NEWTOWN, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) has announced its conference weekly award recipients for the week ending February 16, 2025. A total of 22 student-athletes were recognized for performances from Feb. 10, 2024 to Feb. 16, 2025.
MEN'S BASKETBALL (#MAChoops)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Kai Cipalla (York / Sr., F / LItitz, Pa.) had another big week as the Spartans maintained a share of first place in the Commonwealth. In the battle against Albright, Cipalla had 22 points and six rebounds in his 43 minutes of action. He was 9-for-15 from the floor including 2-for-3 from three and 2-for-4 from the stripe. He followed that with 26 points and five rebounds in the Spartan win over Messiah. Cipalla was a blistering 10-for-12 from the floor including 2-for-2 from three and 4-for-4 from the line. For the week, Cipalla averaged 24 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He shot 70.4% from the floor, 80% (4-for-5) from three and 75% (6-for-8) from the free throw line as he averaged 35.5 minutes per game. For the season, Cipalla is averaging 20.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He is shooting 56% from the floor, 32.3% from three and 66% from the stripe. He is averaging 34.7 minutes per game in addition to 1.9 assists per game.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Devin Atkinson (DeSales / Sr., F / Landisville, Pa.) led the Bulldogs to a 2-0 record last week with wins over MAC Freedom conference leader Stevens and Lebanon Valley College. He averaged 19.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in the two games. Atkinson opened the week with 23 points, six rebounds, and four assists in the win over Stevens and finished the week with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds with four assists vs. Lebanon Valley College. He shot 6-for-10 (60 percent) from outside the arc and 14-for-25 (56.0 percent) from the field.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (#MAChoops)
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Reese Harden (Messiah / Gr., G / Upperco, Md.) led the Falcons in another 2-0 week after two dominant performances on the court for the Falcons. Harden opened the week strong with a career-high 31 points in the Falcons 76-56 win over Widener. Harden also added three assists, two rebounds, two steals, and a block. In a tight, 61-52 win over York, Harden once again led the Falcons. She totaled 13 points, four rebounds, three blocks, and one assists in the win that clinched the top-seed in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament for the Falcons.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Leyla Castro (Stevens / Jr., G / Old Bridge, N.J.) averaged 20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 steals in a 2-0 week…scored a season-high 25 points (8-of-13 from the floor, 4-of-6 from three, 5-for-5 from the line) with six assists, five rebounds and two steals in win against DeSales…tallied 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting while grabbing 8 rebounds with six assists and four steals in win over King's Saturday.
MEN'S ICE HOCKEY (#MAChky)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Matt DImaline (Neumann / Fy., F / Cambridge, Ontario) picked up 4 goals and 2 assists. In Tuesday's 6-2 over Stevenson, he notched a hat trick, with his second and third goals occurring just 35 seconds apart. In Saturday's 7-1 win over Misericordia, he contributed a goal and three assists, helping the Knights clinch a MAC playoff spot, their first postseason tournament berth since the 2021-2022 season.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Ryan Burgess (Arcadia / Jr., G / Langhorne, Pa.) went 2-0 this past weekend with a 6-2 win over Misericordia and a 2-1 win over King's. Burgess collected a combined 69 saves with 29 coming from the game against Misericordia and 40 coming from the game against King's.
WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY (#MAChky)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Anna Dale (Lebanon Valley / So., F / Juneau, Alaska) had an unforgettable weekend leading the Dutchmen to two wins while locking down the third seed in the MAC Championship. Dale had nine points on seven goals and two assists while being a +7 on the ice. The sophomore broke a pair of records as she became LVC's all-time point leader and broke the MAC single-season goals record. The nation's leader scorer has 25 goals this year and 13 assists for 38 points. Her 49 career points broke LVC's former point record of 45. Dale began the weekend with five points on four goals and one assist in a 6-1 victory over Neumann. She took eight shots and was a +4. The sophomore then recorded her third hat trick of the year with three goals and an assist in a 6-2 win over Stevenson. Dale took nine shots against the Mustangs and was a +3.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Sophia Szelag (Arcadia / Sr., G / East Windsor, N.J.) collected 26 total saves this past weekend in the Knights 4-1 win over Hood College and in the Knight's 5-0 win over King's College. Szelag collected the win against Hood and came into the game in the second period against King's and snagged 14 saves.
MEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Rory Lieberman (Lebanon Valley / So. / Danville, Pa.) lowered his own program record while winning the 3000 meters in 8:24.98 at the Widener Indoor Classic. The sophomore topped the field of 44 that included a few Division I and Division II runners by nearly six seconds with the top time in the MAC this season.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Zion Buck (Messiah / Fy. / Shakopee, Minn.) had an excellent performance early on at the Susquehanna Invitational in the Long Jump, registering a distance of 6.66 meters (21' 10.25") that sits just behind his personal record distance of 6.74 meters (22' 1.5"). Buck's mark was second overall, finishing only behind a Division II competitor. He returned to the pits for the Triple Jump later in the afternoon where he earned the top spot after a jump of 13.58 meters, nearly two feet further than the runner-up.
WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (#MACtf)
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Gabby Nye (Widener / Gr. / Shippensburg, Pa.) would take a long trip up to Boston for the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Nye would compete in the 3000--meter run where she would clock a 9:50.35 to pick up a regional qualifying time. The 9:50.35 would move her into 28th in the nation and 1st in the conference by 30 seconds. Her time would also mark a new personal best and a new Widener record set by Nye last year.
MAC Field Athlete of the Week
Savana Dodd (Eastern / So. / Gibbsboro, N.J.) had two more excellent performances in both the Shot Put and the Weight Throw this past weekend at the Susquehanna Invitational in Selinsgrove. The Gibbsboro, N.J. native placed second in the Weight Throw at 15.26m and fourth in the Shot Put at 11.51m against D2 competition. Dodd beat all MAC competition at Susquehanna, and threw over 15 meters for the second time in two weekends. Furthermore, she recorded the best performance by a MAC athlete in the Weight Throw over the weekend.
MEN'S VOLLEYBALL (#MACvb)
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Koby Sherman (Stevens / Sr., OH / Sunnyvale, Calif.) tallied 44 kills with 7 digs and 4 blocks over three matches…had 14 kills with 3 digs against top ranked NYU Wednesday…collected 9 kills and 2 blocks against Hobart…put down 21 kills, including the 1,000th of his career with 3 blocks while hitting .500 (21-4-34) against Wentworth Institute of Technology.
MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Jesse Knuckles (Stevens / Sr., L / Gurnee, Ill.) had 24 digs over three matches against ranked teams…picked up 8 digs in four-set loss to top-ranked NYU…added 6 digs against Hobart before picking up 10 digs (2 off his season high) in four-set victory over Wentworth Institute of Technology on Saturday.
WRESTLING (#MACwrestle)
Wrestler of the Week
Ryder Slayton (Messiah / Sr. / Canisteo, N.Y.) earned the sudden victory over Ganon Smith of Elizabethtown in a highly contested 184 lbs. bout. After back-and-forth action, Slayton earned a point out of an escape before both competitors were called for stalling as the referee prompted more action out of the pair. Smith took a 2-1 lead after a reversal in the third that Slayton quickly escaped from to notch the score 2-2. In overtime, it took 1:10 of the two-minute period for Slayton to secure a takedown and earn the sudden victory. The next day, the Falcons took a trip to The College of New Jersey for the final dual of the season. Slayton was the lone Falcon to earn a bout win with a 4-1 decision over James Romaine.
MEN'S LACROSSE (#MAClax)
MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Week
Max Racich (Stevenson / Jr., A / Chatham, N.J.) led Stevenson with a seven-point night in the Mustangs' 18-6 win over Muhlenberg on Friday night. The attacker netted four goals and handed out three assists. In the contest, Racich netted 4 out of his 5 shots while causing a turnover and picking up a ground ball.
MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Week
Tyler Merchant (Stevenson / So., G / Tampa, Fla.) led the Mustangs in goal for a 1-0 week. The sophomore made 13 saves and even dished out an assist in the squad's 18-6 win over Muhlenberg on Friday night. In the contest, Merchant registered a .722 save percentage on 38 shots faced, and only allowed five of the six goals in the match up.
MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week
Joseph Grippo (Stevens / Gr., A / Kinnelon, N.J.) led the Ducks with six points (two goals and four assists) as Stevens topped No. 10 Dickinson College 11-6 in the season-opener on Sunday afternoon.
MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week
Cooper Foote (Stevens / Sr., GK / Baldwinsville, N.Y.) stopped 16 shots while allowing just six goals as the Ducks topped No. 10 Dickinson College 11-6 in the season-opener on Sunday
BASEBALL (#MACbaseball)
MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week
Mason Sawyers (Hood / Jr. / Culpeper, Va.) went to work in the final game of the series and put 5 and 2/3 innings of one hit baseball against Methodist in the no decision.
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week
Keegan Brennan (Hood / Sr., OF / Lake Wynonah, Pa.) hadn't touched a baseball field since the fall and got their first crack at it in the opening series against Methodist on the road. Even though the final results did not land in their favor, Brennan exited the weekend with a hit in every game while drawing three walks and a hit by pitch.
MAC Freedom Player of the Week
Jake Hendershot (Arcadia / Jr., OF / Martinsville, N.J.) had three RBI's in the Knight's 4-3 loss against Kean University. Hendershot had four at bats and hit a homerun which scored all three of Arcadia's runs.