March 2, 2015
SUNYAC's winter and spring athletes of the week overlap
CORTLAND, N.Y. - Ten athletes have been recognized as State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Athletes of the week. Five winter athletes and five spring athletes have been honored this week for outstanding performances in their sports.
ICE HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brandon Adams (JR) Â
Oswego, F (Prospect, Ill./Â Holy Cross)
Adams scored both Oswego goals in the Lakers 2-0 win over Buffalo State on Saturday in the SUNYAC semifinal. In his first game back in two weeks, Adams made an immediate impact. late in the first, the junior tallied his first, beating a defender with pure speed and slipping it past the Buff State goaltender. Adams struck again in the second, demonstrating his precision as he wristed one from a tough angle that went post and in.
ICE HOCKEY GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Aaron Green (SR) Â
Brockport, Goalie (Mt. Albert, ONT)
Aaron Green had a tremendous performance in Brockport's upset victory over #3 seed Geneseo. He topped his career high with 59 saves in the 6-4 victory over the Knights. The Golden Eagles lost to #1 seed Plattsburgh in the semifinal but Aaron Green did all he could to keep the team in the game, finishing with 34 saves on 40 shots faced. Brockport lost 7-5 as the Cardinals scored an empty net goal late in the game.
ICE HOCKEY ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Dylan Shapiro (FR) Â
Brockport, Forward (Rochester, NY)
Dylan Shapiro exploded for two goals in a victory over the higher seeded Geneseo Knights, as Brockport upset the # 3 seed Knights 6-4 Wednesday.
MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brian Sortino (SO)
Oswego, G (Fairport/Fairport)
Brian Sortino was selected as the SUNYAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after winning the SUNYAC title Saturday. Sortino scored 17 points in the SUNYAC final against Plattsburgh. He shot 5-for-8 from the field, was 2-for-3 from beyond the arc and 5-for-6 at the line. The night before in the semifinal game Sortino went 8-for-16 (50.0%) from the field for a team-high 24 points.
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Shannon McGinnis (SR)
Geneseo, Forward (Walworth, N.Y./Gananda)
McGinnis scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for her 17th double-double of the season to lead the top-seeded Knights to a 61-54 win over No. 2 Cortland and the SUNYAC Tournament Championship, Saturday. The victory was also the team's 17th-straight, the second longest winning streak in school history (1992-93). In the team's 62-49 semifinal win over No. 4 Oneonta, Friday, McGinnis totaled 17 points and 10 rebounds. She was named the SUNYAC Tournament Most Valuable Player.
BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – TJ Montalbano (SO) Â
Plattsburgh, OF (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West HS)
During a 3-1 stretch for the Cardinals last week, TJ Montalbano enjoyed great success at the plate, batting .500 (8-for-16) with eight RBIs, four runs and a pair of extra-base hits. The sophomore did the majority of his damage in a split against Manhattanville College on Sunday, March 1. In game one, he went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored and followed that up with a 4-for-6 performance at the plate in game two. The second game saw him record five more RBIs.
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BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Mike Vargues (SR) Â
Plattsburgh, RP (Gansevoort, N.Y./Schuylerville HS)
Senior Mike Vargues fired a gem in his second start of the season, leading the Cardinals to a 3-0 triumph over Grove City College. The Gansevoort, N.Y., product hurled all seven innings and surrendered just three hits and a pair of walks to the Wolverines. He also registered a trio of strikeouts in the complete game. It was Plattsburgh State's first win of 2015.
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MEN'S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Mike Metzger (JR) Â
Oneonta, Midfield (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie)
Metger is Oneonta's leading scorer through the team's first two contests, which were both wins to start the season. After scoring two goals and adding one assist in a season opening, 10-9, win against Elizabethtown in double overtime. He pumped in three goals and added an assist in another win this past Saturday against Farmingdale.
