Community College of Allegheny County-North Campus ice hockey player Aaron Nolte has performed some slick shooting this season.

A 20-year-old sophomore, he is currently ranked No. 1 in regular-season goals for the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 3.

Thanks to a hat trick on Saturday which helped his team defeat West Virginia University, Nolte's record now totals 43 goals in 17 games.

"He's a machine," said CCAC-North Campus athletic director Chuck Bell.

Nolte holds a five-goal lead over Connor Lyons of the University of South Florida, who has posted 38 goals in 27 games.

A resident of Pittsburgh's North Side and a graduate of Serra Catholic High School in McKeesport, Nolte attributes his success to years of dedication and work -- with consistent practices during the season, and weight training and endurance work-outs during the off-season.

He also believes in maintaining a healthy diet--which may have something to do with his choice of a major at CCAC: dietetics.

For the third time this year, Carnegie Mellon University freshman Molly Evans was named the University Athletic Association Women's Swim Athlete of the Week after she broke another school record, her fifth of the year.

A Butler Area High School graduate, Evans played a huge part in the Tartans 108-95 dual meet win at Westminster College on Jan. 26, improving the Tartans dual record to 7-1.

The versitle freshman turned in another two-win day with a victory in the 200-yard IM breaking her fifth school record this year with a time of 2:09.59 and in the 500-yard freestyle in a career-best 5:05.70.

Both times are NCAA "B" cut times but Evans already knows she's headed to the NCAA championship meet in March because of her automatic qualifying time (2:04.71) in the 200-yard backstroke she set on Dec. 1.

She currently sits second in the nation in the 200-yard backstroke and is among the top 10 in five events.

North Hills High School grad Anthony Talotta, a senior second baseman at Bethany College, was recently selected by Collegiate Baseball as a Player to Watch for the upcoming season.

Talotta was recognized after he hit .293 (27-92) as a junior with 12 RBIs and 16 runs scored and he showed a penchant for moving runners along, as evidenced by his team-leading eight sacrifice hits.

A slick-fielding second baseman, he was even better in the field, making just four errors in 162 total chances for a .975 fielding percentage while also being involved in 22 double plays.

"I was somewhat surprised by Anthony's selection," said Bethany head coach Rick Carver. "Most times you need an eye-popping batting average or some other great offensive numbers to be included.

"While he did a lot of good things for us at the plate with his .293 average, his presence on the list is testament to his .984 fielding percentage last year.

"If he can continue that level of play with the glove and catch a few breaks with the stick, he'll more than prove he deserved to be recognized with the top players in the nation."