General 10/30/2023 2:30:00 PM United East Athletes of the Week - October 30, 2023 LATHAM, N.Y. - The United East conference has announced its Athletes of the Week for October 30, 2023. This includes Athletes of the Week for both the Skye and Volt Divisions in Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer, and Women’s Volleyball. This week’s selections included contests from Monday, October 23 through Sunday, October 29. A total of 12 student-athletes were recognized for their performances. First round conference tournament matchups on Saturday afternoon in both Men’s and Women’s Soccer were not considered for Athlete of the Week awards. Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Moses Beers / Jr / Cairn University / Lancaster, Pa. / Manheim Township HS Beers netted both Highlander goals on Wednesday afternoon as Cairn pushed past Wilson on the road, 2-1, and secured the No. 2 Seed in the United East Men's Soccer Championship on the Skye Division side. Beers is currently tied for 3rd in the United East with 11 goals on the season and 5th in Total Points with 26. Beers is the 2022 CSAC Player of the Year and a First-Team honoree in 2021 and 2022. This the third Player of the Week award for Beers, who previously won for the weeks of October 3, 2022, and September 6, 2022. Defensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Tai Torres / Jr / Rosemont College / Staten Island, N.Y. / Monsignor Farrell High School The Ravens picked up a 3-0 shutout over No. 3 seed St. Elizabeth to lock in an unbeaten regular season and Skye Division regular season championship on Wednesday evening. Rosemont only gave up 4 goals in the 8 conference matches and currently lead the United East in Goals Against Average (.933). Their GAA also ranks 76th in NCAA Division III out of the 411 eligible programs. This is the first Player of the Week honor for Torres. Offensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Eljo Agolli / Jr / Penn State Abington / Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast HS Agolli scored both goals in the 2-0 victory against St. Mary's in the regular season finale that clinched the top-seed in the Volt Division and Regular Season Title. Agolli is currently tied for 3rd in the United East with 11 goals, 3rd in Total Points with 27, and 6th in Assists with 5. This is the third Player of the Week award for Agolli who previously won for the weeks of September 12, 2023, and October 3, 2022 on top of his 2022 First Team All-United East selection. Defensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Matt Sheldon / Sr / Penn State Abington / Perkasie, Pa. / Pennridge HS Sheldon registered his fourth shutout of the season in the 2-0 victory against St. Mary's in the regular season finale that clinched the top-seed in the Volt Division as well as the Regular Season Title. Sheldon made four saves to preserve the shutout against the Seahawks. Sheldon now has 54 saves on the season and has lowered his Goals Against Average (GAA) to a United East-leading .976. This is the third Athlete of the Week honor for Sheldon; who previously won for the weeks of October 23, 2023, and October 9, 2023. Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Holly Sell / FY / Clarks Summit University / Hartwick, N.Y. / Homeschool Sell had four goals and an assist in the season finale victory over Valley Forge on Tuesday afternoon to give her six goals on the season and 13 points as the First Year closes on her debut campaign. This is the first Player of the Week honor for Sell and first for Clarks Summit since Ksenya Larsen-Sorterup was awarded the week of September 12, 2022 and October 25, 2021. Defensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Rebecca Marakovitz / Jr / Wilson College / New Market, Md. / Linganore HS Marakovitz provided another clean sheet in the regular season finale against Cedar Crest on Tuesday. The 1-0 shutout was Wilson's 12th of the season and Marakovitz's sixth of the season as the Phoenix locked in the No.2 seed and a first round bye in this week’s tournament. Marakovitz is currently 2nd in the United East with a .575 Goals Against Average. Marakovitz earned a Second Team All-CSAC nod in 2022 as well as Defensive Player of the Week for the week of October 17, 2022, September 11, 2023, September 18, 2023, and September 25, 2023. Offensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Carly Fox / FY / Penn State Berks / Feasterville, Pa. / Neshaminy HS Fox tallied the game winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Penn State Harrisburg. The freshman forward put a shot past the keeper and into the top left corner to break