COLONIA, NJ – For each ECC sport in its conference portion of the season, the league office will determine an ECC Game of the Week to highlight the competitive spirit within the East Coast Conference.
This week's field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball Game of the Week selections for the week of October 5-11 will be streamed on FloCollege. To sign up, please click here.
Field Hockey
Dominican at D’Youville – Saturday, October 10
11:00 AM • Dobson Field • Buffalo, NY
The opening weekend of ECC field hockey was much anticipated across the conference… and it didn’t disappoint as D’Youville and Dominican – our featured teams in this week’s ECC Field Hockey Game of the Week – played each of their league openers down to the wire.
D’Youville (3-5, 1-1 ECC) enters this week coming off of a historic 2-1 win over Mercy this past Saturday in which the Saints earned their first win over the Mavericks in program history. DYU trailed 1-0 entering the fourth quarter before ECC Co-Player of the Week Jimena Loustalot scored twice in the final six minutes, including the game-winning goal on a penalty stroke with 1:05 remaining.
Loustalot leads the Saints and ties for second in the ECC in scoring with 10 points (4g, 2a) while ECC Weekly Honor Roll goalkeeper selection Hallie Villavechia sports a 70.7 save percentage, including five stops in the complete-game effort vs. Mercy. The Saints played Molloy to a tight 1-0 loss yesterday.
Dominican (1-7, 1-1 ECC) showed grit on Sunday, outshooting Roberts Wesleyan, 12-6, in regulation to force overtime before the Redhawks put away the 1-0 win. DUNY then picked up its first win in program history with a 6-2 road win over STAC yesterday; Iris Kuper kicked off the scoring with a goal in the second minute, Leah Battle followed with a pair of her own, and Annabelle Docksteader, who now leads the ECC in points (11) and goals (5), netted a hat trick.
Men’s Soccer
District of Columbia at Molloy – Saturday, October 10
12:00 PM • RVC Sports Complex • Rockville Centre, NY
In a rematch of the 2024 ECC Men’s Soccer Championship Final, the Lions and Firebirds meet this Saturday. Molloy had earned the regular-season win that year (W, 3-0) before UDC – as the No. 6 seed – came through with a 2-1 overtime upset win for the ECC tournament title. The squads split in the regular season last year, 1-1, and the stage is set: who will take home the conference points on Saturday?
Molloy (4-2-3, 2-0-1 ECC) got off to a hot start in conference play, putting up seven goals against Daemen on Sept. 19 (W, 7-1) before drawing with St. Thomas Aquinas (T, 0-0) on Sept. 23 and picking up a key three points at D’Youville on Sept. 26 (W, 2-1). The Lions sit T-3rd (7 points) in conference action.
Entering the week, Jack Veletanga boasts 11 points (4g, 3a), which ranks fifth in the ECC. Callum Hunt (1-1-2) and Anthony Martinez (3-1-1) have split time in net; sitting atop the conference in goals against average (.44) and save percentage (89.5), Hunt made six saves in the clean sheet draw against STAC while Martinez made six saves in the road win over DYU. Molloy welcomes Staten Island to the RVC Sports Complex for a 4:00 PM start this afternoon before hosting UDC on Saturday.
District of Columbia (4-5-2, 0-3-0 ECC) is looking to soar to its first ECC win of the season this weekend following setbacks against D’Youville last on Sept. 23 (L, 1-0), St. Thomas Aquinas on Sept. 26 (L, 3-1), and Queens on Oct. 3 (L, 3-0). The Firebirds sit 9th in conference standings but just three points shy of T-7th.
The Firebirds last won on Sept. 30 in the form of a 3-0 non-conference victory over Virginia State; David Serra, Marius Elmose, and Christopher Ruiz all tucked away unassisted scores while Lorenzo Herrera (1 save) and Bryan Diaz-Blanco (2 saves) combined for the clean sheet.
