LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Lock Haven University football team is set to kick off Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play on Saturday, September 19 at Clarion University.

The Game:

The Bald Eagles (0-2) are set to return to the site of their last win (2007 season finale) in search of their first win in 2009 as Lock Haven travels to Clarion University (1-2). Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday (September 19) night, as the game marks the 2009 PSAC West opener for both teams. Clarion’s Memorial Stadium (5,000) is the site of the Lock Haven’s last win as the Bald Eagles downed Clarion 17-14 in OT in the 2007 season finale. The Bald Eagles are coming off a 49-7 loss at Shippensburg and are looking to snap a 13-game losing skid. Clarion is coming off a 45-31 loss at East Stroudsburg.

The Series:

Clarion leads the all-time series with The Haven 40-16-1 and took last year’s meeting in Lock Haven 24-21. LHU won at Clarion in 2007, 17-14 in overtime. Prior to LHU wins in 2006 and ’07, Clarion had won seven straight contests from 1999-2005. Clarion won the first ever meeting between the two schools in 1928 (12-0) and took home the victory in the first 11 games of the series.

Listen/Watch/Live Stats:

Fan’s can listen to the game live on Haven Sports Radio, only at HavenSports.com

http://www.lhup.edu/sports/embed.htm

Clarion’s broadcast can be heard here

http://www.redzonemedia.com/

LHU at a glance:

Lock Haven is 0-2 overall after dropping its season-opener to nationally-ranked West Chester and falling last weekend to Shippensburg 49-7. The Bald Eagles enjoyed a rare bye-week during Week-2 of the NCAA Division II College football season. The game with Clarion is the PSAC West opener for both squads.

After using four different quarterbacks in the loss to WCU, redshirt-freshman Jarret Kratzer saw the majority of time under center in the Ship game. Krazter was 15-for-29 for 111 yards passing.

Junior running back Ibrahim Smith rushed for 37 yards in the loss. Smith had one touchdown, Lock Haven’s first of the 2009 season. Smith’s long run of 11 yards was the TD.

Austin Knighton led Lock Haven’s defensive effort against Shippensburg with a seven-tackle game. Four of his seven stops were solo efforts. Dean Tortorice Shane Barie and Wes Plummer all made six tackles in the game. Tortorice also had one interception, while Plummer made 1.5 tackles for a loss and recorded one sack.

In the 2009 season opener, Lock Haven was shutout 43-0 by nationally-ranked West Chester as the Bald Eagles struggled to get the offense going. LHU used four different quarterbacks, but only managed to rack up 52 total yards.

On the year Tortorice is LHU’s leading tackler with 10 (8 solo & 2 assists). Four other players have eight.

Clarion at a glance:

Clarion won its ’09 season opener on the road at Fairmont State 33-21, but has dropped the last two games on their schedule. Clarion fell last weekend at ESU 45-31 after losing to Kutztown 25-6 in Week-2.

Leading head coach Jay Foster’s (4th season) squad is 2008 All-American Alfonso Hoggard. Joining Hoggard, and giving Clarion a dual-threat in its running game is John Fuhren.

Quarterback Tyler Huether is 66-for-121 with five interceptions and four touchdown passes on the year.

Tight end Matt Foradora has two touchdown receptions.

Defensively, the Golden Eagles are getting some solid production from Nick Sipes, who leads the team in tackles with 31. He has 20 solo stops, four tackles for a loss and three sacks.

Lock Haven’s last time out:

Football falls on the road at Shippensburg

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Lock University football team (0-2) fell to Shippensburg University (2-1) 49-7 on the road today.

The Red Raiders scored 14 points in each of the first two quarters and took a 28-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Bald Eagles used a 12-play, 63-yard drive to put seven on the board in the third quarter, but it would be enough as Shippensburg’s offense was too much for The Haven to handle today.

Down 35-0, redshirt-freshman Jarrett Kratzer (Reedsville, Pa./Indian Valley) led LHU 63 yards in 12 plays. The drive was capped off by an 11-yard run for a touchdown by junior running back Ibrahim Smith (New Bloomfield, Pa./West Perry).

Smith rushed 37 yards on 12 carries. His long run of the day was the 11-yard scamper for a TD.

Krazter was 15-for-29 for 111 yards passing.

A trio of players hauled in three receptions for Lock Haven in the loss.

LHU recorded 146 total yards of offense, while host-Shippensburg was tough to stop and turned in a 471-yard outing.

Austin Knighton (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock) led Lock Haven’s defensive effort with a seven-tackle game. Four of his seven stops were solo efforts.

Dean Tortorice (Delmont, Pa./Franklin Regional), Shane Barie (Export, Pa./Franklin Regional) and Wes Plummer (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) all made six tackles in the game.

Tortorice also had one interception, while Plummer made 1.5 tackles for a loss and recorded one sack.

Shippensburg quarterback Chad DiFebbo was 11-for-14 passing and racked up 199 total yards through the air. Chad Halterman scored two touchdowns for the Red Raiders in the win.

Back in action:

Lock Haven returns to action on Saturday, September 26 at 2 p.m. when they play host to Mercyhurst College in The Haven’s annual Homecoming game.

Full Game Notes attached below.