Allegheny College Athletics

MEADVILLE, Pa. - After a two season hiatus from postseason play, the 2010 Allegheny Gators men’s soccer team is poised to once again become a mainstay in the NCAC playoff picture. As a result of narrowly missing the playoffs in 2008 for the first time since 1997, the Gators took a step backwards in 2009 finishing in a tie for seventh place in the NCAC with an overall record of 7-9-1, and a 2-6-1 mark in conference play. Heading into his 10th year as head men’s soccer coach, Angelo Panzetta is optimistic that 2010 will be a different story at season’s end as he will field a team that gained valuable playing experience last season and returns with a solid mix of youth and experience. The mix that Panzetta will rely on in 2010 comes in the return of six seniors, five of which have been consistent starters in their careers including last season, and 10 sophomores that earned letters a year prior as freshmen. The senior class will be called upon to provide leadership both on and off the pitch to help close the gap of collegiate playing experience among the team. Senior captains D.J. Egan and Seth Young will be at the forefront of the leadership efforts. This will be Young’s second consecutive selection, while Egan enters into his first season as appointed team captain. Along with Egan and Young, the four remaining seniors, Colin Doherty, Ryan Fetterolf, Pete Subasic, and Brian Terpin will be key contributors once again this season. Another source of optimism for Panzetta and the Gator coaching staff will be the open competitions at every spot. With the number of returning underclassmen that saw time last season and a solid recruiting class coming in, the Gators will have the luxury of depth from their younger players. Panzetta believes that the competition in camp for playing time will be the best he has had during his time at Allegheny and that the level of play will only help make the team stronger. “I am anxious to see the team compete in preseason and see how the returners have built on their experiences and improved as players,” said Panzetta. One of the biggest competitions going into this season will be at goalkeeper. Andrew Shirley was the man between the posts last season as a freshman, starting all 17 games and notching 60 saves. In total, the Gators will bring five goalkeepers to camp. Heading into preseason, Shirley has the most collegiate experience, but will be pushed by the return of sophomore Dan Marcus, and the arrival of freshmen John Lichina, Michael Severyn, and Scott Golightly. At the forward position, the Gators will be young, but talented. Sophomore Chris Brennan came on during the latter part of the season starting the final six games. The strong finish from Brennan propelled him to the top of several team offensive categories, including leading the team in points scored (12) and tied for the lead in goals (5). Those numbers helped tab Brennan as a NCAC All-Conference Honorable Mention selection. Conor Azevedo and Andrew Zimmer return as sophomores up front for the Gators and bring with them speed and athleticism. With his 6’2” frame, freshman Brian Graham provides needed size to the forward position and has a chance to contribute as a rookie.  Junior Dillon Otten and freshman Paul Teufel will round out the forward competition. The midfield will be one of the spots with the most playing experience from the returners. Pete Subasic, who led the team in goals his freshman and sophomore seasons will transition back to the center-mid slot after spending last season as a forward for the Blue and Gold. Subasic will provide the position with more size to go along with his scoring abilities. Alongside Subasic will be senior captain D.J. Egan. Egan tied Brennan for the team lead in goals (5) and controls the midfield for the Gators. Matt Weintraub and Travis Tasker are a year older in their development and will continue to push the starters. Freshmen Andrew Miller, Vincent Reginella, and junior Alex Gazis will add depth to the competition for the entire unit. One of the outside-mid positions will be filled by a familiar face in Ryan Fetterolf. Fetterolf has three years of experience at the position. Sophomores Ethan Green, Tyler Danzey, and junior Arthur Smith will be in the mix as well and provide depth. Sophomore Jake Brezinsky, and freshmen Daniel McCann and Cody Young will also be a part of the outside midfield competition. The backfield for the Gators will have a few familiar faces as the entire unit looks to improve and strengthen. Senior Brian Terpin comes back as a starter to the center-back slot, a role he has assumed the past two seasons. Sophomores Tim Egan and Joe Caruso, after solid springs, will be in the discussion for playing time this season as well. Freshman Frankie LaManna will add depth at the position and along with the return of Jason Dempsey will provide a push to the entire backfield. Outside-back will be anchored by second year senior captain Seth Young. Young has been a regular starter since his sophomore year. The versatility of senior Colin Doherty throughout his career will be tested again as he moves to the backline for the 2010 season after a solid spring. Adding to the depth of the outside-back position will be sophomore Michael Iacono, who had six starts last season, and freshman Alex Etherington. Michael McCann and Laith Zuraikat return as juniors to compete for playing time along with freshman Mark Burkhart. Panzetta sees a lot of strengths and potential in his 2010 squad. “I like our athleticism and overall team speed, and I hope that will allow us to create some match-up problems.” The Gators kick off the 2010 season on September 1 as they host Mt. Union at Frank B. Fuhrer Field at Robertson Complex beginning at 4 pm.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Allegheny women’s soccer has been picked to finish third in the North Coast Athletic Conference following a preseason poll of the league’s head coaches it was announced on Tuesday. The Gators have finished third in the conference standings the past two seasons, but have the weapons and experience to finish ahead of the pack in the race for the 2010 conference crown.

