Pennsylvania College of Technology men’s and women’s basketball teams open their seasons this week and its cross-country teams will compete in NCAA Division III regional action. In action Saturday, the season ended for the college’s women’s soccer team and its wrestlers fared well in an invitational.
In a busy weekend for Pennsylvania College of Technology athletics, the women’s soccer team secured the No. 4 seed and will host fifth-seeded SUNY Poly in a North Eastern Athletic Conference playoff match at 6 p.m. Tuesday at UPMC Field while the men’s cross-country team placed fifth at the NEAC Championships, the wrestling team saw its season begin, and seasons ended for the men’s soccer and women’s volleyball squads.
As Pennsylvania College of Technology cross-country teams prep for Saturday’s North Eastern Athletic Conference Championships, Wildcat wrestlers are gearing up for their season opener Sunday at the Lycoming College Invitational.
Pennsylvania College of Technology’s women’s soccer team extended its win streak in North Eastern Athletic Conference matches to five and, in doing so, moved into sole possession of third place.
Not only did the Pennsylvania College of Technology women’s soccer team boast a 2-1 week, but it extended its North Eastern Athletic Conference win streak to four matches, its most since 2017.
A synthetic turf field, featured in a four-minute video on Penn College’s YouTube channel, highlights Penn College’s enhanced athletic complex, which now includes an entranceway, press box and scoreboard. The additions were made possible through the support of longtime corporate supporters: UPMC Susquehanna, M&T Bank, PepsiCo and Susquehanna Trailways. UPMC Field is home to Penn College’s men’s and women’s soccer teams and, come 2021, the men’s lacrosse intercollegiate program. “It’s amazing. It’s a whole experience just to look at it,” says midfielder Megan A. Bugbee, of Geneseo, New York, enrolled in building science and sustainable design: architectural technology concentration. “Definitely a step up from our old field. And playing on turf is always a fun experience.” Defender Gabriel McKeon, an automotive restoration technology student from Williamsport, adds: “The slicker playing surface, everything is flat and level. There is no skipping with the ball, which not only produces better opportunities, but more beautiful soccer, which is something I personally enjoy.” The Wildcats are members of NCAA Division III and the Northeastern Athletic Conference.
This pinwheel outside Madigan Library is one of many placed by student-athletes to spark a necessary conversation.Informative publications, available through a Bush Campus Center display, call attention to college resources.
Penn College Wildcats, along with other student-athletes throughout the North Eastern Athletic Conference, helped promote Thursday’s World Mental Health Day by destigmatizing issues surrounding personal well-being and calling attention to suicide prevention and other support resources. Student Athlete Advisory Committee members throughout the conference placed green pinwheels at their respective colleges, and – with the help of an information table facilitated by Community Peer Educators – engaged their classmates to create greater awareness.
As part of Homecoming and Parent & Family Weekend activities, Pennsylvania College of Technology celebrated its new synthetic turf field – “UPMC Field” – and a host of other recent enhancements to its athletic complex, including a new entrance gate, press box and scoreboard.
In ceremonies taking place before Wildcat men’s and women’s soccer matches, Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour expressed gratitude for the financial support from M&T Bank (M&T Bank Gate), Pepsi (the Pepsi Press Box), Susquehanna Trailways (the Susquehanna Trailways Scoreboard) and UPMC (the new artificial turf playing surface bearing the hospital system’s name).
“Many of you here today help and empower students through your personal and philanthropic support to earn an applied technology education and develop into successful alumni influencing the communities in which they choose to live and work,” the president said. “Collaborative partnerships transform tomorrow, and it is only fitting that we celebrate and recognize the loyal support of our Wildcat Club members today for the energy they inspire in our coaches and student-athletes.
The fourth annual Homecoming and Parent & Family Weekend (Oct. 4-6) provided another exhaustive opportunity for alumni, current students and families to (re)connect. The celebration opened with Friday’s 40th reunion of the dental hygiene program, a blazing bonfire, Hall of Fame banquet and convivial tent party; continued Saturday with a presidential breakfast, car show, scenic bus excursions, tours of academic labs, a golf tournament, on-campus sporting events, the dedication of UPMC Field and celebration of corporate benefactors, arts and crafts, a 40th anniversary paramedic commemoration and an alumni event at New Trail Brewing Co.; and concluded Sunday with an intrasquad baseball game. And the numbers were as impressive as the activities. More than 400 alumni and guests returned for Homecoming (double the alumni attendance from a year ago) and another 370 families – amounting to nearly 1,000 overall guests – participated in Parent & Family Weekend.
Highlighting a busy week for Pennsylvania College of Technology fall sports teams, the men’s golf squad won its first invitational competition of the season.
The CC Commons crew displays school spirit.The Capitol Eatery kitchen squad, ready for action
Dining Services staff is wishing “Good luck” to all Penn College sports teams this year by donning Game Day T-shirts whenever the Wildcats play at home. The employees pictured at left, for instance, suited up in honor of the women’s “Battle for the Lumber” soccer match against Lycoming College on Wednesday night. Photos provided
As was announced last week, Pennsylvania College of Technology will elevate men’s lacrosse from a club sport to an intercollegiate program starting with the 2020-21 season. The team will expand the college’s sports offerings to 16 intercollegiate programs. That news – as well as a flashback to recent athletic results and a look ahead to Saturday’s dedication of UPMC Field – comprises the latest edition of Wildcat Weekly.
Pennsylvania College of Technology will elevate men’s lacrosse from a club sport to an intercollegiate program, it was announced Tuesday. The team will begin competition during the 2020-21 academic year and expands Penn College’s sports offerings to 16 intercollegiate programs.
“We are very excited to elevate our men’s lacrosse club team to NCAA Division III level,” said John D. Vandevere, the college’s director of athletics. “This is going to make a significant impact on our campus, and our department, and it will create another great event for our community to attend for our growing fan base of Wildcat Athletics.”
A serious knee injury on the cusp of soccer season rendered a choice for Jakob A. LeMay: sit and stew or strive and succeed. The Pennsylvania College of Technology student chose the latter, a decision benefiting his future career prospects and today’s outdoor enthusiasts.
Tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during an offseason tournament prompted LeMay to leave school to recuperate and retain eligibility for one last Penn College soccer season. He didn’t step into a classroom for a year, but LeMay employed and enhanced his education by designing products – including an award-winning tool – for a company that develops unique outdoor equipment.
He transformed a potential curse into a true blessing.
In action last week, the Pennsylvania College of Technology men’s soccer and tennis teams picked up their first wins of the season and the college’s highly successful softball coach announced her resignation.
