NEWTOWN, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending October 8, 2023. A total of 21 student-athletes were recognized for performances from Oct. 2, 2023 to Oct. 8, 2023.
CROSS COUNTRY (#MACxc)
MAC Men’s Runner of the Week
Shane Artis (DeSales / Sr. / Allentown, PA.) had a terrific week taking first place individually leading DeSales to a first place finish at the Bulldogs home invitational. Artis finished the 8k course in a time of 25:38.8.
MAC Women’s Runner of the Week
Shae Zeitler (DeSales / Jr. / Sherman, CT.) led the Bulldogs to a second place finish as a team at the DeSales home invitational on Saturday. She finished first place individually with a 6K time of 23:01.4
FIELD HOCKEY (#MACfh)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Chelsea Johnson (Albright / Jr., For. / Dover, DE.) had a memorable week scoring five total goals in two games leading the Lions to a 1-1 week. Against Cedar Crest College, Johnson scored for goals including a first half hattrick. The hattrick was the first of her career. Johnson tallied her fourth goal of the game in the third period tying a program record for Albright field hockey. Johnson's four goals in Albright's 6-0 victory tied a school record and Johnson became the first to score four goals in a game since 2015 for Albright. Against Stevenson on Saturday, Johnson scored her fifth goal of the week. After the five goal week, Johnson now ranks second in the MAC Commonwealth with eight total goals scored this year.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Jordan Vradenburgh (Stevenson / Fr., GK / Fairless Hills, PA.) played the entire game against #3 Johns Hopkins, allowing only 2 goals. She doubled her previous career single-game high of 5 saves and matched her career total with a 10-save performance. In Saturday's win over Albright, she played the second half of the game and made six saves to total 16 on the week. She now has 26 saves on the season with a 1.36 GAA and a team-high 0.813 save percentage.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Maddie Trocki (DeSales / Sr., Mid. / Whithall, Pa.) helped DSU post a 1-1 record last week scoring three goals in the two games. She opened the week with the lone goal for the Bulldogs in the 2-1 loss to Marywood University. On Saturday she scored twice in the 4-3 (2 OT) win over Lebanon Valley College to start the MAC Freedom conference season with a win. Among her two goals was the game-winner in the second overtime.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Grace Venis (King’s / Jr., GK / Hillsborough, NJ.) In a 1-1 week, junior goalkeeper Grace Venis totaled 26 saves for a .794 save percentage. She started the week with three saves in a 3-1 win over Lycoming before setting a new career-best and the fifth-most saves in a single game in program history with 23 in a tough road loss at Stevens on Saturday.
FOOTBALL (#MACfb)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Elijah Marquez (Stevenson / So., RB / Manalapan, NJ.) Scored three TDs in Saturday's win over Albright on runs of 1, 7 and 7 yards. Rushed for 116 yards on 17 carries in his first action since Week 2 against Lebanon Valley.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Evan Kutzler (Lebanon Valley / Jr., DB / Souderton, PA.) had a huge day on defense to lead the Dutchmen to a thrilling 27-24 double overtime victory at Widener. The junior safety had two interceptions for 36 yards, three tackles, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hurry. The free safety's first interception came with just over a minute left in the half as he picked off a pass at the Widener 35 and returned it to the 18. The Dutchmen were able to kick a field goal as the half ended to take a 10-3 lead following the interception. On Widener's first drive of the second half, Kutzler hurried the quarterback into a bad pass on fourth and eight at the LVC 25. Kutzler intercepted his second pass of the game late in the fourth quarter as he stopped a Widener drive at the LVC 11 and returned the ball 19 yards to the 30 with 2:24 left in regulation and LVC holding onto a 17-14 lead.
MAC Special Teams Player of the Week
Tim Kissinger (Lebanon Valley / Jr., K / Mechanicsburg, PA.) Tim Kissinger was a big part of LVC's big 27-24 double overtime victory at Widener including kicking the game-winning field goal. The junior was 2-3 on field goal attempts in the game making a 45-yarder as time expired in the first half and kicking a 20-yarder in the second overtime session to win the game. He missed a 30-yard attempt in the fourth quarter. Kissinger was also 3-3 on extra point attempts and had averaged 62.0 yards on two kickoffs.
