Rensselaer athletes rack up Liberty League awards
MEN’S LACROSSE SCHNAPP NAMED LIBERTY LEAGUE OFFENSIVE PERFORMER OF THE WEEK
TROY, N.Y. » Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student- athlete Connor Schnapp was selected as the Men’s Lacrosse Offensive Performer of the Week by the Liberty League, the conference has announced.
A freshman attack, Schnapp helped the Engineers to a pair of victories, 26- 5 over UMass Boston and 14-5 at Liberty League foe Bard College. He led the team in goals (7), assists (3) and points (10) while registering 14 shots and a ground ball.
Against the Beacons in a contest at IMG Academy in Florida, Schnapp had two goals, including the gamewinner, and two assists for four points with three shots. He scored once in the second quarter and once in the third, when he also tallied his two assists. At Bard on Saturday in the league opener for both teams, he scored five times with an assist, 11 shots, a ground ball and two caused turnovers. Schnapp tallied the first goal of the game in the first quarter before scoring once in the second, once in the third and twice in the fourth, when he also had his assist.
In five games this year, the chemical engineering major has 10 points (7 goals, 3 assists) with 15 shots, including 11 on goal. He has three ground balls and two caused turnovers.
While in high school, Schnapp played four years of lacrosse, starting two and serving as captain for one. He was the team leader in assists as a senior when he earned All-League Second Team. He was a member of the National Honor Society and a recipient of the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence.
Schnapp and his Rensselaer teammates, who have won four straight games and are 4-1, are home on Saturday afternoon (1:00 p. m.) against league foe Ithaca College (5- 0; 1- 0 Liberty League), the 13thranked team in the nation, according to the latest USILA Coaches Poll.
WOMEN’S TENNIS NEAL AND RAJAMOHAN NAMED LIBERTY LEAGUE DOUBLES TEAM OF THE WEEK
TROY, N.Y. » The Liberty League women’s tennis awards for the period ending March 18 have been announced and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student- athletes Mailani Neal and NIsha Rajamohan earned Doubles Team of the Week. Another, Andrea Valencia, was selected to the Weekly Honor Roll. All three are juniors who have helped the Engineers to a 7-3 dual match record.
In three matches while on Spring Break, Neal and Rajamohan were undefeated while playing No. 1, helping the team to a 3- 0 record in those matches. After playing with different partners in the first two matches in Florida, the tandem came together to help Rensselaer defeat St. Norbert College, 8-1, by winning 8-1 at No. 1, defeating a freshman and sophomore. They then won 8- 6 over a junior and senior from Northwestern (Minn.) to help the Engineers to a 6- 3 win. They closed out the week with an 8- 0 win over a junior and freshman from North Central College, which Rensselaer defeated, 8-1.
Overall on the trip, Rajamohan was 5- 0 in doubles, winning matches at No. 2 doubles with Valencia. They defeated a pair from Agnes Scott College, 8- 4, before winning 8-3 against a team from the University of Scranton. She also went 5- 0 in singles. On the season, Rajamohan is now 10-3 in doubles, having played with three different partners, and 7-8 in singles.
Neal is currently 8-7 in singles, having gone 2-3 on Spring Break, and 9- 6 in doubles with two playing partners. Prior to teaming with Rajamohan, she was 1-1 in Florida while playing with sophomore Tess Lubin. They won against Agnes Scott, 8- 3, but lost to Scranton, 8-3.
Valencia earned Honor Roll recognition after she was undefeated while playing No. 3 in five matches. She won 6- 0, 6- 4 over a junior from Agnes Scott; 6-3, 6- 4 over a junior from Scranton; a 6- 0, 6-1 win over a sophomore from St. Norbert and 6-1, 6-0 against a junior from Northwestern. She closed out the week with a 6-1, 6-1 win over a freshman from North Central. Valencia is now 7-3 in singles matches and 8- 4 in doubles. She was 5-0 in doubles last week.
