Fall sports season kicks into full gear this weekend
The collegiate fall sports schedule goes into full gear this weekend with the first full week of the football schedule.
West Virginia, Pitt and Penn State are all at different points, and it won鈥檛 take long for diehard fans of each program to formulate opinions, albeit rushed ones!
Neal Brown takes over at WVU, and the team is expected to have a drop off from last season.
Brown replaces Dana Holgorsen, who left for the University of Houston.
Pitt jumps right into conference play Saturday when it hosts Virginia.
The Panthers are 4-0 against the Cavaliers under Pat Narduzzi, and a win could give the team momentum for a trip to Penn State two weeks later.
Speaking of the Nittany Lions, they host Idaho Saturday of what might be a reloading season.
Only nine seniors are on PSU鈥檚 three-deep depth chart, and only six will start against Idaho.
Soccer, golf and cross-country teams are also underway, so it is definitely a good time to be a college sports fan.
Slagus continuing career
When Kaitlyn Slagus graduated from Bucknell in May, she thought her basketball playing days were over.
However, the former Belle Vernon Area standout is in Ireland where she will continue her career, as she was awarded a Victory Scholarship from the 缅北禁地 Changes Life Foundation (SCLF) where she will attend Carlow Institute.
鈥淭his is a once in a lifetime opportunity,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 am super excited to continue my career and education.鈥�
While pursuing her graduate degree, Slagus will play for IT Carlow BC, which competes in Ireland鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Super League.
The school is about an hour outside of Dublin.
Slagus was vital to Bucknell making two NCAA women鈥檚 tournaments as well as winning a pair of Patriot League crowns, and she took home the Patriot League Tournament MVP this past season.
A three-time All-Patriot League selection, Slagus is the program鈥檚 all-time leader rebounds with 949, is second in blocked shots (150), sixth in three-pointers (134), and seventh in both (1,487) and field goals (530).
Slagus is one of three WPIAL players playing in the league.
Suski to be honored
Former Ringgold soccer standout Dave Suski will be inducted into the Saint Vincent Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2019 on Saturday, Sept. 28.
Suski is one of eight individuals going into the class that will also include the 1994 women鈥檚 volleyball team.
A 2006 graduate who earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications, the Donora native started every match over his four years and remains the program鈥檚 all-time leader in both career goals (56) and points (137).
Suski was named both NAIA All-America and NSCAA/Adidas All-Region following his senior season.
He led the team in scoring his last three years and scored at least 10 goals and 27 points in each of his four seasons.
Suski and his wife, Shelly, have two children, Greyson and Oaklynn.
Snyder headed to Beaver Stadium
Shane Snyder, a local collegiate football official working his way up the ladder, will be on standby Saturday at Beaver Stadium for the Penn State game.
It will be his first time in the stadium.
In memory
This week鈥檚 column is dedicated to the memory of Todd Underkoffler, who passed away in May.
Todd served as an usher in the North end zone at Beaver Stadium for years and our friendship grew from the first game we met.
Once Todd and I became friends, my first stop was always to take friends and guests down to meet him and see the field up close.
Todd鈥檚 wife, Juanita, oversees ushers at the stadium while his brother and sister-in-law, Mike and Karen, are also ushers in the North end zone.
We became so close that the four Underkofflers stopped at our tailgates several times before heading into the game.
It will be different come Saturday, though.
I am taking my nine-year old nephew, Jimmy, to his first Penn State game, and as we walk into aisle towards the field, his eyes will light up.
My eyes, though, they will look for Todd like usual.
And I am sure that he will be smiling down seeing me looking over to where he would have been standing and smiling at us.
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