Junior co-captain Jake Nerwinski tallied the go-ahead goal in the 80th minute to propel the University of Connecticut men’s soccer team to a 2-1 win over University of Central Florida recently in front of a crowd of 5,100 at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium. It was the second sellout of the season.
Nerwinski’s third career goal came at the 79:50 mark on a corner from fellow co-captain Kwame Awuah. Awuah sent in a curler which found the former Notre Dame High School standout on the far post and it was finished into the top left corner of the net.
Nerwinski, of Lawrenceville, also has four assists in the Huskies’ first 13 games of the season.
Wyrough excels at Wilmington
Loran Wyrough of Hamilton recently led the Wilmington University women’s soccer team to a 4-2 victory at Nyack. For her efforts, the former Hamilton High West standout was named to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Weekly Reports.
Wyrough scored all four goals for the Wildcats, notching her first hat trick of the season and second of her career. She opened the scoring with a goal in the fifth minute before giving the Wildcats a 2-1 lead in the 42nd minute. Tied 2-2 at the half, Wyrough scored the game-winner in the 61st minute before adding her fourth of the game in the 76th minute.
Through the first 13 games of the season, the sophomore forward/midfielder has 13 goals and ranks among the scoring leaders in the CACC. She was named Co-Player of the Week with Georgian Court’s Lizzy Kroon. It is the first time this season Wyrough has earned the honor.
She has 28 points in the first 13 games, and four of her goals have been game-winners.
Another four-time soccer letterwinner from HHW is a member of the Wildcats. Taylor Nelson is a freshman defender at Wilmington. Like Wyrough, Nelson also played soccer and lacrosse at Hamilton.
Area runners making XC treks
Chris Gutierrez of Pennington is a member of the cross-country and track and field programs at Ithaca College. A 2013 graduate of Hopewell Valley High School, Gutierrez was a letterwinner in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field for the Bulldogs. He was named MVP during cross country season, and he earned most-improved and the coaches’ award during track season.
He is a junior accounting major at Ithaca.
Stockton University’s cross country teams competed against several nationally and regionally ranked teams at the Inter-Regional Border Battle, which was hosted by Rowan University at Rowan College of Gloucester County. The Osprey women finished 15th out of 24 teams while the men placed 18th. The meet featured 13 men’s squads and 12 women’s that are ranked in the top 10 of either the Atlantic or Mideast Region. Seven women’s teams and five men’s squads are also rated in the nation’s top 35.
Sophomore Christina Welsh of Hamilton finished 138th (24:13.17) in the 6-kilometer women’s race.
Stockton’s top five men registered an average time of 26:34.50 that was the best in four years under head coach Jayson Resch and one of the best in school history. All five Osprey scorers, including Sean Lynch of Robbinsville, broke the 27-minute mark in the 8-kilometer race. Lynch, a junior, came in 113th place (26:41.67).
The College of New Jersey men’s cross country team continued its push toward the conference championship as the Lions finished second out of 24 teams at the Rowan University Inter-Regional Meet. The team finished with a total of 98 points as it trailed only Haverford College in the team standings. The Fords won the event with 62 points.
Senior Roberto Guiducci of Robbinsville was second in the pack of TCNJ runners and 11th overall with a time of 25:07.71.
Earlier this season, Guiducci won the DeSales Invitational as he also helped the Lions claim the team title as TCNJ finished with 21 points and topped the field of 17 teams. Guiducci crossed the line in 26:41.20 leading the contingent of 164 runners. He was named Athlete of the Week at TCNJ for his efforts.
Gabrielle Manto of Robbinsville is a member of the cross-country program at Ursinus College. The former Robbinsville High School standout also plans to play softball for the school. Manto was also recently selected to receive a Gilbert P. Rossi Memorial Scholarship from the Trenton Select Committee.
Stoner and Lions enjoy perfection
Maddy Stoner of Ewing helped The College of New Jersey women’s tennis team recently cap off another perfect season against New Jersey Athletic Conference opponents as the Lions blanked visiting Rutgers-Camden 9-0.
The Lions finished the conference slate with a 6-0 record, and they extended their NJAC winning streak to 165 straight matches. The title was the 33rd straight for TCNJ as they have already locked up an automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA Division III Tournament by virtue of the title.
HERE AND THERE … Kevin Smiegocki of Hamilton will also receive a Rossi Scholarship from the Trenton Select Committee. Smiegocki is matriculating at Ramapo where he is part of the school’s baseball program … Erin Sutphen of Robbinsville is a senior midfielder with the Dickinson College women’s soccer team … Francie Pena of Lawrence is a freshman defender with the Dickinson College field hockey team … Erin Septer of Hamilton was recently named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Week for women’s soccer. Septer, a two-time All-ODAC honoree, made nine saves as Shenandoah University defeated Randolph-Macon, 3-0, and Roanoke, 1-0. The shutouts were the 10th and 11th of Septer’s career … Former Steinert High School standouts Jeff Mattonelli and Eddie Ashley have provided some bright spots for The College of New Jersey’s football program. Mattonelli is a junior wide receiver and a scholar-athlete at TCNJ. Ashley is a freshman defensive back. Also contributing for the Lions on and off the field is Sean Kley, a senior linebacker and scholar-athlete from Hopewell. The local flavor continues at TCNJ with sophomores Thomas Biscardi and Connor Tierney from Robbinsville as well as freshman Ryan Signora of Hamilton.
Have an item for The College Crowd? Please contact Mary Ann Tarr at tarr.mary.ann@gmail.com.
