NEWTOWN, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending January 5, 2025. A total of nine student-athletes were recognized for performances from Dec. 16, 2024 to Jan. 5, 2025.

MEN’S BASKETBALL (#MAChoops)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Kai Cipalla (York / Sr., F / Lititz, Pa.) has had a fantastic three weeks for the Spartans. Cipalla averaged 24.6 points and 7.6 rebounds in the Spartans five games for the nomination period. He shot 55.6% from the floor, 33.3% from three and 77.1% from the free throw line. He also had 12 assists, four blocked shots and five steals as he averaged 36.5 minutes per game. Cipalla started with a 25 point, seven rebound effort in the overtime loss to Salisbury. He played 40 minutes as he was 8-for-15 from the floor and 8-for-11 from the line to go along with two blocked shots. In the overtime win over #22 Stockton, Cipalla had a career day with 34 points and 12 rebounds. He played 43 minutes and shot 14-for-18 from the line while he was also 6-for-9 from the stripe. In addition to the double-double, Cipalla recorded his 1,000th career point as a Spartan. Against Penn State Harrisburg on December 30, Cipalla had 23 points and six rebounds in the win over the Lions. He was 9-for-15 from the floor and 4-for-4 from the line. He also had a season-high three steals in the victory. Cipalla opened the Stevens Holiday Tournament with 22 points and eight rebounds in the win over the 7-1 Lakers. Cipalla was 7-for-15 from the floor including 3-for-7 from three and 5-for-5 from the line. He tied a career-high with six assists in the win. He closed out the week with 19 points, five rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in the loss to Hamilton who improved to 11-1. For the season, Cipalla is averaging a MAC Commonwealth best 21.4 points per game while he is pulling in 6.9 rebounds per game. He is shooting 55.3% from the floor, 30.8% from three and 64.4% from the free throw line. Cipalla is playing 34.4 minutes per game for the Spartans. 

MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Evin Timochenko (Lebanon Valley / Sr., F / West Lawn, Pa.) averaged 20.33 points per game over three games while leading the Dutchmen to a 1-2 record with both losses coming down to the final minute. The senior started with 29 points and six rebounds in a tough 72-71 defeat at Wilson on December 21 where the Phoenix won the game on a last-second three. Timochenko was 13-19 from the field and 3-5 at the line while grabbing two offensive rebounds. The forward then had 12 points and four rebounds in a 78-73 defeat at Neumann on December 30 where it was a two-point game with a minute left. Timochenko finished non-conference play with 20 points and five rebounds in an 88-78 victory over Lycoming. The senior shot 59.1 percent over the three games in 93 minutes of action.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (#MAChoops)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Alyssa Hocker (York / Gr., F / York, Pa.) led the Spartans to a pair of wins in their only games for the week. York went 2-0 during their trip to Daytona Beach, Florida. Hocker had a historic day in the December 28 win over Fitchburg State as she poured in a career-high 35 points while she also pulled in a career-high 21 rebounds. She is the first Spartan in school history to score 30-plus points and pulled in 20 points in a game. Hocker's 35 points was good for fourth on the single-game scoring list, two points behind record holder Haley Luckabaugh's 37 at Elizabethtown). Hocker's 21 rebounds ties her for second on the single-game list behind Mandy Crabbs' 22 rebounds (twice in 2003) while she is tied with Shea Wassel (vs. Ursinus, 11/16/04) for second. Hocker did her damage in 27 minutes of work as she was 14-for-26 from the floor including 2-for-6 from three and 5-for-5 from the line. Hocker also set a new career-high with six steals in the win. In the overtime win over Lake Forest, Hocker had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Spartans. She added four assists and a blocked shot for the Spartans. Hocker averaged 22.5 points and 15.0 rebounds in 33 minutes of play for the week. She shot 43.6% from the floor and 80% from the free throw line. She also had six assists, six steals and a blocked shot for the Spartans. For the year, Hocker is averaging 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. She is shooting 43.8% from the floor, 28.2% from three and 62.2% from the stripe. 

MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Lucy Alberici (Stevens / Sr., G / Hazlet, N.J.) averaged 16.8 points and 5.5 rebounds as Stevens went 3-1 over four games…recorded consecutive 20 points games in Florida against Umass-Boston and Fitchburg State…grabbed 7 rebounds on 9-of-17 shooting in the win against Fitchburg…shot 5-of-10 and 7-of-9 from the free throw line with 18 points against St. Joseph's-Brooklyn.

MEN’S ICE HOCKEY (#MAChky)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Zack Smith (Neumann / Jr., F / Courtice, Ontario) netted a hat trick in a 5-2 win over Lebanon Valley in the consolation game of the 2025 Holiday Classic at Oswego State. The junior led the team with seven shots as Neumann opened 2025 1-1. 

MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Jeb Lindy (Arcadia / Sr., G / Nashville, Tenn.) gathered his first shut out game of his career on Saturday afternoon. Lindy collected 28 saves in the Knights 3-0 win against SUNY Morrisville.

WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY (#MAChky)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Anna Dale (Lebanon Valley / So., F / Juneau, Alaska) had a huge weekend with six points on five goals and an assist as the Dutchmen dominated Hilbert in a pair of games by a combined score of 14-0. Dale scored two goals in the first period of a 5-0 victory on Friday evening including a short-handed breakaway goal. She then recorded the first LVC hat trick since 2022 on Saturday with three goals and an assist as the Dutchmen broke school records in points, goals, and assists in a 9-0 victory over the Hawks. All three of Dale's goals came in the third period. Dale took a combined 13 shots on the weekend and was a +9 on the ice. Earlier in the week, she took four shots in a tough 1-0 defeat to Trine where the Thunder scored a second period power play goal. Dale currently leads the MAC with 12 goals in 12 games. She is also tied for first in points at 16.

MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Lacy Bigelow (Lebanon Valley / So., G / St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador) made 39 saves in a pair of shutout victories for the Dutchmen this weekend. The sophomore stopped all 15 shots she faced in a 5-0 victory at Hilbert and then saved all 24 shots in a record-breaking 9-0 win on Saturday over the Hawks. Bigelow helped the Dutchmen go a perfect 6-6 on the penalty kill in the two games making 11 saves including 10 on four successful penalty kills in Saturday's game. The goalie improved to 3-0-0 on the season and has yet to allow a goal in 180 minutes of action.

WRESTLING (#MACwrestle)
Wrestler of the Week
Josh Stahl (York / Sr. / Quakertown, Pa.) picked up a pair of dominating wins in his lone matches for the week. Stahl recorded a 16-1 tech fall over Centenary's Reece Smith in York's match at the Hershey Duals. Stahl followed that with a pin win over Johns Hopkins' Noah O'Connor in a mere 1:44 of Saturday's match. Stahl had recorded three take downs before pinning O'Connor in leading the Spartans to victory. Stahl is now 20-1 for the year with nine wins by fall and eight tech falls for the Spartans.