Mount Union Purple Raiders

Mikey Maloney Dominates in First Career Mount Union Start as the Purple Raiders Defeat Wheaton 37-29

Alliance, OH- For the 38th consecutive season, the Mount Union Purple Raiders get a win in week one by downing the Wheaton Thunder 37-29. With it, the NCAA’s longest regular-season win streak increases to 76. The last time UMU lost in the regular season was in their last game against John Carroll in Alliance.

Mount Union got the ball to begin the game and wasted no time driving down the field. Mikey Maloney picked up a first down by connecting with returning wideout Nick Turner. Maloney followed this up with a 55-yard run, putting UMU at the Wheaton seven-yard line. Three plays later, Wyatt Stiehl caught his first touchdown pass since returning to Mount after a year at Southern Florida. Ivan Maric would miss the extra point, so the score remained 6-0 with 13:17 left in the first quarter.

The Thunder would pick up nine yards on their opening drive as Mark Forcucci found Seth Kortenhoeven. However, back-to-back incompletions forced Wheaton to punt. Mount Union used the short yardage game as a launching pad during its second drive. Seven out of the nine plays on the drive went for less than 10 yards. The exceptions came in the form of a 21-yard pass to Turner and a 17-yard touchdown pass to Elmherst transfer Jacob Cockrell. Maric was able to redeem himself as he made the extra point, making it 13-0 with 7:24 left in the first quarter.

The Thunder responded on the following drive as they went 51 yards on four plays to get on the board by way of a 10-yard rushing touchdown from Matt Crider. The Purple Raiders would also respond, taking eight plays and 75 yards to find the endzone. This time, Maloney connected with Shaun Thomas on a wheel route for the 42-yard score. This made the score 20-7 as the first quarter came to a close.

Wheaton looked for an answer with a mythodical drive, but a Forcucci incompletion on the 12th play ended the drive at Mount’s 27-yard line. To make matters worse, Maloney found Cockrell for an 81-yard touchdown after being sacked on the prior play. With the Purple Raiders up by 20, the Thunder needed to get back in the game. However, another mythodical drive stalled out as Wheaton turned the ball over at UMU’s 11-yard line. From there, Mount Union would have a drive stall out after 9 plays, which was followed by a Thunder three-and-out. After trying to get down the field quickly at the end of the half, Maloney was dragged down for the second time, and the Purple Raiders opted to run the clock out. Through 30 minutes, it was Mount Union up 27-7.

The Wheaton offense would continue to have its struggles as the second half began. They would go three-and-out for the second consecutive series, this time with negative eight yards of offense. Maric would hit his first field goal of the season on the ensuing drive, making it 30-7. Keenan Cruz would get his first career interception at Mount Union on the first play of the Thunder’s next drive. This gave Maloney and the offense a short field. Turner would get into the endzone for the first time this season on a one-yard touchdown pass from Maloney. This would round out the Purple Raiders’ offense for the day as they led 37-7.

Down by 30 as the fourth quarter began, things looked bleak for Wheaton. Once again, the Thunder opted for a mythical drive. However, Forcucci was able to find the endzone on a 21-yard scamper. This made it 37-14. Junior quarterback Chase Copper would come in for Mount Union, along with sophomore running back Kayden Minner. They were able to move the ball 19 yards before a loss of two on a rush and a loss of five on a delay of game penalty, forcing Michael Franklin back onto the field to punt. Overall, two of Franklin’s punts ended up inside the 20-yard line. He averaged 44.3 yards per punt, improving on his 41 yards per punt in 2024.

With 8:15 left in the game, the Thunder offense finally clicked. Forcucci took 4:28 off the clock before finding Kortenhoeven for a 19-yard touchdown. This made it 37-21. Then, Wheaton recovered an onside kick out of nowhere. Yet again, Kortenhoeven punished the Purple Raiders as he caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Forcucci. With a successful two-point conversion, a 30-point game became a one-possession game. Maloney and the starters were forced back onto the field given the circumstances, and they got the job done. On a crucial third down, Maloney found Matt Anderson for his 19th completion of the day. However, the tight end fumbled the ball. Still, UMU was able to pounce on the rock, sealing the 37-29 victory.