MEN’S SOCCER (#MACsoc)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Gabe Wunderlich (Alvernia / Sr., For. / Red Lion, PA.) finished a 2-0 week for Alvernia with two goals and an assist for the Golden Wolves. In a 4-1 win over Arcadia on Wednesday, Wunderlich scored the game-winner to make it a 2-1 game in the first half. He then assisted on Alvernia’s third goal of the game. In a 2-0 win over Eastern on Saturday, Wunderlich scored the opening goal in a 34th minute.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Evan Solley (Alvernia / Jr., GK / Reading, PA.) finished a 2-0 week in goal for Alvernia with seven saves and just one goal allowed on 15 shots faced. In a 4-1 win over Arcadia on Tuesday, Solley made two saves in 79 minutes of action. In a 2-0 win at Eastern on Saturday, Solley made five saves en route to recording his second shutout and sixth win of the season.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Aaron Weitzel (Lebanon Valley / Jr., For. / Reinholds, PA.) scored twice on six shots and had a game-winning goal for the Dutchmen in a 1-0-1 week. The junior scored in the 82nd minute of a 3-3 tie with Lancaster Bible to cut the Chargers lead to 3-2. He then scored his fifth goal of the year to give LVC a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute of a 3-0 victory over FDU-Florham.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Jake Forst (King’s / Sr., GK / East Windsor, NJ.) picked up a clean sheet in net for the Monarchs on the road against Ramapo College. Ramapo fired off 24 shots, and Forst was able to make eight saves to help give the Monarchs a 1-0 win. The senior posted a 1.000 save percentage, while recording 0.000 goals against average. This marks his first clean sheet of the season.
WOMEN’S SOCCER (#MACsoc)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Ashlynn Weger (York / Sr., For. / Shrewsbury, PA.) led the Spartans to a pair of wins during the week as the York win streak reached six. In the win over Lebanon Valley on Wednesday, she scored the Spartans’ second goal of the game off a feed from Kaitlynn Young. Young won the ball just inside midfield and slipped a pass to Weger. Weger took the ball at the top of the box, side-stepped a defender and slotted a great shot into the right side of the goal for the 2-0 lead with just over 25 minutes left in the game. In the come-from-behind win over Stevenson on Saturday, York took the lead in the 81st minute of play on a diving header by Weger. Abby Brown started the play with a beautiful low cross into the box from the right side. Weger managed to dip down and head a spectacular strike past a diving Stevenson goalie.For the year, Weger is tied for the team lead with 10 points as she has four goals and two assists. Three of her four goals are game-winners for the Green and White.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
McKenna LeVan (Albright / Jr., GK / Pine Grove, PA.) had another fantastic week leading the Lions to a 1-0-1 record while recording 20 saves in two games played. LeVan earned a clean sheet in the first game of the week against Rutgers-Newark making 14 saves in the Lions 1-0 victory. The 14 saves ties a career high for LeVan while earning her sixth clean sheet of the season in the process. In Saturday's game against Hood College, LeVan made six saves earning the Lions a crucial point in the MAC Commonwealth standings. LeVan's 20 saves this past week places her in second in the MAC Commonwealth this season with 83 total saves.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Mikaela Majcher (King’s / Jr., Def. / Turbotville, PA.) recorded one goal and one assist in the two games she appeared in on the week. The Junior assisted the lone goal the Monarchs scored against undefeated Stockton University. Majcher also scored a crucial second goal for the Monarchs in a 2-2 tie against Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom opponent Delaware Valley University to help force the draw. On the week Majcher had a 1.000 shot percentage.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Jocelyn Umana (Lebanon Valley / Sr., GK / Ephrata, PA.) had a great week in goal and recorded her fourth shutout of the season. The senior made 13 saves and faced 32 shots in a 1-1-0 week. Umana began the week with an impressive performance in a tough 3-0 defeat to York College of Pennsylvania. She was credited for seven saves and faced 19 shots but was a big factor on defensive stopping many Spartan opportunities by grabbing multiple crosses and thru-passes before a York forward was able to get a touch on the ball. She finished the week with six saves in a 2-0 victory over FDU-Florham. Umana faced 13 shots with 10 coming in the second half with LVC leading.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL (#MACvb)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Darian Dildy (Stevenson / Sr., OH / Virginia Beach, VA.) had a strong week, as the Mustangs went 3-1 overall with a five-set loss to ninth-ranked Johns Hopkins the lone set back. She hit .442 on the week with 30 kills, just seven errors on 52 attempts. In two matches on Saturday, she had 16 kills, with no errors on 23 attempts. Against Lebanon Valley, she went 9-0-10 for a hitting percentage of .900.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Haley Hoover (Stevenson / Gr., MH / Lancaster, PA.) 16 total blocks on the week, including seven in the win over Stockton. Had four blocks in the win over York.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Taylor McInerney (Lebanon Valley / Sr., OH / Annville, PA.) had 61 kills in three matches this week to lead the Dutchmen to a 1-2 record with a big 3-1 conference win over DeSales. The senior had 5.55 kills per set and hit .276 while recording eight digs and eight total blocks. McInerney had 21 kills against DeSales with two digs and one block assist in a four-set victory. She recorded 16 kills in three sets at Stevenson with four digs. The outside hitter finished the week with 24 kills, a .300 hitting percentage, and seven total blocks in four sets against Stockton.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Charlotte Fruscione (FDU-Florham / Sr., L / Mahwah, NJ.) was a huge defensive presence this week for FDU-Florham. She amassed a total of 72 digs on the week in three matches. She posted a league single-match best performance this season with 35 digs against Delaware Valley on Wednesday. On Saturday, she followed up with 24 digs against Marywood and 13 digs during a 3-0 sweep against Hood later in the day.