General | 9/26/2022 12:52:15 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on September 26, 2022, for games played from September 19-September 25. It is the fourth 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, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Caleb Kasper, Houghton, Jr., Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park
Kasper posted the top Empire 8 of time of the season at 8,000-meters on Saturday, crossing the finish line in 26:30.50 at Lock Haven University. Kasper placed 73rd out of 434 runners, which consisted of student-athletes from NCAA Division I, II, and III.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Amanda Burrichter, Houghton, Sr., Fillmore, NY/Fillmore Central
Burrichter posted a time of 23:04.90 for 6,000-meters at Lock Haven University on Saturday, which is the top time in the Empire 8 so far this season. She placed 60th out of 403 runners, which consisted of student-athletes from NCAA Division I, II, and III. It is Burrichter’s second E8 weekly honor of 2022.
FIELD HOCKEY
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Bekah Davie, Houghton, So., F, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool
Davie continued her hot start to the season last week by posting three more goals to help the Highlanders earn a pair of conference wins at Elmira and Keuka. She tallied twice in Houghton’s 3-2 overtime win over Keuka on Saturday. Davie has now scored in five straight contests and has tallied seven goals plus an assist in that span. Meanwhile, her squad has won four games in a row and started E8 competition 3-0.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Alyssa Pisano, Utica, Jr., M, Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington
Pisano was the driving force behind Utica's 4-2 Empire 8 win over Washington & Jefferson College on Saturday. Pisano accounted for three of the team's four scores which set a new career high. She scored the Pioneers' first two goals in the 14th and 16th minutes before scoring the game-winner in the 57th minute. Her final two goals also came unassisted.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kristyn Clare, Medaille, So., GK, Rochester, NY/East Irondequoit
Clare was credited with her second win of the season in the Mavericks win over Russell Sage on Saturday. In goal, she totaled 15 saves in the 1-0 shutout victory. She made 11 of her 15 saves in the opening half. Clare has been averaging 15.5 saves per game on the season.
FOOTBALL
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Max Freeman IV, Alfred, So., RB, Painted Post, NY/Corning-Painted Post
Freeman rushed for a game-high and career-high 274 yards on 33 attempts (8.3 yards per carry) and two touchdowns during a 31-23 win over Kalamazoo College on Saturday, while adding four receptions from the backfield. Freeman scored on runs from the goal line in the first quarter and from a career-high 80 yards in the fourth quarter. His rushing yard total marked the third-most rushing yards in a single game in program history for Alfred University.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Braeden Zenelovic, Utica, Sr., QB, Ontario Center, NY/Wayne Central
Zenelovic had an efficient game while leading Utica's comeback in a 31-24 victory over nationally-ranked Union on Saturday. He had 274 passing yards while completing 21 of his 28 passing attempts. Zenelovic tossed a pair of touchdowns during the game. The first was a 68-yard touchdown to Travis Decker in the first half. The second was a nine yard pass to Nate Palmer that set the stage for the tying extra point.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Nelon Priest, Hartwick, Sr., DB, Schenectady, NY/Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons
Priest's defense was integral in helping the Hawks come from behind to beat undefeated Nichols College, 28-20 on Saturday. The senior defensive back recorded 13 solo tackles, two pass breakups, and forced one fumble. He also intercepted a pass late in the fourth quarter to secure the win for Hartwick.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Nate Palmer, Utica, Sr., PR/WR, Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherill
Palmer made two clutch plays in the fourth quarter to help Utica secure a 31-24 win over No. 25 Union on Saturday. He caught the nine yard touchdown pass that set up the tying extra point, then put Utica in front with a remarkable play on special teams. After the Utica defense forced the Dutchmen to punt from deep in their own territory, Palmer took advantage of the sterling field position by running the return back 43 yards for the winning touchdown. That is the longest punt return in the Empire 8 Conference this season. His efforts helped Utica achieve its first 4-0 start since the 2016 season. It is Palmer’s second E8 weekly honor of 2022.
MEN’S GOLF
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ryan Fecco, Oswego, Gr., Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker
Fecco tied for first place in the annual Oswego State Fall Invitational at the Oswego Country Club this past weekend. Fecco shot a 2-under on day two to put himself in a position to take the overall lead. On hole No. 6, Fecco scored an eagle and had a birdie on hole No. 10.
MEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK –El Hadji Iba Sy, Russell Sage, Jr., F, Bronx, NY/Emma Lazarus
Iba Sy totaled three goals across the 2-0 week for the Gators. The junior forward netted both game-winning goals, in both contests, tallying twice in a 3-0 victory Tuesday over SUNY Canton, while netting the winner in Saturday's 1-0 E8 win at Elmira.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sam Carpenter, Houghton, So., GK, Grand Island, NY/Grand Island
Carpenter shutout defending E8 champion Nazareth on Saturday, preserving a tie for the Highlanders in their lone contest. Houghton's keeper faced six shots in goal against the Golden Flyers and saved them all.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ro Hernandez, Utica, Gr., F/M, Carmel, NY/Kennedy Catholic
Hernandez totaled six points on two goals and assists in Utica's 6-0 win over Medaille University on Saturday. Hernandez began the Pioneers' scoring surge by giving the team a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute while her other tally came in the 41st minute to extend Utica's lead to 4-0. She also assisted on goals in the 39th and 58th minutes. Hernandez also set a new single game career-best with her six points.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Megan Merrifield, Houghton, Sr., GK, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool
Merrifield posted two more shutouts last week while turning away four shots versus Cazenovia and another seven at Elmira on Saturday. Houghton's keeper now has now blanked four of her eight opponents on the year. It is her second weekly accolade of the 2022 season.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Macy Youngberg, Alfred, So., Falconer, NY/Falconer Central
Youngberg continued her standout season with two more singles and two more doubles wins, as Alfred took on E8 foes St. John Fisher and Nazareth over the weekend. Youngberg is now 9-1 in singles and is 9-1 in doubles with Alina Zabihailo. She is 3-0 in both singles and doubles in Empire 8 action as she was undefeated on the week at No. 1 doubles and No. 4 singles. Youngberg and Zabihailo defeated Kathryn Strait and Abby Garvey of Fisher, 8-4 and then defeated Aliya Guzman and Claire Pullen, 8-5 at Nazareth. Individually, Youngberg won during Homecoming Weekend against Fisher’s Madison Galvin, 6-1, 6-4. She closed out her week with a three-set thriller against Nazareth’s Scarlett Wagner, 6-7(7-9), 6-2, 6-1. It is Youngberg’s second straight E8 weekly accolade.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Braelyn Hornick, Hartwick, So., S, Candor, NY/Candor
Hornick orchestrated an offense that went perfect on the week registering a non-conference win against SUNY Cobleskill, and two E8 wins over Medaille and Houghton. On Wednesday against Cobleskill, she put up 31 assists and picked up two aces. Over the weekend, she averaged 12 assists per set. In total against Medaille and Houghton, she posted 99 assists, 26 digs, and 12 kills, while hitting .556.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Casey Grange, Alfred, Jr., MB, Ithaca, NY/Ithaca
Grange upped her collegiate career-high marks during the York College (PA) Tri-Match over the weekend. She set a new career-high in points scored in a single match at 18.0 that included a career-high 17 kills. She added two block assists in the four-set loss to the hosts. Grange totaled 21.0 points, 20 kills, nine digs, two block assists and two set assists on the weekend.
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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