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 September 28-October 4 will be streamed on FloCollege. To sign up, please click here.

Field Hockey
St. Thomas Aquinas at Molloy — Saturday, October 3
In the opening weekend of East Coast Conference field hockey, the inaugural ECC Field Hockey Game of the Week features the Spartans of St. Thomas Aquinas College and the Lions of Molloy University, hosted by Molloy at the Mitchel Field Athletic Complex in Uniondale, NY beginning at 1:00 PM. 

Entering the week, both STAC and Molloy are on the prowl for their first wins of the season. 

STAC junior forward Mariya Helmbold has a goal for the Spartans while Molloy sphomore forward Katie Ogurick has a goal for the Lions. Starting in net for both squads is sophomore Evelyn McEwen for STAC and senior Kayla Monique for Molloy.

Men’s Soccer
Daemen at Staten Island – Saturday, October 3
The Daemen Wildcats travel to face the Staten Island Dolphins this Saturday at Dolphins Soccer Park in Staten Island, NY, with kickoff set for 2:30 PM. The ‘Cats and ‘Fins both made headlines last Wednesday with road upsets in conference action, as Daemen took down reigning ECC Champion Roberts Wesleyan, 3-1, and Staten Island upset then-No. 16 Queens, 2-0. Both squads have the week off, returning to action against each other on Saturday. 

Entering the week, Daemen owns a 1-7-2 overall record (1-2 ECC, T-5th in conference standings), last playing Mercy to a tight 2-1 loss this past Saturday. Junior defender Jordan Hernandez scored early in Daemen’s loss to Mercy while junior forward Afonso Abreu, senior forward Tim Florek, and senior midfielder Stefan Jankovic hit the back of the net in the ‘Cats win over Roberts Wesleyan prior to that. Abreu ranks seventh in the ECC with a Daemen-leading three goals while Jankovic and freshman forward Sincere Noble have added two apiece. Junior goalkeeper Colin Hockridge is expected to make his fourth start between the pipes this Saturday. 

Entering the week, Staten Island sits at 3-4-1 overall (1-1-1 ECC, T-3 in conference standings), unbeaten in three of its last four matches. Junior midfielder Korsay Arslan scored in CSI’s tight 2-1 loss to Roberts Wesleyan this past Saturday while ECC Rookie of the Week freshman forward Dylan Meadows dropped a brace and ECC Weekly Honor Roll selection senior goalkeeper Carlos Romero Astacio notched the clean sheet in CSI’s historic win over Queens prior to that; the win marked CSI's first-ever Division II victory over a nationally-ranked opponent. Sophomore midfielder Yair Roman ranks eighth in the ECC with a CSI-leading eight points (3g, 2a), followed by Meadows (3g) and junior midfielder/forward Deniz Karcher (2g, 1a). Romero Astacio is 3-2-1 in net and ranks third in the ECC in goals against average (.83), save percentage (84.8), and shutouts (3). 

Women’s Soccer
Roberts Wesleyan @ Mercy — Saturday, October 3
The Rematch! In a rematch of last year’s ECC Championship Final, the Redhawks of Roberts Wesleyan travel to face the Mavericks of Mercy University this Saturday at Mercy Field in Dobbs Ferry, NY, with kickoff set for 2:30 PM. Roberts Wesleyan’s defense, with an ECC-leading goals against average (.90) on just nine goals allowed through 10 contests, will go up against Mercy’s offense, with an ECC-leading 6.50 points per game on an ECC-leading 2.3 goals per game and 1.9 assists per game. Both squads have the week off, returning to action against each other on Saturday. 

Entering the week, Roberts Wesleyan owns a 5-1-4 overall record (1-1 ECC, T-3rd in conference standings), with its only loss coming at Queens back on September 19. The Redhawks drew with Gannon, 0-0, last Wednesday before defeating Staten Island, 2-0, at home this past Saturday; junior forwards Sam Cipolla and Mackenzie Hagen scored for RWU while ECC Weekly Honor Roll selection senior goalkeeper Rebecca Hoffman made three saves for the clean sheet. Cipolla ranks third in the ECC in points (15) and goals (6) while senior forward Jenna Northup (2g, 2a), last year’s ECC Championship Most Outstanding Player, and Hagen (2g, 1a) have combined for 11 points. With an ECC-leading .71 goals against average, Hoffman is 4-1-2 in net and ranks second in the conference in shutouts (4) and third in save percentage (85.7). 

