| Box Score 3 | Box Score 4 Saturday, October 24 saw six sports in action, all on the road, for Manchester. Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving traveled to West Lafayette to compete in the Dan Ross Invitational, Volleyball traveled to Berea, Kentucky to take on the Mountaineers, and Football, Women's Soccer, and Men's Soccer all traveled to Cincinnati for a tripleheader with Mount St. Joseph. 
 

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Manchester Swimming and Diving competed in the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiates on Saturday, competing against a strong statewide field at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.

The Spartans finished ninth in the women's team standings with 22 points and seventh in the men's standings with 24 points.

Manchester's women earned all 22 of their team points in the 200-yard medley relay. The quartet of Rachel Garcia, Megan Pierce, Haylie Bristol and Gracyn Bailey combined for a ninth-place finish in 2:06.66.

Garcia led the Spartan women individually, placing 37th in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:07.61 before posting Manchester's top individual finish of the day in the 100-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 57.81.

Bristol added a pair of solid performances, recording a 1:08.98 in the 100-yard butterfly and a 1:00.02 in the 100-yard freestyle. Pierce turned in a 2:26.41 in the 200 freestyle and later finished 29th in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:20.16. Bailey competed in both the butterfly and breaststroke, while Taelynn Benish added a 28.83 effort in the 50 freestyle and a 1:22.20 swim in the 100 breaststroke.

On the men's side, Manchester scored its 24 points in the 200-yard medley relay. The team of Peter Kotlin, Conner Shannon, Alex Garcia and Luke Stults finished 25th overall in 1:45.37.

Kotlin paced the Spartan men individually, placing 26th in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.46 before adding a 50.69 effort in the 100 freestyle.

Garcia posted Manchester's top finish in the 200-yard individual medley, placing 35th in 2:15.81 while also competing in the 100 freestyle. Damian Polk contributed swims in both the butterfly and backstroke events, while Shannon and Stults each saw action in the breaststroke and individual medley competitions.

Freshmen Anthony Rodriguez, Ethan Meyer and Jacob Morrow each contributed strong early-season performances. Rodriguez led the trio with a 2:00.50 swim in the 200 freestyle and a 55.01 mark in the 100 freestyle.

Up next, Manchester Swimming and Diving heads to Franklin to swim against the Grizzlies on Nov. 6 at 6:00 p.m.

BEREA, KY — Manchester (9-7, 4-1 HCAC) defeated Berea (2-18, 0-5 HCAC) 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-22) on Saturday. Manchester used a 12-0 run in the third set to help finish the sweep.

Manchester's run-based scoring shaped the match from the opening set. Manchester turned a 9-8 edge into a 15-8 lead with six straight points, including five straight service points. The response was larger after Berea built leads in the second set: Manchester cut a 10-2 deficit to 12-10, and that climb included an eight-point run from 12-5 down to a 13-12 lead. Later in the set, Manchester moved from a 15-14 deficit to a 19-16 lead, giving it another answer after Berea had moved in front.

Manchester repeated the pattern in the third set with a 12-0 run from a 4-1 deficit to a 13-4 lead; that stretch included 11 straight service points, and a later point gave Manchester set point at 24-22. Manchester finished with 44 kills to Berea's 24 and hit .195 while Berea hit .036. Berea had a 9-7 edge in aces, but Manchester had 55 digs to Berea's 46, and each team finished with four total blocks. Lily Lichtenbarger had 12 kills on 16 swings without an attack error, Morgan Howard added 29 assists, and Tiffany Watterson finished with 15 digs.

In the first set, Manchester created separation with a 6-0 run from a 9-8 lead to 15-8, starting with a Lichtenbarger kill and continuing with Kiera Aguirre at the service line for five straight points that included two aces and two more Lichtenbarger kills. Earlier, after Berea scored the first two points, Manchester settled in with kills from Alicia Simmons, Watterson and Alena Naddaf before pushing from 4-4 to an 8-4 lead. Berea cut Manchester's lead to 20-18 late, but the Spartans answered with kills by Simmons and Kyana Martinez and benefited from three Berea errors over the closing stretch. Lichtenbarger finished the set with six kills as Manchester took the opener 25-19.

