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This Week with Roger Metzger
By Roger Metzger 18 Mar, 2024
Lauryn Contini is ready to play Division I college soccer. After an outstanding career as a New Philadelphia High School girls’ soccer standout, Contini is poised to play women’s college soccer for the University of Louisville. The 5-foot-5 freshman midfielder and the rest of her University of Louisville teammates will take the pitch this Saturday against rival Kentucky at Lexington as the Cardinals abbreviated spring schedule gets underway. “I’ve had a great time so far and my teammates have made it much easier,” said Contini of her transition from high school to college soccer. “I’m really happy.” The Cardinals fall season is set to begin in the middle of August. Her new head coach is happy to have Contini on board. “Lauryn is going to provide an immediate attacking presence for us,” said Louisville head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes on the UL website. “She is capable of scoring goals with both feet in and around the box. She strikes the ball exceptionally well and is also an excellent final passer who will be able to set up her teammates. She can play as a forward or attacking midfielder with her great offensive instincts.” Contini’s high school coach, A.J. Wahlie, had nothing but positive things to say about his former standout player. “What makes Lauryn so special is her work ethic,” said Wahlie. “We were doing two a days as a team and she was doing three a days. She’s electric. She has it.” Contini, a daughter of Ryan and Lisa Contini of New Philadelphia, is majoring in Sports Administration with a minor in Business. She graduated early from New Philadelphia last December and started college classes at the University of Louisville shortly thereafter. “For me it was the opportunity to play in the spring season and I felt it would be good for my development,” explained Contini, who went to Louisville with 40 credit hours under her belt. “Academics are taken very seriously there.” She trains during the morning hours and attends classes in the afternoon. Contini had an outstanding junior soccer season for the Quakers. Contini scored a state-high 55 goals with eight assists as she and her New Philadelphia teammates advanced to a Division II regional championship match in 2022, losing to Marietta 1-0 and just missing the final four. For her efforts, she was named first-team All-Ohio in 2022. Contini led area players selected to the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association All-Ohio team. She was also named first team All-Ohio Cardinal Conference and Eastern District Player of the Year and was also nominated for All-American status by the United Soccer Coaches Association. Contini, who scored both goals in a 2-0 win over archrival Dover in the regional semifinal, led the Quakers to a 15-4-2 record and a berth in the regional championship before falling. “That was an amazing game,” Contini recalled. “I’ll never forget it.” Contini elected not to play high school soccer her senior season. “I just felt the risk (of getting injured) was not worth the reward,” said Contini. “It was definitely different not playing, but I felt I made the right decision.” Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue were among the other top suitors for Contini, but she eventually decided upon the University of Louisville where she fit right in. “It’s a great place,” said Contini. “I’m very comfortable there.” Contini was also a member of the Cleveland Force Soccer Club. She was selected to the ECNL National Training Camp in 2022 and the ECNL Selection Game in Florida. She was also an ECNL Ohio Valley All-Conference Team honoree in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Like many Tuscarawas County boys and girls, she began playing soccer at age 3 at the Tuscarawas County YMCA in Dover. Her parents took her to a Columbus Crew professional soccer match when she was 5. Contini met one of the pros and really fell in love with the sport. And she hasn’t looked back.
