Penn State New Kensington placed three players on the all-conference soccer teams of the Penn State University Athletic Conference. Michael Clear earned first-team honors, and Casey Cavanaugh and Adam Bombalski received second-team recognition.
Clear, a sophomore forward from Burrell High School, scored seven goals, second best on the team, and had four assists. His 18 total points topped the squad. In addition to conference recognition, he was named to the Academic All-America team by the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.
Cavanaugh, a freshman center back from Burrell, tallied four goals and three assists. Bombalski, an all-conference defender, moved to midfield this season and responded with two goals and an assist. The junior from Freeport High School has been selected to the all-conference team in each of his three seasons with the team.
The New Kensington Lions, under the direction of first-year head coach Pat Cavanaugh finished with a 6-3 PSUAC record and a 7-8 overall mark. The soccer program, in its third year of intercollegiate competition, reached the PSUAC Final Four for the third consecutive season. With no seniors on the team, and all starters returning, the team is poised to make a run at the title in 2013.
The campus’ three fall sports teams -- men’s soccer, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s golf -- produced a record six student-athletes on the 2012 USCAA Academic All-America teams. Clear joins a select team that includes sophomore volleyball players Kara Shaley (West Shamokin High School), Melissa Daugherty (Plum), Thamy Ferreira (Penn-Trafford) and Melissa Betush (PA Leadership Charter), and junior golfer Adam Stawski (Plum). The USCAA, the national governing body for New Kensington’s athletic teams, recognizes student-athletes who have grade-point averages of 3.5 and above.