BOSTON – Student-athletes from Mercyhurst (two), RIT and Syracuse captured Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) women’s players of the week honors, saluting their efforts in their weekend series.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Forward of the Week: Zoe Ziotas, RIT (Jr., Markham, Ont.)
Defenseman of the Week: Jocelyn Fiala, Syracuse (Sr., Clavet, Sask.)
Goaltender of the Week: Lexington Secreto, Mercyhurst (Gr., New Windsor, N.Y.)
Rookie of the Week: Halle Duchene, Mercyhurst (F, Saskatoon, Sask.)

FORWARD OF THE WEEK
Zoe Ziotas scored three goals and added an assist in RIT’s conference-opening sweep of Delaware. Two of her goals, one in each game, came shorthanded. 

Ziotas opened the weekend with a career-high three points on two goals and an assist in Friday’s 4-1 win. She added a shorthanded goal and two blocked shots Saturday as the Tigers won, 3-2.

Ziotas has at least a point in all six games this season and has scored a goal in four straight. Her six goals on the season have surpassed her total from her first two years combined (five in 35 games played) and are tied for the AHA lead, just one off the national lead.

This marks Ziotas’s first career AHA weekly honor.

DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK
Jocelyn Fiala scored two goals – one in the third period and another in overtime – in Syracuse’s 5-4 win over No. 4/4 Penn State on Friday. Her first goal came on the power play, giving the Orange a 4-2 lead, and her second delivered the team’s first win over a ranked opponent in 50 tries (0-48-1 prior).

Fiala had four shots on goal, an even plus/minus rating and one blocked shot on the weekend as Syracuse earned a split. Fiala’s goals were her first since sophomore year and the first of her career in conference play. 

This is the first AHA weekly honor of Fiala’s career.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Lexington Secreto stopped all 22 shots she faced in her first start for Mercyhurst on Friday, posting a shutout of Lindenwood, 4-0. 

Secreto, a transfer from Lindenwood, even added an assist on the Lakers’ fourth goal. The shutout was the fourth of her collegiate career.

It marks Secreto’s second AHA Goaltender of the Week honor of her career (also Feb. 3, 2026). 

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Halle Duchene scored a goal in each game as Mercyhurst swept Lindenwood and pulled within one point of first place in the conference standings. She added an assist in Friday’s series finale for her third multiple-point game of her young career.

Duchene has eight points on the season (three goals, five assists), just one point shy of the AHA and national scoring lead among freshmen held by Penn State’s Sofia Ismael (St. George, Ont.).

This is Duchene’s first AHA weekly award and follows her classmate, Mariia Polozkova (Moscow, Russia), who was the AHA Rookie of the Week last week.

ABOUT ATLANTIC HOCKEY AMERICA
Atlantic Hockey America is in its third season in 2026-27 following the merger of the Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America. The conference fields nine Division I men’s teams and seven women’s teams representing 14 institutions. For more information, visit atlantichockeyamerica.com or follow the conference on X (@Atlantic_Hockey), Instagram (@atlantichockeyamerica) and Facebook (Atlantic Hockey America). Watch Atlantic Hockey America home games on FloHockey.