The NESCAC has released its Players of the Week for the week ending October 11. The conference recognizes student-athletes for each sport based on their contributions to their team each week, based on information provided by the athletic communications offices on each campus. During the fall season, football, field hockey, men's soccer, women's soccer, and volleyball will be announced on Mondays, while cross country runners of the week and golfers of the week will be announced on Tuesdays when selected.
NESCAC Field Hockey Player of the Week | Weekly Release
Isabel Ginns – Tufts – Sr. – GK – Montclair, N.J.
In the lone game of the week for the Jumbos, Ginns was the backbone of Tufts' 2-0 victory over Middlebury on Saturday as the top two teams in NESCAC and in the nation squared off. The senior posted a season-high nine saves as the Panthers out-shot the Jumbos 21-14. Ginns was particularly strong in the fourth quarter, when she made five saves as Middlebury attempted 10 shots in a comeback attempt. The shutout was Ginns' fifth of the year. The win was the Jumbos' 16th in a row, dating back to last year, and broke the school record.
NESCAC Football Offensive Player of the Week | Weekly Release
Nate Johnson – Tufts – So. – QB – Allendale, N.J.
Johnson got his second career start and first in 2026, and made it count in a 20-13 win over Bowdoin. Johnson accounted for 304 yards of total offense, including 178 passing yards on 13-of-20. He also rushed for 124 yards on 12 attempts and a touchdown. Late in the game and trailing 13-12, Johnson rushed in from 17 yards out with nine seconds to play to put the Jumbos up 18-13. He then hit Granville Anderson for a two-point conversion, giving the Jumbos a seven-point cushion.
NESCAC Football Defensive Player of the Week
Tommy Kilroy – Wesleyan – So. – DB – Norfolk, Mass.
Kilroy snagged a pair of interceptions for the Cardinals in a 21-7 win over Colby in a game in which the Wesleyan defense held the Mules to just nine first downs and 155 total yards of offense. Kilroy's fourth-quarter interception at the Wesleyan 12-yard line with 2:40 remaining sealed the win for Wesleyan.
NESCAC Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Wyatt Morgan – Amherst – Jr. – DL – Fairfield, Conn.
Morgan blocked a 24-yard field-goal attempt with seven seconds remaining to preserve the Mammoths' 23-22 win over Middlebury. The junior also made 3 tackles and broke up one pass attempt in the win.
NESCAC Men’s Soccer Player of the Week | Weekly Release
Will Sawin – Middlebury – Sr. – F – Stonington, Conn.
In Middlebury’s lone contest of the week at No. 15 Tufts, Sawin had a hand in both goals in the 2-1 victory over the Jumbos. The forward assisted on the Panthers’ first goal in the opening minutes of the second half and added the eventual game-winner in the 67th minute to seal the win. Sawin's performance secured Middlebury’s first road win in Medford since a 1-0 triumph on September 11, 2010 and keeps the Panthers as the lone unbeaten squad in NESCAC action. Sawin is tied with three others in Division III with five golden goals.
NESCAC Women’s Soccer Player of the Week | Weekly Release
Caroline Kelleher – Trinity – So. – F – Shrewsbury, Mass.
Kelleher
was instrumental in two victories last week for the Bantams, including their first win over Bowdoin since 2018. In a 1-0 win at No. 17 University of Hartford, Kelleher delivered the cross on the game-winning goal, then scored Trinity’s opening goal in a 3-1 win over the Polar Bears.
NESCAC Volleyball Player of the Week | Weekly Release
Evelyn Kunde – Colby – Fy. – RS – Miami Shores, Fla.
Kunde led Colby to back-to-back NESCAC victories last weekend, including a win over previously undefeated Wesleyan. Across seven sets, the first-year racked up 23 kills with just one attack error and posted a .524 hitting percentage for the week. Against the No. 7-ranked Cardinals, Kunde posted a team-high 15 kills without a single hitting error on 27 swings (.556 hitting percentage). In a 3-0 sweep of Amherst, the rookie had a game-high eight kills (.467 hitting percentage).
