Penn-Trafford notebook: Hershberger breaks field hockey record

By: Paul Schofield
Sunday, October 24, 2021 | 11:01 AM

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Penn-Trafford sophomore Ava Hershberger scored four goals Oct. 19 and became the team’s all-time single-season record holder in field hockey.

Hershberger added two assists as Penn-Trafford defeated Latrobe, 9-0. She now has 35 goals and 10 assists, breaking the goal mark of Amanda Steffey (34) in 2012.

Delaney Shusko chipped in with three goals, and Maddy Keenan and Ashley House also scored. Keenan and Megan McBarron had assists.

The Warriors also defeated Class 3A Mt. Lebanon, 6-0, in a nonsection match last week.

Hershberger had three goals and an assist while Delaney Lentz added two goals and Emily Bloom one. Lentz also had an assist.

Penn-Trafford is 13-0 overall and 10-0 in the Class 2A. The Warriors begin the playoffs this week.

Turowski places fourth at PIAAs

Penn-Trafford sophomore Nick Turowski’s bid to become a PIAA Class 3A champion came up just short on Oct. 19 when he finished fourth at the state golf championships at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York.

Turowski shot a 1-over par 72. He tied Fox Chapel senior Eli Yofan.

Turowski, the WPIAL champion, shot a 1-under par 35 on the front nine by birding Nos. 2 and 6, but he was 2-over on the back nine with a birdie on No. 11 and three bogeys.

Downingtown West’s Nick Gross grabbed a boys’ title by defeating North Pocono’s Bill Pabst on the second hole of sudden-death playoff. Both finished with a 2-under par 69. Calen Sanderson of Holy Ghost Prep, the 2020 champion, finished third at 1-under.

Turowski won WPIAL and Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association titles this fall. He helped Penn-Trafford to a section title and a fifth-place finish in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals.

Soccer teams ready for playoffs

The Penn-Trafford boys soccer team advanced to the WPIAL playoffs and was scheduled to open at No. 5 Fox Chapel on Tuesday.

The No. 12-seeded Warriors finished the regular season 9-7 overall and 7-5 in the section.

The Penn-Trafford girls also qualified for the playoffs with a 6-10 overall record and 4-6 mark in the section.

The No. 13-seeded Warriors visited No. 4 Seneca Valley on Monday.

Heinz Field schedule announced

The WPIAL finalized its schedule for the five football finals at Heinz Field. The games will be played in sequential order with Class A at 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 26 and Class 2A following at 5 p.m. There will be three games Saturday, Nov. 27 with Class 3A at noon, Class 4A at 3 p.m. and Class 5A at 6 p.m.

The Class 6A final is Nov. 20 at a high school stadium. The WPIAL intends to choose that site soon.

Shipping issues hit WPIAL

Teams might not receive new football, soccer balls or volleyballs for the WPIAL playoffs this year.

The shipment of PIAA balls is delayed and likely won’t arrive before the WPIAL playoffs start, WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman said. The delay was blamed on the supply-chain issues clogging up West Coast shipping ports.

Teams can use balls they already own.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

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