Harnick becomes all-time leading scorer for York College men's lacrosse

In the 25-year history of York College men’s lacrosse, nobody has scored more goals than Will Harnick.

The graduate student found the net four times Saturday to give him 208 goals in his career, breaking the program record of 206 set by 2015 graduate Tyler Hutson. Harnick reached the milestone on the third of his four goals in the Spartans’ 15-11 home win over Eastern.

Harnick soared up the program’s all-time leaderboard with a 76-goal season in 2023, which shattered York’s previous record of 60 goals in a campaign. The Gibsonia native also scored 57 goals in 2022 and 40 in 2021. Saturday’s output gave Harnick 31 markers through 13 games this spring.

Like many standouts throughout college sports in recent years, Harnick’s historic totals were made possible in part by the extra year of eligibility given to athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. His freshman season in 2020 was cut short after six games, in which he had scored four goals. From 2021 on, he’s tallied 204 goals in 73 contests, including the postseason. Hutson — who, like Harnick, wore No. 28 — scored his 206 goals in 72 games.

Harnick’s Saturday performance also moved him into second on the Spartans’ career points list with 265. He inched ahead of 2019 graduate Thomas Pfeiffer (264) but remains, at least for now, behind Hutson’s 286.

York College improved to 6-7 overall and 3-0 in the MAC Commonwealth with Saturday’s win. The Spartans suffered a slew of close losses against top-ranked teams early this season to drop out of the national rankings. York has four games remaining in the regular season, including three against teams also off to 3-0 starts in conference play.

The Spartans last lost a conference game in 2021 and will seek their third straight MACC title next month. Achieving the three-peat will ensure a return trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament, in which York reached the Round of 16 last season and the semifinals two years ago.

Harnick isn’t the only fifth-year Spartan with a program record to his name. Faceoff specialist Vinny Facciponti is the school’s career leader in ground balls, faceoff wins and faceoff winning percentage. Both players will look to continue adding to their totals late into the spring as they contribute to York’s latest postseason run.

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MORE SPARTAN STANDOUTS

The York College women’s lacrosse season has followed a similar path to that of the men. The Spartans started 3-6 against a gauntlet of a schedule but have won four straight games to reach 7-6 overall and 3-0 in the conference. Graduate defender Sarah Christensen was named MACC Defensive Player of the Week for the second straight week on Monday after starring in the program’s sixth-ever shutout, a 19-0 win at Eastern, on Saturday.

On the baseball field, freshman Evan Hughes was named MACC Pitcher of the Week in recognition of his two-hit shutout against Messiah on Saturday. Hughes allowed one walk and hit a batter while striking out four in the Spartans’ 7-0, seven-inning win. The first-place Falcons rebounded to split Saturday’s doubleheader and clinch the series on Sunday. York is 17-10 overall and 9-6 in the league.

Gretchen Barstad was named MACC Softball Player of the Week after going 12 for 21 (.571) with a homer, six RBIs, nine runs scored, four walks and two stolen bases in a busy seven-game week. Barstad was 7 for 10 with five RBIs and eight runs scored in three midweek games against Widener and Gettysburg. She remained productive in Saturday and Sunday doubleheaders against Messiah and No. 2 Salisbury, although the Spartans dropped all four games to slip to 18-10 (7-3).

York College men’s golf won the team title at the MAC Preview Tournament, hosted by Albright College, on Sunday at Glen Oaks Country Club in Fleetwood. The Spartans’ team score of 296 bested Elizabethtown (302) and Albernia (305) for the win. Gavin Ganter claimed the individual crown in a five-hole playoff after shooting 72, earning him conference Golfer of the Week honors. Jason Velez was one stroke behind with a 73, and all five Spartans shot 78 or better.

In Saturday’s MAC Preview on the women’s side, York’s Grace Strickland tied for the low round of the day with a 77 before losing in a playoff to Alvernia’s McKylie Boreman. The Spartans took second place in Fleetwood with a team score of 334, six shots behind Alvernia.

The men’s and women’s track and field teams combined for five event wins and 32 top-five finishes at Friday’s Stevenson Invitational. Sophomore Sofia Harnois (South Western) led the women’s contingent by taking first in the discus, second in the hammer throw to teammate Hailey Sherwood and sixth in the shot put. Peyton Mann won the women’s 400 hurdles, Matt Martin claimed the men’s long jump and York took the title in the men’s 4x100 relay.

BACK ON COURSE

York College announced Monday that Jordan Koller will take over as the Spartan men’s and women’s golf coach, effective April 23. The rare midseason hire came after Eric Stauffer accepted a job outside of college sports; Chris Bupp has served as York’s interim coach since early March.

Koller was a member of the York women’s golf team from 2018-22, helping lead the Spartans to three conference titles and earning individual all-conference honors three times. She was named the MAC Senior Scholar-Athlete for women's golf as a senior and graduated with a degree in Sport Management and a 3.95 GPA. Koller worked at the NCAA offices in Indianapolis and managed junior golf and tournaments for the Alabama Golf Association before returning to York.

“I want to thank the search committee and (Assistant Dean for Athletics and Recreation) Paul Saikia for this opportunity,” Koller said in a press release. “After four years of playing for the women's golf team, there is no place I would rather be than at York, leading the men's and women's golf programs. Both teams are talented and I am excited to help them grow and succeed both on and off the course.”

The men’s team has one regular-season tournament remaining, as the Spartans will compete at the Emory Invitational outside Atlanta on Saturday and Sunday. The MAC Commonwealth men’s championship is set for April 27 and 28, while the MAC women’s tournament will follow on May 4 and 5. Both events will be played at Golden Oaks.

LION’S DEN

Penn State York baseball went 4-0 last week to bring its season record to 20-7 (10-4 PSUAC). The Nittany Lions celebrated senior day with 20-10 and 26-1 routs of Penn State Wilkes-Barre in a Sunday doubleheader at WellSpan Park. They also beat Bucks County Community College 7-0 and 11-1 in a twin bill last Tuesday. Saturday’s road doubleheader against Wilkes-Barre was rained out and rescheduled for next Tuesday, April 23.

The Lions will continue conference play this week with a pair of doubleheaders against Penn State Brandywine, hitting the road Thursday before hosting two Friday. The rescheduled Wilkes-Barre doubleheader will close PSY’s regular season. The PSUAC tournament will begin April 26.

Penn State Brandywine leads the PSUAC East at 14-2 (21-8 overall), while York and Penn State Schuylkill are both 10-4 in the conference.

Gavin Constein leads the PSY offense with a .429 average, while Andrew Miller (Susquehannock) has three homers and Nathaniel Uzelac has 22 RBIs. The Lions have stolen 76 bases while limiting their opponents to 14 steals on 27 attempts. Pitcher Cole Sinnott is 5-1 in eight starts and Kolby Miller leads the starting rotation with a 2.02 ERA.

FINAL SERVE

Dallastown graduate Holden Koons has been a standout all spring for Wake Forest men’s tennis, which wrapped a 26-5 regular season on Sunday. The No. 7-ranked Demon Deacons earned the second seed in the ACC tournament and will take the court for their quarterfinal match on Friday in Cary, North Carolina. 

Koons, a four-year star at James Madison who joined Wake Forest as a graduate transfer, finished the regular season with a 21-4 singles record and a 21-2 doubles mark. He’s spent most of the spring in the No. 5 or 6 singles spot while joining DK Suresh Ekambaram on the top doubles tandem.

After an ACC champion is crowned Sunday, the NCAA team, singles and doubles championships will be staged throughout May.