Rensselaer, which has won three of its last four matches, travels to Yeshiva University for a match on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
MEN’S TENNIS TENNIS TEAM SWEEPS WEEKLY LIBERTY LEAGUE AWARDS
TROY, N.Y. » After posting a 4- 0 week, including victories over two nationallyranked opponents, studentathletes from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ( RPI) men’s tennis team earned each of the weekly awards from the Liberty League, it has been announced. Sophomore Sebastian Castillo- Sanchez was named the Singles Performer of the Week, senior Tristan Wise and freshman Brian Niguidula combined to captured Doubles Team of the Week and Niguidula garnered Rookie of the Week. This is the second time the Engineers, who are ranked No. 27 in the nation, have swept the conference’s weekly awards this season.
While on Spring Break in Florida, Castillo- Sanchez was undefeated while playing No. 1 singles. He began with a 6- 4, 6-2 win over a senior from Post University in a match Rensselaer won, 7-2. He then won 6- 4, 6- 4 over another senior, this one from No. 39 Stevens, which RPI also defeated 7-2. Castillo-Sanchez followed with a 6-2, 6-7 (4), 10-8 win over a junior from No. 26 University of Texas at Tyler in a match the Engineers captured, 5- 4, and he closed out the week with a 6- 0, 6-2 win over a sophomore from Hamilton College. Rensselaer defeated the Continentals, 8-1, to improve to 7-1 in dual matches.
This is the third Singles Performer of the Week in the past four weeks for Castillo-Sanchez, who has won the award four times overall this season.
Wise and Niguidula were selected for the first time, though they are the third RPI pairing to be recognized. This week’s award came after the twosome went undefeated while primarily playing No. 3 on the court. After a 9-7 win over a pair of juniors from Post, they won 9-7 over a senior and freshman from Stevens. Wise and Niguidula then earned an 8- 5 win over a junior and freshman from UT Tyler before winning 8-1 while playing No. 2 against a senior and freshman from the Continentals.
In singles, Niguidula was 3-1 while primarily playing No. 4. The two-time Rookie of the Week had a 4- 6, 6-2, 10-5 win over a junior from Post; a 2- 6, 7- 5, 10- 6 loss to a senior from Stevens; a 6-3, 7- 6 (3) win over a junior from Tyler; and a 7- 5, 6- 4 win against a freshman from Hamilton. Niguidula, who has been the Singles Performer of the Week once, played No. 3 in the final match.
Rensselaer, which is coached by Jon Satkowski, returns to action on Saturday when it plays at league favorite Skidmore College, which is ranked No. 26 in Division III. The match begins at 1:00 p.m.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE MILINSKI, AGAIN NAMED LIBERTY LEAGUE DEFENSIVE PERFORMER OF THE WEEK
TROY, N.Y. » The Liberty League has announced its weekly award winners from women’s lacrosse and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ( RPI) student-athlete Aleena Milinski was named Defensive Performer of the Week for the second week in a row.
A junior goaltender from Beaver Falls, Pa., Milinski went 2- 0 with an 8.57 goals against average and a .500 save percentage last week, helping the Engineers to wins over Mount Holyoke ( 17-7) and Clarkson ( 149). She made 13 saves, including 11 in RPI’s Liberty League- opening victory over the Golden Knights on Saturday.
Through five games this season, Milinski has a 3-1-1 record, with a 10.19 goals against average and a .495 save percentage. Recording 45 total saves, she stopped a season-high 16 against Colorado College on March 11. Milinski ranks fifth in the Liberty League in save percentage and is sixth in saves per game (9.00).
Last season, Milinski went 6- 9 with a 10.01 goals against average and a .471 save percentage in 15 games (all starts). She recorded doubled- digit save totals five times, including a career-best 18 stops on April 8, 2017 at St. Lawrence. As a freshman, she was 4-1 with a 9.84 goals against average and a .400 save percentage in nine games (4 starts).
The Engineers have started the season with a 3-1-1 record, including a 1- 0 mark in Liberty League play. They travel to 13thranked William Smith on Friday (4:00 p.m.) and Rochester on Saturday (1:00 p.m.).