General | 10/17/2022 12:57:33 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on October 17, 2022, for games played from October 10-October 16. It is the seventh Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2022-23 season. Sports featured include men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, football, men’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Nathan Bowers, Nazareth, Sr., Endicott, NY/Owego Free Academy
Bowers continued his tremendous season, placing 13th overall out of 300 runners at the Oberlin Inter-Regional Rumble Saturday. Bowers covered the 8,000-meter course in 25:34.5 as he led a pack of 12-15 runners that were just off the pace of the top finishing pack. Nazareth finished ninth overall as a team. It is the third E8 weekly honor for Bowers in 2022.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
CO-RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Riley Corey, St. John Fisher, Sr., Waterloo, NY/Waterloo
Corey placed 33rd out of 319 runners at the Rowan Inter Regional Border Battle on Saturday, crossing the finish line in a time 23:17.7 (6:14.9 mile rate) over the 6,000-meter course.
CO-RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Lilianna Hanning, Nazareth, Jr., Rochester, NY/Bishop Kearney
Hanning finished strong in a competitive field of Midwest runners as she led Nazareth with a 31st place finish out of 282 runners at the Oberlin Inter-Regional Rumble. Hanning crossed the line in 23:14.8 over the 6,000-meter course.
FIELD HOCKEY
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Lex Matarazzo, Hartwick, Sr., F, Commack, NY/Commack
Matarazzo recorded nine points in a pair of Hartwick wins over E8 opponents that clinched a postseason berth. She began the week by dishing out an assist in Hartwick's 3-1 win over Utica on Wednesday. She followed that up with a hat-trick (including what would prove to be the game-winner) and two assists in the Hawks' 7-2 win over Washington and Jefferson on Saturday.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Lyla Cushman, Utica, So., GK, Holland Patent, NY/Holland Patent
Cushman recorded a 1.50 goals against average and an .857 save percentage in a 1-1 week for the Pioneers. She began the week by making five saves in a 3-1 loss to E8 leader Hartwick on Wednesday. On Saturday, Cushman recorded her fourth shutout of the year in a 1-0 win over Nazareth, recording a career-high 13 saves.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jordan Nichols, Keuka, So., GK, Deposit, NY/Afton
Nichols backed a pair of Keuka College conference victories last week. She turned away seven shots for the win at Elmira on Wednesday and recorded a pair of saves to earn her second shutout of the season against Medaille on Saturday. For the season, Nichols ranks fourth in the conference in saves and third in shutouts.
FOOTBALL
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Braeden Zenelovic, Utica, Sr., QB, Ontario Center, NY/Wayne Central
Zenelovic accounted for each of Utica's five touchdowns in Saturday's 35-21 win over SUNY Brockport to help the Pioneers reach 6-0 for the first time in program history. Zenelovic threw for four touchdowns in the air of 17, 25 and two for 39 yards while also using his legs for an eight yard touchdown run to break a 21-21 tie. He also set career highs with 324 passing yards, four touchdown passes, five total touchdowns and a 76.9 completion percentage (20-for-24). It is Zenelovic’s second E8 weekly accolade of the 2022 season.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Deorion Moore, St. John Fisher, Jr., DB, Bronx, NY/Cardinal Hayes
Moore was a part of a defense that limited Alfred in a 21-7 win on Saturday. Moore was dynamic, recording four tackles, one pass break and two interceptions. The two interceptions were returned for a total of 37 yards.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jimmie Warren, Utica, Sr., DE, Suffern, NY/Suffern
Warren put together his best single game performance of the season in Utica's 35-21 win over SUNY Brockport on Saturday. Warren led the Pioneers with 11 total tackles as well as with six solo tackles. He also set a new season-high with three sacks including his final one on a timely 2nd and 16 on Brockport's final drive of the game. Warren also set a new season high with 3.5 tackles for a loss.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Gino Fontanarosa, SUNY Brockport, So., KR/RB, Lewiston, NY/Lewiston Porter
Fontanarosa racked up a career-high 94 kick return yards on three returns at Utica on Saturday. Fontanarosa's longest of the day was a big 61-yard scamper late in the game, a new career-best.
MEN’S GOLF
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Bryce Barber, St. John Fisher, So., Victor, NY/McQuaid Jesuit
Barber excelled at the very competitive Royal Lakes Invitational in Georgia, hosted by Oglethorpe University on Oct. 11-12. Barber carded a one-under par 71 in the opening round and a 78 in the second round for a final score of 149 strokes, which was five-over par, leading the way for the Cardinals.
MEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ander Castillo, Medaille, So., F, Bilbao, Spain/Mater Dei Catholic
Castillo tallied a hat-trick, scoring all three of Medaille’s goals against Nazareth in a 3-3 draw on Saturday afternoon. Castillo scored goals in the 14th, 45th and 82nd minutes of play, as Medaille rallied from a 3-1 deficit. Castillo leads the league and is among the national leaders with 17 goals this season. It is Castillo’s third E8 weekly accolade of the season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Foti Xidias, Utica, Jr., GK, Carteret, NJ/Carteret
Xidias amassed seven saves and allowed just one goal in a pair of key conference victories versus Hartwick and Elmira. Against Hartwick on Wednesday, Xidias made a diving save at the goal line to push the ball out of bounds to keep Utica ahead late in the game. He also made a fine save as he pushed the ball over the crossbar to keep Utica ahead and preserve the shutout. It is Xidias’ second E8 weekly honor of the season.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Tatum Overton, Nazareth, Fr., M, Watertown, NY/Watertown
Overton paced Nazareth last week with two goals and an assist in a pair of Empire 8 wins for the first-place Golden Flyers. Overton scored twice in the 3-0 win over Houghton on Wednesday and added an assist on the first goal of the game (43 seconds into the game) in the 2-1 win over Russell Sage Saturday.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kiani Barnard-Pratt, Alfred, Fr., GK, Westford, MA/Westford Academy
Barnard-Pratt did not allow a goal and made eight saves in a 1-0-1 week for the Saxons. She is now tied for fifth in shutouts in a single season in Alfred University school history, earning her sixth of the season on Sunday afternoon versus Hartwick.
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Michael Schultz, Hartwick, Jr., Freestyle/Butterfly/Individual Medley, Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley
Schultz helped the Hawks to a 2nd place finish of seven teams at the Hartwick Relays over the weekend. The reigning E8 Swimmer and Rookie of the Year posted a time of 52.76 seconds in his leg of the 400-yard medley relay, a 28.39 second time in his leg of the 3x100-yard butterfly relay and splits of 25.44, 33.66, 37.30, 29.02 in the first leg of the 3x200-yard medley relay.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Ivy Vallely, Alfred, Sr., Distance Freestyle, Lancaster, NY/Lancaster
Vallely led the Saxons in their season-opener at RIT Saturday. She finished third in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 12:28.91 and finished third in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:55.38.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Phoebe Olson, Hartwick, Fr., Jamestown, ND/Jamestown
Olson was named the 2022 Empire 8 Women’s Tennis Tournament Championship after leading Hartwick to its first league title in program history over the weekend. On Friday, Olson and Lily Vanuga rolled to an 8-2 win at second doubles, contributing to Hartwick’s 5-0 win over Alfred in the E8 Semifinal match. On Saturday, Olson and Vanuga garnered an 8-4 win at second doubles. Olson helped secure the title for Hartwick at second singles, rallying to earn a three-set win over Claire Pullen, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. It is Olson’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Celia Gagnon, Russell Sage, Gr., MH, Troy, NY/Ichabod Crane
Gagnon totaled 30 kills and 5.2 points per set with a .400 hitting during weekend play, while adding five service aces. She established a season-high with 18 kills on .364 hitting on Saturday versus Alfred. Gagnon began the weekend with 12 kills on .455 hitting and four aces on Friday night against Elmira. She also became just the 18th Gator to surpass 500 career kills.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Chase Luebeck, Medaille, So., OH/MH, Troy, IL/Triad
Luebeck totaled 43 kills with a .297 hitting percentage, one assist, two aces, six total blocks, four solo, and 12 digs in three matches last week. Luebeck excelled in a crucial four-set win over conference rival Utica, slamming 22 kills, while hitting .500 with two service aces, one block, and six digs. Her big week put her at tenth in the Empire 8 in hitting percentage and kills.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Emma Cole, Houghton, Fr., MB, Houghton, NY/Fillmore Central
Cole helped Houghton to a three-set win over Utica and a four-set win over Keuka while collecting 25 kills and only six errors on the week, good for a .413 hitting percentage. Cole's .435 hitting percentage, 13 kills and three blocks versus Utica were all season highs for the newcomer. She also hit .391 with 12 kills in the win over Keuka.
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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