General | 10/9/2023 12:32:48 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on October 9, 2023, for games played from October 2 – October 8. It is the sixth Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2023-24 season. Sports featured include men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, football, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball. Men’s golf will be released separately on Tuesday, October 10 following the second round of the Empire 8 Men’s Golf Championship.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Bennett Melita, Utica, Fr., Johnstown, NY/Fonda Fultonville
Melita placed second overall out of 202 runners for the Pioneers at the James Early hosted by Westfield State University on Saturday. He completed the 8,000-meter course in an Empire 8 season-best time of 25:16.1 (mile rate of 5:05.0). It is Melita’s fourth E8 weekly honor of the 2023 season.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Emily Weaver, Nazareth, Sr., Grand Island, NY/Grand Island
Weaver was the top finisher for Nazareth at the NCAA Division III Pre-National Meet hosted by Dickinson College on Saturday, which featured several standout Division III programs and runners. She placed 54th overall out of 377 total runners, completing the 6,000-meter course in a time of 23:02.3 (6:11.0) mile rate. It is Weaver’s second E8 weekly accolade of the 2023 season.
FIELD HOCKEY
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Audrey Grieb, St. John Fisher, Jr., F, Webster, NY/Webster Thomas
Grieb scored 10 points on four goals and two assists in Saturday's 6-1 win over E8 foe Utica, setting career-highs in goals and points. The performance tied for the highest scoring game in St. John Fisher field hockey history and second highest in E8 history. She scored the game-opening goal midway through the first quarter and assisted on the eventual game-winner by Lily Humphrey in the second quarter. Grieb scored twice 1:40 apart late in the third quarter to break the game open and added her fourth goal of the game in the fourth quarter.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jaia Caron, Russell Sage, So., GK, Bellows Falls, VT/Bellows Falls Union
Caron totaled 15 saves on 17 shots (.882 save percentage) in a 1-1 week against league foes. Caron stopped 11 shots in Wednesday's 2-1 overtime loss versus Hartwick. She followed that up with four saves in Saturday's 4-0 win shutout over visiting Keuka.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sophia Trozzi, St. John Fisher, Sr., GK, Warminster, PA/William Tennant
Trozzi went 2-0 this week, playing 117 total minutes while allowing just one goal and making 28 saves for a remarkable .966 save percentage. Trozzi began the week by stopping all 17 shots she faced in 56:35 of play in a win over SUNY Brockport. On Saturday, she added 11 more saves in a 6-1 victory over E8 foe Utica. It is Trozzi’s second E8 weekly accolade of the season.
FOOTBALL
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Zac Boyes, Cortland, Jr., QB, Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West
Boyes completed 12-of-15 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns and ran 10 times for 86 yards and a score in nationally 17th-ranked Cortland's 56-3 win over previously unbeaten Utica. His TD passes covered 17 and 15 yards and he ran for a 5-yard score, all in the first half as the Red Dragons took a 42-0 lead at the break. It is his third E8 weekly honor of 2023.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ben Gocella, Brockport, Fr., QB, Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park
Gocella continues to impress in his debut season, now 4-0 as the starting quarterback for the Golden Eagles after a 63-0 win over Hartwick. Gocella set new career-highs of 219 passing yards and four touchdown passes, while completing 12 of his 24 attempts. The first-year signal caller became the first Brockport quarterback to throw for four scores in a single game since 2018. The Golden Eagles have won four in a row since putting Gocella in the starting lineup.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ben Robinson, Brockport, Sr., LB, Yorktown Heights, NY/Yorktown
Robinson spearheaded the shutout effort at home against Hartwick, 63-0, leading a dominant defensive showing. He led the team with 11 total tackles (six solo, five assisted), including 4.0 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, and he forced a fumble. Robinson and the rest of the Golden Eagle defense did not give an inch to a Hartwick offense that rushed for -20 yards in the game. They allowed the Hawks to gain only six first downs in the entire game, forcing a dozen punts along the way.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Liam O’Mara, Brockport, Jr., WR, Queensbury, NY/Queensbury
O'Mara provided a spark on special teams to setup Brockport's first touchdown in a win over Hartwick at home. After a scoreless first quarter, O'Mara blocked Hartwick's first punt of the second quarter. He also picked up the loose ball for a 28-yard return, to give the offense possession starting at the opposing 10-yard line. On top of his big special teams play, Liam took his first reception of the season 49 yards into the endzone for his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter.
MEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Riley Rease, St. John Fisher, Jr., F, Nunda, NY/Keshequa
Rease tallied eight points on three goals and two assists, while leading the Cardinals to a pair of key Empire 8 wins. On Wednesday, Rease scored two goals and added an assist in a 4-3 win over Alfred. He continued his strong play by scoring the game-winning goal and dishing out an assist in a 3-0 victory over Utica on Saturday.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Patrick Larkin, Nazareth, Sr., GK, Rochester, NY/McQuaid Jesuit
Larkin made 17 saves on the week, recording a .895 save percentage and 1.00 goals against average. He began the week by making six in a 2-1 loss to Rochester and then recorded a career-high 11 saves in a 2-0 shutout win over Alfred Saturday. It is his second E8 weekly accolade of the season.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Rylee Lamphere, Utica, So., M, Little Falls, NY/Dolgeville
Lamphere tallied seven points on three goals and an assists, leading the Pioneers to a pair of Empire 8 wins last week. On Wednesday, she registered the lone goal against Elmira in a 1-0 win. On Saturday, Lamphere recorded two goals and added an assist in a 5-1 win over Keuka on Saturday. It is her second E8 weekly accolade of 2023.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Annika Monfort, Nazareth, Fr., GK, Ontario, NY/Webster Thomas
Monfort went 1-0-1 with a 0.50 goals against average and .917 save percentage in a pair of games last week. She started with a key 10-save effort in a 1-1 tie with RIT in mid-week action and then needed only to make one save in the 2-0 shutout win over Elmira in Empire 8 action. It is her second E8 weekly accolade.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Phoebe Olson, Hartwick, So., Jamestown, ND/Jamestown
Olson helped the Hawks complete their second consecutive undefeated E8 regular season, going 3-1 in her matches this weekend. She started the weekend with an extremely tight and hard fought loss at 1st doubles against Alfred, falling 7-8 (5-7). However, Olson rebounded to defeat Alfred's Alina Zabihailo in three sets, winning the second two after falling 4-6 in the first. On Sunday at Utica, Olson picked up an 8-3 win at first doubles and a 7-6 (3), 6-4 win at first singles. Olson earned her second E8 weekly accolade of 2023.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Tessa Grover, Nazareth, Jr., S/RS, Rochester, NY/Penfield
Grover added another triple-double to her season totals and also posted a pair of career highs in kills during consecutive matches. On Saturday, she had a career-high 21 kills, while hitting .531 with 15 assists, 11 digs and seven blocks in the win over St. Lawrence and then reset that mark with 22 kills, while hitting .513 to go along with 22 assists and three blocks versus RIT later in the day. Overall, Grover slammed 52 kills (4.73/set), 5.45 points per set, recorded a .324 attack percentage and had 45 assists, 27 digs and 12 blocks. It is her third E8 weekly accolade of the season.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kaylene Noble, St. John Fisher, Fr., OH, Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius
Noble extended her double-digit kill streak to nine straight matches, while leading the Cardinals to a 4-0 week. In the Empire 8 road victory over the Nazareth on Wednesday, Noble tallied 10 kills, eight digs and three aces. At home against Buffalo State Friday, the first-year recorded 22 kills on a .327 hitting percentages and was good defensively with 14 digs and 3.0 total blocks. The team then headed on the road and recorded two three-set sweeps on Saturday. Against University of Pitt-Greensburg, Noble had 14 kills and nine digs. To wrap up the weekend in a contest against Wells College, Noble slammed 20 kills, while also recording a season high 20 digs to go along with four service aces. She had 66 kills (4.71/set), 5.43 points per set and added 51 digs (3.64/set). It is her third E8 weekly accolade of 2023.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Ana Gutman, St. John Fisher, Fr., MB, Rochester, NY/Penfield
Gutman helped lead the Cardinals to a 4-0 week, hitting .315 with 28 kills (2.55/set) and 14 blocks (1.27/set). She began the week with nine kills nine kills on a .333 hitting percentage and added 4.0 total blocks in a three-set win over E8 foe Nazareth. At home against Buffalo State Friday, she finished with 11 kills on a .300 percentage to go along with a season high nine blocks. To wrap up the weekend, against Wells College, Gutman recorded eight kills, two digs and one block. It is her second E8 weekly accolade 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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