Field Hockey | 10/27/2025 1:00:00 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on October 27, 2025, for games played from October 20 – October 26. It is the ninth Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2025-26 season. Sports featured include men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, football, women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and women’s volleyball.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Bennett Melita, Utica, Jr., Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville
Melita was the individual champion at the Hamilton College Tune-Up on Saturday. He defeated 80 other runners, crossing the finish line at the 15:03.1 mark, 25 seconds faster than 2nd place and 39 seconds faster than 3rd. He held a 4:50.7-mile pace over the 5,000-meter course. It is Melita’s second E8 weekly accolade of the season.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Catherine Manna, Utica, So., Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro
Manna was the top E8 finisher at the Hamilton Tune-Up Invitational on Saturday, placing sixth overall out of 50 runners, completing the 4,000-meter course in a time of 15:23.3 (6:11.4-mile rate).
FIELD HOCKEY
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kylee Barshinger, Houghton, So., F, Denver, PA/Garden Spot
Barshinger produced three goals and three assists for nine points in two Houghton victories on the week that clinched a postseason berth. In the Highlanders' 7-0 win over Alfred, the sophomore tallied three assists, then she closed the week with a hattrick in an 8-1 win over Sage. She also finished with 20 shots on the week, with nine on goal.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Mackenzie Hubbard, Hartwick, Jr., D, High Falls, NY/Rondout Valley
Hubbard was a vital piece of the Hartwick back line that only conceded one goal in 120 minutes of play. Hubbard pushed the attack as well from her defender position, collecting two assists in the win over Alfred.
FOOTBALL
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Noah Currier, Alfred State, Jr., RB, Oakfield, NY/Oakfield-Alabama
Currier led rushing attack in the Pioneers 54-28 victory over Hartwick on Saturday. Currier tallied 135 yards on 15 carries and four touchdowns, with his longest run going for 55 yards. With those four touchdowns, Currier tied the Alfred State single-season rushing touchdown record with 16 in just seven games. Currier was also a threat in the passing game as he totaled 98 yards on nine receptions. It is Currier’s third E8 weekly honor of 2025.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ethan Gallo, SUNY Cortland, Jr., RB, Minisink, NY/Minisink Valley
Gallo ran 22 times for a season-high 145 yards and two touchdowns in Cortland's 31-7 win at St. John Fisher to keep the Red Dragons atop the Empire 8 standings. His 1-yard TD run in the second quarter broke a 7-7 tie, and he finished the day's scoring with a 2-yard TD run late in the third quarter. He averaged 6.6 yards per carry with a long of 23 yards.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Mason Payton, Utica, Sr., DB, Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay
Payton had an outstanding showing for the Pioneers secondary in a 51-28 victory of the hosting Saxons, a win in which the Pioneer defense held the opposing quarterbacks to just 10-of-29 passing and only 55 passing yards. Payton logged three pass breakups, added an interception, and caused another Alfred turnover by forcing a fumble in the first quarter that was returned for the first Pioneer touchdown of the afternoon. To top off his dominant performance, he recorded two solo tackles. Payton powered a defensive effort that turned over the Saxons offense four times on the afternoon.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Zach McGowan, SUNY Brockport, Jr., K, Tonawanda, NY/Sweet Home
McGowan handled all the Brockport kicking responsibilities in the team's 61-3 win over Morrisville on the road Saturday. McGowan went 7-for-8 on extra points and 2-for-2 on field goal tries from 19 and 36 yards out. On 11 kickoffs, McGowan booted six touchbacks on the way to 673 yards for an average of 61.2 yards per kickoff. It is his second straight E8 weekly accolade.
WOMEN’S GOLF
GOLFER OF THE WEEK – Avery Smith, SUNY Geneseo, Fr., Williamsville, NY/Williamsville South
Smith led Geneseo to a tie for first place at the NWGC Fall Invite last week, as the freshman placed first overall at Camillus Country Club. Smith's round was highlighted by shooting a 41 on the back nine, posting four pars and a birdie on the par 5 16th hole. Smith tacked on one par on the front en route to a 45, allowing her to finish first overall at the match, beating out second place by two strokes.
MEN’S SOCCER
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Peter Martillotta, Russell Sage, Jr., F, Gasport, NY/Royalton Hartland
Martillotta scored three goals, including the game-winner, to help the Gators pick up an important 4-0 shutout of visiting Houghton on Saturday that inched Russell Sage closer to clinching a postseason berth. He opened the scoring in the 20th minute and put the game away with back-to-back tallies 1:13 apart late in the second half.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Charlie Sorensen, SUNY Geneseo, So., D, Rochester, NY/Aquinas
Sorensen led Geneseo to a pair of shutouts this week as they clinched the Empire 8 regular season title and the No. 1 seed for the postseason. Sorensen and the Geneseo defense limited Houghton to just five total shots, then picked up another shutout against SUNY Poly by holding the Wildcats to just three shots. It is Sorenson’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Madelyn Wania, St. John Fisher, Sr., F, Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston
Wania matched her season high with five points on two goals and assists, recording her second multi-goal game of the season in Fisher's 8-0 home win over Keuka on Saturday. She's scored two or more goals in three games over her two seasons at Fisher.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Preslee Miller, Houghton, So., GK, Fillmore, NY/Fillmore
Miller made nine saves and earned a key shutout, helping Houghton clinch a postseason berth in a 1-0-1 week against E8 opponents. She made seven saves in Wednesday's match up against Geneseo to preserve a 1-1 tie for a key conference point. Her two saves on Saturday against Sage gave the Highlanders their 10th shutout of 2025 and a playoff clinching win. It is Miller’s second E8 weekly honor of 2025.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Hannah Pcola, Utica, Sr., GK, Cassville, NY/Mount Markham
Pcola posted her fifth clean sheet of the season in the Pioneers’ 0-0 draw with SUNY Brockport. Pcola remained in form, stopping all four of Brockport’s attempts. Pcola is now one of two goalkeepers in the conference that Brockport has not managed to score on. It is Pcola’s third E8 weekly honor of 2025.
