ANNVILLE, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending Sept. 18, 2022. A total of 21 student-athletes were recognized for performances from Sept. 12-18, 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
Stephen Kober (Misericordia / Gr. / Hawley, Pa.) topped a field of 45 runners with a 26:51 8,000-Meter time to lead Misericordia to the team title at the Cougar Classic over the weekend.
MAC Women’s Runner of the Week
Alexa Thompson (Misericordia / Gr. / Schenectady, N.Y.) posted a 6,000-Meter time of 24.29 topping a 52-runner field. Thompson’s finish helped the Cougars to a first place team finish.
FIELD HOCKEY (#MACfh)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Ashlyn Smith (Messiah / Sr., F / Newport, Pa.) led the Falcons to two victories with two goals and an assist. The senior forward’s goal came in the 53rd minute against No. 11 TCNJ to help Messiah to the 3-2 victory. Smith added a goal against in the 2-0 shutout victory over Gettysburg.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Belle Fields (York / So., G / Centerville, Md.) led the Spartans to a 2-0 week with a pair of shutout victories. Fields began the week with five saves in the 2-0 win over Franklin & Marshall while facing 11 shots. On Saturday against Lebanon Valley, Fields played the first 39 minutes, holding the Dutchmen to none during that time.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Megan Surgent (FDU-Florham / Jr., D / Wall, N.J.) registered one goal and one assist in a 3-2 victory over Misericordia on Friday evening. Surgent assisted with the Devils’ first goal of the game and added her first goal of the season just 2:52 into the overtime session to earn the win.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Catie McGrath (DeSales / Sr., D / Wayne, N.J.) led a Bulldogs defense that pitched a shutout in the 8-0 win over Arcadia to open MAC Freedom play. McGrath was the main reason, DeSales only allowed five total shots and only two being on goal in the win. The senior defender also added two assists on the offensive side.
FOOTBALL (#MACfb)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Ryan Sedgwick (Stevenson / Sr., QB / Crofton, Md.) surpassed 500 career completions in Saturday's win over Alvernia. Sedgwick completed 19 passes and recorded 254 yards with four touchdowns. The passing touchdowns came to four different targets with one in each quarter.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Nick Morder (Lebanon Valley / Jr., CB / Palmyra, Pa.) had two interceptions leading to 14 points for the Dutchmen in the 17-14 overtime victory at FDU-Florham. The junior cornerback picked off the first pass of the game at 2:25 at the FDU-Florham 37, resulting in a touchdown for the Dutchmen. His second pick came in the fourth with the Devils leading 14-7 with 7:14 left in regulation, which led the Dutchmen on a 91 yard drive to tie the game following the pick.
MAC Special Teams Player of the Week
Devin Crone (Lebanon Valley / Sr., K / Dover, Pa.) made a 36-yard field goal in overtime to give the Dutchmen a huge 17-14 road win over FDU-Florham. The senior placed the ball perfectly in his first career field goal attempt after the Devils missed their field goal attempt on the first possession of overtime.
MEN’S SOCCER (#MACsoc)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Hector Suriel (Widener / Fy., M / Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) scored a goal in the first half against Susqehanna to help Widener to a 1-0 win on Friday. Suriel came off the bench knocking the ball to the back of the net in the 40th minute for his first career goal.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Brady Bixler (York / Sr., G / Lower Windsor, Pa.) earns his second consecutive weekly award of the season. Bixler led the Spartans to a 1-0-1 week with nine saves, allowing just two goals. Bixler began the week with six saves in the 1-1 tie with St. Mary’s. He followed with three saves in the 2-1 win over previously unbeaten Bridgewater.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Giancarlo Ciotoli (Arcadia / Fy., M / Manhasset, N.Y.) scored three goals and added an assist in two games for Arcadia. With the Knights trailing by two to Haverford, Ciotoli scored two goals in an eight minute span to earn the tie. Ciotoli then scored the game-winning goal against John Jay while adding an assist in the win.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Justin Cross (Stevens / Sr., G / Kendall Park, N.J.) earns his second consecutive conference weekly award of the season as he helped the Ducks to a pair of wins last week. Cross conceded just two goals in victories over NYU and TCNJ. Cross recorded six saves, three in each match, on 13 shots faced posting a .750 save percentage for the week.
WOMEN’S SOCCER (#MACsoc)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Haley Dougherty (Alvernia / Fy., M / Middletown, Del.) had a goal and two assists in Alvernia’s 5-2 win over Cedar Crest on Tuesday. Dougherty assisted on Alvernia’s first and fourth goals and scored their third which became the ultimate game winner for the Golden Wolves.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Jacqueline Keogh (York / Sr., G / Toms River, N.J.) posted a pair of clean sheets in a pair of home victories over Dickinson and Elizabethtown. The senior keeper made three of her five saves in the second half against Dickinson, including two in the final 10 minutes. Keogh made two saves in the scoreless first half against Elizabethtown.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Mia Lopez (FDU-Florham / So., F / Rockaway, N.J.) tallied six goals, including a hat trick against Pratt and two game winning goals with one assist in a 3-0 week for the Devils. Lopez began the week with two goals in the 5-0 win over Muhlenberg, added one in the 2-1 win over Marywood, and went on to post her first career hat trick over Pratt on Sunday.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Emily Mort (Lycoming / Sr., D / Chambersburg, Pa.) never came off the field in a pair of scoreless draws for the Warriors. Mort helped the team extend their shutout streak to six games and was a central part of a defense that allowed just nine shots on goal, none getting past the Warrior goalkeepers.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL (#MACvb)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Bridgette Kelly (Eastern / So., MH / Coastesville, Pa.) hit .455 with 21 kills and only committed one hitting error to help the Eagles to a 3-0 week. The sophomore middle hitter also added 10 aces and six blocks in their wins over Lebanon Valley, Goucher, and, previously unbeaten, Rowan.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Kayla Vaeth (Stevenson / Sr., L / Westminster, Md.) earns her second consecutive conference weekly award of the season. In four matches, Vaeth recorded 71 digs for a team leading 5.06 digs per set.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Jenna Schuda (Misericordia / Fy., S / Downingtown, Pa.) recorded 21 kills, 100 assists, and 10 aces. Shuda hit .486 with 4.2 kills per set and 7.7 assists per set. The first year setterhad 28 assists in the Cougars’ sweep over Union and 32 assists in a sweep over Oneonta.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Morgan Williams (King’s / Fy., L / Colonia, N.J.) earns her second consecutive conference weekly award of the season. Defensively, Williams led the Monarchs with 67 digs in three matches averaging 5.58 digs per set.