ANNVILLE, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending Feb. 19, 2023. A total of 27 student-athletes were recognized for performances from Feb. 13-19, 2023.
 
 
MEN’S BASKETBALL (#MAChoops)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Kai Cipalla (York / So., F / Lititz, Pa.) earns his second conference weekly award this season. The sophomore averaged 23.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 71 percent from the floor during a 1-1 week for York. He began the week with a 25-point performance against Hood, shooting 9-for-14 from the field and 7-for-7 from the charity stripe. He followed with 22 points in a win over Widener, shooting 8-for-10 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.
 
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Drake Marshall (Wilkes / Gr., G / Gainesville, Va.) reached 1,000 career points in a 2-0 week for Wilkes. The guard averaged 23 points and four rebounds while shooting 68 percent from the field. His week started with 22 points and six boards in a 43-point victory over King’s. Marshall followed that performance by scoring 24 points at a 90 percent clip in a victory against Delaware Valley.
 
 
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (#MAChoops)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Laci Johnson (Stevenson / So., G / Henrdon, Va.) earns her second conference weekly award this season. The guard averaged 22 points and 3.5 assists per game for Stevenson last week. She started the week with 15 points, two rebounds and a pair of assist against Messiah. Johnson then poured in 29 points against Eastern while grabbing five rebounds and recording three assists.
 
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Megan Bealer (DeSales / Sr., G/F / Harleysville, Pa.) earns her second conference weekly award this season. Bealer averaged 23.5 points, seven rebounds and three steals while shooting 64 percent from the field during a 2-0 week for DeSales. The senior started her week with 25 points, 12 rebounds and five steals in a win over Stevens. She followed that with 22 points and a pair of steals in a win over Arcadia. She added a pair of assists in each contest.
 
 
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY (#MAChky)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Jason Finan (Alvernia / Fr., F / Clifton, N.J.) was a part of four of Alvernia’s six goals in a 6-5 overtime win over Lebanon Valley. Finan scored three goals and added and assist. The first-year forward scored the Golden Wolves’ first, third and fifth goals, while assisting on the game-winner in overtime.
 
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Ty Franchi (Lebanon Valley / So., G / Denville, N.J.) earns his second conference weekly award of the season. Franchi made 29 saves to lead the Dutchmen to a 4-3 victory. The sophomore stopped nine shots in the first, eight in the second, and then 12 in the third period as LVC ended the season with a win.
 
 
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY (#MAChky)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Olivia Gilida (Alvernia / Sr., D / Littleton, Colo.) led the Golden Wolves to a pair of 5-0 wins over King’s to secure Alvernia’s first-ever MAC title. Gilida finished the series with three goals and one assist. The senior scored one goal in game one, and then followed up with a two-goal and one-assist performance in game two.
 
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Julia Beaven (Alvernia / Sr., G / Seaforth, Ontario) earns her fourth weekly award of the season. Beaven earned two 5-0 shutouts over King’s to help the Golden Wolves clinch their first-ever MAC title. The senior made 23 saves to keep the Monarchs off the board.
 
 
WRESTLING (#MACwrestle)
MAC Wrestler of the Week
Dawson Tallant (Wilkes / Jr., 197 / Cape May, N.J.) earned the 197-pound championship at the Nation Guard Mideast Futures Tournament hosted by Muhlenberg College on Sunday. The junior went 4-0 on the day to earn the title with a 19-6 major decision over Muhlenberg's Hayk Grigorian in the Round of 16, a 7-3 decision over TCNJ's Chris Baker in the Quarterfinals, an 8-2 decision over Sean Quaye of Muhlenberg in the Semifinals, and an 8-6 decision over Max Ruiz of Stevens Institute of Technology in the Finals bout.
 
 
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Zach Reed (Lebanon Valley / Sr. / Manheim, Pa.) his second conference weekly award of the season. The senior ran the 60-meter hurdles at the Penn State Tune-Up finishing second against mainly Division II competition. He ran a time of 8.53 seconds in the prelims and then an hour later came back and ran 8.51 seconds in the final. He was the only Division III hurdler in his prelim heat and in the final. Reed then ran the 400 meters for the first time in his career on Saturday at the Susquehanna Tune-Up finishing third with a MAC Championships qualifying time of 53.26 seconds. He then anchored the 4x200 meter relay team that finished second in 1:34.60 which is the fourth-fastest time in the MAC and 15th in the AARTFC this year.
 
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Will Fisher (Lebanon Valley / Sr. / King of Prussia, Pa.) had a career-best throw in the shot put to finish second at the Susquehanna Tune-Up on Saturday. His throw of 14.41 meters is seventh in the MAC, 21st in the AARTFC, and ninth in the Mid-Atlantic Region this season. Fisher also is now eighth in program history with his throw.
 