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
CO-SWIMMER OF THE WEEK – Youssef amr Abdallatif, Alfred, Fr., Backstroke/Individual Medley, Cairo, Egypt/Raya Language School
Abdallatif helped the Saxons go 2-0 on the week with a win over Division II Roberts Wesleyan and a win over Empire 8 foe, SUNY Brockport. He re-broke his own McLane Natatorium pool record in the 100-yard backstroke but added to the feat by breaking the school record held by Hall of Famer and All-American, Matt Baker ’09. Abdallatif did this on Wednesday against Roberts with a time of 49.65, breaking Baker’s time of 50.46, before winning the 100-back at Brockport with a 49.71 to break the Golden Eagles’ pool record. Abdallatif was undefeated on the week in both individual and relay events. He has the fourth fastest time nationally to date this season in the 100-back. It is his second straight E8 weekly accolade.
CO-SWIMMER OF THE WEEK – Alex Palmer, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., Breaststroke/Individual Medley, Fairport, NY/Fairport
Palmer won three individual events for the Knights against Division I foe Canisius on Friday, as Geneseo earned a thrilling 153-145 win. Palmer won the 100-yard breaststroke (56.66), the 200-yard breaststroke (2:05.02), and the 200-yard IM (1:55.94). He currently has the third fastest time among reported Division III times in the 200-breastsroke this season.
DIVER OF THE WEEK – Greg Meder, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Diver, Plainview, NY/Plainview
Meder played a vital role in the Knights 153-145 win over Division I foe Canisius on Friday, winning both the 1- and 3-meter dive events. Meder scored a 291.45 in the 1-meter dive, then followed it up with a 328.28 in the 3-meter dive.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
SWIMMER OF THE WEEK – Emily Thomas, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., Breaststroke, Rochester, NY/Greece Athena
Thomas led the Knights to a 175-125 victory over Division I foe Canisius on Friday, as she won two individual events in the meet. Thomas picked up her first win in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:06.41, she then followed it up in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:26.63. She has one of the fastest times to date in Division III in both breaststroke events.
DIVER OF THE WEEK – Hannah Kolakowski, Nazareth, Fr., Diver, Cohoes, NY/Cohoes
Kolakowski won both diving events in her first collegiate meet against William Smith on Friday. She recorded scores of 243.9 on the 1-meter dive, and 228.45 on the 3-meter dive.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kaylene Noble, St. John Fisher, Jr., OH, Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius
Noble slammed 34 kills, hit .433 and accounted for 35.5 total points in St. John Fisher's sweeps of Nazareth, Utica and SUNY Poly last week. Against Utica on Friday, she slammed 18 kills and hit .429 and recorded 15 digs as part of her team-leading seventh double-double of the season. She hit .438 with nine kills in the win over Nazareth and .438 with seven kills against Poly. It is Noble’s fourth E8 weekly honor of 2025.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Nina Scott, Keuka, Jr., OH, Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima
Scott averaged 4.45 kills and 5.09 points for Keuka in three matches during the week. She opened the week with a team-high 12 kills and added two aces and tied her season-high with four blocks in a three-set victory over Elmira College. She then increased her attack total with 14 kills against Hartwick College. Both matches Scott hit over .300 for the Wolves. She then capped her week with a career-high 23 kills in a five-set match against Russell Sage. For the week, Scott had 49 kills against just 13 errors, hitting .285.
CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Emma Curry, Russell Sage, Fr., L/DS, Goodyear, AZ/Estrella Foothills
Curry registered 14 aces and 65 digs across three matches this week, while adding 11 service aces, 1.10 per-set, and 44 digs, 4.40 per-set, in five-set road wins at Elmira and Keuka. The victories helped the Gators return to the Empire 8 Conference Championship Tournament for the second-straight fall.
CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Kalyna Dannenberg, St. John Fisher, Fr., OH, Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius
Dannenberg hit .377 with 30 kills in St. John Fisher's sweeps of Nazareth, Utica and SUNY Poly last week. She accounted for 19 points in all. Dannenberg had 12 kills and hit .370 in a win over Nazareth Tuesday and added 10 kills while hitting .563 against SUNY Poly on Saturday. It is her sixth E8 weekly honor of 2025.