In the second set, Manchester turned a deficit into a 13-12 lead on Alicia Simmons' serve, getting kills from Martinez and Jasmine Fuller along with a Fuller-Martinez block. Earlier, Manchester had fallen behind 10-2 before Naddaf stopped the run and Howard followed with back-to-back service aces. After Berea tied the set at 16-16, Manchester answered with three straight points, including a Lichtenbarger kill, and later pushed ahead 22-17 on a Fuller kill and a Berea error. Berea cut the margin to 23-21, but Izzy Renz gave Manchester set point and Martinez finished the 25-22 set win off a Howard assist.

In the third set, Manchester overcame a 4-1 deficit with 12 straight points, using Tiffany Watterson's serve to move in front and build a 13-4 lead. During that stretch, Aguirre and Martinez started the response with kills, Renz and Lichtenbarger added points at the net, and Manchester also got blocks involving Renz, Lichtenbarger and Martinez. Ava Heady and Keira Meierant later added service aces as Manchester pushed the lead to 22-13, but Berea answered with a late run that cut the margin to 23-22. Martinez closed the set with consecutive kills from Howard, giving Manchester a 25-22 win.

Lichtenbarger led Manchester with 12 kills on 16 attacks, hit .750 and added three block assists. Howard finished with 29 assists, two service aces and eight digs. Watterson recorded a team-high 15 digs and added three assists. Simmons collected 13 digs, seven kills and a service ace.

Manchester moves to 9-7 overall and 4-1 in HCAC play. 

Up next, Manchester hosts Franklin College on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. at Stauffer-Wolfe Arena.

CINCINNATI, OH — Manchester (1-6) lost to Mt. St. Joseph (6-1) 49-16 on Saturday. The Spartans held the ball for 35:06 and converted all four fourth-down attempts, but were outgained 566-298.

After falling behind 21-0, the Spartans put together a 16-play, 76-yard march that carried into the next quarter and ended with a field goal. The Spartans later assembled another long scoring drive from a 42-3 deficit, covering 72 yards in 15 plays for a touchdown. The offense also kept possessions alive on fourth down, converting all four attempts, including three in Mt. St. Joseph territory. A late blocked punt led to another Spartans scoring sequence, moving the score from 49-9 to 49-16.

The Spartans finished with 35:06 of possession, 48 rushing attempts for 168 yards and 17 first downs, while Mt. St. Joseph produced 566 total yards, including 459 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns. The Spartans scored on all three red-zone trips and had two rushing touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions. Cameron Puryear completed 11 of 14 passes for 125 yards and added 40 rushing yards, while JD Hilton carried 21 times for 67 yards and a touchdown. De'Marreia Stephens had 12 tackles and the Spartans' interception.

The Spartans' first quarter was defined by a late response drive after Mt. St. Joseph built a 21-0 lead, with the Spartans moving from their own 19 to the Mt. St. Joseph 28 before the quarter ended. Earlier, the Spartans' opening two possessions ended in punts, though Myles Holland's 28-yard kickoff return and Angel Estrada's 58-yard punt provided field-position moments. Mt. St. Joseph scored on three touchdown passes in the quarter, and Brady Blevins' interception of Frankie Cherry at the Spartans' 35 set up the third score. The Spartans' final possession included an 11-yard third-down run by Hilton, a 9-yard completion from Puryear to Carson May and Puryear's 12-yard fourth-down conversion at the Mt. St. Joseph 45, leaving the Spartans in scoring position at the end of the quarter.

