Field Hockey | 11/7/2022 12:39:19 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on November 7, 2022, for games played from October 31-November 6. It is the tenth Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2022-23 season. Sports featured include field hockey, football, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving and women’s volleyball.
FIELD HOCKEY
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Leah Tolley, Hartwick, Sr., M, Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon
Tolley was named 2022 Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring three goals in two games to lead Hartwick to the league title over the weekend. She scored two goals, including the game-winning tally in a 5-1 win over Utica on Friday in the Empire 8 Semifinal contest. On Sunday, Tolley added her 12th goal of the season, helping lead the Hawks to a 4-0 win over Houghton in the Empire 8 Championship. She now has 34 points on 12 goals and 10 assists this season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Emily Strutt, Hartwick, Jr., M/D, Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington
Strutt led a stout defensive unit that was essential in allowing Hartwick to win the 2022 Empire 8 Championship over the weekend. Strutt was a key member of the Hartwick defense that allowed just one goal and seven total shots in two E8 Tournament games. On Sunday, the Hawks did not allow a shot in the 4-0 win over Houghton in the Empire 8 Championship game.
FOOTBALL
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Zac Boyes, SUNY Cortland, So., QB, Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West
Boyes completed 14-of-19 passes for 383 yards and four touchdowns in Cortland's 56-14 win over visiting St. John Fisher to complete the Red Dragons' perfect 6-0 mark in Empire 8 play. Boyes was 12-of-16 for 346 yards with three TD passes in the first half alone to help Cortland take a 35-0 halftime lead, and he played only one series in the second half, during which he threw another TD pass. Boyes' touchdown passes covered 69, 13, 81 and 24 yards, and he also threw a 59-yard pass on the game's first play to set up a touchdown. It is his second E8 weekly honor of 2022.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Braeden Zenelovic, Utica, Sr., QB, Ontario Center, NY/Wayne Central
Zenelovic set a Utica single game program record and tied the Empire 8 mark with seven touchdown passes in the Pioneers 65-16 win over Alfred on Saturday. He finished 29-for-40 (72.5 percent) on pass attempts for 372 yards and no turnovers. Zenelovic had TD passes of 32, 33, 8, 12, 3, 24 and 12 yards. He became the fourth different quarterback in E8 history to throw for seven TDs and first since 2008. It is his third E8 weekly honor of 2022.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Bryan Grimes, Hartwick, Sr., DB, Albany, NY/Colonie
Grimes led the Hawks in tackles on Saturday afternoon at Rochester with 15, including seven solo tackles. He also recorded two key interceptions to put the ball back in his offense and added a pair of pass breakups.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Dan Giangrasso, SUNY Brockport, So., P, Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington
Giangrasso totaled 312 yards on seven punts, in Brockport’s 17-3 win over Morrisville Saturday, averaging 44.6 per attempt. He pinned the Mustangs inside the 20, four separate times and had three different punts of over 50 yards. His longest of the day was an 82-yard punt that resulted in a touchback, netting 62 yards.
MEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ander Castillo, Medaille, So., M, Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley
Castillo broke Empire 8 single-season records for goals and points in a season, scoring three goals in two Empire 8 Tournament games during the week. On Thursday, Castillo scored twice, including the game-winning goal right before halftime, as Medaille earned a 3-1 win over Hartwick in the semifinals. On Saturday, Castillo gave Medaille a 2-1 lead in the 42nd minute in the eventual 3-2 overtime win over Utica in the championship. Castillo has 21 goals and 45 points in 17 games this season, both E8 records. It is Castillo’s fourth E8 weekly accolade of 2022.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Eric Metade, Medaille, Sr., GK, Nottingham, England/The Westbrigford
Metade patrolled the defensive midfield for the Mavericks and scored the game-winning goal 53 seconds into the second overtime to lead Medaille to the 2022 Empire 8 Championship on Saturday in a 3-2 win over Utica. On Thursday, Metade was a key contributor to Medaille’s semifinal win over Hartwick, as the Mavericks played the final 63 minutes of the game a man down.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Julianna Beaulieu, Utica, Jr., F, Southwick, MA/Chicopee Comprehensive
Beaulieu scored three goals in three Empire 8 Tournament games last week, as Utica advanced to the E8 Championship game. She had three shots on Tuesday’s 2-1 first win over Hartwick before exploding for a hat-trick in Thursday’s 5-3 semifinal win over St. John Fisher. The Cardinals had allowed just four goals in nine E8 regular season games in 2022. Beaulieu scored a pair of first half tallies and scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 64th minute.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Grace Lanzetta, Nazareth, Jr., M, Rockaway Park, NY/Archbishop Malloy
Lanzetta was named the 2022 Empire 8 Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player after anchoring a Nazareth defensive unit that did not allow a goal in two postseason games, as the Golden Flyers won their 12th Empire 8 title. On Thursday, her efforts helped limit Russell Sage to six shots on target, as Nazareth scored two late goals for a 2-0 win in the semifinals. On Saturday, Lanzetta and the Nazareth defense held the potent Utica offense to just four shots on target in the 1-0 victory that secured the Empire 8 Championship.
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – William LaMastus, Alfred, So., Backstroke/Butterfly, Maumee, OH/Anthony Wayne
LaMastus was undefeated during a road dual-meet matchup at University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. He won two individual events and teamed up for a meet-opening 200-yard medley relay victory as well. He swam anchor along with Paul Tuttle, Phillip Volaski and Giuseppe Piede, finishing with a time of 1:42.99. LaMastus had the fastest leg of the entire four-team pool in the relay, swimming a 22.79 freestyle portion. He then went on to lead the Saxons to a one-two-three finish in the 100-yard butterfly, clocking in a time of 55.49. LaMastus closed out his evening with a time of 58.15 in the 100-yard backstroke.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK – Darby McNamara, Nazareth, Sr., Freestyle/Individual Medley, Macedon, NY/Ruben A. Cirillo
McNamara led Nazareth to a convincing 188-72 win over Hartwick in the final home meet of the season on Saturday. McNamara swam the butterfly leg of the 200-meter medley relay that won with a time of 2:09.81. She also won individual honors in the 200-meter freestyle (2:19.29) and the 100-butterfly (1:11.61) and ended the meet with the fastest 400-meter free relay with a time of 4:19.94.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kiana Walker, St. John Fisher, Gr., OH, Lloydminster, Alberta/Lloydminster Comprehensive
Walker hit .275 with 26 kills, 25 digs, five blocks and four service aces in leading the Cardinals to their fourth Empire 8 Championship in a row over the weekend. Walker began the weekend by recording 10 kills and six digs in a three-set win over Houghton in the semifinals Friday. She saved her best for last on Saturday, slamming a season-high 16 kills to go along with 19 digs, three service aces and three assisted blocks, as the Cardinals defeated Hartwick in four sets in the title match.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Kiera Hartpence, St. John Fisher, Fr., L/DS, Scotia, NY/Burnt Hills
Hartpence led the St. John Fisher defensive unit in its run to the 2022 Empire 8 Championship. She had 14 digs and two service aces in Fisher’s three-set win over Houghton in the semifinals on Friday evening. Hartpence added 14 more digs in the Empire 8 Championship match, as the Cardinals defeated Hartwick in four sets to earn their fourth straight league title. It is her fourth E8 weekly honor of the 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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