NEWTOWN, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending March 10, 2024. A total of 18 student-athletes were recognized for performances from March. 4, 2024 to March 10, 2024.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL (#MACvb)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Danny Gonzalez (Arcadia / Sr., OH / Ponce, Puerto Rico) tallied 51 kills in four matches for the Knights in a 3-1 week. He averaged almost four kills per set and his week was highlighted with a 23 kill performance against Saint Vincent. He also added 15 digs for a double-double. His other double-digit kill match came against Hood when he had 15 in the Knights' three-set sweep of the Blazers.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Evan Rothmann (Arcadia / Sr., OH / Hatfield, Pa.) had 12 total blocks in a 3-1 week for Arcadia, including a career-high six against six against Hood. He also added four blocks against Widener.
MEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Chad Teresky (Messiah / Jr., A / Derry, N.H.) led the Falcons offense on the week with 13 combined points in the wins over Bridgewater College and the University of Mary Washington. In the 17-11 win over Bridgewater College on Wednesday, Teresky was a crucial part of the Falcons offense dishing out six assists on the afternoon. In the thrilling 13-12 win over Mary Washington on Saturday, Teresky continued to dominate with seven more points on five goals and two assists. After the Falcons trailed 5-0 early in the first quarter, Teresky had four goals and an assist to help the Falcons tie the score at eight at the half. Teresky then added a goal and an assist in the second-half to lead the Falcons to the tight win.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Sean McNicholas (Albright / Jr., GK / York, Pa.) led the Lions to a 1-1 week against two tough opponents. In the first game against Moravian McNicholas made seven saves while collecting three ground balls in a narrow defeat. Sean McNicholas turned in his best game as a Lion during his first year leading Albright to victory over Goucher 14-6. McNicholas faced a total of 41 shots making a career high 14 saves. McNicholas is the first goalkeeper this season holding Goucher to six goals or less in a game. McNicholas two game total sits at 25 saves, 5 ground balls and 1 road win.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Matthew Pergola (Stevens / So., A / Nutley, N.J.) finished with a season-high seven points in the 17th-ranked Ducks' victory over Oneonta. The second-year attack had five goals with two assists to reach seven points and five of the seven came in the first half as the Ducks built an eight-goal lead on their way to a 22-7 victory.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Jackson Campbell (King’s / Sr., GK / Malvern, Pa.) recorded 13 saves in the Monarchs first win of the season over Marywood. The senior goalkeeper also had two ground balls and a save percentage of .722.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Kara Yarusso (Stevenson / Sr., M / West Deptford, N.J.) tied for a season-high six goals and added two assists for a new season-high eight points in the last-minute victory against the University of Rochester at home on Saturday. She scored the first goal of the game and two goals in each of the middle quarters before assisting on Kellyann Coccia’s goal to help minimize the Yellow Jackets’ two-goal lead in the fourth. Yarusso tucked in the tying goal with five minutes remaining before Erin Steinberg’s game-winner with 16 seconds remaining. She added three draw controls and three ground balls as well as one caused turnover in the victory. Through five contests so far this season, Yarusso leads the Mustangs with 25 points on 18 goals and seven assists.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Katelyn Rosini (Widener / Sr., GK / Wallingford, Pa.) led the Pride to a 1-2 week of play against strong opponents. On Tuesday against the undefeated Muhlenberg team, Rosini registered five saves in 35 minutes of play. Two days later she would make a season high in saves with 19 against Cabrini. In the close 11-9 loss she would face 39 Cavalier shots. The first game of the Pride's spring break trip saw a win against Randolph Macon and a 9-6 win. Rosini would face eight saves on 19 Yellow Jacket shots.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Alexis Ashton (FDU-Florham / Jr., M / Blairstown, N.J.) amassed nine goals to help the FDU-Florham women's lacrosse team secure their first win of the season in a 16-11 triumph against Mount Saint Mary. Her nine goals were just one goal off tying a school record and was a career-high performance.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Felicity Heilferty (Stevens / So., GK / Westtown, N.Y.) matched a career high with eight saves in the 14th-ranked Ducks' victory over No. 8 York.
