BUFFALO, NY – The East Coast Conference held its 2026-27 East Coast Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Leadership Program this past weekend, from October 23-25 up in Buffalo, hosted by D'Youville University. 

18 standout student-athletes were selected to participate in a combination of networking, social activities, leadership training, and service and had the opportunity to meet and interact with student-athletes from all of the ECC's member institutions, learn, and give back. 

Friday evening saw the group come together for dinner and a lively ECC/Buffalo-related trivia battle. All three teams showed off their ECC knowledge while learning more about the most upstate-part of the ECC. For example...

Team 1 of Julia Petry (DAE WT&F), Bradyn Winters (DAE MVB), Keliah Tucker (UDC WLAX), Kaitlyn Warren (MOL WBOWL), Anna Varland (RWU FFB) and Jude Petersen (STAC MXC/T&F) knew that Roberts Wesleyan track and field current alum and current assistant coach Jenn Suhr won gold at the 2012 London Olympics in the pole vault, Team 2 of Grace O'Neill (DYU WXC/T&F), Rita-Marie Masi (MER WLAX), Nathan Worden (RWU MVB), Marena Grenier (CSI SB), and Sophonie Michel (STAC WXC/T&F) knew that the Goo Goo Dolls were formed in Buffalo in 1986, and Team 3 of Patrick Nyarko (UDC MLAX), Lucas Penner (DYU BASE), Dylan Ruland (MER BASE), Jacob Munayirji (MOL MLAX), and Patrick Hassel (CSI BASE) knew that the East Coast Conference was rebranded as such (from the NYCAC) on July 1, 2006. 

"Friday night trivia was definitely my favorite part of the SAAC trip!" said Molloy women's bowling senior Kaitlyn Warren. "It is always nerve-wracking meeting new people for the first time, so being able to get comfortable and watch the competitive side of everyone come out so quickly was fun."

"I really enjoyed trivia night on Friday because I got to meet athletes from different schools who shared the same values as me," added Molloy men's lacrosse sophomore Jacob Munayirji. "Everyone clicked really well, and it was cool to see how quickly we all connected even though we came from different schools. I also enjoyed learning more about the history of the different ECC schools and getting to know everyone on a more personal level. Nikki did a great job making the whole night fun and engaging, and I think everyone really enjoyed it."

Saturday morning saw the participants participate in a service activity at Feed716: Friends of Night People before heading over to catch the sights of Niagara Falls. 



The group then showed support at the D'Youville women's soccer match against Queens. The match served as an ECC SAAC x Team IMPACT Fundraising event, and the group was honored on the field at halftime for representing the East Coast Conference. 

Saturday afternoon was allotted for the group's SAAC meeting, with opening remarks and welcomes from DYU Vice President for Athletics & Planning Ona Halladay and DYU Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Administration/Senior Woman Administrator Kerri Brace. DYU provided a Fajita Bar lunch, coffee/tea/snacks, transportation, and more during the weeekend. 

The afternoon session kicked off with a presentation by speaker Billy Giannouloudis, a trained Results Coach and a Certified Strategic Intervention Life Coach. Giannouloudis spoke with the group on mental mastery and mindset. 

ECC National SAAC representative Rita-Marie Masi, a graduate student on the Mercy University women's lacrosse team, opened the formal SAAC meeting agenda while ECC Assistant Commissioner for Athletic Administration Alexis Schultz followed with compliance and legislation. The agenda covered campus initiatives, Team IMPACT, the ECC Strategic Plan, and more. 

"The SAAC meeting was one of my favorite parts of the weekend," said D'Youville baseball senior Lucas Penner. "I enjoyed the speaker and having our voices heard."

"I really liked having the opportunity to share my thoughts about a conference that we all love and compete in every day," added Molloy men's lacrosse sophomore Jacob Munayirji. "It makes you feel like your voice matters and that you actually have a say in making the ECC better."



Saturday evening saw the group enjoy a night of laser tag and axe throwing at LASERTRON, where St. Thomas Aquinas men's cross country's Jude Petersen took home the high score in the laser tag arena and all 18 student-athletes came together for competition in the axe throwing cages. 

"My favorite part of the weekend was the lasar tag and axe throwing activity because it was something fun for all of us to experience together," said Queens women's soccer senior and ECC Vice Chair Ava Angiuli. "It allowed us to get to know each other in a relaxed, fun way! Connecting beyond ‘formal’ meetings pushes the SAAC experience as a whole."

"We had an exceptional group of individuals gather for this year's ECC SAAC Leadership Program," said ECC Associate Commissioner Nikki Philpot. "I am delighted that this specific group of student-athletes came together to learn and lead. These student-athletes were phenomenal representatives of both their institutions and the East Coast Conference as a whole. Big thanks to DYU Vice President for Athletics & Planning Ona Halladay and DYU Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Administration/Senior Woman Administrator Kerri Brace as well as ECC Assistant Commissioner for Athletic Administration Alexis Schultz and ECC Intern Sarah Murphy for all their work in helping to plan and organize this weekend's program."

Overall Reflections
"My overall experience at the ECC SAAC Leadership Program was fantastic," said Queens women's soccer senior and ECC SAAC Vice Chair Ava Angiuli. "Participating in the SAAC meeting was specifically interesting to meet each representative from each school and hear their perspectives and ideas. In-person meeting/events, like this weekend, definitely allowed the student-athletes to connect beyond the initial responsibilities that being a member in SAAC carries. This Leadership Program created opportunities to collaborate, connect, and learn from student-athletes from different schools within the conference!"

"My experience was wonderful," said D'Youville baseball senior Lucas Penner. "I got to meet new people and got to know how other schools experience are in the ECC. I enjoyed every minute of the weekend."

"The ECC SAAC Leadership Program was definitely eye-opening, and it allowed me to learn how to speak in front of my peers at a higher level than just at practice or in the classroom," said Molloy women's bowling senior Kaitlyn Warren. "It was a great experience, and I met a lot of great people, too. I would recommend the program to anyone and would love to do something like this again in the future."

"I had a great experience, and I liked how the event brought everyone together and made us feel like one community instead of just athletes from different schools," said Molloy men's lacrosse sophomore Jacob Munayirji.