Players of the Week
Offensive Player of the Week
Connor Leahy, Mercy
Freshman | Forward | Bayport, NY
Leahy scored a game- and career-high two goals in Mercy's 2-2 draw against Southern Connecticut State on Wednesday. The freshman scored the game-tying goal with five seconds remaining.
Defensive Player of the Week
Femke Demets, Mercy
Senior | Defender | Avelgem, Belgium
Demets had a team-high two assists on the week as Mercy went 1-0-1. The senior opened the week with an assist in the 2-2 draw against Southern Connecticut State on Wednesday. Demets ended the week with an assist and led a Mercy backline that posted a shutout in the Mavericks' 3-0 Senior Day win over D'Youville on Saturday. The senior now has an ECC-best six assists of the year.
Goalkeeper of the Week
Samantha Hines-Hirsch, Queens
Senior | Goalkeeper | Plainview, NY
Hines-Hirsch recorded two shutouts during an unbeaten week for the Knights, moving into second place on the program's all-time single-season shutout list. On Wednesday against AIC, Hines-Hirsch made four saves to record her seventh shutout of the season, including two crucial stops in the final 15 minutes of the contest in the scoreless draw. In Saturday's scoreless draw against CSI, Hines-Hirsch recorded her ECC-leading eighth shutout of the season, making three saves, including a key stop in the final four minutes.
Rookie of the Week
Astrid Borglund, Mercy
Freshman | Forward | Stockholm, Sweden
Borglund totaled a goal and an assist as Mercy went 1-0-1 on the week. The Mercy freshman opened the week recording an assist in the Mavericks' 2-2 draw against Southern Connecticut State on Wednesday. The forward ended the week recording the game-winning goal and her ECC-leading 10th goal of the season in Mercy's 3-0 Senior Day win over D'Youville on Saturday.
Weekly Honor Roll
Sara O'Donnell, Staten Island
Sophomore | Defense/Midfield | Acto, NJ
O’Donnell notched her first goal of the season from 45 yards out in non-conference action against Goldey-Beacom on Wednesday and then played the full 90 in CSI’s scoreless draw with Queens on Saturday.
Caitlyn Thompson, Staten Island
Senior | Midfield | Staten Island, NY
Thompson scored a goal in non-conference action against Goldey-Beacom on Wednesday and then played the full 90 in CSI’s scoreless draw with Queens on Saturday.
Oksana Zahirna, Staten Island
Junior | Goalkeeper | Lviv, Ukraine
Zahirna appeared in goal against Queens on Saturday and notched 10 saves to keep the Knights scoreless en route to the 0-0 draw.
2026 ECC Women’s Soccer Weekly Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Week
Aug. 31 – Ashley Kieblesz (Queens)
Sep. 7 – Isabella Muro (Molloy)
Sep. 14 – Ana Impellizzeri (Queens)
Sep. 21 – Astrid Borglund (Mercy)
Sep. 28 – Astrid Borglund (Mercy) (2x)
Oct. 5 – Riley Hammond (Staten Island)
Oct. 12 – Jana Strait (Molloy)
Oct. 19 – Connor Leahy (MercY)
Defensive Player of the Week
Aug. 31 – Ava Lekanides (Queens)
Sep. 7 – Madison Keenan (Molloy)
Sep. 14 – Femke Demets (Mercy)
Sep. 21 – Sophia Hobson (D'Youville)
Sep. 28 – Keeley Harden (Queens)
Oct. 5 – Femke Demets (Mercy) (2x)
Oct. 12 – Olivia Holet (Roberts Wesleyan)
Oct. 19 – Femke Demets (Mercy) (3x)
Goalkeeper of the Week
Aug. 31 – Samantha Hines-Hirsch (Queens)
Sep. 7 – Elyse Munoz (Molloy)
Sep. 14 – Anneliese Becker (Mercy)
Sep. 21 – Alegra Black (D'Youville)
Sep. 28 – Samantha Hines-Hirsch (Queens) (2x)
Oct. 5 – Oksana Zahirna (Staten Island)
Oct. 12 – Elyse Munoz (Molloy) (2x)
Oct. 19 – Samantha Hines-Hirsch (Queens) (3x)
Rookie of the Week
Aug. 31 – Roslyn Almodovar (Mercy)
Sep. 7 – Ysabelle Perillo (Molloy)
Sep. 14 – Mackenzie Truman (Roberts Wesleyan)
Sep. 21 – Emily Stefik (D'Youville)
Sep. 28 – Astrid Borglund (Mercy)
Oct. 5 – Emily Stefik (D'Youville) (2x)
Oct. 12 – Ysabelle Perillo (Molloy) (2x)
Oct. 19 – Astrid Borglund (Mercy) (2x)
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.