Field Hockey | 11/11/2019 12:59:17 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on Nov. 11, 2019 for games played from Nov. 5-Nov. 10. It is the 11th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2019-20 season.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brewster Marshall, Alfred, So., F, Horseheads, NY/Horseheads
Marshall provided a boost off the bench for the Saxons, scoring 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field in Alfred's 74-65 road victory at Westfield State Saturday. He added seven rebounds, one steal, and one blocked shot in just 16 minutes.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Mike Schmidt, Alfred, Fr., G, Olean, NY/Olean
Schmidt tallied 10 points, adding three assists, three rebounds, and one steal in his collegiate debut, helping lead Alfred to a 74-65 victory at Westfield State Saturday.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Gillian Flint, Alfred, Jr., G, Caledonia, NY/Caledonia-Mumford
Flint filled the stat sheet in Alfred’s season-opener on Saturday at SUNY Cobleskill, nearly recording a triple-double, with career-high totals of 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight steals.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Kristine Miller, Utica, Fr., C, Red Hook, NY/Red Hook
Miller made her first collegiate start and played 17 minutes as the Pioneers rolled to a 99-34 win over SUNY Delhi on Saturday. She scored six points on 3-of-5 shooting and helped the Pioneers to shoot over 50 percent from the field. She also added a rebound and a steal.
FIELD HOCKEY
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brooke Singer, Hartwick, Jr., F, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool
Singer was named Empire 8 Championship Tournament Most Outstanding Player after leading the No. 3 seed Hawks to the league championship over the weekend. She opened the scoring for Hartwick on a penalty corner in the second quarter of Friday’s 3-2 win over Utica in the semifinals and got the Hawks on the board midway through the third quarter in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Nazareth in the Empire 8 Championship game. Singer now has nine goals and two assists for 20 points this season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Rebecca Bonini, Hartwick, Sr., D, Avon, CT/Avon
Bonini led a stout Hartwick defensive effort over the weekend, as the Hawks claimed the Empire 8 Championship with one-goal wins over Utica and Nazareth. She played all 120 minutes, blocked several shots and was a key contributor in Hartwick’s transition game on her way to earning E8 Championship All-Tournament Team honors.
FOOTBALL
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kinsey Williams, Morrisville State, Sr., RB, Rome, NY/Notre Dame
Williams recorded a career high 174 yards rushing Saturday, scoring three times, as the Mustangs toppled Empire 8 foe St. John Fisher, 49-13. Williams, who averaged 7.9 yards per run, collected a long carry of 27 yards, with rushing scores coming at distances of 6-, 5-, and 27-yards, respectively. The senior collected over 150 yards and three scores by the half. Williams also added 41 yards to his tallies on four receptions, accounting for 215 total yards of offense. He is tied for the Empire 8 lead with 14 rushing touchdowns and is third with 807 yards on the ground.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Alex West, The College at Brockport, Sr., LB, Dansville, NY/Dansville
West led the Brockport defense once again as he posted nine tackles and one sack for a loss of nine yards to help the Golden Eagles secure their third consecutive Empire 8 Championship following Saturday's 16-7 win at home against Alfred. He also posted two quarterback hurries. West now has 25 career sacks and needs just one more to tie the program-record of 26 set back in 2002. Brockport's nationally-recognized rushing defense was on display once again as it held Alfred's E8 leading rushing attack to just two rushing first downs and 17 total yards on the ground. The Saxons headed into Saturday's contest with a league-best average of 257.5 rushing yards per game.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Nick Mongelli, Sr., K, Marlboro, NY/Marlboro
Mongelli drilled three field goals in Cortland's 32-21 win at Hartwick Saturday, including a career-high tying 46-yarder to give the Red Dragons a 15-14 lead in the third, while his 30-yarder with 27 seconds left sealed the victory. He also converted on three extra points and averaged 58.0 yards on six kickoffs.
MEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Dereck France, Nazareth, Sr., D, Latham, NY/Shaker
France picked a perfect time to score his first collegiate goal, slamming home a shot in the 59th minute to lead Nazareth to the Empire 8 Championship title as his tally was the difference in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Alfred. France, who was named the Empire 8 Championship Tournament Most Outstanding Player, now has a goal and seven assists in 19 games this season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Connor Mann, Nazareth, Sr., D, Nunda, NY/Keshequa
Mann led a Nazareth defensive unit that did not allow a goal in two Empire 8 postseason contests, as the Golden Flyers shut out Elmira, 2-0 in the semifinal match Wednesday and blanked Alfred, 1-0 in the championship Saturday. Mann made a key defensive play early in Wednesday’s win over Elmira, heading a dangerous scoring chance by Elmira’s Adam Nichols off the line to keep the game scoreless. He was named to the Empire 8 Championship All-Tournament Team for his efforts.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sydney Cook, Utica, Jr., F, Waterville, NY/Waterville
Cook scored the lone goal with 9:48 remaining in the second half to vault Utica to its first Empire 8 Championship, 1-0 over Hartwick in the title game Saturday. Cook took a feed from Mikayla Blumenstock in the box and fired a shot in for her third goal of the season. She now has 11 points on three goals and five assists this season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Allison Wagner, Utica, Sr., GK, Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy
Wagner was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2019 Empire 8 Championship Tournament after making 15 saves and recording a pair of shutouts in leading Utica to a pair of 1-0 wins and its first E8 title. On Wednesday, Wagner made eight saves, as No. 4 seed Utica knocked off top-seed St. John Fisher in a semifinal match. Saturday, Wagner was equally as impressive, turning aside seven shots, as Utica defeated No. 2 Hartwick to claim the title. Wagner is now 11-5-1 with a 0.94 goals against average and an .881 save percentage with eight shutouts this season.
MEN’S SWIMMNG & DIVING
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Tom Griffin, Nazareth, So., Freestyle/Backstroke, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool
Griffin won both the 100-yard freestyle (54.74) and the 100-yard backstroke (1:01.57) in Nazareth’s 172-122 home win over Hartwick Saturday. He also helped Nazareth win the 200-yard medley relay (1:47.97 with an opening leg of 27.56). He also had a 24.39 opening leg of the 200-yard freestyle relay that Nazareth won in 1:36.98.
WOMEN’S SWIMMNG & DIVING
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Taylor Robey, Nazareth, Jr., Freestyle/Backstroke, Hurley, NY/Kingston
Robey won both freestyle sprints in Nazareth’s 168-125 win over Hartwick Saturday. Robey recorded a winning time of 27.51 in the 50-yard freestyle (won by .02) and then won the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 59.73. She helped the winning 200-yard medley relay (2:04.90) with her anchor leg and also helped Nazareth win the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:53.43) with her 27.70 lead leg.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Alea Steigerwald, St. John Fisher, So., OH, Penfield, NY/Penfield
Steigerwald was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2019 Empire 8 Championship Tournament after leading the Cardinals to their first league title over the weekend. Steigerwald hit .324 with 32 kills, 33 digs and four service aces in the two wins. On Friday, she hit .394 with 18 kills, 12 digs and three aces in the three-set win over Elmira. Saturday, Steigerwald recorded 21 digs and 14 kills in a four-set win over Nazareth. She is among the national leaders with 492 kills and 578 points this season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Lindsey DeBonis, St. John Fisher, Fr., OH, Scotia, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
DeBonis earned 2019 Empire 8 Championship All-Tournament Team honors after recording career-best totals of 15 kills and six blocks, while adding nine digs in a four-set win over Nazareth Saturday afternoon in the championship match. She also recorded five kills and five digs in the semifinal win over Elmira Friday. DeBonis now has 281 digs, 251 kills, 35 service aces and 28 blocks this season.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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