There were plenty of weekly honors awarded around the Island following the 2021 NCAA men’s and women’s lacrosse opening weekends.
Both Stony Brook programs swept its respective America East weekly honors list, simultaneously, for the first time in program history. Meanwhile, three of the five available Colonial Athletic Association awards were rewarded to Hofstra players.
America East Week 1 Award Winners- Feb. 22
Offensive Player of the Week- Siobhan Rafferty,– Sr., Midfield, Long Beach, N.Y.
It looks like Rafferty has not lost a step since returning to the field after suffering a torn ACL last season. She recorded a hat trick against top-ranked UNC in her first game back and followed that up with a career-high five goal performance versus Boston. The Long Beach High School graduate is tied for seventh nationally with nine goals scored this season.
Cory VanGinhoven– Gr., Attack
The graduate has stepped up as an offensive threat on the Seawolves primary attack line. VanGinhoven recorded a hat trick in victories over the Sacred Heart Pioneers and Bryant Bulldogs. The attackman earned a game-high seven points in the 20-8 win over the Pioneers and leads the conference with 11 points.
Defensive Player of the Week– Kameron Halsall– Jr., Goalkeeper
Halsall has rebounded well since allowing 14 goals in the season-opening loss to UNC. She has only allowed seven goals while recording eight saves in her last two games.
Anthony Palma, Jr., Goalkeeper, East Islip, N.Y.
Anthony Palma has done well taking over the lead netminder role from Michael Bollinger, who graduated over the fall. The Stony Brook team’s backer-zone defense prevented some of the Sacred Heart player’s shots from reaching the goaltender, making Palma’s starting debut that much easier. He finished the afternoon with a .588 save-percentage and seven goals allowed.
The East Islip-native’s goaltending played a much bigger role against Bryant. Palma prevented 16 shots from finding the back of the net while allowing eight goals, finishing with a .667 save percentage. He currently ranks third nationally with a 7.82 goals-allowed average through two games. Palma was also named to the USILA Team of the Week
Rookie of the Week- Jaden Hampel, Stony Brook –Fr., Midfield, West Islip, N.Y.
It took Hampel less than 13 minutes to record her first collegiate hat-trick in the victory over Boston. The West Islip High School graduate showcased her playmaking ability by converting on all three shot attempts and dishing two assists. Hampel currently has five goals through three games.
Dylan Pallonetti, Stony Brook – Fr., Attack, Stony Brook, N.Y.,
The Ward Mellville graduate wasted no time making an impact in his return to Long Island. Pallonetti set a program record by scoring six goals in his first collegiate game and finished the afternoon with seven points. The 2019 Suffolk County Player of the Year added a goal and an assist in win over the Bulldogs.
Colonial Athletic Association Week 2 Award Winners- Feb. 23
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Alyssa Parrella, Senior,Attack, Miller Place, N.Y.
History was made as Alyssa Parrella became the CAA’s all-time goal leader over the weekend. The Miller Place High School alum’s 226 collegiate goals placed her first all-time, topping Stacey Morlang’s 19-year record of 221 goals scored. Parrella earned five points in the Pride’s nailbiter victory over St. Joseph’s and scored seven goals against UConn. She is currently ranked third in the nation with ten goals scored so far this season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Darcie Smith, Graduate, Defense, Wantagh, N.Y.
While Parella’s scoring gave Hofstra the push it needed to win, Smith’s defense kept her team involved against St. Joe’s. She led the Pride with four draws controlled and two caused turnovers. The Wantagh native followed that up with a game-high 10 draw control victories and five ground balls collected versus UConn.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Alex Concannon– Graduate Student, Attack, Syosset, N.Y.
Held in-check throughout the first half, the graduate was red hot coming out of the locker room for the second half. Concannon knocked down four straight goals for the Pride and kickstarted an unanswered nine-goal run that sealed the victory over Sacred Heart. The Syosset-native matched career marks by finishing with five goals and six points.