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MEN'S LACROSSE GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Ryan Adler (SO) Â
Oneonta, Goalie (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West)
In Oneonta's two wins to start the season, Adler has been solid in goal, picking up both wins for the Red Dragons. In Oneonta's season opener, he made 16 saves in a 10-9 win in double overtime against Elizabethtown. This past Saturday he made 12 saves in a 10-1 win at Farmingdale.
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WOMEN'S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Marissa Cussins (SR) Â
Fredonia, Midfielder (Corning, N.Y./Corning West)
Cussins scored five goals and had six assists as Fredonia opened its 2015 season with a 13-11 win at Wooster. She scored the first two goals and last two goals of the game, as the Blue Devils broke on top 2-0 and withstood a late Wooster rally. Her final two goals came each time with the Blue Devils clinging to a one-goal lead. She added three ground balls.
WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK- Jess Huber (JR)
Plattsburgh, Sprints (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown)
Huber, a Plattsburgh native, claimed victory in the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes at the SUNYAC Indoor Track & Field Championships at Brockport, earning her All-Conference first team. She broke her own school records in both events and beat the previous conference and facility record in the 200 meter dash during the preliminary round, with a time of 24.90.
WOMEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK- Taylor Hudson (SR)
Cortland, High Jump/LongJump (Victor, N.Y./Victor)
Cortland's Taylor Hudson has been honored with the Field Athlete of the Year award. The Victor, NY native took top spot in the long jump and high jump at the 2015 SUNYAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, earning her All-Conference first team honors. She tied the meet and facility record in the long jump, with a 5.77 meters mark and tied her own school record in the high jump with 1.70 meters.
MEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK- Dorian Hayden (SR)
Brockport, Sprints (East Northport, N.Y./Northport)
Hayden took the 400 meter dash at the SUNYAC Championships with a time of 49.64 seconds, earning All-Conference first team selection. The East Northport, NY native also helped the Brockport men take the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:22.43.
MEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK- Pat Weinert (SR)
Oneonta, Throws (Pearl River N.Y./Nauet)
Oneonta's J.D. Roth took the shot put event at the SUNYAC Championships over the weekend at Brockport, helping the Oneonta men to the championship victory and earning a spot on the All-Conference first team.
ICE HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brandon Adams (JR) Â
Oswego, F (Prospect, Ill./Â Holy Cross)
Adams scored both Oswego goals in the Lakers 2-0 win over Buffalo State on Saturday in the SUNYAC semifinal. In his first game back in two weeks, Adams made an immediate impact. late in the first, the junior tallied his first, beating a defender with pure speed and slipping it past the Buff State goaltender. Adams struck again in the second, demonstrating his precision as he wristed one from a tough angle that went post and in.
ICE HOCKEY GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Aaron Green (SR) Â
Brockport, Goalie (Mt. Albert, ONT)
Aaron Green had a tremendous performance in Brockport's upset victory over #3 seed Geneseo. He topped his career high with 59 saves in the 6-4 victory over the Knights. The Golden Eagles lost to #1 seed Plattsburgh in the semifinal but Aaron Green did all he could to keep the team in the game, finishing with 34 saves on 40 shots faced. Brockport lost 7-5 as the Cardinals scored an empty net goal late in the game.
ICE HOCKEY ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Dylan Shapiro (FR) Â
Brockport, Forward (Rochester, NY)
Dylan Shapiro exploded for two goals in a victory over the higher seeded Geneseo Knights, as Brockport upset the # 3 seed Knights 6-4 Wednesday.
MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Brian Sortino (SO)
Oswego, G (Fairport/Fairport)
Brian Sortino was selected as the SUNYAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after winning the SUNYAC title Saturday. Sortino scored 17 points in the SUNYAC final against Plattsburgh. He shot 5-for-8 from the field, was 2-for-3 from beyond the arc and 5-for-6 at the line. The night before in the semifinal game Sortino went 8-for-16 (50.0%) from the field for a team-high 24 points.
