ANNVILLE, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending March 14, 2021. A total of 26 student-athletes were recognized for performances from March 8-14, 2021.
(The conference golf, swimming and tennis weekly award recipients will be announced on Tuesday mornings this semester.)
MEN’S BASKETBALL (#MAChoops)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Malik Green (Alvernia / Jr., F / Philadelphia, Pa.) averaged 28.7 points, seven rebounds and three steals in a 2-1 week for Alvernia. On Monday in a 95-81 win over Wilkes, he scored 35 points on 14-for-25 shooting to go with five boards and two steals. Green then scored 17 points to go with nine rebounds, four steals, a block and a steal in a setback to Albright. The junior then scored 34 points on 13-for-21 shooting in an 83-81 overtime win against Albright. He added seven boards in the win.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Dyson Harward (Lycoming / So., C / Danville, Pa.) averaged 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as Lycoming battled DeSales in a 1-1 week. Harward notched 17 points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks in a 75-62 win to knock DeSales from the ranks of unbeaten. The sophomore was hit 7-for-8, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range in the victory. Harward followed with 15 points, five rebounds and hit three more 3-pointers in a setback at DeSales.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (#MAChoops)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Leah Springer (Messiah / Gr., F / Camp Hill, Pa.) earns her second conference weekly award of the season. Springer earned a pair of double-doubles in victories over Eastern on Thursday and Friday to complete the undefeated regular season for the Falcons. Springer went for 16 points and 10 rebounds on Thursday night before dropping 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds on Friday. She averaged 19 points and 10.5 boards per game while shooting over 50% from the floor.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Averi Jordan (DeSales / Sr., F / Frackville, Pa.) earns her third conference weekly award of the season. Jordan averaged 21 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. She started the week with 28 points, five assists and three steals in the home win over Lycoming. The senior ended the week with 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the road win at Lycoming. On the week, she shot 14-for-28 (50 percent) from the field and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line.
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY (#MAChky)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Mac Lowry (Stevenson / Fy., F / Cobourg, Ontario) recorded seven points in three games for the Mustangs. In a 5-2 victory versus Manhattanville, Lowry had a hand in four of the five goals, netting two goals, including one shorthanded, and dishing out two assists. The rookie netted a goal and dished out an assist in the 6-2 home victory over Neumann, before adding an assist in the 4-2 road victory at Neumann. Lowry finished with a plus-eight rating and nine shots. He had two game-winning goals.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Ryan Kenny (Stevenson / So., G / Sparta, N.J.) earns his second conference weekly award of the season. Kenny posted a 3-0-0 week in net for the Mustangs. He made 68 saves while facing 74 shots for a .919 save percentage. Kenny became the program's all-time leader in wins with his 19th versus Neumann. The sophomore now has 20 career wins in 30 appearances.
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY (#MAChky)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Julie Patterson (Wilkes / So., F / Trenton, N.J.) led the Colonels on offense this week with a two-goal game against Utica on Saturday. It was her first-career multi-goal game and she added four total shots.
WRESTLING (#MACwrestle)
MAC Wrestler of the Week
Brett Kaliner (Stevens / Sr., 149 lbs. / West Chester, Pa.) finished third in the 149 lbs. class at the 2021 NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Wrestling Championships. A four-time All-American, Kaliner totaled four bonus-point victories over the two-day event, including two pins and two tech falls. He earned a 7-2 decision over second-ranked Zeke Smith of Loras College. In his four seasons in Hoboken, Kaliner has never finished lower than third at the national tournament.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL (#MACvb)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Mason Nissley (Messiah / So., OH / Manheim, Pa.) earns his second conference weekly award of the season. Nissley had three-straight matches of 20-plus kills this week. He helped the No. 15 Falcons to a 2-1 record on the week with two victories over No. 13 Stevens. Prior to Saturday, Messiah's program single match record for kills was 26. Nissley ended the first match with 35 kills and match two with 27 kills to help Messiah to the sweep. In match one against Stevens, Nissley also picked up 15 digs for a strong double-double.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Nate Bowman (Messiah / So., MB / York, Pa.) was strong up front with 20 blocks in 12 sets this week, helping Messiah to a 2-1 record on the week with a pair of victories over No. 13 Stevens. Additionally, he collected 11 digs and three aces on the week.
BASEBALL (#MACbaseball)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Jayden Cowan (York / Sr., CF / Ellicott City, Md.) led the Spartans to a 6-0 start, their best start since 1973. Cowan hit .435 with five runs scored, 10 RBIs, three doubles, and one triple in six games this week. Cowan has also been perfect in centerfield including a game-saving catch in the bottom of the ninth of the 7-6 win over Messiah in game two on Sunday. Cowan had at least one hit in all six games including four two-hit games for the Spartans. He kicked off the week going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBIs, a double and a triple in the season opening win over Lebanon Valley. He had a career-high three RBIs in the Sunday game-one win over Messiah. Cowan also has a pair of stolen bases for the year.