The Spartans began the second quarter at the Mt. St. Joseph 28 and moved deeper with JD Hilton's 6-yard run and Cameron Puryear's 23-yard completion to Hilton, finishing the possession on Angel Estrada's 15-yard field goal at 11:16. Mt. St. Joseph answered with a long touchdown drive, and although Troy Odle broke up a pass and Talen Garner generated pressure on a penalty-nullified snap, the kick moved the score to 28-3. The Spartans' next series gained seven yards before Estrada punted, and Mt. St. Joseph followed with another scoring march, with a touchdown at 2:56 and the point-after making it 35-3. The Spartans put together a late response as Puryear completed passes to Abdullah Abdulameer for 6 yards and Zayden Parker for 24, plus a Mt. St. Joseph penalty, to reach the Mt. St. Joseph 27 before an interception at the goal line ended the threat. Late on Mt. St. Joseph's final possession, Canden Peruski forced a fumble that went out of bounds, Rex Harris added a sack and De'Marreia Stephens intercepted a fourth-down pass at the Spartans' goal line as the score remained 35-3 at halftime.

The Spartans' longest possession of the third quarter came after Mt. St. Joseph moved ahead 42-3, as the visitors answered with a 15-play, 72-yard drive that used 7:43 and ended on Rashawn Williams' 3-yard touchdown run at 5:03. The drive included a recovered fumble by Ethan Skinner, a 3-yard fourth-down conversion by Puryear at the Mt. St. Joseph 28, and a 10-yard Puryear completion to Skinner that moved the Spartans into the red zone. After the Spartans' extra-point try was missed, Myles Holland broke up a pass on Mt. St. Joseph's next possession before a punt gave the ball back to the Spartans. The Spartans converted another fourth down late when Peruski ran for 11 yards from their own 33, and the quarter ended with Mt. St. Joseph ahead 42-9 and the Spartans at their own 44.

Luke Davis blocked a punt at the Mt. St. Joseph 41 with 1:48 left, and the Spartans turned the short field into a six-play touchdown drive capped by JD Hilton's 2-yard run with 13 seconds remaining. Earlier in the quarter, the Spartans' defense forced a three-and-out after Angel Estrada's 47-yard punt, and a later 43-yard punt pinned Mt. St. Joseph at its 6 before the home team drove for a touchdown and a 49-9 lead. The Spartans then moved from their 48 to the Mt. St. Joseph 34, with Puryear converting third-and-1 and hitting Skinner for 7 yards, but the drive ended on an interception in the end zone. After Davis' blocked punt, Puryear converted fourth-and-3 with a 14-yard pass to Thayden Welch and followed with an 18-yard completion to Skinner to set up Hilton's score, while Estrada's extra point closed the final margin at 49-16.

Stephens recorded 12 tackles and an interception with a 25-yard return. Hilton rushed 21 times for 67 yards and a touchdown and added two receptions for 24 yards. Skinner caught six passes for 53 yards and added a 19-yard rush. Puryear completed 11 of 14 passes for 125 yards and rushed 10 times for 40 yards.

The Spartans move to 1-6 overall and 0-3 in conference play. 

Up next, the Spartans travel to Terre Haute, Indiana, to face Rose-Hulman on Saturday, Oct. 31. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

CINCINNATI, OH — Manchester (1-12-1, 1-6-1) lost to Mt. St. Joseph (10-3-2, 7-1-0) 8-0 on Saturday. Manchester was held without a shot while its goalkeeper recorded 20 saves against 44 Mt. St. Joseph shots.

Manchester's defensive work was repeatedly tested as Mt. St. Joseph generated extended attacking stretches. After Mt. St. Joseph had moved in front 3-0, Manchester came through a sequence that included seven shots and three corner kicks without conceding during that span. Manchester later handled another first-half stretch of four shots without allowing a goal, and in the second half the visitors again held out through seven Mt. St. Joseph shots during an 11-minute stretch.

Mt. St. Joseph finished with a 44-0 advantage in shots and put 28 attempts on goal, leaving Manchester with limited opportunities to build possession into chances. Reagan Claus played the full 90 minutes in goal and made 20 saves, including 11 before halftime and nine after the break. Manchester committed five fouls and was not issued a card.

