General | 9/21/2026 12:59:55 PM
Below are the Empire 8 Players of the Week, released on September 21, 2026, for games played from September 14 - September 20. It is the third Empire 8 weekly honors release of the 2026-27 season. Sports featured include men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, 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, Sr., Rochester, NY/McQuaid Jesuit
Brown was the individual race winner at the Yellowjacket Invitational, defeating 217 runners on Saturday, completing the 8,000-meter course in 25:14.3 (5:04.6-mile rate). He edged out teammate James Tette by just under two seconds, as Geneseo had the top three and four of the top six finishers in the race. The Knights rolled to the team title with 24 points, defeating Division I Colgate University by 11 points.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Greylynn Guyer, SUNY Geneseo, So., Sag Harbor, NY/Pierson
Guyer led Geneseo to a first-place finish at the Yellowjacket Invitational on Saturday, finishing second overall in the 6,000-meter race with a time of 22:00.8 (5:54.2). The Knights scored 42 team points to earn the title, edging out Division I Colgate University by nine points. Geneseo had three of the top seven finishers in the race.
FIELD HOCKEY
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Hope Angioletti, Hartwick, Sr., M, Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay
Angioletti totaled two goals and three assists on the week, as the Hawks opened league play on Saturday. She began the week by posting two assists against Union on Wednesday. On Saturday, Angioletti tacked on two goals and an assist in Hartwick’s 4-1 conference win against Nazareth.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Talia Nash, Elmira, Jr., F, Marcy, NY/Whitesboro
Nash helped lead Elmira to its first conference win of the season after recording a hat trick during the E8 opener, a 4-3 win at Keuka. She also tallied the game-winner. In the non-conference matchup at SUNY Oneonta, Nash recorded an assist. This marks the first time that Elmira has opened conference play with a win since 2011 and the first time they have beat Keuka since 2019.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Lauren Mastromarco, SUNY Brockport, Jr., GK, Wappingers Falls, NY/John Jay
Mastromarco was perfect on the week between the pipes in a pair of shutout wins as Brockport improved to 5-1 this season. In the Golden Eagles’ game against SUNY Oswego Wednesday, she picked up the shutout win with two saves. Against SUNY Oneonta, she grabbed her second shutout of the week and totaled six saves on Saturday. It is Mastromarco’s second E8 weekly honor of the 2026 season.=
FOOTBALL
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Noah Currier, Alfred State, Sr., RB, Oakfield, NY/Oakfield-Alabama
Currier rushed for 216 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries in Alfred State’s resounding 41-7 win over Buffalo State, as the Pioneers moved to 3-0. He averaged 9.0 yards per rushing attempt, scoring touchdowns of 2, 4, 27 and 2 yards. Currier also had two receptions for 15 yards. This is Currier’s second E8 Offensive Player of the Week honor this season.
CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Mike Rescigno, SUNY Cortland, Jr., QB, Arlington, NY/Arlington
Rescigno ran for a career-high 179 yards on 14 attempts, scoring twice, and completed 14-of-22 passes for 241 yards and two scores in Cortland's 55-3 win over visiting Hartwick to open up E8 play. His rushing total is the second highest in a game by a quarterback in school history. Rescigno averaged 12.8 yards per carry, highlighted by touchdown runs of 60 and 44 yards, along with a 30-yard gain. His touchdown passes covered 31 and 19 yards.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Martin Flanders Jr., Alfred, Jr., DL, Schuylerville, NY/Schuylerville
Flanders Jr. delivered a dominant defensive performance in Alfred University’s 31-7 victory over St. Lawrence University Saturday, accumulating six total tackles (four solo, two assisted), 4.5 tackles for loss for 22 yards, 2.5 sacks for 13 yards, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a game-high seven quarterback hurries. In the opening quarter, Flanders executed a strip-sack and recovered his own forced fumble at the St. Lawrence 25-yard line, directly setting up an Alfred University touchdown.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kyle Slywka, SUNY Brockport, Jr., DB, Waterloo, NY/Waterloo
Kyle Slywka affected the game in all three phases, including special teams for Brockport in the team's 45-10 win over Rensselaer on Saturday. On special teams he not only had one kick return for 23 yards, but he also blocked a punt in the second quarter. Slywka lined up at wideout and on the first play of the game went 75 yards for a receiving touchdown. Defensively, he was a key part of the secondary that helped hold RPI to just 185 yards of total offense for the game.
MEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Derek Alexei Rodriguez, Alfred, So., D, Panama Oeste, Panama/Colegio San Gabriel de la Dolorosa
Rodriguez had a stellar week offensively for the Saxons, who went 1-0-1 in league play. Playing out of position, the defender scored two goals in two games. He scored both goals in a spirited, come-from-behind draw against Houghton University on Wednesday, which included a penalty kick. In a 3-1 win over St. John Fisher on Saturday, he put up more offensive help with two shots and one on target, while helping limit the Cardinals to a goal.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Max Crothall, Geneseo, Jr., GK, Rye, NY/Rye
Crothall came away with two wins this week. In the Knights 3-1 win over Alfred State on Wednesday, he recorded four saves. In Geneseo’s first Empire 8 matchup, Crothall recorded a clean sheet with seven total saves in a 1-0 win over Utica. This is his second consecutive E8 Defensive Player of the Week honor.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Molly Simmons, St. John Fisher, Fr., F, Rensselaer, NY/Columbia
Simmons tallied five points to lead the Cardinals to a 3-0 victory over Alfred in their first Empire 8 Conference game of the season on Saturday night at Growney Stadium. The performance marked her first collegiate multi-goal game. She assisted on Morgan Tara’s eventual game-winning goal in the 20th minute before scoring consecutive goals just 2:13 apart midway through the second half to put the game away for the Cardinals.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Kelsey Bollen, Hartwick, Fr., GK, Wappingers Falls, NY/Roy C. Ketcham
Bollen accomplished two back-to-back shutouts in net against St. Lawrence and Nazareth, making 13 saves on 21 shots over the span of both games. She stopped four shots in a scoreless draw against St. Lawrence on Wednesday. On Saturday, she stopped all nine shots on goal she faced, including six in the second half in a 1-0 win over Nazareth for Hartwick’s first conference win of 2026.
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Scarlett Cobos, Elmira, So., GK, Laredo, TX/John B. Alexander
In Cobo’s only appearance for the Soaring Eagles this week, she recorded her first shutout of the season at Russell Sage, a 2-0 win Wednesday. This marks the first time in program history that Elmira has defeated Russell Sage. Not only did Cobos record a shutout, but she had nine saves during the match to keep the Gators at bay.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Becca Epping, Alfred, Jr., Mitchell, IN/Bedford North Lawrence
Epping was undefeated in singles play during the week, starting with a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles against Houghton University, helping the Saxons win, 5-2. Epping then moved up to No. 1 singles against SUNY Brockport where she battled Cara Vasile. Epping emerged victorious with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 showing. Epping and teammate Elizabeth Madsen earned a 6-3 doubles win at the first position on Saturday as well at Brockport.
DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK – Samantha Lantzy, Hartwick, Sr., Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane
DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK – Tehani Courte, Hartwick, Jr., Noumea, South Province/UCO
Lantzy and Courte took back-to-back conference doubles matches. In their match against Utica, the pair won 6-0. On the road, they took their second match 7-6 over Nazareth’s first position team, as the Hawks improved to 4-1 in league play this season.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Alexa Belanger, Houghton, Jr., OH/MB, Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
Belanger recorded four consecutive double-doubles during the week, slamming 72 kills to go along with 60 digs, averaging 4.84 points and 3.75 digs per set. She led the Highlanders offensively with 19 kills on 53 attacks on Friday against Adrian before recording 20 kills in back-to-back matches Saturday. Belanger also added 24 digs and three service aces against Fredonia and hit .293 versus Allegheny.
CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Viktoriia Lozynska, Houghton, Fr., MB/RS, Olean, NY/Olean
Lozynska provided an efficient offensive performance for the Highlanders, hitting .333 with 35 kills in four matches, while recording five blocks. She had nine kills on 17 attacks for a .471 hitting percentage on Friday against Adrian. On Saturday, Lozynska recorded 11 kills on 18 attacks, hitting a team-best .500 while adding a solo block versus Allegheny and slammed 12 kills against Fredonia.
CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Layla Rice, Utica, Fr., OH, West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham
Rice recorded 30 kills, averaging 3.00 kills per set, while adding 22 digs, seven service aces and 38.0 points. In a productive four-match week for the Pioneers. She saved her best performance for the weekend finale at SUNY Oswego, posting a career-high 14 kills on 30 attacks while hitting .300 and adding an ace for a team-high 15 points. Rice also recorded eight kills, five digs and a service ace against Clarkson and contributed seven kills and two aces against SUNY Cobleskill.