The Pittsburgh Penguins Alumni Association awarded its 21st annual scholarship to Mercer Area High School graduate Lincoln Saracco. The scholarship is valued at $5,000 and is co-sponsored by the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation.
The Alumni scholarship program was created in 2005 and is presented annually to a western Pennsylvania high school senior for academic excellence and for providing leadership, sportsmanship and a positive attitude as a member of their school’s hockey program. Students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.2 to qualify for the scholarship.
Saracco, a defenseman, served as Alternate Team Captain his senior year and led the Neshannock Varsity Hockey Team with a +32 rating for the 2025-2026 campaign. The year before, as a junior, he finished second on the team with a +27 rating.
His leadership qualities both on and off the ice have been touted by his coaches and school administrators as one of his greatest strengths.
A 3-sport athlete, he also served as Captain of the Mercer Golf Team and was one of three Captains on Mercer’s Baseball Team. He was named a PIHL Academic All Star as a member of the Neshannock Lancers Hockey Team.
He excelled academically with a 4.99 GPA. In addition to his sports teams, he was also a member of the National Honor Society and Mercer Chamber Choir.
Saracco was an active member of his community and volunteered with a 12u hockey team for the Lawrence County Lightning as a junior coach and also helped run the Little Pens practice sessions on weekends. In addition, he worked on the planning committee for the DJ Graham Memorial Color Run, an event that supports suicide prevention and awareness, held in Mercer the past two years.
He is the son of Shane and Nichole Saracco of Mercer, PA. This fall, he will attend Slippery Rock University to pursue a degree in Exercise Science, a pre-chiropractic program.
