GNAC Players of the Week: October 20

By Melissa Maitland

GNAC Sports Information Specialist

Catherine Bravo (Women’s Volleyball, Johnson & Wales), Caprice Cappucci (Women’s Cross Country, Emerson), Gustavo Marques (Men’s Soccer, Rivier), Kate McKenna (Women’s Soccer, Emmanuel), Greg Redfield (Men’s Cross Country, Johnson & Wales), and Sabrina Salmela (Women’s Tennis, Simmons) have been named Great Northeast Athletic Conference Players of the Week. Nicki Hunsicker (Women’s Soccer, Norwich) and Gerald O’Connor (Men’s Soccer, Albertus Magnus) were named Goalkeepers of the Week.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Women’s Volleyball - Catherine Bravo, Johnson & Wales, Jr., Toa Boa, PR.
Bravo helped JWU to a perfect 5-0 week with four conference victories, including a tough win over Emmanuel, 3-2, on October 17. She recorded 19 kills and 10 digs in the victory, giving Emmanuel its first conference loss of the year. Bravo averaged 3.41 kills per game, 2.9 digs per game, and had a .257 hitting percentage for the week. The Wildcats are currently in 3rd place in the GNAC, with a conference record of 7-1 and an overall record of 15-13. Bravo and the Wildcats take on Rivier on October 20 before heading into the Bates Invitational this weekend.

Women’s Cross Country - Caprice Cappucci, Emerson, Fr., Medfield, Mass.
Cappucci placed 12th out of 146 runners at the Emmanuel College Saints Invitational on October 16. Cappucci, the first GNAC woman to finish, lead Emerson to a 5th place finish out of 19 teams, the highest finish among GNAC teams that competed. This is the second time this season that Cappucci has been named as a GNAC Player of the Week. She was previously honored on October 6. The next test for the Emerson runners is next weekend’s GNAC Women’s Cross Country Championships, hosted by Rivier College.

Men’s Soccer - Gustavo Marques, Rivier, Sr., Lowell, Mass.
Marques helped the Raiders to earn their first conference victory of the year, scoring two goals and recording one assist as Rivier defeated the Suffolk University Rams, 4-2, on October 17. Marques is the Raiders second leading scorer, notching seven goals and two assists this season. Rivier currently has a 1-5 conference record and an overall record of 2-11. With two conference games remaining on their schedule, the Raiders hope to move up in the GNAC standings in order to qualify for the GNAC Men’s Soccer Championships, which begin next weekend.

Women’s Soccer - Kate McKenna, Emmanuel, Sr., Holyoke, Mass.
McKenna led Emmanuel to an undefeated 2-0 week, recording a hat-trick in the Saints’ 4-2 win over Fitchburg State College on October 14. She also scored one of Emmanuel’s four goals in a 4-0 shutout win against Simmons College on October 17. McKenna is leading the Saints and the GNAC in scoring with 18 goals on the season. This is the third time this season that McKenna has been named as a GNAC Player of the Week. She was previously honored on September 22 and September 29. The Saints are currently in 2nd place in the GNAC, with a conference record of 7-2-1 and an overall record of 10-5-1. The team will travel to face Albertus Magnus on October 20 and finish out the regular season hosting 1st place St. Joseph’s (ME) on October 24. The GNAC Women’s Soccer Championships begin November 1.

Men’s Cross Country - Greg Redfield, Johnson & Wales, Fr., Penfield, NY.
For the third time this season, Redfield set a new course record with a time of 26:02 to take 1st place honors at the Emmanuel College Saints Invitational on October 16, helping the Wildcats to a 2nd place finish out of 19 teams. This is the third time this season that Redfield has been named as a GNAC Player of the Week. He was previously honored on September 22 and October 6. The reigning GNAC Men’s Cross Country Champion Wildcats look to defend their title at next weekend’s GNAC Championships, hosted by Rivier College.

Women’s Tennis - Sabrina Salmela, Simmons, Fr., Beverly, Mass.
Salmela defeated previously unbeaten Taylor Day of Emmanuel on October 14 by a score of 6-1, 6-2. With the win, Salmela finished the GNAC regular season as the only undefeated #1 singles player. She also defeated Day at #1 doubles by a score of 8-2. Salmela also won at #1 doubles against Colby on October 12 and at #1 singles against Bates at the New England Women’s Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament (NEWITT) on October 17. Simmons finished the regular season in 1st place in the GNAC, with an undefeated GNAC record of 8-0 and an overall record of 10-6. The GNAC Women’s Tennis Championships begin October 21 with Simmons looking to repeat as GNAC Champions. The Sharks have a first round bye and will host a semifinal match on October 24 against the lowest seeded winner of tomorrow’s quarterfinal matches between #6 St. Joseph’s (CT) v. #3 Emerson, or #5 Emmanuel v. #4 Johnson & Wales.

GOALKEEPERS OF THE WEEK

Women’s Soccer - Nicki Hunsicker, Norwich, Jr., Emmaus, Penn.
Hunsicker made two saves in Norwich’s 3-1 win over Lyndon State on October 15 and earned a shutout, stopping all seven shots that she faced in the Cadets’ 4-0 win over Lasell on October 17. Hunsicker leads the Cadets with a 1.60 goals-against average and two shutouts while in net this season. Norwich is currently in 9th place in the GNAC, with a conference record of 4-5-1 and an overall record of 7-7-1. Norwich puts its three-game winning streak on the line when it travels to face GNAC rival St. Joseph’s (CT) on October 20. The Cadets close out their season with home games against Rivier on October 24 and Plattsburgh State on October 28. The Cadets need to move up to at least 8th place in the GNAC standings in order to qualify for the GNAC Women’s Soccer Championships, which begin November 1.

Men’s Soccer - Gerald O’Connor, Albertus Magnus, Sr., Hamden, Conn.
O’Connor recorded two shutouts in three wins for the Falcons this week. Albertus Magus defeated Rivier 4-0 on October 12, the Coast Guard 2-1 on October 14, and Emerson 1-0 on October 17. O’Connor, one of the top goaltenders in the GNAC, is ranked 3rd in the conference in goals-against average (1.12), save percentage (.837), and saves (82). He is ranked 2nd in the GNAC with five shutouts and .36 shutouts per game, and is ranked 6th in saves per game (5.86). This is the second time this season that O’Connor has been named as a GNAC Player of the Week. He was previously honored on September 7. Albertus Magnus currently is tied with Mount Ida for 3rd place in the GNAC, with a conference record of 4-3 and an overall record of 9-5-1. The Falcons put their three-game winning streak to the test when they face Johnson & Wales on October 21. The team will close out the regular season at Suffolk on October 24 before heading into next weekend’s GNAC Men’s Soccer Championships.