ANNVILLE, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending Sept. 11, 2022. A total of 21 student-athletes were recognized for performances from Sept. 5-11, 2022.
During the fall season golf and tennis weekly awards will be announced on Tuesdays following any competition that occurs during the fall segment of their seasons.
CROSS COUNTRY (#MACxc)
MAC Men’s Runner of the Week
Logan Horst (Messiah / Sr. / Rising Sun, Md.) led the Messiah to a second place finish at the LVC Invite on Saturday. Horst finished in second place in a field of 238 runners posting an 8,000-meter time of 25:30.4.
MAC Women’s Runner of the Week
Cera Gaston (Alvernia / Gr. / Lehighton, Pa.) took first place in a field of 190 runners of the LVC Invite on Saturday. Gaston posted am 18:31.00 5,000-meter time finishing 16 seconds faster than the second place runner to rebreak the school record that she set last week.
FIELD HOCKEY (#MACfh)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Margaret Howe-Consiglio (Widener / Sr., F / Media, Pa.) scored four of Widener’s five goals in their two games against Cabrini and Goucher. Howe-Consiglio recorded her first career hat trick to lead the Pride to a 4-0 win over Goucher on Saturday.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Jamie Fritz (Stevenson / Sr., G / Germantown, Md.) helped Stevenson to a 2-1 week including recording a shutout over Cedar Crest. Fritz made eight saves, and she is averaging just 1.53 goals against with a .667 save percentage.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
TJ Smith (Delaware Valley / Gr., F / Elizabethtown, Pa.) led Delaware Valley to a 2-0 week with a goal and an assist. The Aggies defeated Gwynedd Mercy at home on Wednesday with Smith picking up the game winning goal early in the game. In a 2-0 win at Neumann on Saturday, Smith assisted on the second goal setting up teammate Kaylee Hartung for her first career goal.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Emily Prachthauser (FDU-Florham / Jr., G / Morristown, N.J.) played two complete games making 13 saves while only allowing two goals for an .867 save percentage. Practhauser made a career-high 10 saves against Ramapao on Wednesday and followed with a complete game three save shutout win over Gwynedd Mercy on Friday.
FOOTBALL (#MACfb)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Shawn Thompson (Widener / Sr., RB / Philadelphia) rushed for a career-high 160 yards on 25 carries while leading Widener to a 31-27 win over Hampden-Sydney. The senior running back also matched his career high in rushing touchdowns with two.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Tom Zatalava (Stevenson / Jr., LB / North East, Md.) helped the Mustangs to a 35-21 win over No. 21 Salisbury. Zatalava made nine solo tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup in the victory.
MAC Special Teams Player of the Week
Nicholas Neidlinger (Misericordia / Gr., K / Steelton, Pa.) had a school-record field goal and went 5-for-5 in extra point attempts in Misericordia’s 38-20 win over Keystone. Neidlinger’s 43-yard field goal put the Cougars at 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.
MEN’S SOCCER (#MACsoc)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Jack Mitzelfelt (York / Jr., F / Westminster, Md.) scored all four team goals in a 1-0-1 for the Spartans. Mitzelfelt netted the team’s lone goal with 39 seconds left on the clock to earn a 1-1 draw against Washington on Wednesday night. The junior forward had a career day against Susquehanna as he made three goals on three shots.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Brady Bixler (York / Sr., G / Lower Windsor, Pa.) did not surrender a goal in the normal run of play this week, as the lone goal he allowed was a penalty kick against nationally ranked Washington. Bixler went on to make three saves in the final 23 minutes to preserve the draw. He ended the week with a five-save shutout at Susquehanna. Bixley made 12 saves on 31 shots faced, posting a .923 save percentage.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Irfan Kermalli (FDU-Florham / So., M / Parsippany, N.J.) scored game-winning goals in both of their games last week. Kermalli began the week with his first career goal in the 3-0 win over CCNY and followed with the first goal of the game in the 4-0 win over Gwynedd Mercy.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Justin Cross (Stevens / Sr., G / Kendall Park, N.J.) allowed just one goal in over 180 minutes of play picking up a pair of wins for the Ducks while maintaining an .833 save percentage on the week. Against Rutgers-Newark, Cross allowed just one goal and made three saves. Against Cassar, the senior goalkeeper made two saves to post his second career clean sheet.
WOMEN’S SOCCER (#MACsoc)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Alyssa Carman (Widener / So., F / Swedesboro, N.J.) scored two goals in Widener’s two matches against Wilkes and Moravian. Carman found the back of the net twice against Widener in the 3-0 win on Sunday.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Samantha Coon (Widener / Jr., G / Mount Laurel, N.J.) posted two shutouts in goal while helping Widener to a 1-0-1 week. Coon made three saves in the net against Wilkes in the 3-0 win and made two saves to maintain a scoreless tie against Moravian.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Bella Green (Lycoming / Sr., M / South Williamsport, Pa.) helped Lycoming to a 4-0 week scoring 6 goals including her first career hat trick in the 4-0 win against Keuka. She recorded a pair of goals in the 4-0 win over Mount Aloysius and ended the week with a header goal with 12 minutes of play left against SUNY Delhi. Green became the seventh player in program history to reach 20 career goals and 50 career points.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Erica Blackburn (FDU-Florham / Sr., G / Marlboro, N.J.) earns her second consecutive conference weekly award of the season. Blackburn made five saves and posted three shutouts in goal for the Devils. The senior goalkeeper made three saves in a 1-0 win over Kean on Wednesday and two saves in a 1-0 win over Mount Saint Vincent on Sunday.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL (#MACvb)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Abby Diehl (York / Sr., S / East Berlin, Pa.) averaged 35.3 assists per match in just 10 sets in a 3-0 week for the Spartans. Diehl posted 36 assists and went 7-for-7 on attack attempts against Albright. Diehl amassed 70 assists on Saturday, including a 40-assist performance against Harrisburg. The senior setter also posted a season-high six service aces in the win over Shenandoah to extend York’s win streak to five-straight.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Kayla Vaeth (Stevenson / Sr., DS / Westminster, Md.) totaled 55 digs and averaged 4.58 digs per set for the Mustangs last week. In 12 sets across four matches, Vaeth committed only three reception errors to help the team improve to 7-0 on the season.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Kelsi Warner (Arcadia / Fy., S / Cheyenne, Wyo.) dished out 86 assists over four matches for the Knights. Warner began the week with 12 assists against FDU-Florham. She tallied a double-double with 33 assists and 20 digs in the win over Cabrini. Warner added 19 assists against Stevenson and then closed out the weekend with another double-double, dishing out 32 assists and adding 13 digs.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Morgan Williams (King’s / Fy., L / Colonia, N.J.) led the team with 46 digs on the week, averaging 4.18 digs per set. The first year libero had a game-high 26 digs against Delaware Valley in their conference opener on Wednesday and followed with another game high of 13 against Wilson College.