“The Machine is the consistency of the program,” remarked Mount Union head coach Geoff Dartt after the game.

It’s no secret that players want to come to Alliance to play for UMU, as shown by the sheer number of players on the roster. However, Coach Dartt doesn’t want just any player.

“I think that [35 OAC losses since first title back in 1985] speaks more to the players that are choosing to come here and want to be coached hard and become the best versions of themselves…and I think it’s even more important when you recruit people, they’re good people that want to be coached and want to be developed.”

One of the best pieces of recruiting this past offseason, staying in line with Coach Dartt’s mantra, was bringing in Jacob Cockrell from Elmherst. In his Purple Raider debut, he caught three passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

“Meeting these coaches and players, I really wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” proclaimed Cockrell after the game.

Circling back to Mount Union’s lone interception, senior Keenan Cruz was glad to see his hard work pay off in a big way.

Cruz said, “Yeah, it’s amazing. A lot of preparation and work was put in. To see some of that pay off and finally get that [interception], that’s awesome.”

As for the Purple Raiders’ new QB 1 in Mikey Maloney, he had the definition of a dream debut. He went 19/24 with 307 yards and 5 touchdowns. He was also second on the team with 44 rushing yards.

Last season, the Riverside legend went down with an injury that ended his campaign in the win against Wilmington. However, he found comfort in God as he attributed his success to Him.

“The biggest thing being injured is the mental side of it, and I think I grew a lot as a person. My faith in God really helped me find myself, helped me be confident in His plan for me. So, I just put my faith in Him.”

During the postgame press conference with Coach Dartt, he even joked that Maloney could run for Mayor of Riverside [Painesville], showing not only that he is an excellent quarterback, but also a good person.

Next week, it’s on to Grove City as Mount Union takes on the Wolverines in their second and final 1 PM kickoff of the season. This week, Grove City made a statement as they knocked off #10 Courtland 31-14 on the road in New York.

As for Wheaton, it is another road trip next week as they take on Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. The Vikings earned a thrilling win, 42-41, in overtime on the road against Simpson in Iowa. This matchup will begin College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) play for the 2025 campaign.

Mount Union had a task heading into week one-keep The Machine rolling and get the win. In the end, it’s mission accomplished for one of the prides of Alliance, albeit in a closer game than once expected. As the saying goes, a win’s a win. 13 more wins, and Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium will host the Purple Raiders in the Stagg Bowl to close out the season.

‘Mount Lax’ Takes Center Stage, Defeats Baldwin Wallace 12-9 to Advance to OAC Championship

Alliance, OH- Entering play tonight, only four women’s lacrosse teams remained in contention for the Ohio Athletic Conference title—Mount Union, John Carroll, Capital, and Baldwin Wallace. At Kehres Stadium, the Purple Raiders took care of the Yellow Jackets 12-9. This was a game of redemption for UMU as they lost 15-12 in Berea on April 2.

As expected, Mount Union came out with a vengeance. Graduate student Eden Kessler opened the scoring 85 seconds in. Next up, Katie Clark made it 2-0 with 9:49 left in the first quarter. Emily Funk made it 3-0 minutes later while UMU was up a player. Halfway through the first quarter, the Purple Raiders had complete control of the match. Claire Alic put BW on the board with 6:28 on the clock in the first. Ella Nejad capped off the scoring for UMU in the first with a goal of her own. With the score sitting at 4-1, Lily Tope beat the buzzer with a last-second goal, making the score 4-2 after 15 minutes.

Nejad became the first repeat goal scorer of the day as she put Mount Union’s first of four second-quarter goals into the back of the net. Kessler and Clark backed up Ella soon after with strikes of their own. With 12:48 on the clock in the first half, it was all UMU 7-2. From there, Alic would complete her hat trick with two unassisted goals in the following seven minutes. Nejad finished what she started with 1:47 remaining in the first half as she scored the Purple Raiders’ eighth goal of the game. At halftime, UMU comfortably led 8-4.