Entering the week, Mercy sits at 5-2-3 overall (2-0 ECC, T-1st in conference standings), unbeaten in its last three matches after outscoring its opposition 12-1. The Mavericks drew with Southern New Hampshire, 1-1, last Wednesday before defeating Daemen, 3-0, on the road this past Saturday; ECC Offensive Player of the Weeke and Rookie of the Week freshman forward Astrid Borglund scored against SNHU and went off for a hat trick against Daemen while ECC Weekly Honor Roll selection junior goalkeeper Anneliese Becker made three saves for the clean sheet against the ‘Cats in Amherst. Borglund ties for the ECC lead in points (16), goals (8), and game-winning goals (3) while junior forward Hailey Metzger (3g, 2a), freshman forward Connor Leahy (2g, 3a), and senior forward Ella Gallino (2g, 2a) have combined for 21 points. Becker (3-1-1) and junior goalkeeper Heiddis Sigurdardottir (2-1-2) have split time in net, with Becker earning the starting nod last time out at Daemen and Sigurdardottir (1.09 GAA, fourth in ECC) starting the previous two contests. 

Women’s Volleyball
Daemen at Mercy – Sunday, October 4
The Daemen Wildcats travel to face the Mercy Mavericks this Sunday at the Judge Athletic Center in Dobbs Ferry, NY, with first serve set for noon. Mercy and Daemen sit 1 and 2 in the conference in points per set (18.87 and 15.18), kills per set (14.17 and 11.27), assists per set (13.00 and 10.60), blocks per set (1.96 and 1.89), opponent hitting percentage (.114 and .135), opponent blocks per set (1.34 and 1.38), and opponent service aces (50 and 95). 

Entering the week, Daemen owns an 8-6 overall record and will open conference play at St. Thomas Aquinas this Saturday before heading to Mercy on Sunday. The Wildcats have won five of their last six contests, with regional wins over Holy Family, 3-1, Saint Anselm, 3-2, Wilmington, 3-0, and Saint Michael’s, 3-0 before blanking Slippery Rock, 3-0, last time out. Daemen is led by ECC Rookie of the Week freshman outside hitter Audrey Johnson (132 kills), ECC Weekly Honor Roll selection junior outside hitter Avery Craig (158 digs, 19 service aces), senior setter Maddie Schamaun (291 assists), and ECC Weekly Honor Roll selection sophomore middle hitter/right side Jolie Faw (ECC-leading 53.0 blocks, ECC-leading .96 blocks/set). 

The regining ECC Champion Mavericks are 10-1 overall and will open conference play at home against Queens this evening before hosting Daemen on Sunday. Of Mercy’s 10 wins this season, nine have been by a 3-0 final. After falling to Bentley on September 17, the Mavs regained their footing with a 3-0 home win over Adelphi on September 22 before going on the road to hand RV American International its first loss of the season, by a final score of 3-0, last Thursday. Mercy is led by ECC Weekly Honor Roll selection junior outside hitter Grace Dilena (144 kills, ECC-leading 4.11 kills/set), ECC Setter of the Week senior Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (ECC-leading 370 assists, ECC-leading 10.57 assists/set), sophomore libero/defensive specialist Kamila Colon (124 digs), ECC Defensive Player of the Week junior outside hitter/right side/middle blocker Aleksandra Lucic (23 service aces, ECC-leading .66 service aces/set), and senior middle blockers Mia Illes-Hair (29.0 blocks) and Janneliz Rodriguez Fuentes (29.0 blocks). Rodriguez Fuentes (.423), Dilena (.402), Illes-Hair (.376), and ECC Player of the Week junior outside hitter Stasa Stamenkovic (.329) also own the ECC’s top four spots in hitting percentage. 

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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.