PHOTO CREDIT: gorhody.com
Football: Marques DeShields
Even before the season started, Marques DeShields leaped off the charts for the University of Rhode Island football team. Entering his first year with the Rams, the St. Francis transfer jumped into the SportsCenter Top 10 with a hurdle during spring practices before bursting onto the scene in the fall.
Going into Saturday’s game versus Maine, DeShields racked up over 800 total yards, and 11 touchdowns, with 796 of those yards coming on the ground. He also has three games with multiple touchdowns, the most impressive of which came on Oct. 22 at Monmouth. In what turned out to be the longest game in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) history, DeShields collected 256 total yards and four touchdowns in Rhody’s 48-46 victory in seven overtimes — an effort that earned him CAA Offensive Player of the Week and Gold Helmet award from the New England Football Writers Association.
Women’s Soccer: Tierra Garniss
In just her second season with the Rams, Tierra Garniss was one of the most dangerous offensive weapons for the University of Rhode Island’s women’s soccer team, leading the team with five goals and 10 points on the season.
The Ontario, Canada native opened her account with a brace that led URI to a 3-2 comeback win on the road versus the University of Vermont in what was the Rams’ first win of the season. Garniss would later score another brace to spark a comeback effort for the Rams and cut the deficit to just one goal in an effort that ultimately came just short as URI fell 3-2 to Duquesne.
With URI struggling to find the back of the net at home in the latter part of the season, Garniss would cap off her five-goal season with a left-footed curler from outside the box to give the Rams a 1-0 win over George Mason in their final home game of the year.
Men’s Soccer: Patrick Agyemang
Despite missing two of the team’s first three matches of the season for the University of Rhode Island soccer team and not appearing in the starting lineup until Sept. 14 due to injury, Patrick Agyemang continued to prove why he is one of the premiere players in the Atlantic 10 during the 2022 campaign.
Entering the season on the Mac Hermann Award Watch List, the East Hartford, Conn. native finished the season with the team lead in goals (seven) and total points (16). Agyemang was dominant in early October when he was awarded A-10 Offensive Player of the Week, stringing together five points over a three-match undefeated streak for the Rams. This included Rhody’s last-minute thriller versus Saint Louis, where he contributed a goal and an assist in a 3-2 victory over the defending A-10 champs in the pouring rain.
Volleyball: Brynne Wright
Brynne Wright has been a consistent performer for the University of Rhode Island Women’s Volleyball team this season, appearing in all 26 matches and missing only three of URI’s 96 sets of action this year. The sophomore led the team with 233 kills and 271.5 points, averaging 2.51 kills per set. She’s also shined defensively, standing second on the team with 177 digs, averaging 1.9 per set. She comes second on the team with 28 service aces as one of only two players to surpass 15 aces on the season. Her season-high 16 kills and 20.5 points helped Rhode Island to a 3-1 win vs. Duquesne on Family and Alumni weekend.
Men’s Cross Country: Ben Fleischer
After a breakout year that saw him earn five personal bests in the 2021-22 track and field season, Ben Fleischer has picked up where he left off as the 2022 cross-country season concludes.
A senior from Scotch Plains, N.J., Fleischer was the top finisher for the Rams at the Friar Invitational in Attleboro, Mass, finishing 10th overall at 25:06. Fleischer also played a major role in helping the Rams to their first podium finish since 1964 at the New England Championships. Fleischer finished seventh, coming in at 24:54 to help Rhode Island earn 113 team points for a bronze medal finish to championship weekend. At the recent Atlantic-10 championships in Virginia, Fleischer finished in 25:12, 3rd on the team and 36th overall, helping URI to a 10th-place finish.
Women’s Cross Country: Sophia Piccone
In just her second season with the University of Rhode Island Cross Country program, Sophia Piccone has built up distance as one of the top runners in the Atlantic 10. Described as “a leader for our team” by head coach Laurie Feit-Melnick, Piccone has been Rhody’s top finisher through each of the Rams’ meets through the A-10 Championships, even being one of the top overall runners overall in some events.
She shined during the Central Connecticut State University Ted Owen Invite on Sept. 24, where she finished with an overall with a time of 18:04; good enough for second overall in the race. Piccone also had a top-10 finish in the Rothenburg-Brown invite on Oct. 21, coming in seventh with an 11:13.2 mark. At the A-10 Championships on Oct. 29, she came in as Rhody’s top finisher at 18:17.0.