Baseball | 4/19/2021 2:28:52 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on April 19, 2021 for games played from April 12-April 18. It is the 12th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2020-21 season.
BASEBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Justin Graham, St. John Fisher, Gr., SS, Orlando, FL/Webster Schroeder
Graham broke two program records last week as the Cardinals won all three of their outings including a doubleheader sweep of Houghton on Saturday. Graham became the program's all-time leader in hits and runs scored after going 6-for-11 (.546) in all. He accounted for five RBI out of the two hole, scored four runs and stole three bags for Fisher. Against Alfred State on Monday, Graham went 2-for-3 with two RBI, two runs and a steal before adding four more hits including a home run, three RBI, two runs and two more steals on Saturday.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Griffin Baur, Utica, Gr., P, New York Mills, NY/New York Mills
Baur pitched an outstanding five innings on Saturday as the Pioneers got the better of Keuka by an 11-3 score in the first game of a doubleheader. He allowed one run on five hits and pitched four scoreless innings to start the game. He struck out three hitters to improve to 3-1 on the season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Myles Littlejohn, Elmira, Fr., INF, Albany, NY/Albany
Littlejohn tied for the team lead in batting average (.455), hits (5), extra-base hits (2), and slugging percentage (.727) in three games, while driving in a team-high five RBIs. He hit .571 (4-for-7) in a doubleheader against St. Lawrence with two hits in each contest. Littlejohn opened the series against the Saints with a double, triple, and a career-high four RBIs. Littlejohn has hits in five consecutive games and is slashing .421/.542/.789 as a starter.
SOFTBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ariana Papas, Russell Sage, Jr., OF, Castleton, NY/Maple Hill
Papas enjoyed another impressive week as Russell Sage went 3-1, including a split with No. 12 ranked St. John Fisher. Papas batted .588 with 10 hits, eight runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and seven RBI's for 19 total bases. She added a 1.118 slugging percentage with a stolen base and a .611 on-base percentage with only one strikeout in 17 at-bats.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Allie Klonowski, St. John Fisher, So., OF, Buffalo, NY/Clarence
Klonowski batted .474 last week as the Cardinals posted a 5-1 record - all of which came in conference play. The sophomore outfielder was 9-for-19 on the week and produced five home runs, 14 RBI and eight runs scored. In a doubleheader sweep against Alfred on Tuesday, Klonowski was 3-for-8 with pair of home runs including a 10th inning walk-off home run before adding four more hits in eight at-bats in a split with Sage where she hit a grand slam. She picked up two more hits in a sweep of Utica where she belted her fifth home run of the week.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Jessica Wilcox, Alfred, Gr., P, Forestville, NY/Pine Valley
Wilcox reached 500 career strikeouts as she also tied the Alfred University school record for career shutouts with her 15th in a one-hitter against Keuka College. Wilcox struck out 43 batters and walked just two and gave up just 16 hits in 25 1/3 innings of work. She struck out 14 Keuka batters in game one of a doubleheader Sunday. It is Wilcox’s third E8 weekly honor of 2021.
FIELD HOCKEY
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Bre Socker, St. John Fisher, Sr., F, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool
Socker posted five goals over the Cardinals' final two regular season games in the last week. The Liverpool native scored twice and assisted once in Fisher's 4-0 win over Houghton and nabbed a hat trick in the team's 4-0 win in the team's regular season finale victory at Nazareth for a team-high 11 points scored over the last two games. She has 10 goals and 24 points in four games this season. It is her second E8 weekly honor of 2021.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sophia Trozzi, St. John Fisher, Fr., GK, Warminster, PA/William Tennent
Trozzi finished the regular season with two shutouts in goal for the Cardinals. Over the two games, the freshman keeper tallied seven saves, moving her 2021 record to 4-0.
MEN’S GOLF
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Luke Buckley, St., John Fisher, Fr., Rochester, NY
Buckley finished in fourth place over the weekend at plus-10 as the Cardinals competed in the annual 36-hole Fred Kravetz Invitational. Buckley carded an opening round 78 (+6) on Friday at Irondequoit Country Club before recording a second round score of 75 (+4) at Oak Hill. Buckley made the turn at four-over before shooting even par on the back nine in the final round.
MEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Quinn McKercher, Nazareth, Fr., A, Lake Mary, FL/Lake Mary
McKercher scored six goals in a 15-6 non-conference road win over Oswego on Monday in the only game of the week for Nazareth. He scored one man-up goal and also had a pair of caused turnovers.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Jozef Korpics, Utica, So., GK, Center Valley, PA/Moravian
Korpics turned away 14 of 22 shots on the cage in an 11-8 win over Potsdam on Tuesday to help improve Utica's record to an impressive 5-1 in 2021.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Emma Robinson, Nazareth, Jr., M, Central Square, NY/Paul V. Moore
Robinson led Nazareth to a pair of wins over Houghton and Utica with back-to-back four-point outings with three goals and one assist in each game. She added two ground balls and 13 draw controls, including 10 draw controls against Utica.
GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Katie Lawrence, Nazareth, Jr., GK, Tully, NY/Homer
Lawrence recorded two wins last week with victories over Houghton and Utica. She allowed stopped a career-high 13 saves in the win over Utica. Overall, Lawrence compiled a 6.67 goals against average in 90 minutes played during the week.
MEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Matt Gentile, St. John Fisher, Fr., M, Dalton, OH/Central Christian
Gentile was named Most Valuable Player of the 2021 Empire 8 Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament after leading St. John Fisher to the league title. Gentile assisted on the game-winning goal in Friday’s 1-0 win over Nazareth and added a goal and an assist in the Empire 8 Championship game Sunday, as St. John Fisher earned a 3-0 win over Russell Sage.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ryan Brown, St. John Fisher, Fr., D, Rochester, NY/McQuaid Jesuit
Brown played a key role in helping lead St. John Fisher to the 2021 Empire 8 Men’s Soccer Championship over the weekend. Brown, St. John Fisher’s starting right back helped lead the Cardinals to a pair of shutout wins and also assisted on a goal in the 3-0 championship game win over Russell Sage Sunday.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Hallie Klosterman, Russell Sage, Jr., F, Modena, NY/Walkill
Klosterman was named the 2021 Empire 8 Spring Women’s Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring both Russell Sage goals, including the game-winner with 3:23 left in overtime on a penalty kick in a 2-1 win over Utica in the title game Saturday. Klosterman tied the game at 1-1 with 25:47 left in regulation, ripping a shot home off a feed from Lydia Malkiewicz. It is Klosterman’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Emily Hill, Utica, Jr., GK, Watertown, CT/Watertown
Hill made 37 saves on 41 shots over three games in leading No. 5 seed Utica to the E8 Championship game last week. On Tuesday, she stopped 13 shots during the game and three of four in penalty kicks, as Utica advanced versus Houghton. She made 15 saves and two more in penalty kicks as Utica once again advanced, this time over top-ranked Nazareth. Hill finished the week by making nine saves in the E8 Championship game at Russell Sage.
MEN’S TENNIS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Wes Dennison, Alfred, So., Almond, NY/Alfred-Almond
Dennison was undefeated in doubles, going 3-0 on the week and going 2-1 in singles in Empire 8 action. He partnered with Sam Cohen in doubles, defeating Houghton’s Matthew Cicero and Adam Brown, 8-7(7-0) at No. 3, St. John Fisher’s Jon Sutherland and Anthony Molosag at No. 3 as well with a score of 8-5 and finishing with Utica’s Maki Medici and Ethan Trembley at No. 2 doubles on Sunday, 8-3. Dennison’s singles play had wins against Houghton’s Ben McKay, 1-6, 6-1, 10-4 and Utica’s Joshua Palmer, 6-1, 6-0.
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Neil Peters, Alfred, So., Sprints/Jumps, Bronx, NY/DeWitt Clinton
Peters had the top finish for Alfred University at the University at Buffalo Invitational on Saturday as he ran a time of 23.91 seconds in the 200-meter dash to take fourth place, helping the Saxons top teams from Division I and Division III, finishing seventh out of 14 teams. Peters teamed with Jackson Trimboli, John Wendt and Cody Collins for a sixth place finish in the 4x100-meter relay as they combined for a time of 45.56, just narrowly being edged out of fifth place. Individually, Peters also had two 13th place finishes in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.15 and the long jump with a distance of 5.68 meters.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Chase Pecoraro, Utica, Gr., Multi-Events, Medina, NY/Medina
Pecoraro produced some solid performances in just his second meet back representing Utica since March 2020 as the Pioneers competed at the University at Buffalo. The highlight of his day was a career-best toss of 55.05 meters in the Javelin to place second amongst a field of Division I competitors. Utica put four men's competitors on the podium in the Javelin. He was also sixth in the 4x400-meter relay, 11th in the long jump and tenth in the 110-meter hurdles while competing against a challenging field of primarily Division I athletes.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Edena Sanchez, Houghton, Sr., Middle Distance, Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam
Sanchez won the 800-meters event in an Empire 8 leading time of 2:21.98. Sanchez also helped the 4x400-meter relay team earn 3rd place with a time of 4:19.97 at the Roberts Wesleyan Redhawk Invitational on Friday. The relay time marks the second fastest time in the Empire 8 this season.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Laura Meade, Utica, Jr., Sprints/Jumps, Glenville, NY/Scotia-Glenville
Meade turned in a well-rounded performance against Division I athletes at the Buffalo Invitational. The junior was third in the triple jump with a solid outing of 10.62 meters in that event. She was 13th in the long jump at 4.28 meters and rounded out her day with a new career-best at 100-meters as she ran to a time of 13.63 to place ninth.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Haley Unverdorben, Houghton, Jr., S, Portville, NY/Portville
Unverdorben led the Highlanders with 120 assists, 9 aces, 15 kills and 34 digs, while hitting .536 over four matches this past week. She hit .778 with seven kills, 10 digs and 32 assists against Nazareth and followed that up with 76 assists and eight service aces in a doubleheader split versus Elmira Sunday.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Maddie Hampton, Elmira, Fr., L/DS, Horseheads, NY/Horseheads
Hampton helped Elmira clinch the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Empire 8 Tournament, recording 48 digs (6.0/set) and seven service aces and seven assists. Hampton tied a then season-high with 21 digs to go along with five assists and four aces in a four-set win over Houghton. She surpassed her season high with 27 digs with three aces and two assists in a four-set match in the second half of the doubleheader.
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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