E8 Athletes of the Week: October 20
Empire 8 crowned a tennis champion over the weekend, swimming and diving teams opened its season and other fall championships are drawing closer as E8 student-athletes continued to produce stellar performances during the week of Oct. 13-19. Those earning weekly honors include....
Football Offensive Player – The College at Brockport
Andrew Mrozek, Senior, WR – Depew, NY/Lancaster
Andrew Mrozek caught six passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns in Brockport’s 45-42 win against Alfred University. Mrozek caught a 67-yard touchdown pass on Brockport’s first scoring drive to tie the game 7-7. He later gave the Golden Eagles a 24-14 lead on a 45-yard reception. In the fourth quarter, Brockport took a 38-28 lead on another long drive with the help of Mrozek. The first pass of the drive was to Mrozek for a gain of 12 yards and three plays later, another pass to Mrozek for a 58-yard gain taking the ball all the way to the Alfred nine-yard line.
Football Defensive Player – St. John Fisher
Brandon Miller, Junior, LB – Shendehowa, NY/ Clifton Park
Brandon Miller recorded a game and career-high 17 tackles, 13 of which were solo stops in a 42-7 win over Utica College. He made six stops behind the line of scrimmage while racking up one sack.
Football Special Teams Player – Salisbury
Ryan Kolb, Sophomore, Returner – Manassas Park, VA/Manassas Park
Ryan Kolb returned three kickoffs and one punt in Salisbury's 59-49 win against Hartwick on Saturday. His biggest play of the day came in the second quarter when Salisbury was down 21-14. Kolb received the kickoff at the 15-yard line and broke toward the right sideline, through some blockers and tied the game with the 85-yard return. He averaged 42.3 yards per his three kickoff returns and had one punt return for seven yards.
Field Hockey Offensive Player – Nazareth
Catherine Willard, Junior, Forward – Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland
Catherine Willard scored all three goals, including the game-winner with 1:55 left in regulation, of Saturday's 3-2 win at St. Lawrence to snap a six-game Nazareth losing streak. Willard scored the tying and go-ahead goals less than two minutes apart late in the first half. Then, after St. Lawrence tied the score at 2-2 early in the second half, Willard scored her third goal of the game and team-leading 13th of the season with 1:55 to go.
Field Hockey Defensive Player – No Nominations
Men’s Cross Country Runner – Stevens
Nicholas Zickgraf, Sophomore – Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley
Sophomore Nicholas Zickgraf paced Stevens with a third place finish individually with a time of 25:54 on the 8K course, which sets a personal best at the Connecticut College Invitational. Zickgraf earned all-invitational honors for his performance and helped the Ducks finish sixth as a team.
Women’s Cross Country Runner – Stevens
Amy Regan, Junior – Green Brook, NJ/Watchung Hills
Junior Amy Regan topped the field of 259 runners at the Connecticut College Invitational and led the Stevens Institute of Technology women's cross country team to a third place finish. Regan posted a time of 20:56 on the 6K Harkness Memorial State Park course and beat the next closest runner by 50 seconds. She also set a new course record by 23 seconds.
Men’s Golf Athlete – St. John Fisher
Corey Haas, Junior – Cuba Rushford, NY/Cuba
Corey Haas was the top finisher for the No. 12 Cardinals with +6, good to tie for 11th in the three-day competition at Golfweek's Division III Fall Invitational at The Raven Golf Course in Sandestin, Fla. Haas shot a two-under par 69 on the first day, followed by a five-over par (76) in the second round and a 3-over par (74) in the final round.
Men’s Soccer Offensive Player – Nazareth
Ryan Foley, Graduate Student, Midfield – Waterford, Ireland/Da La Salle
Ryan Foley was at it again for the Golden Flyers Sunday as he scored both goals in a 2-0 Nazareth home-field victory over Utica. First he scored on a penalty kick at 11:04 of the first half. Then, about 12 minutes later, he stole the ball near the top of the Utica box and converted an unassisted goal.
Men’s Soccer Defensive Player – Nazareth
Diego Abreu, Freshman, Goalie – Guarenas, Venezuela/Colegio San Jose
Diego Abreu made 23 saves last week as the Golden Flyers split a pair of games. He had 11, including four from point-blank range, in a 2-0 non-conference loss to Bryant & Stratton on Tuesday. He added a career-high 12 in a 2-0 win over Utica Sunday for his first career shutout.
Women’s Soccer Offensive Player –Ithaca
Megan Nash, Sophomore, Forward – Gansevoort, NY/Saratoga Springs
Sophomore Megan Nash helped the Bombers to a 1-0 record last week, scoring both goals against St. John Fisher in a 2-0 conference victory. Nash's two-goal effort marked a career high, and her game-winning goal marked the second of her career.
Women’s’ Soccer Defensive – Utica
Maddisen Melley, Senior, Defender – Wappingers Falls, NY/Roy C. Ketcham
Senior Maddisen Melley scored two goals, including the game-winner, to help the Pioneers to a 4-1 conference victory over Alfred on Saturday. Melley led the Pioneer defense that allowed just one goal in each game last week.
Women’s Tennis Player – Ithaca
Alyssa Steinweis, Senior – East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick
Alyssa Steinweis was named the Most Valuable Player of the Empire 8 Women's Tennis Championship with two victories in Sunday's championship dual and two victories in Ithaca's semifinal win over Elmira. In Sunday's final, Steinweis won 8-6 at third doubles and started Ithaca's singles comeback with a 6-1, 6-1 win at fourth singles. In the semifinals, Steinweis won 8-1 at third doubles and 6-4, 6-2 at third singles. Steinweis is 12-2 in singles matches and 12-3 in doubles play this season.
Women’s Volleyball Player – Stevens
Mary Tobin, Sophomore, OH – Boothwyn, PA/Archmere Academy
Sophomore Mary Tobin recorded 45 kills in a 4-0 week for Stevens and was named MVP of the Hartwick Invitational over the weekend. Tobin hit .314 overall to go along with 37 digs, six aces and three blocks. In a 3-0 win over Brockport, she swung at a .393 clip and put down 15 kills. The following match vs. Oswego, Tobin notched 10 kills and hit .391.
Women’s Volleyball Rookie – Houghton
Anna Coryell, Freshman, Setter – Phelps, NY/Midlakes HS
Anna Coryell put up 44 assists in Houghton’s lone match last week against Fredonia. She also registered six kills, three aces, four digs and one block.
Men’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Alfred
Zac Toth, Senior – Lockport, NY/Starpoint
Zac Toth won two individual events, the 200 IM (2:02.86) and 100 butterfly (54.29), in the Saxons' season-opening dual meet win over Nazareth. He also swam on the winning 200-medley relay (1:40.59).
Women’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Ithaca
Grace Ayer, Sophomore – Delmar, NY/Bethlehem
Sophomore Grace Ayer won three individual events and was part of a winning relay in the season opening tri-meet for the Bombers. Ayer helped open the meet with a win in the 200-yard medley relay (1:52.71). Ayer carried her momentum through the rest of the meet, as she also took first in the 50-yard backstroke (28.35), the 50-yard butterfly (28.08) and the 200-yard individual medley (2:12.83).