Manchester spent the first half defending a steady Mt. St. Joseph attack, falling behind 3-0 after goals at 1:57, 5:56 and 9:27. Claus made several saves to keep Manchester from conceding again during a pressure stretch from 16:43 to 23:08 that included multiple shots and corner kicks. Mt. St. Joseph added a fourth goal at 27:01, but Manchester again held through several chances before Mt. St. Joseph scored at 41:29. Manchester went into halftime down 5-0.

In the second half, Manchester absorbed sustained pressure, with Mt. St. Joseph scoring three times to push the final score to 8-0. Mt. St. Joseph scored in the 50th and 57th minutes before adding another in the 65th, while Claus made saves on attempts in the 49th, 52nd and 56th minutes during the early stretch. Manchester then held Mt. St. Joseph scoreless from 66:48 through 78:26 despite seven attacking actions, with Claus stopping shots at 66:48, 68:26, 71:23, 74:24 and 78:26. Claus added another save in the 83rd minute, and Manchester kept the margin at 8-0 through the end of the match.

Claus recorded 20 saves over 90 minutes in goal, making 11 in the first half and nine in the second.

Manchester moves to 1-12-1 overall and 1-6-1 in conference play. 

Up next, Manchester hosts Rose-Hulman on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. at Spartan Stadium to close the regular season. 

CINCINNATI, OH — Manchester (7-8-1, 3-4-1) lost to Mt. St. Joseph (5-6-5, 1-4-3) 1-0 on Saturday. Manchester outshot Mt. St. Joseph 12-8, including a 6-3 margin after halftime, but finished with one shot on goal.

Manchester kept the match scoreless through a first-half stretch in which Mt. St. Joseph had three shots and a corner kick, with Manchester getting through that sequence without conceding. The opening half also included multiple physical stretches, including one span with five fouls and two cards combined and another with six fouls and one card combined while the match remained level. After Manchester was behind in the second half, it put together its most concentrated push late, generating three shots and two corner kicks during one attacking sequence and continuing with three shots and a corner in the closing minutes.

Manchester finished with a 12-8 advantage in total shots, but Mt. St. Joseph put four shots on goal to Manchester's one. Will Martin played the full 90 minutes in goal and made three saves. Axel Bonilla supplied Manchester's shot on goal and finished with three shots, while Dustin Medina Estrada, Alan Galvez and Quentin Taylor each added two shots. The match also carried a steady discipline component, with Manchester whistled for 15 fouls and two yellow cards while Mt. St. Joseph had 11 fouls and one yellow card.

Manchester generated six shots in a scoreless first half, including early attempts from Medina Estrada and Noah Junchaya and two more from Bonilla during a busy stretch midway through the half. The match grew more physical as Manchester played through several fouls and yellow cards to Edwin Rodriguez and Fola Afolayan while keeping Mt. St. Joseph off the board. After Mt. St. Joseph earned a corner in the 32nd minute and later put a shot on frame, Martin made the save at 36:25. Quinn McKinley added a 39th-minute shot for Manchester, and the half ended 0-0.

Manchester spent the closing stretch chasing a 1-0 deficit after Mt. St. Joseph scored in the 66th minute. Earlier in the half, Martin saved a bottom-center shot in the 52nd minute, and Manchester created chances through a 49th-minute corner, an Afolayan shot over the goal in the 59th and another corner in the 63rd. After falling behind, Manchester pushed forward with corners in the 71st, 75th and 82nd minutes and generated a run of shots from Galvez, Bonilla and Taylor, including Bonilla's bottom-center attempt in the 79th minute. Galvez and Taylor each had late shots miss high as Manchester continued to press, but Mt. St. Joseph held on through the end of the half for a 1-0 final.

Bonilla led Manchester with three shots and put one on goal. Martin played all 90 minutes in goal and made three saves.

Manchester moves to 7-8-1 overall and 3-4-1 in conference play. 

Up next, Manchester travels to Terre Haute, Indiana, to face Rose-Hulman on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. in the regular season finale.