ANNVILLE, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending Nov. 7, 2021. A total of 17 student-athletes were recognized for performances from Nov. 1-7, 2021.
FIELD HOCKEY (#MACfh)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Makayla Malcolm (Messiah / Jr., F / Strasburg, Pa.) earns her third conference weekly award of the season. Malcolm was named the 2021 MAC Commonwealth Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) after leading the Falcons to their 19th conference title with a 7-3 win over Widener. The junior finished the title game with seven points on three goals and one assist. In a 1-0 win over Alvernia in the semifinal round, Malcolm registered two of the Falcons seven shots on goal.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Allison Buffenbarger (Stevens / Fy., M / Leesburg, Va.) was named the 2021 MAC Freedom Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) after leading the Ducks to their first conference title with a 2-0 win over Misericordia. Buffenbarger led a Stevens defense that only allowed one goal through the conference tournament. They held Misericordia to just four shots (two on goal) in the win. Stevens defeated Arcadia, 3-1, in the semifinal round, holding the Knights to just six shots on goal.
MEN’S SOCCER (#MACsoc)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Jake Lent-Koop (Messiah / Jr., D / Rio Rancho, N.M.) was named the 2021 MAC Commonwealth Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) after leading the Falcons to their 16th conference title with a 2-1 (OT) win over Lebanon Valley. Lent-Koop scored the game-winning goal in the 94th minute. He also anchored a back line that held the Dutchmen to just six total shots (four on goal) while the Falcons recorded 29 shots. The junior also scored the game-winning goal in a 2-0 win over Stevenson in the semifinal round. Defensively, they held the Mustangs to just three shots (one on goal).
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Fritz Kabeiseman (Stevens / So., D / Portland, Ore.) was named the 2021 MAC Freedom Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) after leading the Ducks to their first conference title with a 4-2 decision in penalty kicks after a 0-0 (2OT) draw against Misericordia. Kabeiseman anchored a backline that did not allow a goal during the entire tournament in wins over Wilkes (3-0, Play-In game), Arcadia (1-0 2OT, Semifinal) and Misericordia. Kabeiseman kept opponents from scoring opportunities as the Ducks allowed eight shots on goals across three matches, including just one in the title match.
WOMEN’S SOCCER (#MACsoc)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Jenna Skurcenski (Messiah / So., D / Mechanicsburg, Pa.) was named the 2021 MAC Commonwealth Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) after leading the Falcons to their 18th conference title with a 3-0 win over York. Skurcenski led a backline that only allowed four shots on goal. The sophomore also registered an assist on the Falcons’ second goal of the game. Skurcenski held Albright to zero shots in a 6-0 win over the Lions in the semifinal round.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Zoee Farr (Misericordia / Sr., D / Vestal, N.Y.) was named the 2021 MAC Freedom Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) after leading the Cougars to their seventh conference title with a 1-0 win over Stevens. Farr was outstanding in a pair of shutouts for Misericordia in the tournament. Farr and the defense only allowed seven shots against Wilkes in a 5-0 win and five shots on goal in the title match. From her defensive position, Farr registered three shots during the week.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL (#MACvb)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Jailene Lugo (Eastern / So., MH / East Petersburg, Pa.) was named the 2021 MAC Commonwealth Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) after leading the Eagles to their first MAC Commonwealth title in a 3-2 win over Stevenson. The Eagles have now won 12 conference titles (11 MAC Freedom) since joining the MAC in 2008. Lugo finished the title match with nine kills and no errors for a .474 hitting percentage. She also had three blocks and three digs. In the 3-2 semifinal win over Messiah, Lugo had 12 kills (.286) and three blocks.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Elizabeth Chu (Stevens / Sr., L / Old Tappan, N.J.) earns her fourth conference weekly award of the season. Chu was named the 2021 MAC Freedom Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) after leading the Ducks to their second-straight conference title with a 3-1 win over DeSales. Chu finished the title match with a match-high 22 digs, while adding six assists and one ace. In a 3-1 semifinal win over Misericordia, the senior had 15 digs, three assists and three aces.
MEN’S BASKETBALL (#MAChoops)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Sidney Brown (Albright / Sr., G / Sicklerville, N.J.) posted a career-high 32 points on 11-for-20 (55%) shooting, including 8-for-14 (57%) from behind the arc, in an 87-83 win over Immaculata. The eight 3-pointers were also a career-high. Brown added six rebounds, five steals and two assists in the victory.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (#MAChoops)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Morgan Anderson (Hood / Sr., F / Baltimore, Md.) led the Blazers to a season-opening 73-37 win over St. Mary’s with 17 points, 15 rebounds, six blocks and four steals. Anderson finished shooting 8-for-17 from the field.
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY (#MAChky)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Nick Fea (Wilkes / Sr., F / Oak Ridge, N.J.) led the Colonels with five points on three goals and two assists in a 2-0 week in UCHC play. Fea scored one goal and added two assists in a win over Manhattanville. The senior then scored two goals in a win over Neumann.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Ryan Kenny (Stevenson / Jr., G / Sparta, N.J.) led the Mustangs to a 3-1 road victory against Chatham. The junior made 23 saves on 24 shots for a .958 save percentage in the win. Kenny kept the Cougars off the scoresheet across two periods.
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY (#MAChky)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Julie Patterson (Wilkes / Jr., F / Trenton, N.J.) led the Colonels to a season-opening split with Neumann with two goals and one assists. Patterson scored a goal and added an assist in a 3-2 win. She had the primary assist on the game-winning goal. The junior added an assist in the first game.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Isabelle Hovel (Alvernia / Jr., G / Alexandria, Minn.) earned a 2-0 shutout in game two against Lebanon Valley in an UCHC/MAC contest. Hovel stopped all 29 shots in the victory.
SWIMMING (#MACswim)
MAC Men’s Swimmer of the Week
Jonus Gurski (Misericordia / Jr. / Woodbridge, N.J.) earns his second conference weekly award of the season. Gurski swam a top time, second-best time and third-best time in the conference while capturing three individual victories and a pool record in a tri-meet sweep of Hood and Lycoming. The junior won both the 100-breaststroke (1:01.87, 2
nd in MAC) and 200-breaststroke (2:16.46, 3
rd in MAC). He swam a pool record time in the 400 IM with a MAC-best 4:19.65. Gurski was also the lead leg in the winning 400 medley relay.
MAC Women’s Swimmer of the Week
Sophie Schulze (Messiah / So. / Ellicott City, Md.) swam a dominant performance on Saturday, leading the Falcons to a 153-109 win over Arcadia. First, she contributed to the 200 medley relay team for a first place finish and a time of 1:54.06. Schulze would go on to win two more events including the 1000 Freestyle and the 500 Freestyle. In the 1000 Freestyle she finished with a time of 11:30.57. In her 500 Freestyle win, she swam in 5:31.43. She owns the fastest MAC time in the 500.
WRESTLING (#MACwrestle)
MAC Wrestler of the Week
Kyle Slendorn (Stevens / Jr. / Howell, N.J.) was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Ithaca Invitational. The third seed in the 141 lbs. brackets won the weight class with four pins in five bouts. Slendorn pinned Western New England’s Luke Plano (2:42), Johnson & Wales’ Josh Roberts (1:46) and Oswego State’s CJ Walz (4:17) to advance to the Semifinals. The junior then defeated second-seeded Travis Jones (Ithaca) by a 7-5 decision. In the title match, he pinned Springfield’s Chris Trelli in a time of 5:40.