MASCAC Fall Sportsmanship Teams Announced

WESTFIELD, Mass. – 47 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) student-athletes have been recognized for their outstanding sportsmanship as members of the 2015 Fall Sportsmanship Team.

The MASCAC Sportsmanship Team recognizes student-athletes and coaches who display outstanding sportsmanship on and off the field. As an important piece of the MASCAC and NCAA philosophy, the representatives on the team display what it means to have good sportsmanship in the MASCAC.

The sports that are represented on the fall team are men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball.

A student-athlete from each institution is selected by their coach to be placed on the Sportsmanship Team. Joining the student-athletes is also a coach who was voted on by their peers to be the Sportsmanship Coach of the Year for their respective sport.

Mark Waller of Bridgewater State, Chauncey Beatty of Fitchburg State, Jay Ebersole of Framingham State, Chris Gamble of MCLA, Joe Eastman of Massachusetts Maritime, Steve Parece of Westfield State and Will Whearty of Worcester State were named to the Sportsmanship Team from men’s cross country.

On the women’s cross country team, Danielle Poto of Bridgewater State, Shawna Ryan of Fitchburg State, Emma Hazen of Framingham State, Kaitlyn Gevry of MCLA, Kaylene Murphy of Massachusetts Maritime, Shannon Grossman of Westfield State and Mia Rogers of Worcester State take home the sportsmanship honor. Framingham State’s Scott VanderMolen was picked as the Sportsmanship Coach of the Year for the both the men’s and women’s cross country team.

Headlining the Football Sportsmanship Team are Nicholas Salois of Bridgewater State, Taylor Eckstrom of Fitchburg State, Sean Wlasuk of Framingham State, Andrew Bochman of Massachusetts Maritime, Sam Bellamy of Plymouth State, Jason Ferri of UMass Dartmouth, Brian Birdsell of Western Connecticut State, Anthony Metzler of Westfield State and Ryan Filliger of Worcester State. Westfield State’s Pete Kowalski was named the Football Sportsmanship Coach of the Year.

Brooke Pacheco of Bridgewater State, Samantha Zina of Fitchburg State, Lulu Foy of Framingham State, Paige Fairman of MCLA, Kianna Carpenter of Massachusetts Maritime, Alysha Brunelle of Salem State, Christina Buonopane of Westfield State and Mackenzie Foye of Worcester State are the Women’s Soccer Sportsmanship Team honorees. Fitchburg State’s Patricia McColl and Salem State’s Nicolle Wood share the honor of Sportsmanship Coach of the Year for the squad.

In men’s soccer, Jonathan Pires of Bridgewater State, Steven Martinez of Fitchburg State, Johance Liverpool of Framingham State, Kwadwo Kusi of MCLA, Taylor Sjoberg of Massachusetts Maritime, Connor Erickson of Salem State, Jack Fisher of Westfield State and Matt Dent of Worcester State land on the Sportsmanship Team. Greg Perry of Massachusetts Maritime was selected by his peers to be the Men’s Soccer Sportsmanship Coach of the Year.

Rounding out the sportsmanship squads is volleyball where Charleyne Panner of Bridgewater State, Annie DeLoid of Framingham State, Courtney Parent of MCLA, Emma Ethier of Massachusetts Maritime, Micaela Fornaciari of Salem State, Renae Hatcher of Westfield State and Emily Carens of Worcester State are recognized. Massachusetts Maritime’s Melanie Appleman earned the Sportsmanship Coach of the Year accolade.

The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, the nation’s oldest Division III men’s and women’s playing conference, has a rich and storied tradition of competitive success while celebrating excellence in the classroom. MASCAC member schools include Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, MCLA, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Salem State University, Westfield State University and Worcester State University. Two other institutions, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Plymouth State University, are affiliate members of the conference in the sports of football and men’s ice hockey, while Western Connecticut State University joined the conference as an affiliate member in football beginning in 2013.