Newtown Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending September 4. A total of 22 student-athletes were recognized for performances from Aug. 28, 2023, to Sep. 3, 2023.
CROSS COUNTRY (#MACxc)
MAC Men’s Runner of the Week
Matthew Santana (Lebanon Valley / Fr. / New Tripoli, Pa.) had an incredible collegiate debut at the Misericordia Invitational as he won the meet with a 4,000-meter time of 12:46.7. The first-year averaged 5:08 per mile and used an excellent closing sprint to pass two runners down the final stretch to finish first. Santana led the Dutchmen to winning the team title with 57 points as they defeated Marywood who was ranked third in the Mid-Atlantic Region Rankings to begin the year and host Misericordia.
MAC Women’s Runner of the Week
Lauren Bunke (Lebanon Valley / Gr. / Bethlehem, Pa.) won the individual title at the Misericordia
Invitational on Friday in a 4,000-meter time of 15:12.3. The graduate student won her first career collegiate cross-country race averaging 6:07 per mile and leading the Dutchmen to a third-place finish as a team. Bunke won the race by three seconds with her career-best 4,000-meter time. The Dutchmen defeated regionally ranked Scranton at the meet.
FIELD HOCKEY (#MACfh)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Mallory Kline (Messiah / So., Forward / Stevens, Pa.) led the Falcons in a thrilling 3-2, overtime win over Dickinson. Kline scored the game-winning goal in overtime to give Messiah a 1-0 start to the season. Along with the goal, Kline, a key playmaker for the Falcons offense, added in five shots, with three shots on goal.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Lilly Rejrat (Widener / So., GK / Nicholson, Pa.) returned to the Pride as a key goalkeeper. During the 9/1 game against Delaware Valley, Rejrat played half the game and kept the Aggies offense out of the cage. Two days later, Rejrat played the entire 60-minute game against Mary Washington and while the Pride fell 2-1 Rejrat faced 21 shots with 16 saves being made. Rejrat’s save percentage remains high at .889.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Maddie Trocki (DeSales / Sr., Midfield / Whitehall, Pa.) had a dominant start to the season scoring three goals in the 4-0 win over Moravian University to get DeSales off to a 1-0 start on the season.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Kayla Yeatman (DeSales / Sr., GK / New Castle, Del.) helped DeSales open the season with a 4-0 win over Moravian University, making five saves and recording a shutout. Included in her five saves was a Penalty stroke late in the fourth quarter to preserve the shutout.
FOOTBALL (#MACfb)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Chase Diehl (Widener / Gr., QB / New Cumberland, Pa.) led the Pride offense to 455 total yards. Diehl threw for 70% with 29 completions on 42 attempts and threw for 366 yards. Diehl connected with wide receiver Isaac Hostetter on three touchdown passes with a one yard run to give the Pride another touchdown. He totaled five touchdowns on the day. During his reps, Diehl helped hold the team possession time to nearly double the Warriors with 31 first downs.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Brody Robinson (Lebanon Valley / Jr., LB / Pine Grove, Pa.) had a big game defensively for the Dutchmen in a tough 16-12 defeat to Franklin & Marshall on Friday night. The junior had seven total tackles including four solo tackles and a big 42-yard interception return for a touchdown. The interception gave LVC a 9-3 lead at the beginning of the second quarter.
MAC Special Teams Player of the Week
Brody Campbell (Stevenson / Sr., K / South Riding, Va.) made two field goals in the second half (from 30 and 38 yards) including the eventual game-winner in the victory over Rowan. The 38-yarder was a career-high.
