 250
10. Tampa 268
11. Florida Tech 284
12. Emmanuel (Ga.) 309
13. North Greenville 341
14. Catawba 368
15. SCAD Atlanta 414
16. Tusculum 472
17. UNC Pembroke 494
18. Francis Marion 509
19. Southeastern 511
20. Benedict 591
21. Southern Wesleyan 596
22. Johnson C. Smith 712
Lenoir-Rhyne's Individuals
10. Jacob Black 24:52
23. Derek Chavis 25:32
40. Petar Ivackovic 26:01
49. Brett Vogelsang 26:13
65. Josh Adkins 26:35
78. Zack Bunch 26:50
89. Jacob Franklin 26:59
102. Brett Haas 27:23
108. Corbin Boyles 27:38
151. Aubrey Hite 29:33
More...
Appalachian State volleyball lost to Sun Belt Conference opponent Texas State in three matches on Sept. 29.
The Mountaineers fell to the Bobcats (25-21, 25-21, 25-21) despite a long lead in the third set. Kara Spicer and Courtney Sullivan lead the first set in kills with four each.
The second set proved strong for the Mountaineers with a 4-0 run to bring the lead to 10-6 early in the set. Lexi Kohut ended Texas State's 5-0 run with back-to-back kills. Morrison sparked a 2-0 run to bring the score closer late in the second set, but it was not enough for App State to come out on top. Lexi Kohut had eight kills while Reilly and Loeffler had 4 digs apiece.
In the third set, App State started with a 2-0 run and responded to Texas State again for a 5-0 run to come ahead 7-2. McMath and Morrison both had solid efforts to regain the lead at 20-19 before the Bobcats raced ahead to win the set and match.
App State Women's and Men's Cross Country Teams Finish Second at Upstate Invitational
Written by Jason Savage
Appalachian State's women's cross country team tied East Tennessee State for the lowest point total at the 11-team Upstate Invitational on Saturday morning and finished second to the Buccaneers, who won the head-to-head tiebreaker.
App State and ETSU both had 48 points, 44 fewer than third-place Campbell. The Bucs claimed the tiebreaker with more head-to-head victories in comparing the teams' No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 runners.
Phylissa Greeley, a junior, led the Mountaineers by placing sixth with a 5K time of 17:58.3. Another junior, Emily Fedders, posted a top-10 finish by placing ninth with a time of 18:22.0.
App State put its entire top seven among the top 20 in the field, as sophomore Megan Scannell was 13th in 18:34.5, junior Elisa Sargent was 15th in 18:35.9, junior Erin Jameson was 17th in 18:40.2, sophomore Sarah Venable was 18th in 18:40.9 and senior Kerry Leonard was 19th in 18:41.7.
Sargent, freshman Sarah Hajnos (18:50.6), freshman Samantha Kolor (19:00.4) and senior Leigh Harrow (19:08.4) recorded personal-best times.
Unattached runner Letitia Saayman had a winning time of 16:58.2, followed by Coastal Carolina's Lisha Van Onselen at 17:39.1.
Women's team results (Division I)
1. East Tennessee State 48
2. Appalachian State 48
3. Campbell 92
4. Coastal Carolina 118
5. Western Carolina 157
6. Mercer 160
7. Winthrop 183
8. UNCW 193
9. USC Upstate 222
10. Wofford 260
11. Gardner-Webb 280
Appalachian State's men's cross country team finished second among 10 teams at the Upstate Invitational on Saturday morning.
The Mountaineers totaled 53 points, 21 more than first-place East Tennessee State, and Wofford was third with 132. App State had four runners post 8K times between 25:25 and 25:45 while finishing in the top 15 individually.
Evan Georges, a senior, led the Mountaineers by placing fifth in 25:25.0. Collin Loy, a junior, also had a top-10 finish by placing ninth in 25:36.8.
Ian Foley and Gable Dershem, both cross country freshmen, placed 13th and 14th, respectively, with times of 25:44.7 and 25.45.1. Luke Bennett, another freshman, rounded out the team scoring with a 25th-place finish of 26:35.6.
Two more freshmen were part of App State's top seven. Lawson Benfield placed 30th in 26:48.7, and Zachary Mercer was 37th in 27:03.7.
Unattached runner Adam Freudenthall had a winning time of 24:37.5, followed by High Point's Alejandro Juan Torres in 24:58.7.
