Field Hockey | 9/30/2019 1:00:00 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on Sept. 30, 2019 for games played from Sept. 24-Sept. 29. It is the fifth Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2019-20 season.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Mitchell Marlow, Utica, Sr., Malone, NY/Franklin Academy
Marlow was Utica's top finisher in a strong field that included regionally and nationally ranked teams, along with national title contenders at the Williams Purple Valley Classic. He led the Pioneers to the finish line as the 17th overall finisher over the 8,000-meter course in 27:13, which was the second fastest Pioneer finisher ever over that distance. Marlow averaged a 5:29 mile to lead Utica. It is his second E8 weekly honor of 2019.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Riley Corey, St. John Fisher, Fr., Waterloo, NY/Waterloo
Corey enjoyed a record-setting day for the Cardinals on Saturday at the Mike Woods Invite, lowering her personal record by over a minute and setting a program record for the fastest time over 6,000-meters after crossing the finish line in 23:54.4. She recorded a mile rate of 6:24.7 as the top Empire 8 finisher in a field of 251 runners.
FIELD HOCKEY
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Charity Rushinski, Sage, So., F, Shushan, NY/Salem Central
Rushinski led Sage to its first 2-0 week of the season with 13 points on five goals and three assists in a pair of double-digit victories. She opened the week with two goals and an assist in a win over Wells College on Friday and tied Sage’s single-game record with eight points on three goals and two assists in a win over Dean College Sunday. Rushinski is tied for sixth in the league in scoring with 17 points on six goals and five assists this season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kelly Bergamo, St. John Fisher, Sr., GK, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool
Bergamo recorded her first two collegiate shutouts, as the Cardinals blanked both Ithaca and Utica last week. Bergamo, who did not play goalie until this season, has come on strong as she held the high-powered Ithaca offense at bay with four saves on Wednesday, before making seven stops in the Cardinals' Empire 8 debut against Utica on Saturday. For the season, Bergamo has an impressive 1.43 goals against average and a .778 save percentage to go along with a 6-1 mark.
FOOTBALL
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Aaron Griffin, Alfred, Sr., RB, Queens, NY/Holy Cross
Griffin recorded the sixth-highest single-game rushing yard performance in Alfred football history, with 229 yards on 18 carries, while scoring three times, as the Saxons rolled to a 56-13 win over University of Rochester Saturday in the Saxons’ first home night game since 2002. Griffin scored on an 80-yard run in the opening quarter and added back-to-back 1-yard scores in the quarter on his way to averaging 12.7 yards per touch. He also added three receptions for 38 yards. Griffin has 479 rushing yards on 63 carries (7.8 yards per carry) in 2019.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Hunter Walsh, St. John Fisher, Fr., QB, Rochester, NY/McQuaid
Walsh had a career day on Saturday as the Cardinals nearly pulled off the largest comeback bid in team history at No. 13 Ithaca College. Walsh completed 30-of-47 passes on the afternoon for a game-high 480 yards to go along with a pair of touchdowns. The freshman also picked up a touchdown on the ground and helped Fisher score 22 unanswered points in the second half. Walsh's 480 yards were the second-most in a game by a Fisher quarterback in program history. He now has 1,112 yards passing in 2019.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jose Garcia, Morrisville State, Jr., S, New York, NY/HS for the Health Careers and Sciences
Garcia led the Morrisville State defensive unit in a 42-15 win over Husson as he registered 12 total tackles, four solo, including one for a loss of six yards, while collecting a pass breakup in the victory. His 12 stops were a season high. Garcia is third on the team with 27 tackles this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Patrick Luby, SUNY Cortland, Fr., K, Glen Rock, NJ/Ridgewood
Luby, seeing his first placekicking duties of the season, made all eight of his point-after kicks and converted his only field goal attempt - a 33-yarder late in the first half - in Cortland's 59-21 home win vs. Buffalo State. Luby also averaged 62.4 yards per kickoff on 10 kicks with three touchbacks.
MEN’S GOLF
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Colin McGaugh, St. John Fisher, Sr., Hamilton, NY/Hamilton
McGaugh helped lead the St. John Fisher College men's golf team to a 13th place over the week as the Cardinals took part in the competitive Mason-Dixon Collegiate Invite in Abbottstown, PA. McGaugh tied for fifth place on the individual leaderboard as the Hamilton native was plus-5 over 36 holes. On Saturday, the senior carded a 74 before finishing out with a plus-3, 75 on Sunday.
MEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jhonny Theze, Utica, Fr., M, Bronx, NY/Claremont International
Theze scored two goals and added two assists in leading the Pioneers to a pair of wins in the past week, while extending their unbeaten streak to five matches. Late in a scoreless tussle against SUNY ESF, Theze converted a penalty kick with a missile off the crossbar and in for the only goal of the match to lift Utica to a non-conference win. On Saturday, Theze was a factor in every Utica goal on Saturday, as he scored in the 16th minute and added a pair of helpers in a 3-1 conference win over St. John Fisher. Theze is tied for fifth in the league with 11 points.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Randy Miksch, Utica, Jr., GK, Lake Villa, IL/Warren Township
Miksch turned away 13 of the 14 shots he saw while leading the Pioneers to two wins. On Wednesday against SUNY ESF, he had five saves for his fourth consecutive clean sheet in a 1-0 win. He then added eight saves on nine shots in a 3-1 win over St. John Fisher. With a Fisher goal in the 22nd minute on Saturday, Miksch capped a shutout streak that stood at 426:20. It was his first goal conceded since Sept. 8. He leads the Empire 8 with a 0.84 goals against average and an .846 save percentage.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Tanner Reed, Hartwick, Jr., F, Unadilla, NY/Unatego Central
Reed played a key part in Hartwick's two wins last week, extending the team's unbeaten streak to four. She scored all three Hawks goals on eight shots, including both game-winners, her third and fourth of the season. In the Hawks' 2-1 win at Mount St. Mary on Wednesday, she opened the scoring in the 14th minute and tallied the game-winner in the 66th minute. Reed was the hero again in Saturday's Empire 8 matchup on the road at Houghton, scoring another second-half winner for Hartwick's first conference win of the year. She is fifth in the E8 in scoring with five goals.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Allison Wagner, Sr., Utica, GK, Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy
Wagner had a five-save clean sheet on Saturday in helping the Pioneers top Sage 2-0 in Empire 8 play. She has not conceded a goal in her last 210:07 and has not allowed an opponent to score in conference play yet. Wagner, a four-time E8 Defensive Player of the Week in 2019, leads the league with 81 saves and a .920 save percentage.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Abbey Clobridge, Sage, Sr., West Sand Lake, NY/Averill Park
Clobridge went 2-0 at No. 1 singles as Sage racked up two key Empire 8 wins and is now 9-1 overall, riding a seven-match win streak and undefeated in league play. Clobridge defeated Tori Pellegrino of Alfred, 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday and earned a 6-2, 6-2 over Madeline McInlay of Utica.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Lauren Boshart, Alfred, Jr., Oswego, NY/Oswego
Boshart went undefeated on the week as she went 4-0 with doubles wins at No. 2 and No. 1 and two No. 2 singles wins. She first picked up a No. 2 doubles win with Kailey Reyes against Oswego State, 8-5 and then teamed with Tori Pellegrino for a No. 1 doubles win at Sage Colleges. In singles, Boshart won, 6-1, 6-1 against her opponent from Oswego State and defeated Rebecca Jackson of Sage, 6-1, 6-2 on Saturday. Boshart is on a five-match win streak in singles and has won four straight doubles matches.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jessica Barry, Nazareth, Jr., S, Brewertown, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse
Barry dished out a 2019 NCAA Division III single-match high 65 assists in a wild five-set win over Sage Friday night. It is second most in the E8 in the 25-point match era and the third most in Nazareth school history. On Saturday, she added 20 assists in a three-set win over Utica. Barry is third among all E8 players averaging 8.56 assists per set.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Haley Unverdorben, Houghton, So., S, Cuba, NY/Portville
Unverdorben led the Highlanders to two road wins over Empire 8 foes Elmira and Hartwick to kick off league play. She registered 81 assists, 13 digs, six, four aces, and zero setting errors on the weekend. On Friday, Unverdorben dished out a career-best 53 assists to go along with six kills in a four-set win over Elmira. She added 28 assists in a three-set win over Hartwick. Unverdorben is second among all Empire 8 setters, averaging 9.1 assists per set.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Colette Maloney, Hartwick, Fr., OH, Williston Park, NY/Mineola
Maloney averaged 15 kills and nine digs in Hartwick's two conference matches last weekend. She had an incredible night in Friday's sweep of Alfred, entering the program's all-time single-game top ten with 23 kills on a phenomenal .465 hitting percentage. She also tacked on eight digs and an ace in the victory. Maloney registered ten digs, seven kills, and three blocks on Saturday versus Houghton. Maloney is third in the Empire 8 with 194 kills this season. It is her third weekly honor of 2019.
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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