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Shannon McGinnis (SR)
Geneseo, Forward (Walworth, N.Y./Gananda)
McGinnis scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for her 17th double-double of the season to lead the top-seeded Knights to a 61-54 win over No. 2 Cortland and the SUNYAC Tournament Championship, Saturday. The victory was also the team's 17th-straight, the second longest winning streak in school history (1992-93). In the team's 62-49 semifinal win over No. 4 Oneonta, Friday, McGinnis totaled 17 points and 10 rebounds. She was named the SUNYAC Tournament Most Valuable Player.
BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – TJ Montalbano (SO) Â
Plattsburgh, OF (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West HS)
During a 3-1 stretch for the Cardinals last week, TJ Montalbano enjoyed great success at the plate, batting .500 (8-for-16) with eight RBIs, four runs and a pair of extra-base hits. The sophomore did the majority of his damage in a split against Manhattanville College on Sunday, March 1. In game one, he went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored and followed that up with a 4-for-6 performance at the plate in game two. The second game saw him record five more RBIs.
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BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Mike Vargues (SR) Â
Plattsburgh, RP (Gansevoort, N.Y./Schuylerville HS)
Senior Mike Vargues fired a gem in his second start of the season, leading the Cardinals to a 3-0 triumph over Grove City College. The Gansevoort, N.Y., product hurled all seven innings and surrendered just three hits and a pair of walks to the Wolverines. He also registered a trio of strikeouts in the complete game. It was Plattsburgh State's first win of 2015.
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MEN'S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Mike Metzger (JR) Â
Oneonta, Midfield (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie)
Metger is Oneonta's leading scorer through the team's first two contests, which were both wins to start the season. After scoring two goals and adding one assist in a season opening, 10-9, win against Elizabethtown in double overtime. He pumped in three goals and added an assist in another win this past Saturday against Farmingdale.
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MEN'S LACROSSE GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Ryan Adler (SO) Â
Oneonta, Goalie (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West)
In Oneonta's two wins to start the season, Adler has been solid in goal, picking up both wins for the Red Dragons. In Oneonta's season opener, he made 16 saves in a 10-9 win in double overtime against Elizabethtown. This past Saturday he made 12 saves in a 10-1 win at Farmingdale.
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WOMEN'S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Marissa Cussins (SR) Â
Fredonia, Midfielder (Corning, N.Y./Corning West)
Cussins scored five goals and had six assists as Fredonia opened its 2015 season with a 13-11 win at Wooster. She scored the first two goals and last two goals of the game, as the Blue Devils broke on top 2-0 and withstood a late Wooster rally. Her final two goals came each time with the Blue Devils clinging to a one-goal lead. She added three ground balls.
WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK- Jess Huber (JR)
Plattsburgh, Sprints (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Beekmantown)
Huber, a Plattsburgh native, claimed victory in the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes at the SUNYAC Indoor Track & Field Championships at Brockport, earning her All-Conference first team. She broke her own school records in both events and beat the previous conference and facility record in the 200 meter dash during the preliminary round, with a time of 24.90.
WOMEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK- Taylor Hudson (SR)
Cortland, High Jump/LongJump (Victor, N.Y./Victor)
Cortland's Taylor Hudson has been honored with the Field Athlete of the Year award. The Victor, NY native took top spot in the long jump and high jump at the 2015 SUNYAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, earning her All-Conference first team honors. She tied the meet and facility record in the long jump, with a 5.77 meters mark and tied her own school record in the high jump with 1.70 meters.
MEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK- Dorian Hayden (SR)
Brockport, Sprints (East Northport, N.Y./Northport)
Hayden took the 400 meter dash at the SUNYAC Championships with a time of 49.64 seconds, earning All-Conference first team selection. The East Northport, NY native also helped the Brockport men take the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:22.43.
MEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK- Pat Weinert (SR)
Oneonta, Throws (Pearl River N.Y./Nauet)
Oneonta's J.D. Roth took the shot put event at the SUNYAC Championships over the weekend at Brockport, helping the Oneonta men to the championship victory and earning a spot on the All-Conference first team.