 
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Julia Pena (York / Sr. / Highland Mills, N.Y.) earns her sixth conference weekly award of the season. Pena set a new school record in the 60 hurdles at the Penn State Tune Up in State College on Friday evening. Pena recorded a time of 8.81 to win the race, which is the 13^th best time in Division III. Pena was one of two Division III runners while the remaining six finalists were either Division I or II runners.
 
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Ashley Bartels (Lebanon Valley / Sr. / Grove City, Pa.) broke the LVC record in the weight throw with a toss of 15.85 meters (52'0") on Saturday to finish second at the Susquehanna Tune-Up. The senior had a huge career-best throw to beat the old record of 15.57 meters (51'1"). Her mark is currently 47th in Division III, second in the MAC and Mid-Atlantic Region and eighth in the AARTFC.
 
 
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL (#MACvb)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Danny Gonzalez (Arcadia / Jr., OH / Ponce, Puerto Rico) repeats as conference player of the week for his second of the season. Gonzalez led the Knights to a 3-0 week, including a five-set win over No. 8 SUNY New Paltz. The junior finished the week hitting .313 with 31 kills. Gonzalez was impressive in the upset win over New Paltz, hitting .351 with 17 kills. He had 12 kills against Marymount to begin the week.
 
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Sam Capwell (King’s / Sr., MH / Bethlehem, Pa.) earns his second conference weekly award of the season. Capwell totaled 17 blocks at 2.13 blocks per set while adding 10 kills and three digs for 20 points. In a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over New Jersey City, Capwell posted eight blocks with five kills and three digs before tallying nine blocks with five kills in a 3-0 win over Drew.?
 
 
BASEBALL (#MACbaseball)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Tyler Schwarzman (Hood / Jr., OF / Mechanicsburg, Pa.) led Hood at the plate over the two games, going 5-for-8 with three RBIs and scored four times. The junior also had three stolen bases in a sweep of Central Pennsylvania College 14-3 and 5-2.
 
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Declan Sullivan (Hood / Fy., P / Huntington, N.Y.) started game one of a doubleheader against Central Pennsylvania College, and struck out five in four innings. The first-year allowed one unearned run, on two hits to win his first game of his career.
 
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Christian Kreiser (Stevens / Jr., 1B-OF / Palmyra, Pa.) led the Ducks at the plate hitting 6-for-12 (.500) and slugging .833 with seven RBIs, three runs scored, three walks, a double and a home run. Kresier was 3-for-3 with three walks, three RBIs, a run scored and a double in game two. The junior’s home run came in game three, where he added four RBIs on 2-for-5 at the plate.
 
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Justin Doyle (Stevens / Sr., P / Louisville, Ky.) allowed just one run on one hit across seven innings in a 5-1 victory over William Paterson. The right-hander walked one and struck out five to earn his first career complete game.
 
 
MEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Cam Leydig (Stevenson / Gr., M / Crofton, Md.) led No. 13 Stevenson with six goals on seven shots in a hard-fought 14-11 setback to No. 19 Ursinus in a top-20 match-up to begin the season. Three of his goals were unassisted. The grad-student also had three groundballs and a caused turnover.
 
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Matthew Pergola (Stevens / Fy., A / Nutley, N.J.) totaled nine goals with one assist in a 1-1 week for the Ducks. In his collegiate debut against Drew, Pergola had six goals and an assist and then the Nutley, N.J. native finished with three goals in a setback to No. 9 Dickinson.
 
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Ryan Leahy (Stevens / Gr., GK / Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) totaled 27 saves across two games in a 1-1 week for the Ducks. In his Stevens debut, Leahy stopped 11 shots in just under 45 minutes in a season-opening victory over Drew. Then, against No. 9 Dickinson, Leahy stopped an impressive 16 shots.
 
 
WOMEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Kara Yarusso (Stevenson / Jr., M / West Deptford, N.J.) led the Mustangs with two goals and one assists in a setback to No. 5 Gettysburg. Yarusso also had two ground balls, three draws and two caused turnovers.
 
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Sophie Shucosky (Stevenson / Sr., G / Timonium, Md.) made 16 saves in a setback to No. 5 Gettysburg. The senior made seven saves in the first half, and then nine saves in the second half while facing 36 shots.
 
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Michelle Torzilli (Misericordia / Jr., A / East Northport, N.Y.) led the Cougars to a season-opening 18-3 win over Immaculata with eight goals and one assist. The junior also had five ground balls, four draws and three caused turnovers.
 
 
MEN’S TENNIS (#MACtennis)
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Nathanial Rathe (Wilkes / So. / Lincoln, Neb.) earned a No. 2 singles victory against Moravian University in the Colonels spring opener on Saturday. He defeated Wyatt Marshall 6-1, 6-2.
 
 
WOMEN’S TENNIS (#MACtennis)
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Tea Amerise (Wilkes / So. / Mountain Top, Pa.) won her No. 1 singles match to start the spring season for the Colonels on Saturday against Moravian University. She won the match 6-4, 6-4 over Julianne Cassady.?