Pioneer Weekly Update: Edition 10

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Cross Country: Men & Women 2nd at ACAA Championships

Both the men and women's cross country teams finished 2nd at the 2018 ACAA Championships. The Pioneer women scored a 43 and were one point behind SUNY Delhi while the men scored a 46 and trailed only Delhi.

Julia Russell (Candor) won the 2018 ACAA Cross Country individual title as she ran 6k course at the SUNY Delhi Golf Course in 25:00.0. Veronica Dailey (Addison) crossed the finish line in 3rd in 25:39.1, Katherine Watkins (Addison) finished in 8th place in 27:12.3, Katherine Frascella (Franklinville) was 13th overall (28:20.4), and Molly Heaphy (West Hempstead/Long Island Lutheran) rounded out the top five with a 18th place finish (29:27.3).

Shawn Rutledge (Watkins Glen) led the blue & gold men with a 4th place finish. He crossed the 8k course in 29:17.3 (5:51 per mile). He was the lone runner not on SUNY Delhi to finish in the top ten. Matthew Connolly (Elmira Notre Dame) was 11th (30:43.2), Austin Demberg (Westtown/Minisink Valley) was 12th (30:51.5), Jacob Drew (Corning Painted Post) was 13th (31:10.6), and Ryan Lohr (West Seneca West) was 14th (31:14.6).

Football: 0-8

The football team pushed the ball all the way down to the Gallaudet 31 in the closing seconds but could not score as they lost a tight 13-9 contest in the nation's capital. 

Neither team could capitalize on field goal attempts in the 1st quarter but Alfred State got on the board in the first minute of the 2nd when Ryan Shipherd (Randolph) connected on a 30-yard field goal. The Bison took their first lead of the game with 3:15 left in the half when RJ Randle capped a nine-play drive with a two-yard run to make it 6-3 Gallaudet (The PAT was blocked by Austin Parker (Port Byron). The blue & gold answered right back with a drive of their own in the closing moments of the half. Carter Harman (Liberty) connected with Darrius Nichols (Brooklyn/South Shore) on a seven yard touchdown pass. The PAT failed and the Pioneers took a 9-6 lead into halftime.

Both teams struggled to score points in the 2nd half. The lone points came with 3:13 remaining in the 3rd quarter when Damonte Bray rushed in from 14-yards out to cap a 75-yard drive for the Bison. After Gallaudet took the lead the Pioneers were unsuccessful to regain the lead in their next four possessions. As the clock ticked under two minutes, Robert Augustin (Brooklyn/Midwood) ripped the ball out of the Bison running backs hands to give the blue & gold one more chance with 1:29 left. The Pioneers collected a pair of 1st downs and had the ball on the Gallaudet 31 with just over 30 seconds left but the Bison defended four straight passing attempts to seal the victory.

Harman passed for 161 yards in his first collegiate start. Jalen Long (Rochester/Bishop Kearney) caught three passes for 79 yards and Nichols had three catches for 54 yards. Ronnie Clark (Philadelphia/Indian River) rushed for 52 yards on the day. Michael Zimmerman (Canandaigua) continued his solid junior campaign with a game high 14 tackles (nine solo). Brockton Weist (Harpursville) had nine tackles and Adam Bellaus had eight tackles and a pair of sacks.

Men's Soccer: 5-10-2

The Pioneers wrapped up the season with a pair of victories. They defeated Pitt Bradford 4-2 and Hilbert 7-1.

Zack Linderman (Olean) had a big day in the victory over Pitt-Bradford. He finished with a goal and three assists on the day whie Justus Hoffmann (Hamburg) scored twice. Chris Balys (Holley) also found the back of the net. Nico Coria (Honeoye Falls Lima) earned the victory in net.

All three seniors found the back of the net in the season ending victory over Hilbert. Albert Senyah (Long Island/Central Islip) finished with four goals and two assists, Ku Reh had a pair of goals, and Christian Jankuloski (Webster Schroeder) netted his first of the season. Ryan Johnson (Sodus), Maliq Burton (Sodus), JeanChristo Joseph (Queens/Martin Luther King), and Noah Holmok (Alfred Almond) all were credited with an assist. Coria and Zack Barker (Steubenville, OH) each played a half and combined to make two saves.

Women's Soccer: 11-2-2

The women's soccer team defeated Pitt-Bradford 6-0 in the lone action of the week. The Pioneers have now won eight straight and are unbeaten in their last ten matches.

Michayla Salatel (Geneseo) had a hat trick and two assists while Carissa Pompa (Rochester/Mercy) had a pair of goals. Melissa Mineti (Livonia) had a goal and two assists while Julia Yanarella (Wappinger Falls/Roy Ketcham) and Jessica Williams (Belfast) had assists. Madison Papaj (Holley) made six saves to record another shutout.

Swimming & Diving: Men: 0-1, Women 1-0

The blue & gold had the week off but get back in the pool this weekend when they host Buffalo State on Saturday at 1 p.m.