General | 11/10/2025 1:00:00 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on November 10, 2025, for games played from November 3 – November 9. It is the 11th Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2025-26 season. Sports featured include men’s and women’s basketball, football, men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, women’s volleyball, and men’s wrestling.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jaylen Savage, Nazareth, Sr., G, Elmsford, NY/Alexander Hamilton
Savage, the reigning E8 Player of the Year, was named the Mike Daley Memorial Tournament Most Valuable Player, as he averaged 22.5 points in two games, to go along with 4.5 boards, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per contest, as the Golden Flyers earned a pair of wins to claim the tournament title. Savage shot 19-of-29 (65.5 percent) from the floor in the two wins and was 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Savage shot 11-for-12 from the floor with 27 points in Nazareth’s 98-86 win over Marywood in the title game.
CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Pharrell Aybar, SUNY Brockport, Fr., G, Washington Heights, NY/A. Phillip Randolph
Aybar posted 19 points, seven steals, and five rebounds in his collegiate debut, a 96-87 road win for SUNY Brockport over Ithaca on Saturday evening. Aybar led all players with his seven steals on the night.
CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Robby Lucas, Hartwick, Fr., G, Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights
Lucas made the most out of his collegiate debut, pouring in 21 points on 58 percent shooting from the floor (7-of-12) in the 82-78 win at SUNY Cobleskill. Lucas drilled five 3-pointers, shooting 56 percent from beyond the arc, while adding in six rebounds and three assists on the night.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Layla Acosta, Russell Sage, Sr., G, Haines City, FL/Haines City
Acosta led all scorers with 24 points on 4-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc in Saturday's season-opening victory over Bard. Acosta, who also tallied five steals, netted 19 of her points after halftime to help the Gators secure the season-opening non-conference victory.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Keely Mullins, Houghton, Fr., F, Livingston, TN/White County
Mullins averaged 12 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals per contest in two Houghton wins to start the season. Mullins got her career off to a solid start added eight points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block vs. Bryant & Stratton-Buffalo. She also hit three from long range on the week.
FOOTBALL
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Mike Rescigno SUNY Cortland, So., QB, Arlington, NY/Arlington
Rescigno ran 18 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns and completed 9-of-14 passes for 100 yards and three touchdowns as SUNY Cortland defeated visiting SUNY Brockport, 44-14 on Saturday, to clinch the Empire 8 title for the fifth straight season. He ran for a 3-yard TD in the first quarter, and his 12-yard and 19-yard TD passes in the second quarter helped the Red Dragons take a 23-14 halftime lead. Rescigno added a 10-yard TD pass in the third quarter and a 6-yard TD run in the fourth. It is Rescigno’s fourth E8 weekly accolade of 2025.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Gage Cornell, Alfred State, So., DL, Gouverneur, NY/Gouverneur
Cornell tallied 12 tackles (six solo, six assisted), with 2.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks in Alfred State’s 35-28 win over Alfred University to claim the Stoplight Trophy. His 2.5 tackles for a loss totaled 11 yards.
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jack Bestpitch, Alfred, Jr., DB, Buffalo, NY/St. Mary’s of Lancaster
Bestpitch led the Alfred special teams ad defensive units in their first-ever matchup at Alfred State College. In the third quarter, Bestpitch blocked a point-after attempt from Alfred State and returned it 92 yards for a two-point conversion that cut the Alfred State lead to 27-21. Early in the following quarter with Alfred University trailing, he returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown and the 28-27 lead. Bestpitch was credited with five tackles, one of which was for a loss.
CO-SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Noah Currier, Alfred State, Jr., RB, Oakfield, NY/Oakfield-Alabama
Currier tallied a 97 yards kickoff return touchdown, to go along with his one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown in Alfred State’s 35-28 win over Alfred University to claim the Stoplight Trophy. Currier’s 97-yard touchdown just one minute into the second quarter got the Pioneers on the board. He also scored on a one-yard rush 10 minutes later and caught a two-yard touchdown pass in the final minute of the third quarter that gave Alfred State a 27-19 lead. It is Currier’s fourth E8 weekly accolade of the season.
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sam Ciappa, St. John Fisher, Fr., F, Baldwinsville, NY/Canterbury Prep
Ciappa led the Cardinals offensively with six points on three goals and three assists and was plus-6, guiding the team to a perfect 2-0 weekend. He recorded two goals and one assist and was plus-3 in a 6-2 win over Morrisville, then added a power-play goal and two assists and was plus-3 in a 6-3 victory over Cortland.
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK – Mason Joseph, Nazareth, So., G, Cumberland, RI/Home School
Joseph stopped 28-of-29 shots in Nazareth’s 3-1 win over SUNY Potsdam on Saturday. He made eight first period saves and stopped 10 shots in each of the second and third periods to secure his first win at Nazareth and helped lead the Golden Flyers to a 3-1-0 start to begin the season.
