Now that all Quinnipiac fall athletic seasons have come to an end, it’s time to recognize some of Quinnipiac’s most outstanding coaches and players. Sam DaCosta, Justin Cait and Max Molski give you their choices for the best of the semester.

Best Coach

Kris Czaplinski

Kris Czaplinski flipped MAAC conference volleyball on its head by completely turning Quinnipiac women’s volleyball around. After the Bobcats had won just 16 games over the last five years, Czaplinski’s team finished third in the MAAC standings, amassing a Division-I program best 21-13 record (11-7 MAAC). –SD

Eric Da Costa

Under head coach Eric Da Costa in 2015, men’s soccer finished with an overall record of 2-11-6 and 1-5-4 in conference play. Just one season later, Da Costa coached men’s soccer team to a 13-7 overall record and 8-2 conference record, earning the team the top seed in the MAAC as well as a MAAC Championship appearance. –JC

Eric Da Costa

Da Costa earned BSN Sports MAAC Coach of the Year this season as the men’s soccer team won the MAAC regular season title. The Bobcats lost just two games after September, both of them home defeats to Rider, the eventual MAAC champions. –MM

Most Valuable Player

Nadya Gill

After being named MAAC Rookie of the Year last season, sophomore women’s soccer forward Nadya Gill scored a team-leading nine goals in 2016. She also added three assists to tie the team lead in points with 21. –SD

Maria Pansari

Breaking records as a rookie isn’t easy… that is, unless you’re freshman volleyball setter Maria Pansari. In her first season at Quinnipiac, Pansari shattered both the all-divisions and Division-I assists records (previously 992 Division-I and 1,214 all divisions) by finishing the year with 1,358 assists. –JC

Ilona Maher

Ilona Maher, Emily Roskopf and Flora Poole each dominated for the women’s rugby team this season, but nobody controls the game quite like Maher. Her value transcends the stat sheet as the opposition must choose to let Maher run them over or let her dish it off to a teammate for a try. –MM

Most Improved Player

Rashawn Dally

After registering just 1 goal and 2 assists for 4 points last year, Rashawn Dally put up 4 goals and 5 assists for 13 points, which was the third-most of anyone on the team. As his role on the team has grown, Dally earned Second Team All-MAAC Honors. –SD

Jen Coffey

In 2015, Jen Coffey played in 18 matches, recorded 2.71 kills per set, .25 blocks per set and a hitting percentage of .18. In 2016, Coffey played in 33 matches, recorded 3.08 kills per set, .43 blocks per set and a hitting percentage of .241. Her play was a huge reason why Quinnipiac had its most successful volleyball season Division-I history. –JC

Ryan Scheiderman

Ryan Schedierman accumulated just 2 goals and 1 assist in 2015. He followed the year up by starting in 10 more games and finishing with 14 points (5 goals, 4 assists) in his senior season, enough to put him at second on the team. -MM

Best Freshman

Eamon Whelan

Eamon Whelan was a phenom for the men’s soccer team, earning MAAC Rookie of the Year honors. He scored a team-high 11 goals, finishing second in the MAAC in both goals and points. Perhaps his most important contribution is his performance in clutch situations as Whelan finished tied for the league lead with 4 game-winning goals. –SD

Olivia Golini

After Quinnipiac field hockey lost two-time MAAC Co-Goalkeeper of the Year Megan Conaboy to graduation at the end of the 2015 season, there were big shoes to be filled. Freshman Olivia Golini stepped in and adequately filled those shoes in her first season at Quinnipiac. Golini played in 17 games in field hockey’s first BIG EAST season, earning five wins, 87 saves and a BIG EAST Rookie of the Week award on Aug. 29. –JC

Maria Pansari

Quinnipiac volleyball had an unprecedented season behind the addition of several freshmen, and none of them had a bigger impact than Maria Pansari. She fed passes to her Bobcat teammates all season, enough to shatter program records in her first season playing on Burt Kahn Court. –MM

Best Game

Field hockey shocks No. 19 Old Dominion

Quinnipiac pulled off a 3-2 upset in an overtime thriller against No. 19 Old Dominion on Oct. 12 at Yale’s Johnson Field. The Bobcats went into the second half down 1-0, but were able to battle back to make it 2-2 at the end of regulation. Savanna Reilly scored the dramatic overtime winner to give the Bobcats their first ever win over a top-20 team. –SD

Rugby annihilates Castleton, 215-0

Quinnipiac rugby needed to make strides after its first loss of the season, 19-12 to Central Washington. While a win was hoped for, nobody expected a 215-0 route against Castleton on Oct. 23. Quinnipiac flexed its muscles, scoring tries with 15 different players, while senior place kicker Madison Gegeckas tallied 56 points alone. –JC

Rugby championship

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The NIRA National Championship game had all the makings. The top two teams went head to head in Quinnipiac and Central Washington, the women’s rugby team had never beaten the Wildcats and the Bobcats were gunning to be back-to-back national champions. Throw in the 12-0 deficit the team faced to start the game, and Quinnipiac’s 46-24 win makes it the top game from the fall. -MM