Empire 8 Athletes of The Week: Oct. 29, 2012
Field Hockey Offensive Player – Utica
Louise Steele-Norton, Sophomore, F – Avondale, PA/Millbrook
Steele-Norton had four points in Utica's two games last week. She had the lone goal in UC's 3-1 loss to Oneonta on Wednesday. On Saturday she netted the game-winner in the Pioneers' 3-1 win over Hartwick to clinch the #2 seed in the Empire 8 Tournament. She has a league-best 22 goals on the season and is amongst the national leaders in goals and points per game.
Field Hockey Defensive Player – Elmira
Lauren Thomas, Junior, G – Marshfield, MA/Marshfield
Thomas made a remarkable 39 saves in three contests this week. On Thursday against Keystone she stopped 12 shots giving up just one score in a 2-1 win against Keystone. Saturday she stopped nine shots against Washington and Jefferson. Sunday against Stevens Thomas had a huge performance stopping 18 shots and keep the game scoreless until halftime against powerhouse Stevens. The Soaring Eagles end the season with five wins, the most in the program since they won six games in 2005. .812 save percentage.
Football Offensive Player – Utica College
Jeremy Meier, Senior, WR – Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy
Meier caught seven balls for a game-high 135 yards and two touchdowns as he helped the Pioneers secure their school-record fourth conference victory of the season on Saturday, setting up a first place showdown at No. 16 Salisbury on Saturday. He started the scoring with a first quarter touchdown to put UC on top 7-0 and he insured the victory with a fourth quarter touchdwon grab, elevating the UC lead to 31-7. He headed into the contest needing just three yards receiving to break the College's career receiving yards record set by Cody Elliot back in 2009. Meier now has 2,252 career receiving yards. He needs two more catches in the next two games to break the school-record for receptions in a career, which is also currently held by Elliot. He has 171 catches in four seasons. He currently ranks eighth in the nation and first in the Empire 8 with an average of 123.38 receiving yards per game.
Football co -Defensive Player – Utica College
Shawn Mitchell, Sophomore, CB – Philadelphia, NY/Indian River
Mitchell recorded both of his interceptions in the second quarter on Saturday, sparking the Pioneers to a 31-7 victory over Alfred. With the Pioneers on top 7-0, Mitchell's first interception led to a Utica touchdown, giving the home team a 14-0 advantage. His second INT led to the Pioneers next score, a 36 yard field goal as the first half clock expired to put UC on top 17-7. The two-sport stand out (football, basketball) also recorded four tackles as the Pioneers topped Alfred for the first time in program-history.
Football co -Defensive Player – Ithaca College
Skylar Griffenberg, Junior, FS – Hartsdale, NY/Ardsley
Griffenberg made a career-high 14 tackles including one tackle for loss in Ithaca's win over #7 Salisbury. His efforts helped hold the Sea Gulls to 85 rushing yards below their season average. It’s the first conference loss for the Sea Gulls since they joined the Empire 8 prior to the 2011 season.
Football Special Teams Player – Ithaca College
Sam Carney, Sophomore, CB – Hanover, NH/Hanover
Carney had two long punt returns that set up Ithaca touchdowns. His first big play was a 60-yard punt return in the first quarter that set the Bombers up first-and-goal from the two and Ithaca went on to take a 7-0 lead. In the third quarter, Carney returned a punt 35 yards to the 50 and it sparked a eight-play, 50-yard touchdown drive to put Ithaca ahead 14-0 in a win over Salisbury.
Men’s Cross Country Runner – Ithaca
Nathan Bickell, Senior – Annapolis, MD/Annapolis
Senior Nathan Bickell placed first out of 82 runners to win the 2012 Empire 8 Men's Cross Country Championships as the Bombers recorded just 32 points in winning their third consecutive Empire 8 title and sixth since the conference began sponsoring the sport in 2003. It is the fifth time an Ithaca student-athlete has won individual honors. Bickell crossed the finish line first in 26:11.44 to record his third consecutive All-Empire 8 First-Team honor. He placed second as a junior and fifth as a sophomore.
