General | 9/22/2025 1:00:00 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on September 22, 2025, for games played from September 15 - September 21. It is the fourth Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2025-26 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 – Collin Brown, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., Rochester, NY/McQuaid
Brown finished fourth overall, third among all Division III student-athletes out of 319 runners and was the top Empire 8 finisher at the University of Rochester Yellowjacket Cross Country Invitational on Saturday at Genesee Valley Park. He recorded a time of 25:20.8 over the 8,000-meter course, just three seconds behind the top Division III finisher. Brown led Geneseo to the team title with 61 points, seven lower than runner-up RIT.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Ann Brennan, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima
Brennan placed second overall and was the top Division III finisher out of 261 runners at the University of Rochester Yellowjacket Cross Country Invitational on Saturday at Genesee Valley Park. She led throughout the race and recorded a time of 21:59.4 over the 6,000-meter course, nearly 14 seconds ahead of the next Division III finisher. Brennan led Geneseo to the team title in resounding fashion, as the Knights had five of the top 11 finishers to record 39 points.
FIELD HOCKEY
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Aubree Wenner, SUNY Geneseo, So., F, Vestal, NY/Vestal
Wenner picked up 11 points for Geneseo in a pair of wins, scoring five goals to go along with one assist as the Knights out-scored their opponents 16-0. In the Knights 7-0 victory over Oswego on Wednesday, Wenner recorded a hat trick as well as one assist and added two more goals in a 9-0 win over Utica to begin Empire 8 league play.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Ava Reynolds, Hartwick, So., GK, South Glens Falls, NY/South Glens Falls
Reynolds was stellar in the cage for Hartwick on Saturday, collecting 10 saves in the conference opener against Houghton in a 4-0 win. Reynolds posted her first clean sheet of the season as the Hawks handed the Highlanders their first loss of the year.
FOOTBALL
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Noah Currier, Alfred State, Jr., RB, Oakfield, NY/Oakfield-Alabama
Currier led the way on offense for Alfred State in its 56-20 win over Buffalo State on Saturday, scoring four touchdowns on the ground and two receiving. His six touchdowns tied an Empire 8 record for most touchdowns in a game set by Hartwick wide receiver Jack Phelan on Sept. 6, 2008. Currier tallied 102 yards on 11 carries while tallying 67 yards on four receptions. He began his record-setting night with a 1-yard TD rush just over five minutes into the game before scoring two receiving touchdowns, just 49 seconds apart later in the first quarter, first on a 58-yarder up the seam and then a 3-yard shovel pass. Currier added a 9-yard TD run in the second quarter and 31- and 5-yard runs to the end zone in the third quarter.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Mason Nolan, Utica, So., DB, Hilton, NY/Hilton
Nolan had a breakout game on Saturday on the road against the defending Liberty League Champions Hobart College, leading a Pioneer defense that held the hosts to under 250 total yards. Nolan managed to rack up four tackles (two solo) while also raiding the opposing backfield for two powerful sacks, costing the Statesmen 21 yards in the process. Nolan’s aggressive defense halted multiple opposing drives in their tracks, as he shut down the Statesmen with his pair of quarterback takedowns.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Cole Callard, SUNY Cortland, Fr., K, Medina, NY/Medina
Callard made a 37-yard field goal and all eight of his PAT kicks during Cortland's 59-9 league win at Hartwick. His field goal came on the final play of the second quarter to complete a 31-point period for the Red Dragons that gave them a 31-0 halftime lead. Callard also averaged 60.8 yards on nine kickoffs.
MEN’S GOLF
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Anthony Marion, SUNY Canton, Sr., Plattsburgh, NY/Beekmantown
Marion recorded a second-place finish in his only lone event last week to lead the Roos to a win at the SUNY Canton Invitational on Thursday. Individually he finished runner-up out of 47 golfers as he shot an even-par 72 and was just one shot back of the medalist. The senior captain recorded a team-best seven birdies on his round. The Roos won the team event out of the eight-team field with 299 strokes, just two strokes off their Division III era program record.