Men's team results (Division I)
1. East Tennessee State 32
2. Appalachian State 53
3. Wofford 132
4. USC Upstate 138
5. Western Carolina 152
6. Winthrop 154
7. High Point 162
8. Coastal Carolina 191
9. UNCW 228
10. Gardner-Webb 235
App State Basketball Teams Set Date for Mountaineer Madness
Written by Jason Savage
Mountaineer Madness is returning to the Holmes Center on Friday, Oct. 20, to tip off the 2017-18 basketball season for the Appalachian State men's and women's teams.
The event is free to the public and students, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.
Men's coach Jim Fox and women's coach Angel Elderkin both have high expectations entering their fourth seasons in Boone, and this will be the first opportunity for fans to see the new-look Mountaineers. The new Holmes Center video board will also be in use for a basketball event for the first time.
After fans are welcomed to Mountaineer Madness at 7:15 p.m., there will be introductions for the women's team and special events. A women's scrimmage with a pair of 10-minute halves will follow.
Beginning at 8 p.m., the men's team will be introduced, and it will also participate in special events. A scrimmage with two 10-minute halves will follow.
Counting rising senior Griffin Kinney and leading scorer Ronshad Shabazz, App State's men return five players who started at least four games and played double-digit minutes per game last season. The Mountaineers have also brought in several newcomers to complement the talented veterans.
"Our team is excited to be able to get out in front of fans a little early this year," Fox said. "This will be a fun night, so come on out to Convo and welcome the new season with us."
App State's men open their 2017-18 schedule with a home exhibition against Warren Wilson on Nov. 7 and begin the regular season with a Nov. 11 home game against Toccoa Falls.
The addition of eight new players and two new assistant coaches has created excitement within the women's program. They'll join rising senior Madi Story, the team's leading scorer, and a core a young, talented returners.
"With the season right around the corner, this is a perfect way for our fans to get know what talent we'll be putting on the floor this season," Elderkin said. "This event is for you, and we're looking to put on a great show on the 20th. So come on out, meet our team and get ready for 2017-18! "
App State's women begin their 2017-18 schedule with a home exhibition against Tusculum on Oct. 31 and open the regular season with a home game against ACC program Georgia Tech on Nov. 10.
Season tickets are now available by clicking here, calling (828) 262-2079 or visiting the Appalachian State athletics ticket office that's located in the Holmes Center and is open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Monday through Friday. A season ticket reserves a seat for all 26 regular-season games at the Holmes Center (13 men's, 13 women's) and costs just $175 for courtside.
Non-courtside season tickets are $100 for adults, $80 for senior citizens (ages 60+) or Appalachian State faculty/staff and $50 for youth (ages 3-12).
Maiden Boys Basketball To Participate in Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout
Written by Jason Savage
Maiden High School Varsity Men’s Basketball is honored to participate in the Invitation only 2017 NCBCA Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout November 24th -25th in Asheville, North Carolina.
The 2017 NCBCA Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout is the 5th annual event on behalf of High School Basketball Coaches and high school student athletes from across the state of North Carolina. The North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association / Coaches vs Cancer Shootout is a two day event unlike any other in High School Basketball. NCBCA will bring sixteen of the best high school basketball teams from across the state of North Carolina to the Asheville area to showcase their talents and as a result create unbelievable matchups and memories that will last a lifetime!
In addition to the basketball games, The NCBCA will host a catered banquet and silent auction on Friday November 24thh. At the banquet, each team will be recognized and asked to make a donation brought from donations collected from the school and community to the Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout on behalf of their respective programs and in honor of their chosen “Hero”.
Maiden Basketball Head Coach Danny Anderson says “Maiden High School is honored to have the opportunity to play in this event; it puts things in prospective and helps us all value true life lessons.” Anderson added “Winston Churchill said it best when he said; we make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” We all are blessed to be a small part in this great cause.
Maiden High School Athletic Director Caine Houser stated "Maiden High School is super excited to have the opportunity to participate in this event. It gives our players and community a chance to help in the fight against cancer."
As part of the Coaches vs. Cancer event, MHS and other participating schools will be raising funds to support the fight against cancer. Several fundraising events are currently in the works between now and November. Anyone interested in making a donation can contact Maiden High School or Coach Danny Anderson at (828) 428 8197 or by email at Danny_Anderson@catawbaschools.net all proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society for the fight against cancer.
