Players of the Week
Offensive Player of the Week
Ashley Kieblesz (Queens)
Sr., M, Middle Village, NY, Monsignor McClancy High School
Senior Ashley Kieblesz recorded a team-best six points to help the Knights open the 2026 season with a 2-0 record. Kieblesz tallied a career-best four points in Queens’ 2-0 season-opening victory over Felician University, recording her first career brace. On Sunday, she added her third goal of the season in a 3-0 victory over Caldwell University as the Knights improved to 2-0 for the first time since the 2013 season.
Defensive Player of the Week
Ava Lekanides (Queens)
Sr., D, Garden City, NY, Garden City High School
Senior Ava Lekanides recorded her first goal of the season while helping the Knights post two shutouts to open the 2026 campaign with a 2-0 record. Lekanides and the Queens backline held opponents to 15 total shots, including nine on target, over the opening two matches. Following a 2-0 shutout victory over Felician University, Lekanides converted a penalty kick in Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Caldwell University to help the Knights start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2013.
Goalkeeper of the Week
Samantha Hines-Hirsch (Queens)
Jr., GK, Plainview, NY, Plainview Old Bethpage JFK
Junior goalkeeper Samantha Hines-Hirsch recorded eight saves and two shutouts to help the Knights open the 2026 season with a 2-0 record. Hines-Hirsch made four saves in Queens’ 2-0 season-opening victory over Felician University before recording another four saves in Sunday’s 3-0 shutout victory over Caldwell University. The senior goalkeeper earned her 10th and 11th career shutouts and 13th and 14th career victories during the Knights’ 2-0 opening week.
Rookie of the Week
Roslyn Almodovar (Mercy)
Fr., M, Belleville, N.J., Belleville
Almodovar recorded her first collegiate goal and assist in Mercy's 4-2 win over Goldey-Beacom on Sunday.
Weekly Honor Roll
Samantha Cipolla (Roberts Wesleyan)
Jr., F, Rochester, NY, Gates-Chili
Junior transfer Samantha Cipolla made her debut as a Redhawk memorable, as she scored twice and added an assist in the first two games of the season with a Roberts Win and Tie in the first week of the season. She scored the first goal of the season on a penalty kick and added the go-ahead goal with less than 10 minutes to play. The junior added an assist in the 2-0 win over the weekend to finish with a 2-1 week for the speedy forward.
Kayla Frasca (D'Youville)
So., F, Bolton, Ontario, Humberview
Frasca recorded her first career goal on Thursday against West Liberty to give the Saints their first 1-0 victory of the season.
Rebecca Hoffman (Roberts Wesleyan)
Sr., GK, Youngstown, NY, Lewiston-Porter
Senior Rebecca Hoffman started the second game of the season for Roberts and delivered a clean sheet with three saves in the 2-0 shutout victory over Malone University. The shutout was the first in her career.
Hailey Metzger (Mercy)
Jr., F, Levittown, N.Y., MacArthur
Metzger had a team-high five points on two goals and an assist as #25 Mercy went 2-0 on the week to open the season. The junior scored a goal in the 2-0 win at Edinboro on Thursday and ended the week with a goal and an assist in the 4-2 win over Goldey-Beacom on Sunday.
Jenna Northup (Roberts Wesleyan)
Sr., M, Churchville, NY, Churchville-Chili
Senior Jenna Northup started the season the same way she ended the championship year of 2025 as she played a key role in the offensive effort for Roberts with a goal and an assist in the first week of the season. She assisted on the go-ahead goal in the opener with a great deflection of the clearing attempt and then scored the second goal in a 2-0 win for the Redhawks to cap the unbeaten 1-0-1 week.
Anna Tavantzis (Queens)
Sr., M, Holbrook, NY
Senior Anna Tavantzis recorded three points to help the Knights open the 2026 season with a 2-0 record. Tavantzis tallied her first assist of the season in Queens’ 2-0 season-opening victory over Felician University. On Sunday, she recorded her first goal and game-winning goal of the season as the Knights defeated Caldwell University, 3-0, to improve to 2-0 for the first time since the 2013 season.
2026 ECC Women’s Soccer Weekly Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Week
Aug. 31 – Ashley Kieblesz (Queens)
Defensive Player of the Week
Aug. 31 – Ava Lekanides (Queens)
Goalkeeper of the Week
Aug. 31 – Samantha Hines-Hirsch (Queens)
Rookie of the Week
Aug. 31 – Roslyn Almodovar (Mercy)
2026 ECC Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Mercy - 62 points (6 first-place votes)
2. Molloy - 52 points (1 first-place vote)
3. Daemen - 45 points
4. Roberts Wesleyan - 40 points
5. Queens - 37 points (1 first-place vote)
6. D'Youville - 27 points
7. St. Thomas Aquinas - 14 points
8. Staten Island - 11 points
***
Founded as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1989 and rechristened the East Coast Conference in July 2006, the ECC was formed to enhance intercollegiate athletic competition among member institutions and to assist them in integrating athletics into their academic program in a fiscally sound way. The ECC is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and citizenship. Its mission is to promote the total person concept in its student-athletes, which stresses the abilities to excel in academic achievement, athletic competition, and positive character traits. East Coast Conference members include: Daemen University (Amherst, N.Y.); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); D'Youville University (Buffalo, N.Y.); Mercy University (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); Molloy University (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); Queens College (Flushing, N.Y.); Roberts Wesleyan University (Rochester, N.Y.); College of Staten Island (Staten Island, N.Y.); and St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.). The ECC also is home to 13 associate members in the sports of women’s bowling (3), men’s and women’s indoor track & field (3), men's volleyball (2), field hockey (1), and men’s lacrosse (1).
The ECC sponsors the following championship sports: baseball; men’s and women’s basketball; women's bowling; men’s and women’s cross country; field hockey; men’s and women’s lacrosse; men’s and women’s indoor track and field; men’s and women’s outdoor track and field; men’s and women’s soccer; softball; and men's and women’s volleyball.
The East Coast Conference is a proud member of the NCAA and Division II. Division II is a dynamic and engaging group of colleges, institutions and conferences of varying sizes and educational missions. Division II members encourage and support diversity; value sportsmanship, fairness and equity; and place the highest priority on the overall educational excellence of the student-athlete.