MEN’S SOCCER (#MACsoc)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Christian Doyle (Widener / Sr., F / Dresher, Pa.) became a star player of the weekend helping the Pride take a 2-1 win over the US Coast Guard Academy with a strike in the 86th minute to give the Widener a one-goal advantage which would seal the deal. In the game against Rosemont, Doyle again became a key player for the Pride and scored the game-winning goal to give them a 1-0 win. Doyle’s goal came late in the game during the 71st minute. Over the two games, Doyle walked away with three shots with two being on target.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Ryan Van Pelt (Widener / Sr., GK / Doylestown, Pa.) returned as a starting goalkeeper for the Pride. During the season opener, Van Pelt faced 10 shots from the US Coast Guard Academy. Out of the 10 shots, one snuck by for the only goal against this weekend. In a scoreless game against Rosemont, Van Pelt made key saves to keep the game at 0s for each side from six shots. Of the two games played Van Pelt walked away with five huge saves.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Aidan Negron (Lebanon Valley / Sr., F/M / Fleetwood, Pa.) helped lead Lebanon Valley’s offense during an impressive first weekend of the season, recording a total of seven points over the course of the team’s first two games against high-quality opponents. The senior scored two goals in the Dutchmen’s season opener, including the program’s first of the year. Negron’s only two shots of the match went into the net and helped fuel the squad’s 4-0 victory over Rutgers-Newark on Friday afternoon. Negron was also a key performer on Sunday, scoring a goal and dishing out an assist in LVC’s 5-0 victory over St. John Fisher University. He set up teammate Lucas Strange for the first goal of the game four minutes in and then scored nearly 10 minutes later to give the Dutchmen a 2-0 lead.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Anthony Petrucci (FDU-Florham / Gr., GK / West Orange, N.J.) stood in front of nine shots and made five saves in the tie against Saint Elizabeth. In his second game of the week against Drew University, a total of 12 shots were taken at Petrucci, forcing him to make five saves in the 2-2 match. He stood in goal for the entirety of each game collecting a total of 21 shots being taken.
WOMEN’S SOCCER (#MACsoc)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Alyssa DeVita (Albright / So., M/F / Haskell, N.J.) scored two goals and added an assist in a 4-0 victory over Rosemont.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Brynn Bock (Alvernia / Jr., GK / Cape May Court House, N.J.) totaled 23 saves in two contests this past week.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Ashley Dietrich (FDU-Florham / Jr., F / Middletown, N.J.) knocked in two goals for FDU-Florham, including the game-winner to help lift them past Ramapo, 3-2 in the team's season-opening match on Friday night. On Sunday, FDU-Florham faced the College of Mount Saint Vincent and came away victorious with the help of Dietrich's 7th game-winning goal of her career. She was also credited an assist to help FDU put up the first goal of the game.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Viola Anderson (Delaware Valley / Jr., GK / Bakersfield, Calif.) made a career-best 17 stops and posted a .895 save percentage despite being shaken up midway through the game in a 2-0 loss to Ursinus.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL (#MACvb)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Mackenzie Feight (Messiah / Sr., MH / Coopersburg, Pa.) led the Falcons attack throughout their 3-0 opening weekend at Susquehanna University. On the weekend, Feight finished with 38 kills, 50.5 points, 14 digs, and 10 service aces. In the first match against Nazareth University of Friday, Feight led all attackers with a game-high 11 kills and 13.5 points. She added in eight assists, a block and a block assist. On Saturday, Feight continued her dominance in the opening match against SUNY Oneonta. Feight, once again added a match-high nine kills and 16 points in the sweep. She also added a match-high six service aces. Feight though was not finished and ended the weekend strong with a dominant 18 kill and 21-point performance in the win over Susquehanna.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Bridgette Kelly (Eastern / Jr., MH / Coatesville, Pa.) totaled 21 blocks and 14 digs during four contests this week.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Taylor McInerney (Lebanon Valley / Sr., OH / Annville, Pa.) helped lead Lebanon Valley’s offense during the opening weekend as Dutchmen went 1-3 against strong opponents at the Haverford Invitational. She recorded a total of 89 kills and four service aces in the team’s first four matches. The senior outside hitter tallied 27 kills against the United States Coast Guard Academy on Friday in the first match of the year, keeping LVC in the match during close sets. McInerney registered 21 kills and a service ace in the Flying Dutchmen’s match against Stockton on Saturday, helping fuel the team’s third set win as well as contributing to the offense in three close sets. She also played a key role in Lebanon Valley’s first win of the season, tallying 33 kills and a service ace during the 3-1 victory against tournament host Haverford College on Saturday. This effort marked McInerney’s second-most kills in a match with LVC. She was named to the All-Tournament Team for her play over the four matches.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Meg Dion (Stevens / Sr., MB / West Chester, Pa.) totaled 15 blocks across three Stevens victories and was one of two players in the conference to reach double figures on opening weekend, albeit in two less sets.
GOLF (#MACgolf)
MAC Women’s Golfer of the Week
McKylie Boreman (Alvernia / Sr. / New Cumberland, Pa.) finished in 3rd place in a field of 50 to lead Alvernia to a first place finish at the Vulcan Invite, hosted by Cal U. of PA. In a field of primarily DII golfers, Boreman went 79/77 for a two-day total of 156. She finished just one stroke off of the first place finisher. Between the two rounds, Boreman finished with 18 pars and three birdies.