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Courtesy of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette   Thursday, August 19, 2010 By Ken Wunderley, Tri-State Sports & News Service Ryan Zipf was a junior when he started kicking for the Seneca Valley High School football team. Now a junior at Allegheny College in Meadville, he is considered one of the top kickers in the country. "My first love was soccer," said Zipf, a Cranberry Township resident. "I tried placekicking my junior year because the football team needed a kicker." Zipf connected on 11 of 14 field-goal attempts his senior year at Seneca Valley High School. "I was torn between soccer and football when it came time to choose a college," Zipf said. "I had been playing soccer since I was 5, but I needed a change. There is also a lot less running with football." Zipf eventually chose football and Allegheny College. "My brother, Andrew, played tennis at Allegheny," he said. "He's four years older than me and graduated in 2008. That's the main reason I chose Allegheny." Zipf was a three-sport star at Seneca Valley and began his college career as a two-sport student/athlete. "I played tennis and soccer all four years in high school," he said. "I tried tennis and football my first year at Allegheny, but it was just too much for me. I didn't have any free time." Zipf converted on four of nine field-goal attempts as a freshman at Allegheny. He also connected on 20 of 23 extra point attempts. The numbers were not sparkling, but three of the four field goals were significant. "He kicked a [career long] 47-yard field goal at Denison," Allegheny coach Mark Matlak said. "He also kicked the deciding field goal in two overtime victories at the end of the season." Zipf connected on a 37-yard attempt to beat Wittenberg and a 33 yarder in a victory against Ohio Wesleyan. "It was a great feeling to kick the winning field goal in overtime in our last two games," he said. "My teammates mobbed me after the first one. I tried to run away from my teammates after the second one. There are some pretty big boys and I didn't want to get crushed." He was even more impressive last season, connecting , on 12 of 14 field-goal attempts and 24 of 26 extra points. "Ryan was money in the bank last season," Matlak said. "He made all the big kicks. He was the difference in four or five games." With such an impressive season, it was no surprise that Zipf was nominated for the Fred Mitchell Outstanding Placekicker Award, which honors the nation's top collegiate placekicker among more than 600 collegiate teams competing in the Division I-AA, Division II, Division III and the NAIA. The award is named for Fred Mitchell, a record-setting placekicker at Wittenberg University who is a sports columnist for the Chicago Tribune. The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award is based on excellence on the football field and in the community. "It was a great honor to be nominated for the Fred Mitchell Award," said Zipf, who was one of 40 kickers nominated throughout the country. "It would be pretty special if I could win this year." He is on a watch list for this year's award. "Allegheny has never had a kicker nominated for the Fred Mitchell Award," Matlak said. "It's a great honor just to be recognized. The thing I like the most about this award is that it recognizes a player's accomplishments on and off the field. All the players must be strong academically and volunteer in their community." Zipf volunteers at the Active Aging Senior Center in Meadville. Slippery Rock University's C.J. Bahr is also on the watch list. Bahr, a senior who attended Boalsburg High School, is also on the 2010 watch list. Bahr is the son of former NFL kicker Chris Bahr. Zipf would love to play in the NFL, but realizes that will most likely not be possible. "I need to put 10 more yards on my distance [on kickoffs]," he said. "That would improve my chances of being drafted." He will graduate with a degree in economics in May and he is considering enrolling in graduate school.

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