MEN’S SOCCER
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jose Navea Corporan, Elmira, Jr., M, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic/Punta Cana FC
Corporan scored both Elmira goals in the 12th and 19th minutes on Saturday in a 2-1 win against SUNY Poly that kept the Soaring Eagles unbeaten in Empire 8 play. The eventual game-winner came just 23 seconds after SUNY Poly tied the match, as he ripped a shot near the top of the box that hit the crossbar at the left center of the net and deflected to the ground and into the net.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Samuel Edwards, Houghton, So., F, Ellicottville, NY/Ellicottville
Edwards scored both goals in Houghton's 2-2 tie against Empire 8 foe Utica University on Saturday afternoon. He opened the scoring in the third minute, then tallied the equalizer in the 88th minute to help the Highlanders salvage a tie with the Pioneers.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Bryan Tirado, Nazareth, Fr., GK, Oceanside, NY/Oceanside
Tirado recorded a 0.50 goals against average and .929 save percentage, making 13 saves, as Nazareth finished 1-0-1 on the week. He began the week by making seven saves in a 1-1 draw against SUNY Fredonia on Tuesday. Tirado was brilliant on Friday, making six saves, including five in the first half in a 1-0 win over Hartwick College to begin league play. It is his second E8 weekly accolade of the season.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Faith Ingber, Elmira, Sr., F, Greenwich, NY/Greenwich
Ingber led Elmira to its first Empire 8 victory of the season with a pair of goals on Saturday against SUNY Poly in a 2-0 win. Ingber gave Elmira a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute and doubled the lead with her second of the match in the 27th minute.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kiani Barnard-Pratt, Alfred, Sr., GK, Westford, MA/Westford Academy
Barnard-Pratt was key in goal for the Saxons this past week, who competed against SUNY Cortland and Russell Sage College. Against Cortland, Barnard-Pratt recorded a season-high 11 saves for Alfred University, while surrendering just one goal, as the Red Dragons attempted 31 total shots. In a 2-0 win against Russell Sage on Saturday, Barnard-Pratt picked up four saves as part of her 25th career shutout performance. Barnard-Pratt now has five shutouts on the season.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Hannah Pcola, Utica, Sr., GK, Cassville, NY/Mount Markham
Pcola nabbed the win over previously undefeated Houghton University in Utica’s Empire 8 opener on Saturday. In the 3-1 win over the Highlanders, Pcola managed a .750 save percentage while making three saves with only one goal against through a full 90 minutes. Pcola made another 11 saves, and allowed just one goal, as Hamilton attempted 32 shots in the team’s final non-conference contest against Hamilton College. Overall, she posted an .875 save percentage on the week with a 1.00 goals against average.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sage Brinckerhoff, Houghton, Fr., Savona, NY/Campbell-Savona
Brinckerhoff was 4-0 over doubles and singles play during Houghton's 1-1 week. She opened the week with a 6-3 first doubles win and a 6-0, 6-0 second singles victory against St. John Fisher, then closed the week with a perfect day at Sage, winning 6-0 in first doubles and 6-0, 6-0 in second singles.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Lilly Renzi, St. John Fisher, Sr., Skaneateles, NY/Skaneateles
Renzi helped the St. John Fisher women's tennis team record consecutive 5-2 dual wins over Houghton and SUNY Brockport last week. Renzi defeated Houghton's Arja Grant (6-1, 6-1) and Brockport's Cara Vasile (6-1, 6-2) at first singles to improve to 2-1 on the season in singles action.
DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK – Natalie Pipes, SUNY Geneseo, Jr., Victor, NY/Victor
DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK – JoAnn Catalano, SUNY Geneseo, So., Williamson, NY/Williamson
Pipes and JoAnn Catalano went 2-0 at first doubles this week as the Knights picked up 7-0 wins over Empire 8 foes Nazareth University and Utica University. Against the Golden Flyers, Pipes and Catalano earned a 6-3 win, then followed it up against the Pioneers with a 6-0 victory.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Reilly Morrow, St. John Fisher, Sr., S, Moore, OK/Moore
Morrow totaled 81 assists as St. John Fisher swept Fredonia, Baldwin Wallace, and Buffalo State to push its winning streak to 12 matches over the weekend. Morrow had 24 assists against Fredonia, 26 against Baldwin Wallace and 34 against Buffalo State. Morrow also had 18 digs, seven kills, four total blocks and three service aces over Fisher's three wins. She averaged 10.1 assists, 2.3 digs and 1.5 points per set, while leading the Cardinals to a .266 hitting percentage in the three matches.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Alexis Sison, SUNY Brockport, Sr., OH, Rockledge, FL/Rockledge
Sison made strong contributions both offensively and defensively for Brockport at the Oswego State Invitational this past weekend. Across three matches, Sison totaled 39 kills and 42 digs to highlight her performance. She also added three aces and three block assists to her total stat line for the weekend to average 3.6 kills and 3.5 digs per set. Sison enjoyed a pair of double-doubles, including 18 digs and 16 kills in a win over Pitt.-Bradford on Saturday.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Kalyna Dannenberg, St. John Fisher, Fr., OH, Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius
Dannenberg amassed 33 kills, 23 digs, six total blocks and three service aces as St. John Fisher swept Fredonia, Baldwin Wallace, and Buffalo State over the weekend. Dannenberg logged hitting percentages higher than .270 in each of the three matches. Against Buffalo State on Saturday, Dannenberg slammed 12 kills while hitting .407 and amassed 11 digs as part of her third double-double of the season. She averaged 4.5 points and 2.6 digs per set as the Cardinals won all nine sets over the weekend.