Entering the week, Ruiz (3g), Alexander Moody-Stuart (2g, 1a), and Serra (2g, 1a), lead UDC’s offense while Herrera (1-4-2) spends the most time in net, sporting a 1.18 GAA and 83.6 save percentage in 765:00. The Firebirds welcome Mercy to UDC Turf Field at 2:00 PM this afternoon before heading up to New York on Saturday.
Women’s Soccer
Queens at Daemen – Saturday, October 10
1:30 PM • Royal Park • Amherst, NY
Unbeaten in two of its last three matches at home, Daemen welcomes offensive powerhouse Queens to Royal Park this Saturday.
Ranked in the East Region every week this fall, Queens (7-3-1, 2-0-1 ECC) is riding a four-match unbeaten streak into the week after positive results against Roberts Wesleyan (W, 3-0, Sept. 19), Saint Anselm (W, 1-0, Sept. 23), St. Thomas Aquinas (W, 3-1, Sept. 29), and Molloy (T, 1-1, Oct. 3). The Knights sit 3rd in conference standings (7 points).
Entering the week, ECC Weekly Honor Roll selection Ashley Kieblesz boasts an ECC-leading 19 points on an ECC-leading nine goals with a helper. ECC Weekly Honor Roll selection Anna Tavantzis sits fifth in the league with 11 points (4g, 3a) while Mia Hanson’s five assists top the ECC. ECC Weekly Honor Roll goalkeeper selection Samantha Hines-Hirsch sports a 7-2-1 record with 10 starts and tops the conference in goals against average (0.81) and shutouts (6) while sitting second in save percentage (.840).
Daemen (2-8-1, 1-3 ECC) has found some momentum at home as of late, drawing with Thomas More (1-1) and toppling Post (W, 5-3) in two of its last three outings. The Wildcats last earned a conference win on Sept. 30, at home against D’Youville. The Wildcats T-5th in conference standings (3 points).
Macayla Hansen, Zainab Khalid, and Bridey McKenzie have a pair of goals apiece for the ‘Cats, while ECC Weekly Honor Roll goalkeeper selection Rylee Kumer, who ranks second in the ECC with 64 saves across 11 games played, has seen all 990:00 between the pipes this fall. The Wildcats head to Roberts Wesleyan this evening for a 7:00 PM start before hosting the Knights on Saturday.
Women’s Volleyball
Queens at Molloy – Sunday, October 11
12:00 PM • Bob Houlihan Court • Rockville Centre, NY
The Knights of Queens were scheduled to face the Lions of Molloy in our ECC Women’s Volleyball Game of the Week on Sept. 26, but weather had other plans and the game was postponed.
And so… Take 2!
A storyline in this match-up remains the veteran vs. the rookie as Molloy senior outside hitter Erin Stanley (3.64/3.37) and Queens freshman outside hitter Zoe Sercu (3.16/2.68) rank in the ECC’s top 10 in points per set and kills per set.
Entering the week, Queens (3-13, 1-1) is using the momentum of a 3-1 home win over Roberts Wesleyan on Oct. 3. The Knights' offense was led by rookie middle blockers Garnette Webb and Mikayla Haskell, who combined for 23 kills and four blocks. Leading the Knights overall this season are Sercu (150 kills), Asuka Shibue (180 digs), Kaiya Banks (218 assists), Haskell (31.0 blocks), and Olivia Hyman (30 service aces).
QC heads to Bridgeport tomorrow night in non-conference action and hosts St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday afternoon in ECC play before heading to Molloy for Sunday’s ECC Game of the Week.
Entering the week, Molloy sits at 6-9 overall and 1-1 in the ECC after a 3-0 home win over Roberts Wesleyan this past Sunday, Oct. 4. ECC Weekly Honor Roll selection Stanley paced the Lions with 11 kills, Hayden Riddle recorded 16 assists with seven digs, and the team as a whole hit at a .400 clip. Leading the Lions overall this season are Stanley (192 kills, 27.0 blocks), Isabella Smith (166 digs), and Riddle (259 assists, 31 service aces).
Molloy hosts ECC defending champion Mercy this Saturday before hosting the Knights on Sunday.
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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.