ALFRED, NY – Alfred University's AJ Giaquinto (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) was named the Empire 8 Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
 
Giaquinto was a solid defender for the Saxons, helping his team keep Elmira off the board on Wednesday. In addition to his defensive play on Saturday at Russell Sage, he chipped in offensively. He scored the lone AU goal of the afternoon thanks to a long, looped ball over the goalkeeper for the Gators. It wrapped up a week where he finished with three shots and the goal, along with helping the shutout bid over the Soaring Eagles.
 
On Monday, Giaquinto was joined in the Empire 8 listings by Abigail Omelan (Tomball, TX/Tomball) as the Women's Volleyball Co-Player of the Week and Carlos Gonzalez (Baja California, Mexico/Unifront) as the Men's Swimmer of the Week.