General | 9/2/2025 1:00:00 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on September 2, 2025, for games played from August 28-September 1. It is the first Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2025-26 season. Sports featured include men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s tennis, and women’s volleyball.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Bennett Melita, Utica, So., Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville
Melita began the 2025 season by setting a course record at the season-opening SUNY Poly Short Course Invitational on Saturday in a time of 18:49.5 over the 6,000-meter course, winning by well over a minute over the next closest competitor. He averaged a 5:02.9-mile time for the event and led the Pioneers to the team title. It is his second straight season-opening title over that course.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Kaitlyn Hotaling, SUNY Geneseo, Fr., Liverpool, NY/Liverpool
Hotaling excelled in her collegiate debut, leading the way for SUNY Geneseo, and finishing third out of 150 runners at the Terry Rodenbeck Invitational at St. John Fisher on Friday evening. She was the top Division III finisher with a time of 14:41.2 (5:54.5-mile rate) over the 4,000-meter course. Hotaling helped lead SUNY Geneseo, who is ranked No. 12 in the season-opening USTFCCCA Division III national poll to a second-place finish, just behind Division I University at Buffalo.
FIELD HOCKEY
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ella Greico, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., F, New Hartford, NY/New Hartford
Greico recorded a hat trick, including the eventual game-winning goal for SUNY Geneseo in its 5-1 win over Kenyon on Saturday, while adding an assist as well for a seven-point game. Greico and the No. 21 ranked Knights opened the 2025 season with two wins, also knocking off Liberty League foe Rensselaer on Friday by a score of 2-0.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Lilyana Good, Houghton, So., D, Lancaster, PA/Lancaster County Christian
Good helped Houghton to a pair of season-opening wins with strong play in the back and contributed a goal and an assist. Her goal in the third quarter against Neumann on Saturday gave the Highlanders a 3-0 lead proved to be the game-winner as Houghton hung on for a 3-2 win.
MEN’S GOLF
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Anthony Marion, SUNY Canton, Sr., Plattsburgh, NY/Beekmantown
Marion recorded a pair of top-10 finishes individually to lead SUNY Canton to a pair of third place finishes to start the season. He opened the season shooting an impressive round of one over par 73 to finish in a tie for second place out of 66 golfers at the SUNY Delhi Fall Invitational on Saturday. Marion recorded a birdie, 15 pars and two bogeys to lead the Roos to a third-place finish (307) out of 12 teams. On Sunday, Marion tied for ninth out of 40 golfers at the SUNY Cobleskill Invitational shooting a six over par 76.
MEN’S SOCCER
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Devin Chandler, Hartwick, So., M, Wylie, TX/Wylie East
Chandler made an indelible mark in his collegiate debut, tying an Empire 8 single-game record with three assists. Chandler was able to pick up two assists off pinpointed throw ins into the box, he then capped off his marksmanship with an assist from a corner kick on goal by Wilson Mount with two minutes left, leading to a 3-1 victory over SUNY Delhi.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Spencer Neil, Nazareth, Jr., F, Vancouver, British Columbia/West Point Grey Academy
Neil opened the 2025 season by tying an Empire 8 single-game record with three assists in Nazareth’s 4-1 win over the University of Rochester on Sunday. He had all three assists in the second half, including one on the game-winning goal by Gibson Spector in the 47th minute and helpers in the 58th and 66th minutes of play to lead the Golden Flyers to their first win over Rochester since 1999.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Matthew Sandison, SUNY Brockport, So., GK, Beacon, NY/Beacon
Sandison recorded a shutout in his first collegiate start for the Golden Eagles, stopping all five shots on goal that he faced in a 1-0 win over RIT on Friday evening. He made three of his five saves in the first 13:32 of play as RIT made an early push for the lead.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Elena Esh, Houghton, Jr., F, Gordonville, PA/Linville Hill Christian
Esh tallied three goals and an assist for seven points in two Houghton shutout wins over the weekend. She registered the game-winning goal and added an assist in a season-opening 6-0 win over SUNY Canton on Friday and scored two more goals to close the weekend in a 4-0 victory over Lancaster Bible Saturday.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Delaney Malone, Nazareth, Sr., GK, Elmira, NY/Elmira
Malone recorded a pair of clean sheets to help lead Nazareth to a 2-0 weekend over the opening weekend of the season with wins over Endicott College and Grove City College. Malone was stout in the season-opener on Friday, stopping nine shots on goal in Nazareth’s 2-0 win. She followed that up with one save on five shots against in a 2-0 win over Grove City Saturday.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Samantha Lantzy, Hartwick, So., Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane
Lantzy made her debut at the No.1 singles spot after a dominant debut season in 2024, helping lift the Hawks to a 7-0 sweep over their cross-city rival, SUNY Oneonta on Thursday. Lantzy made quick work of the Red Dragons' top player, Haley Peck, defeating her in straight sets of 6-2, 6-2. She also partnered with Lily Vanuga to record a 6-1 win at second doubles.
DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK – Olivia Raschiatore, SUNY Brockport, Sr., Rochester, NY/East Rochester
DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK – Cara Vasile, SUNY Brockport, So., Auburn, NY/Auburn
The duo of Olivia Raschiatore and Cara Vasile teamed up to earn a 6-1 win at first doubles over Lucy Prevet and Allison Bartoszek of SUNY Fredonia in the season-opener on Saturday, which was also a 6-1 team win for the Golden Eagles.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ashleigh Gerkman, Russell Sage, Sr., OH, Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane
Gerkman registered 45 kills on .266 hitting and 30 digs across three matches at the SUNY Plattsburgh Tournament. She tallied a pair of double-doubles across the 2-1 weekend, including an 18-kill, 17-dig performance in a five-set win over SUNY Plattsburgh.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kaylene Noble, St. John Fisher, Jr., OH, Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius
Noble averaged 3.58 kills per set, 3.83 points and 1.50 digs, while hitting .278 in a 2-1 opening weekend for the Cardinals at the Ithaca Invitational. Noble started her weekend registering 12 kills in a four-set loss to Ithaca before hitting .414 with 14 kills in a three-set win over University of Rochester. She followed that up with 17 kills and seven digs as St. John Fisher defeated John Carroll University in five sets.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Alessandra Castañeda, Keuka, Fr., OH, San Antonio, TX/John Marshall
Castañeda had a strong start to her collegiate career for the Wolves. The outside hitter led Keuka with 49 kills at the Wolves' home invitational. That led the Green and Gold and is tied for the lead in the Empire 8 early in the season. Castañeda averaged 3.06 kills per set, fourth best in the league. She added in eight aces and 50 digs in the season-opening invitational. Castañeda recorded three double-doubles, including 15 kills and 14 digs in a four-set win over SUNY Canton Saturday.