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Meredith Boettcher, Nazareth, Jr., F, Duluth, MN/Duluth Marshall
Boettcher recorded three goals and an assist and was plus-5 in two wins for nationally-ranked Nazareth. She netted two goals, including the eventual game-winning tally and added an assist on five shots and was plus-3 in a 5-1 win over Morrisville on Friday night. On Saturday, Boettcher scored the game-winning goal and was plus-2 in Nazareth’s 2-1 win over SUNY Cortland.
GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK – Katherine Sheahan, Utica, Fr., G, Oak Lawn, IL/Cambridge Arts & Tech Academy
Sheahan stopped 67-of-70 shots for a .957 save percentage, as the Pioneers split a home-and-home series against No. 11 SUNY Oswego last weekend. In game one Friday, on Oswego’s ice, Sheahan stopped 27 of 30 shots that came her way. She bounced back the following night with a 40-save shutout for her first collegiate win, and to secure Utica’s home opener, a 1-0 win.
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
CO-SWIMMER OF THE WEEK – Andre Ayala, Alfred, Fr., Distance Freestyle/Individual Medley, Mexico City, Mexico/Preparatoria No. 5
Ayala was undefeated in his individual events as he helped the Saxons defeat University of Rochester for the first time since 1992 while also picking up a win over SUNY Fredonia. He began his Saturday efforts with a dominant win in the 1,000-yard freestyle, clocking a time of 9:55.23, almost 15 seconds faster than everyone else. He then had over a 10-second win in the 500-yard freestyle, winning it with a time of 4:48.11. Ayala closed out his individual efforts with a 4:08.54 first place time in the 400-yard individual medley, defeating the rest of the pool by over 13 seconds.
CO-SWIMMER OF THE WEEK – Alex Palmer, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., Breaststroke, Fairport, NY/Fairport
Palmer provided the big highlight for the Knights on day one of the DIII Shootout in Chicago, breaking the program record for the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 54.84 and a first place finish out of the 10 teams competing. Palmer's time also marked an NCAA “B” cut effort. After breaking the program record in the 100-yard breaststroke on Friday in the DIII shootout, Palmer took second in the 200-yard breaststroke on Saturday, recording a time of 2:01.28. It is Palmer’s second E8 weekly accolade of the season.
DIVER OF THE WEEK – Greg Meder, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Diver, Plainview, NY/Plainview
Meder was dominant at the DIII Shootout hosted by Chicago over the weekend, winning both the 1- and 3-meter diving events. Meder took first overall in the 1-meter dive with a score of 316.60, then followed it up on Saturday with a 363.60 score in the 3-meter event, topping the event record set by former teammate and NCAA National Champion Trent Makowiec to earn his third straight E8 weekly honor.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
SWIMMER OF THE WEEK – Alex Sotek, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., Butterfly/Freestyle, New Lebanon, NY/New Lebanon
Sotek was stellar for the Knights at the DIII Shootout this past weekend, earning top-eight finishes in all six events, including two top-three finishes. In the 100-yard butterfly, Sotek placed second overall with a time of 56.22 seconds, then took third in the 50-yard freestyle, hitting the wall in 23.58 seconds. She placed sixth in both the 200- and 400- yard medley relay events and was seventh in the 200-yard butterfly at 2:10.95, and seventh as a member of the 200-yard freestyle relay team. It is Sotek’s second straight E8 weekly accolade.
DIVER OF THE WEEK – Lydia Benhamin, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Diver, Elmira, NY/Elmira
Benjamin was stellar for the Knights at the DIII Shootout hosted by Chicago this past weekend, finishing second and third in the 1- and 3-meter dives, respectively. Benjamin took second in the 1-meter diving event with a score of 258.80, then followed it up on Saturday with a third-place finish in the 3-meter with a score of 247.30.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Shelby Swartz, Hartwick, Sr., OH, Candor, NY/Candor
Swartz imposed her will from the outside in the Empire 8 Quarterfinal three-set victory over Utica on Saturday, slamming 18 kills, while hitting .324 in three sets on her way to amassing her 1,000th career point. Swartz added eight digs and three blocks, as she averaged 6.0 kills and 6.83 points per set in the win. It is Swartz’s second E8 weekly honor of the season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Kalyna Dannenberg, St. John Fisher, Fr., OH, Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius
Dannenberg led the Cardinals with 12 kills and 11 digs as part of her ninth double-double of the season against Alfred in the Empire 8 Quarterfinal victory on Saturday that extended St. John Fisher’s winning streak to 27 matches. She accounted for a team-high 14.5 points, averaging 4.83 points per set in the win. It is Dannenberg’s seventh E8 weekly honor of the season.
MEN’S WRESTLING
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK – Trevor Sheehan, St. John Fisher, Sr., 165 lbs., Lancaster, NY/St. Mary’s
Sheehan led the Cardinals with a second-place finish in the 165-pound bracket in the Racich Rumble. On his way to second place at 165 pounds, Sheehan earned two wins by technical fall and one via pinfall. He began the day with a 17-4 technical fall win over Jacob Ebaugh of Alvernia, earned an 18-3 by technical fall win over Jimmy Do of Camden County and won by fall in 5:39 over John Gleason of NYU in the quarterfinals. Sheehan advanced to the final with a 7-5 decision over Connor Powell of Johns Hopkins before falling in the title match.