The second half had a slow start. Both teams had opportunities to advance, but no one was able to get the opening blow. Then, Mariana Melgoza delivered the first blow of the third quarter after a good battle near the crease. Alic continued her solo success by scoring twice, making it 8-7. Then, the equalizer. Taylor Miklos—assisted by Melgoza—tied the game up at 8 with a masterful goal. With 15 minutes left to play, everything was still to play for.

It has been well known this season that Mount Union women’s lacrosse has a strong New York backbone. The likes of Abby Lindkvist, Reese Fuenfstueck, Makenzie Kolstad, and Mae Pawlikowski have led many great plays this season. Tonight, that was no different. 53 seconds into the fourth, Fuenfstueck found the breakthrough. Next, Pawlikowski backed up her assist with a goal of her own. Finally, Funk scored for the second time, assisted by Fuenfstueck. Exactly one minute after that goal, Annette Doren brought the Yellow Jackets back within two. After 10 minutes of back-and-forth defense, the game was all but over. However, Pawlikowski added the cherry on top with a last-second goal. As the final buzzer sounded in Alliance, it was Mount Union victorious 12-9.

While the team celebrated on the field afterwards, this win was a stepping stone to something greater. The next step? An OAC championship victory. Last year, they fell short in Columbus against Capital 22-9. Mount Union is ready to get back to their 2010s dominance, which saw them win six consecutive OAC tournament championships from 2014-2019. The team in their way this time out–John Carroll. The Blue Streaks won their first 14 games before the Purple Raiders had their number 16-10 in Alliance on April 23.

The OAC championship game is Saturday at 1 PM at Kehres Stadium. The game can be streamed on OAC TV with Nathan Smee on the call.

Mount Union MVB Wins the 2025 MCVL Regular Season Crown

Alliance, OH- For the first time since the 2023 season, Mount Union has won the MCVL regular season title. Today, they took down rivals Baldwin Wallace 3-2 on the road to ensure a solo title.

The last time the Purple Raiders won the conference, they went 7-1 with their loss coming against #3 Wittenberg. Before the season began, the Purple Raiders were slated to finish third in the conference behind the Tigers and the Yellow Jackets.

In the regular season finale, Mount Union got out to an early 7-0 lead in set 1. BW fought back as much as they could, getting as close as 2 points. Still, it was UMU taking home the opening frame 25-19. The Purple Raiders kept cruising in the second set, establishing a cushion from the jump. In the end, Mount Union left set 2 with a 25-20 victory.

Baldwin Wallace started their comeback in the third frame. With a 20-16 lead in the third, the game looked destined to head to a fourth set. However, a 7-1 run from the Purple Raiders saw them lead 23-21. With their backs against the wall, the Yellow Jackets rallied off 4 points in a row to win the third set 25-23. BW turned around after the third to control the fourth set, winning 25-20. Unlike the third set, Baldwin Wallace controlled the tempo.

Heading into the final set, momentum was with the Yellow Jackets. Still, Mount Union got to work and battled. A 3-0 run from the Purple Raiders set UMU up to succeed. In the middle of the fifth, a 6-0 run put the dagger in BW’s valiant comeback. Jacob Nussdorfer’s 10th and final kill sealed the 15-7 win in set 5.

Looking at the stat sheet, it was the senior duo of Jack McClure and Will Heeney who led the charge. McClure posted 19 kills while Heeney recorded 41 assists. As for digs, it was a balanced effort. Peyton Koszelak had 10 digs while Aaron Armour and Beckham Heller had 9.

For the Yellow Jackets, Daniel Latham led the way with a game-high 22 kills. Evan Herbst ran the BW offense with a total of 38 assists. In the back line, it was Daniel Abercrombie who ran the show with 13 digs.

The stage is now set for the MCVL Tournament. Mount Union will host as the #1 seed. Wittenberg will be the #2 seed with Baldwin Wallace sitting as the #3 seed. Finally, Trine makes the tournament as the 4th and final seed. On Friday, April 11, the Purple Raiders will play the Thunder while the Yellow Jackets look for redemption against the Tigers. The championship game will be played the following afternoon. While the times are not confirmed, the games are rumored to be played at 4PM and 7PM on Friday and 4PM on Saturday.

Picture Credit: Payton Berkley (PB30photos on Instagram)