E8 Athletes of the Week: October 21, 2013
Empire 8 crowned a tennis champion over the weekend and other conference tournaments are drawing closer as E8 student-athletes continued to produce stellar performances during the week of Oct. 14-20. Those earning weekly honors include....
Football Offensive Player - St. John Fisher
Kevin Francis, Senior, WR – Batavia, NY/Batavia Notre Dame
Kevin Francis set a new school record with four touchdown receptions against Salisbury on Saturday. Francis had a monster afternoon at wide receiver as he hauled in seven receptions for 143 yards.
Football Defensive Player – Utica
Jeff Mitchell, Sophomore, - Onondaga, NY/Onondaga
Utica's Jeff Mitchell recorded a career-best 11 tackles (10 solo) and added two pass break ups in the Pioneers' game against Ithaca.
Football Special Teams Player - Salisbury
Zak Osborne, Freshman, K/P –Salisbury, MD/Parkside
Zak Osborne made the most of his first career appearance, connecting on all six point-after attempts. Osborne's six points were key as Salisbury earned a 42-35 win against No. 19 St. John Fisher College.
Field Hockey Offensive Player – St. John Fisher
Elizabeth Cusack, Sophomore, Forward – Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa
Elizabeth Cusack scored two goals in as many games last week as the St. John Fisher College Cardinals picked up two key conference wins. Cusack scored a goal and took seven shots in a 4-1 win against Nazareth College last Tuesday. On Saturday, Cusack scored the game's only goal as Fisher dispatched of Hartwick College 1-0. In the win, she tallied three shots.
Field Hockey Defensive Player – Stevens
Grace Ridge, Senior, Defender – Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown
Senior back Grace Ridge had a pair of goals for Stevens last week, helping the Ducks to wins over Houghton College and Nazareth College - the ladder of which clinched the Empire 8 regular-season title for Stevens. Her tally against the Golden Flyers counted as the game-winner, her first of the season. The veteran back helped the Ducks to a 10-3 advantage in goals-for and goals-against this past weekend.
Men’s Cross Country Runner – Stevens
Michael Cahill, Senior – Clark, NJ/Union Catholic
The Stevens Institute of Technology men's cross country team placed sixth overall at the Connecticut College Invitational on Saturday and senior Michael Cahill established a new school record on the 8K course. Cahill finished third individually out of 248 runners with a time of 25:19 and was just five seconds behind the runner-up performer. The previous best time set at any course for Stevens was 25:54 set by Cahill last fall and Will Sanders in 2005.
Women’s Cross Country Runner – Stevens
Amy Regan, Sophomore – Green Brook, NJ/Watchung Hills
Sophomore Amy Regan finished first overall at the Connecticut College Invitational and set a new school record in the process. Regan clocked a time of 21:29 on the 6K Harkness Memorial State Park course and topped the next closest runner in a field of 257 participants by five seconds. Regan bested her own school record of 22:07 set last season.
Men’s Golf Athlete – St. John Fisher
Thad Wier, Senior – East Aurora, NY/East Aurora
Thad Wier captured fifth place overall, shooting one under par overall at Golfweek's Division III Fall Invitational to lead the nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College Cardinals to a third place finish. Wier has recorded the low score for the Cardinals in each round this season.
Men’s Soccer Offensive Player – Ithaca
Sean Forward, Freshman, Forward – Dover, MA/Dover-Sherborn
Sean Forward had a dominating performance for Ithaca this past Saturday. The freshman netted a career-high three goals in the Bombers' 4-1 win over Utica. Forward's offensive outburst marked the first hat trick for Ithaca since Kurt Odenbach recorded three goals in a 5-2 win over Coe on Sept. 24, 2006.
Men’s Soccer Defensive Player – Nazareth
Nate Ripic, Freshman, Goalie – Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott
Nate Ripic had a career-best 11 saves in Saturday's 1-0 win over St. John Fisher for his first career shutout.
Women’s Soccer Offensive Player – Houghton
Stephany Ellison, Junior, Forward – Whitesville, NY/Whitesville
Stephany Ellison scored five goals and added an assist as the Highlanders went 2-1 on the week. She managed seven shots against nationally ranked Ithaca on Monday. She scored two goals in Houghton’s 4-0 win over Penn State Behrend on Thursday and then added three goals and an assist in Houghton’s 5-1 victory over Hartwick on Saturday.
Women’s’ Soccer Defensive –Ithaca
Beth Coppolecchia, Sophomore, Goalie – Katonah, NY/Somers
Sophomore goalkeeper Beth Coppolecchia continues to impress this season, anchoring an Ithaca defense that has recorded four-straight shutouts. Coppolecchia helped the Bombers to a 2-0 record last week, as she made four saves against Houghton and six saves against Nazareth. Coppolecchia has not allowed a goal since Sept. 29.
Women’s Tennis Player - Ithaca
Allison Young, Graduate Student – Newport, RI/The Prout School
Allison Young was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player as she led Ithaca College to its ninth consecutive Empire 8 Women’s Tennis Championship. The Bombers defeated Stevens Institute of Technology, 5-1, in the semifinals on Saturday and went on to defeat Nazareth, 5-0, in the title match on Sunday. Young partnered with Cristina Nunez on Saturday at first doubles and earned an 8-6 win over Jessica Bourque and Lisa Tessitore, ITA regional doubles championship team. On Sunday, Young teamed with Haley Kusak at first doubles against Nazareth and posted an 8-4 win. She then went on to a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles.
Women’s Volleyball Player – Elmira
Sami Hanes, Sophomore, Setter – St. Mary’s, PA/St. Mary’s
Sami Hanes led Elmira to a perfect 2-0 week at the Rutgers-Camden Tri-Match where the Soaring Eagles defeated Hunter and Rutgers-Camden by identical scores of 3-1. Sami totaled 80 assists in the two matches to go along with two aces and 13 digs. her 80 assists bumps her career total to 941, placing her ninth in college history. Elmira is currently on a six-match win streak, owning an 18-2 advantage in sets won.
Women’s Volleyball Rookie – Stevens
Christina Sciarra, Freshman, OPP – Montclair, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy
Christina Sciarra totaled 14 kills and a .444 hitting percentage on 27 swings in a 3-1 win against Vassar College. Sciarra also added three digs. She has reached double-digit kills in five of her last seven matches.