BASEBALL (#MACbaseball)
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Michael Andrew (Alvernia / So., RP / Port Washington, N.Y.) made two relief appearances for Alvernia this week and went 1-0 in those appearances. He pitched 7.2 innings in relief for the Golden Wolves with a 1.17 ERA on the week and finished the week with seven strikeouts, one walk, and five hits allowed. Andrew picked up the win in three innings of relief against Defiance on Monday and struck out four batters while allowing just one hit.
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Matt Edwards (Alvernia / Jr., 1B / Langhorne, Pa.) batted .500 for Alvernia through five games during Alvernia’s spring training trip to Florida. Edwards had ten hits - including a double and home run - eight RBIs, and four runs scored through the final five games of Alvernia’s trip to Ft. Myer’s. He also had 32 putouts and four assists in the field without an error. Edwards had three hits and three RBIs in an extra-inning win to Defiance on Monday. Edwards hit a walkoff double for Alvernia in the extra-inning win. Edwards then had two hits, including a homer, against #3 Baldwin Wallace on Wednesday and added another two hits against Muskingum on Thursday. Edwards capped off the week going 3-for-3 with three RBIs against Rockford on Friday.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Connor Maryniak (Misericordia / Jr., P / Reading, Pa.) struck out nine in a complete-game, 9-inning, 2-1 win over #24 Marietta in Port Charlotte, Florida.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Jack Giovenco (FDU-Florham / Jr., OF / Allentown, Pa.) batted .500 on the week, going 8-for-16 with four RBI, two doubles, a triple, five runs scored and three stolen bases during a 2-2 week for the Devils. His highlights of the week came during the teams 10-1 win over Dean when he batted 3-for-4 with two RBI, a run scored and a base stolen and then on a quick turnaround, helped contribute to a 21-9 win against Clarks Summit with four hits on five at bats, two RBI, two doubles, a triple, three runs scored and two stolen bases.
SOFTBALL (#MACsb)
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Ashlyn Hillanbrand (Alvernia / So., P / Allentown, Pa.) went 3-2 through five appearances during Alvernia’s spring training week in Florida. Hillanbrand pitched in 23 innings and finished the week with a 1.83 ERA, six earned runs, and nine strikeouts. Hillanbrand picked up her first win in a relief appearance against Johnson and Wales on Monday. Hillanbrand allowed just two hits and no runs in the relief appearance. Her second win of the week came in a shutout win over Chatham on Thursday. Hillanbrand struckout two and allowed just three hits and one walk. Her final win of the week came on Friday in a 5-1 win over Otterbein. Hillanbrand allowed one run, struckout two, and allowed four hits through seven innings of work. She allowed just one hit in the final five innings against Otterbein.
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Emma Wade (York / Jr., DP / Hagerstown, Md.) led the Spartans to a 3-1 week after returning from their California trip. Wade hit .500 (7-for-14) for the week with six runs scored, three doubles, one home run and a team-leading 12 RBI. She had a .929 slugging percentage and a .500 on base percentage for the week. In the game two win over Scranton on Thursday, Wade was 4-for-4 with two runs scored, six RBI, two doubles and a home run in the Spartans' 12-4 win. In Saturday's game one win at Stevens, Wade was 1-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs as the Green and White rolled over the Ducks 17-5. In game two, Wade was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, four RBIs and a double. For the season, Wade is hitting .464 with eight runs scored, five doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI. She owns a 1.357 OPS, a .857 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage for the 6-3 Spartans.
MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week
Erin Sinatra (Lebanon Valley / Sr., RHP / Colonia, N.J.) went 4-0 and two shutouts on the week with 27 strikeouts in 26 innings of work as the Dutchmen went 6-2 in Florida. The senior struck out six in five innings to begin the week in an 8-0 run-ruled victory over Thomas. She finished the week strong with nine strikeouts in a 1-0 victory over Muskingum and then eight strikeouts in an 8-7 comeback victory over Kean to end the trip.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Nikki Elliott (Misericordia / Sr., 2B / Wilmington, Del.) hit .448 with five doubles, two triples, two HR, 10 runs and 14 RBI in a 7-1 week in Myrtle Beach. Hit safely in six of 8 games, including 5 multi-hit games.