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Brandon Haggerty (York / Sr., P / Forked River, N.J.) opened the season with a two-inning stint in the season-opening win over Lebanon Valley. He allowed one hit and struck out four Dutchmen in the Spartan victory. He was credited with the win. He followed that by opening the Spartans' conference schedule with five strong innings against Messiah on Saturday. He scattered three hits and allowed an unearned run to the Falcons. Haggerty struck out six and walked one in the victory. Haggerty picked up his 100th career strikeout in the second inning of Saturday's game.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Thomas Carpenter (DeSales / So., SS / Thornwood, N.Y.) batted .438 with seven runs scored, seven hits, a double, a triple, and a home run along with 12 RBIs in the four-game series versus Misericordia. After scoring two runs and adding a double in the come-from-behind win on Saturday night, he exploded on Sunday going 6-for-10 with 12 RBIs in the doubleheader sweep of Misericordia on the road. He added a stolen base and was hit by a pitch once.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Chandler Brierley (Stevens / Gr., P / Ridgewood, N.J.) picked up his first win of the season on the hill for the Ducks in Sunday's 14-0 win over Delaware Valley. The graduate student tossed 5.0 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out eight.
SOFTBALL (#MACsb)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Lindsey McCurdy (Lebanon Valley / Fy., OF / New Bloomfield, Pa.) had an impressive first week for LVC as she hit .545 (6-for-11) with seven runs scored, three doubles, two triples, two RBIs, two walks and four stolen bases. McCurdy slugged 1.182 for the week.
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Riley Shields (Alvernia / Gr., P / Lewes, Del.) averaged 11 strikeouts and 2.5 hits over two complete-game shutouts for Alvernia. She broke Alvernia’s known strikeout record with 13 strikeouts against Widener in a 9-0 win on Saturday, bettering the previous record by two strikeouts from 2008. She gave up just four hits and one walk in the performance. Shields added another nine strikeouts in a 1-0 win over Widener on Sunday, giving up two hits and not allowing a walk.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Jessica Guerrero (Stevens / Fy., INF / Arcadia, Calif.) had a debut to remember, leading the Stevens softball team to a 3-1 series win over King's College. Guerrero finished the weekend 7-for-4 with seven RBIs, four runs scored, a home run, two doubles, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Guerrero was a key factor in all three Duck victories, especially in both come-from-behind efforts in games two and three. In game two, Guerrero hit a three-run homer to put Stevens up 8-7, and in game three she brought home the eventual game-winning run with an RBI single.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Juliana Presto (Arcadia / Fy., P / Easton, Pa.) had an impressive debut out of the bullpen for the Knights with two wins and one save. Presto appeared in all four games - tossing 8.2 scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts, one walk and just one hit. Presto earned a win in the Knights opener against DeSales with four strikeouts and no hits in two innings of relief. She also struck out a season-high six batters in three innings against Lycoming to earn a save.
MEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Sam Stone (Messiah / Jr., Att. / Leesburg, Va.) scored five goals and assisted on one other as the Falcons earned a 9-4 victory over Wilkes this weekend. Stone had a hand in six of Messiah's nine goals on the afternoon. He took eight shots, putting six on frame.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Nick Serrano (Lebanon Valley / Jr., G / York, Pa.) was impressive in net for the Dutchmen while making 14 saves for a .737 save percentage in a 6-5 four-overtime win over FDU-Florham. Serrano also recorded six ground balls.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Patrick Luzzi (Misericordia / Sr., Att. / Bethpage, N.Y.) recorded nine points on four goals and five assists in a 24-6 win over Albright. Luzzi added seven ground balls and a caused turnover.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Ryan Lasher (Wilkes / Jr., G / Warrenton, Va.) recorded a career-high 20 saves, one shy of the school record, to keep the Colonels in a closely fought 9-4 setback to Messiah. Lasher only allowed seven even-strength goals for a .690 save percentage. The junior also had three ground balls.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Hailey Ferry (Eastern / So., Att. / Clarksboro, N.J.) scored seven goals and gathered eight draw controls to lead the Eagles to a come-from-behind 20-19 win at Delaware Valley. The sophomore attack scored four times in the final six minutes and tallied the last three goals of the game to help her team erase a five-goal second-half deficit.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Shannon Snyder (Stevenson / Sr., D / Westminster, Md.) recorded five caused turnovers and five ground balls in the Mustang’s 18-3 win over Arcadia. Snyder also added a draw control in the victory.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Lauren Weitzel (Misericordia / Sr., Mid. / Hampstead, Md.) repeats as conference player of the week for our second of the season. Weitzel recorded 10 points on eight goals and two assists in an 18-6 win over Albright. The senior also recorded 10 draw controls, five ground balls and five caused turnovers.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Maggie McGovern (Misericordia / Jr., G / Huntington, N.Y.) recorded eight saves, five ground balls and caused one turnover in an 18-6 win over Albright on Saturday.