By Roger Metzger 11 Mar, 2024
March Madness begins today for the Kent State Tuscarawas men’s basketball team. No. 4 seed KSU Tuscarawas will begin tournament play in a United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Basketball Championship Division II small college quarterfinal game at 2 p.m. against No. 5 seed Penn State Greater Allegheny in Petersburg, Va. The Golden Eagles have assured themselves of a third straight tournament appearance. Kent State Tuscarawas’ solid 88-79 win over Miami Hamilton on March 2 not only assured them of a USCAA National Basketball Championship bid, but it also locked them into the No. 4 seed in the tournament -- their highest seed since joining the USCAA. The two teams were supposed to have met during the regular season, but the Lions cancelled the game which was never rescheduled. The Golden Eagles and PSU GA will take to the court at Virginia State University in Petersburg with identical 21-9 records. Kent State Tuscarawas acquitted themselves very well in a regular season ending victory against a team that had won 10 of its last 11 games while the Golden Eagles also put the finishing touches on an unbeaten season at home going 13-0. Kyle Shockley led the Golden Eagles with 28 points and nine assists and brother Kameron added 26 points and hauled down 10 rebounds. Ethan Bower had 12 points and Javier Ward 10 for the winners. Kameron, a senior forward, was recently selected as a First Team USCAA All-American to become the second Golden Eagles hooper to earn that award. Shockley ranked first in the USCAA with defensive rebounds (224), was third in total rebounds (279), fourth in blocked shots (54), sixth in rebounds per game (10.3), 11 th in steals (65), 12 th in assists (109), 19 th in points per game (18.8), 20 th in field goal percentage (54%) and recorded 16 double-doubles on the season. He achieved Honorable Mention All-American status in 2023 and was named USCAA D2 National Player of the Week twice (2021 & 2024). Kyle, a junior, received a Second Team USCAA All-American award to raise the number of Golden Eagles basketball All-American honorees to nine. Kyle earned USCAA D2 National Player of the Week recognition twice in the period of a month this season. Kyle is the Navy and Gold's leading scorer averaging 20.4 points per game which ranks seventh overall in the USCAA. He has scored 592 points on the year, which is second overall, is fourth in field goals making 211 of 403 attempts, ranks 14 th in assists with 108, 13 th in steals (61) and is in the top 25 in field goal percentage converting on 52.4% of his shot attempts. A semifinal round game is in the offing for the victor on Tuesday at 2 p.m. and the opponent could very well be No. 1 ranked and top seeded Cincinnati Clermont -- a team the Golden Eagles split with during the regular season. KSU Tuscarawas also finished with the No. 1 schedule in the power rankings, while UCC ranked No. 2, Hamilton No. 3 and Greater Allegheny No. 4. All four teams are in the same bracket at the championships. Pay-per-view access will also be available for live game streaming via the uscaasportsnetwork.com . Single game access is $8.54 per individual game, or an All-Access pass can be purchased for $40 that will give fans access to all 17 women's tournament games and all 21 men's tournament broadcasts.
By Roger Metzger 04 Mar, 2024
Sophia Knight racked up a Mid-American Conference softball honor recently. The former Tuscarawas Central Catholic High School and current University of Toledo right-handed hurler was tabbed as the Mid-American Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week for her performances in the Velvet Milkman Classic in Murray, Ky. Feb. 24. She shared the weekly conference honor with Ohio's Skipp Miller. It was Knight's first MAC Co-Pitcher of the Week honor and first for the Toledo softball team this season. Knight (5-3) led the Toledo pitching staff at Murray State's Velvet Milkman Classic, allowing just two earned runs and striking out 22 batters for a 0.65 ERA in 21.2 innings pitched. The junior came on in relief to pitch for the last five innings, allowing just one unearned run and striking out the side to end the game in a win over IUPUI. Later that afternoon, she recorded six strikeouts, including the 200th of her career, in 5.2 innings to pick up the win over Western Illinois. Knight, a daughter of Nikki and Jerry Knight and a Nursing major, pitched five scoreless innings in relief and put WIU down in order in the seventh to pick up the win. As a sophomore in 2023, Knight made 14 starts in 25 games played. She was 9-9 with nine complete games and a 3.82 ERA and fanned 76 batters in 121 innings of work. Knight tied her season-high nine strikeouts vs. Bowling Green and made the Dean's List. As a freshman in 2022, Knight appeared as the primary pitcher for the Rockets in 34 games, throwing a team-high 130.1 innings, recorded 105 strikeouts, and was 6-18 with a 6.55 ERA. She collected her first career win vs. Charleston Southern, threw a season-high nine strikeouts vs. Niagara and tossed 10.2 innings at Michigan State, the second-most in Toledo history. Knight lettered all four years in softball and basketball and lettered three years in volleyball at Tuscarawas Central Catholic High School. She was a team captain senior season and named First-Team All-Ohio before signing with Toledo.
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