E8 Athletes of the Week: November 10
The Empire 8 fall tournaments have come to a close and league champions have been crowned, as the focus now shifts to NCAA post-season tournament competition. The honorees for the week of Nov. 3-9 include...
Football Offensive Player – Buffalo State
Ryan Carney, Junior, WR – Olean, NY/Olean
Ryan Carney finished with nine catches for a career-best 229 yards and scored three touchdowns in the Bengals 35-10 victory over Hartwick on Saturday. Carney's touchdown receptions covered 15, 52 and 39 yards.
Football Defensive Player – Ithaca
Noah Poskanzer, Junior, S – Slingerlands, NY/Guilderland
Noah Poskanzer was a part of three forced turnovers for the Ithaca defense in a 19-8 win at St. John Fisher. He had two interceptions, both of them ending St. John Fisher drives deep in Ithaca territory, and also forced a fumble that Ithaca recovered and led to the Bombers' first score. Ithaca's defense forced five turnovers against a team that had just nine turnovers in its first eight games.
Football Special Teams Player – Salisbury
Alex Potocko, Freshman, Kicker – Clarksville, MD/River Hill
Alex Potocko has been Salisbury's kickoff specialist all season, but Saturday was the first time he was called on to score points for the Sea Gulls and came through with flying colors, scoring 10 of Salisbury's 40 points in a 40-28 win over Brockport. Potocko was blocked on his first point-after try, but was was perfect from there, connecting on his next four point-after attempts and hitting two field goals. Potocko made a 37-yard field goal in the fist quarter to give Salisbury a two-possession lead, and hit again from 33 yards in the second quarter. Potocko continued his kickoff duties, averaging 56 yards per boot, with one touchback.
Field Hockey Offensive Player – Utica
Hannah Mackey, Senior, Forward – Locke, NY/Moravia
Hannah Mackey tallied a goal and an assist in both E8 tournament games en route to Utica winning its third straight conference title. She scored the second goal in the 3-2 semifinal win over Stevens on a penalty stroke and assisted on the game winner in the 62nd minute of play. In the 3-0 win over St. John Fisher in the title game, Mackey capped off the scoring in the 49th minute for her conference leading 36th tally of the season. She was named to the all-tournament team for her efforts.
Field Hockey Defensive Player – Utica
Amanda Vitro, Senior, Defender – Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls
Amanda Vitro helped Utica claim its third straight Empire 8 Conference title as the Pioneers held off Stevens, 3-2, in the semifinals and then shutout St. John Fisher, 3-0, in the title game. Vitro was named the tournament MVP as Utica is just the second team in league history to win back-to-back-to-back E8 Field Hockey Championships.
Men’s Cross Country Runner – Stevens
Andrew Parlette, Senior – Clarksville, MD/Atholton
Andrew Parlette was the top Empire 8 runner at the ECAC Cross Country championship meet held at Stanley Park in Westfield, MA. He completed the eight-kilometer race in 26:44.9 to place 39
th out of 303 runners.
Women’s Cross Country Runner – Alfred
Mary Baughman, Sophomore – Henrietta, NY/Rush-Henrietta
Mary Baughman placed sixth in the ECAC Cross Country championship meet, held in Westfield, MA, on Saturday. She completed the six-kilometer race in 22:26.61 to lead the Saxons to a 21st-place finish of 48 teams competing.
Men’s Soccer Offensive Player – Stevens
Carson Pryor, Junior, Forward – St. Louis, MO/MICDS
Junior Carson Pryor scored in the 15th minute Saturday to open a three goal barrage in the Empire 8 Conference Championship final against Ithaca. Off a pass at midfield, Pryor sprinted past the defense before beating the goalie one-on-one for the score. Against Alfred in Friday's semifinal, Pryor connected on his lone penalty kick attempt as the Ducks advanced 6-5 in PK's.
Men’s Soccer Defensive Player – Stevens
Mike Renna, Sophomore, Goalie – Basking Ridge, NJ/Gill St. Bernards
Sophomore Mike Renna was named the Empire 8 Conference Championship Most Valuable Player Saturday after posting back-to-back shutouts over Alfred and Ithaca in the semis and finals respectively. In the shootout against Alfred, Renna made the save in the fifth frame to keep the Ducks alive before adding another in the seventh to clinch the win. Against Ithaca on Saturday, Renna registered five saves to lead the Ducks to an eighth straight conference championship.
Women’s Soccer Offensive Player – Ithaca
Sarah Woychick, Junior, Forward – Penfield, NY/Penfield
Sarah Woychick had a part in all three goals as the Bombers defeated St. John Fisher in the Empire 8 semifinals, 3-1. She scored her first goal just under 10 minutes into the opening half and then struck again in the 31
st minute on another breakaway goal. She assisted on an insurance goal roughly five minutes later to put the Bombers up 3-0 at the half. Ithaca then played to a 0-0 tie with Nazareth in the E8 title game to be crowned co-champions.
Women’s’ Soccer Defensive – Nazareth
Tyler Carr, Senior, Back – Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs
Tyler Carr was named the Women’s Soccer Tournament MVP as she helped Nazareth claim the co-championship of the Empire 8 over the weekend as the Golden Flyers recorded a 2-0 shutout win over Stevens and then played to a 0-0 tie with Ithaca in the E8 title game. Earlier in the week, Carr was named E8 Defensive Player of the Year as Nazareth has yielded just 14 goals in 20 games for a 0.68 goals-against average with 10 shutouts.
Women’s Volleyball Player/Rookie – Stevens
Brianna Evans, Freshman, OH – Spokane, WA/Mead
Brianna Evans was named the tournament MVP as she helped Stevens win its first E8 since 2009 as the Ducks swept Houghton and Nazareth College. She finished with 11 kills and 11 digs in the semifinal match against the Highlanders and then recorded a team-high 10 kills and 12 digs in the title match.
Men’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Stevens
Ravi Sun, Junior – Arkadelphia, Ark/Arkadelphia
Ravi Sun keyed Stevens to a second-place finish at the 2014 NYU Fall Invitational this past weekend in Manhattan. Individually, Sun won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 52.06, and the 200-yard backstroke, clocking a 1:52.30. The third-year standout also took fourth in the 400-yard IM, turning in a 4:13.10. He was part of several strong relays as well. He helped the 400-medley relay place second with a time of 3:29.12, and the 200-medley relay place second with a time of 1:35.49. In total, Sun was a part of the Ducks earning 123 team points.
Women’s Swimming & Diving Athlete – Ithaca
Lake Duffy, Junior – Pen Argyl, PA/Pen Argyl
Sophomore Lake Duffy had a strong showing in Ithaca's 207-93 win over Cortland Saturday, as she took part in four event victories throughout the meet. She started as part of the winning team in the 400-yard medley relay, finishing in 4:07.56.Duffy also saw individual success later in the day, taking first in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 25.25. She completed the freestyle sweep with the top spot in the 100, completing the race in 56.37. Duffy closed the day with another relay win, helping the 400-yard freestyle relay to a win with a time of 3:47.86.