Women’s Cross Country Runner - Stevens
Amy Regan, Freshman – Green Brook, NJ/Watchung Hills
Freshman Amy Regan placed first out of 96 runners to became the first Stevens runners to claim the Empire 8 Women’s Cross Country individual title. Regan is also the first non-Ithaca runner to win since the conference began to sponsor the sport in 2003. She set a new school record of 18:08.46 on the 5K course by over a minute and beat out the next closest runner by 14 seconds.
Men’s Soccer Offensive Player - Elmira
Andre Germano, Sophomore, F – Campinas, Brazil/Winchendon
Germano scored the game-winner in the 55th minute to help EC down Utica 1-0 and earn a postseason berth in the Empire 8 tournament. After some quick passing up the field the sophomore and reigning Empire 8 Rookie of the Year drew a foul on a Pioneer defender in the box. He then calmly stepped up and drilled a liner into the right corner of the net, beating Utica keeper Anthony Caruso despite the goalie guessing the correct way. The Campinas, Brazil native now leads the Empire 8 with 12 goals and is tied for first with 27 points.
Men’s Soccer Defensive Player – Utica
Anthony Caruso, Junior, GK – Easton, CT/Joel Barlow
Caruso allowed two goals in a 1-1 week for UC. He stopped six shots in net as the Pioneers topped Hamilton, 2-1, for the first time since 1984 this past week. He added seven saves in the Pioneers loss at Elmira on Saturday. He has allowed one goal or less in 13 games this year. The only goal allowed against Elmira was on a PK despite Caruso guessing the correct way.
Women’s Soccer Offensive Player – Elmira
Ellie Hamilton, Senior, M – Victor, NY/Victor
Hamilton scored the game-winner in the 63rd minute as the Soaring Eagles pulled a huge upset of the visiting Ducks on Senior Day! The goal was Hamilton's second in the last three games, as she had been held scoreless in the previous 13 games.
Women’s Soccer Defensive Player – Elmira
Megan Lowe, Senior, GK – Leroy, NY/Leroy
Lowe had a big week in net helping the Soaring Eagles pull a huge upset of Stevens along the way. The senior made 12 saves but couldn't get any goal support in a 1-0 loss Tuesday on the road at Geneseo. On Saturday Lowe stepped up in her final game in the Purple and Gold. She had 14 saves in a 2-1 upset of the Ducks. The senior made 11 of her 14 saves in the first half to keep the game tied heading in to halftime. Early on she stopped four consecutive quality Stevens' shot attempts before EC got on the board on its first shot attempt.
Women’s Volleyball Player - Elmira
Molly Short, Senior, S – Sterling, CO/Sterling
Short finished the week with a remarkable 156 assists, averaging 9.67 per set in a 4-1 week for the Elmira College Volleyball team. Its only loss came to 16th ranked SUNY Cortland. Short also tallied 19 digs on the week for a 1.27 average per set. Her best all-around match of the week came Friday against Hunter when she finished with 36 assists and 10 digs.
Women’s Volleyball Rookie – St. John Fisher
Megan Miller, Outside Hitter - Lancaster, NY/St. Mary’s
Megan Miller tallied her seventh and eighth double-double of the season in 3-1 victories over Brockport and Oswego. She has 10 kills and 21 digs on Wednesday night against Brockport and finished with 12 kills, 11 digs and three aces on Saturday at Oswego. She also added nine kills and nine digs in a 3-1 loss to Potsdam to complete the week.
Men’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Ithaca
Taylor Van Cott, Junior – Delmar, NY/Bethlehem
Taylor Van Cott placed first in three individual events and a relay to lead Ithaca's efforts. Van Cott won the 100-yard butterfly in 53.30 seconds, the 200 fly in 2:01.45 and the 200-yard individual medley in 2:05.53. He was also a part of the victorious 200-yard medley relay that won with a time of 1:37.35.
Women’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Nazareth
Emily Sauter, Junior – Carthage, NY/Carthage
Emily Sauter earned individual event wins in the 50-freestyle (25.88) and the 200-freestyle (2:05.76) for the Golden Flyers in a dominant dual meet win over St. Lawrence. Sauter also swam on the winning 200-medley relay (1:55.41) and the 200-free relay team (1:45.61).