a 1-all tie in the 73rd minute. The victory over Harrisburg secured the No.1 seed for Berks in this week’s tournament and a first round bye. This is the first Athlete of the Week nod for Fox. Defensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Sophia Gonzalez / So / Penn State Berks / Ephrata, Pa. / Ephrata HS Gonzalez turned in one of her best performances of the season to help Berks to a thrilling 2-1 win over Penn State Harrisburg. The sophomore goalkeeper finished with three saves and allowed just one goal. Gonzalez made some key punchouts on corner kicks and crosses to deny the Harrisburg offense on several scoring chances. The victory over Harrisburg secured the No.1 seed for Berks in this week’s tournament and a first round bye. Gonzalez was a 2022 United East Second Team member as well as Defensive Player of the Week for the weeks of October 16, 2023, September 4, 2023, October 2, 2022, and September 12, 2022. Women’s Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Olivia Zepp / Sr / Cairn University / Westminster, Md. / Zepp recorded a career-high 45 assists on Saturday against Wilson at home on senior day, positioning her 3rd all-time for career assists in Cairn program history (1,875) in less than 3 full seasons, helping the Highlanders secure 53 kills in the match. On Wednesday at Cedar Crest, Zepp assisted on 21 kills bringing her weekly total to 66 assists. This is the third Athlete of the Week honor for Zepp who previously won for the weeks of October 10, 2022 and September 12, 2022. Defensive Player of the Week - Skye Division Rebekka Sanchez-Castro / Sr / Cedar Crest College / Columbia, Md. / Atholton HS Sanchez-Castro tallied 35 digs over a pair of 3-0 victories as the Falcons ran its win streak to eight straight. She started the week with 22 digs, two assists, and three service aces in a sweep of Cairn and then with 13 digs in a win over Rosemont, she collected her 1,000th career dig. This is the fifth Player of the Week honor for Sanchez-Castro who previously was honored for the week(s) of: October 2, 2023, September 4, 2023, October 10, 2022, and September 26, 2022. Sanchez-Castro was the 2022 CSAC Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-Conference selection. Offensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Ella Gamble / Jr / Gallaudet University / Cullowhee, N.C. / Smoky Mountain HS Gallaudet posted a 3-0 record last week and locked up the No. 1 seed in the Volt Division. Gamble finished the week with 91 assists, 13 digs, 11 service aces, seven kills and four blocks. Gamble passed out 27 assists and five digs at a road win over Lancaster Bible last week. On Saturday, Gamble passed out 31 assists against Berks and 33 against Roanoke. Gamble served up six aces against Berks and five against Roanoke and added three blocks (one solo) and seven digs. Gamble surpassed 1,000 assists for the season on Saturday as well. This is the fourth Athlete of the Week award for Gamble who previously won for the weeks of October 16, 2023, October 9, 2023 and September 18, 2023. Defensive Player of the Week - Volt Division Cassidy Perry / Jr / Gallaudet University / Frederick Md. / Maryland School for the Deaf Perry was a force at the net for Gallaudet last week as the Bison went 3-0 and locked up the No. 1 seed in the Volt Division. Perry accumulated 11 blocks (two solo) and led the Bison with 31 kills (3.44 kills per set) and a .312 attack percentage in nine sets played. Perry had a strong game against Lancaster Bible in a battle of unbeatens in the Volt Division as Perry made six blocks (two solo) and added nine kills in a 3-0 win over the Chargers. Over the weekend, Perry posted back-to-back 11-kill matches against Penn St.-Berks and Roanoke. Perry added three blocks against Berks and two against Roanoke. Perry was the Offensive Player of the Week for the weeks of September 12, 2023 and September 4, 2023 as well as a Second-Team honoree in 2022. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram - gounitedeast | Twitter - @GoUnitedEast * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The United East boasts 17 NCAA Division III full member institutions which include: Bryn Athyn College, Cairn University, Cedar Crest College, Clarks Summit University, Gallaudet University, Keystone College, Lancaster Bible College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Penn College, Penn State Abington, Penn State Berks, Penn State Harrisburg, Rosemont College, Saint Elizabeth University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, University of Valley Forge, and Wilson College. For more information, please visit gounitedeast.com.