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LOCK HAVEN UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL NEWS www . lockhaven . edu / www . golhu . com
LHU ' S Bald Eagles - Year Three of the Mulrooney Era
Last September ' s LHU column expressed hope that the fall sports teams would improve , if only a little bit . Was THAT wrong ! The Bald Eagle football team showed what can happen when the right coach motivates the right players to play above themselves , and that led to the best record an LHU football team had achieved in 42 years .
And now to build on that - Coach Dan Mulrooney is starting his third year in charge . Year One - he had to work with the players his predecessor left him . Year Two - he convinced dozens of players to choose LHU , most of them seniors and grad students - that led to a successful year . Year Three ? Back to the transfer portal , mostly for younger players who can grow with the program . Fourteen new faces this spring alone .
And competitors have noticed ... in the 2024 PSAC Coaches Poll , Mulrooney competitors picked the Lock Haven University Bald Eagles to finish fifth - their best result in 20 years .
This newfound respect is because Lock Haven ended the 2023 season with a 5-6 overall record and finished PSAC Eastern Division play with a 3-4 record with wins over Millersville , Bloomsburg , and Shippensburg . The Haven entered this season coming off back-to-back one-win seasons , and the Bald Eagles had won a combined four games in the previous three seasons prior to last fall ( 2023 ).
En route to their historic season last fall , the 2023 Bald Eagles overcame a 1-4 home record by racking up four wins on the road , to finish an impressive 4-1 away from Hubert Jack Stadium . The four road victories were more than the previous five seasons combined .
The Bald Eagles averaged 26 points-per-game on the road last season , including scoring a season-high 38 points in a convincing victory over Millersville in late September .
But that was last year . This season , Mulrooney has spoken - there will be no more cupcake schedules . LHU will play the best teams - there will be road games up to 5 hours away ( Glenville State ). And higher expectations from everyone within and outside of the program .
So , can the Bald Eagles do that ? The schedule is always difficult , since the PSAC is the toughest Division 2 football conference in the country . LHU will not be surprising other teams this year - they know the program is on the rise . But - Mulrooney also knows how much talent he picked up this offseason , players who desperately want a chance to play . Combine that with the challenge that will be heightened by the difficult teams scheduled in the first three weeks .
And through it all , the Bear Country Sports Network will be there . The voice of the Lock Haven Bald Eagles , Nic Severini , will be on site for every game , not just those at home . Starting September 7th , tune in to 99.9 fm , stream through Bear999 . com , and / or watch video thru GoLHU . com . And there is yet another way to hook up - through Central PASports . com on your desktop , laptop , tablet , or smartphone .
However you find us , be sure to listen and watch this dramatic eleven game season to see if the LHU can take another step forward .
Go Bald Eagles !
www . bearcountrygoodnews . com “ Good News ” -- September -- 5