Salem State Athletics Celebrates 2023 VeSPY Awards – Many Local Athletes Honored

SALEM — Salem State University’s Department of Athletics held its annual varsity awards banquet, better known as the VeSPYs on Monday, May 8, 2023 at the O’Keefe Sports Complex.

A total of 54 seniors were honored for their collegiate athletic careers. Also recognized were the team most valuable players from each sport for their exceptional performances during the 2022-23 academic -year.

The Department of Athletics presented Salem State Associate Director of Counseling and Health Services Elizabeth Fell with the Richard B. “Mike” O’Keefe Award for outstanding service to the athletic program. Senior women’s field hockey player Ashley Yebba (Everett, Mass.) was recognized with the CHAMPS/Viking Award for her contributions to the community and fellow students.

Senior women’s basketball player, Liz Zaiter (Peabody, Mass.) and senior men’s soccer player, Patrick Filetti (Newburyport, Mass.) received the Salem State President’s Cup, which is awarded to the top female and male athletes at Salem State. Zaiter was a captain and four-year player and two-time MVP for the women’s basketball team. She was Salem State’s leading scorer and rebounder the last two seasons while earning First Team All-MASCAC honors both years. This season, she became the 19^th Viking to surpass 1,000 career points in a win over MCLA on January 18, 2023. The forward established the single-game rebounding record at Salem State with 30 rebounds in a game against Westfield State in 2020. An outstanding student, Zaiter was an All-MASCAC Academic Team member and was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma Student-Athlete Honor Society.

Filetti, a four-year member of the men’s soccer team, was a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-New England Region selection, including garnering first team honors in 2022. During his career he earned three straight MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year Awards and was named All-MASCAC First Team three times. A two-time captain, he helped the Vikings to an impressive 18-1-2 conference record during his career. A member of two regular season and one MASCAC Tournament championship teams, Filetti helped Salem State reach the NCAA Tournament in 2021.

Senior women’s field hockey player Melanie Mason (Beverly, Mass.) and senior men’s golfer, Brian Cannata (Wakefield, Mass.) were the recipients of the John D. Galaris Scholar-Athlete Award. Mason a four-year member and two-time captain of the Salem State field hockey team was a two-time All-Little East selection. She started every game over the past three seasons and led the Vikings in points and goals scored this year. Inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society, Mason was a two-year member of SAAC and a Special Olympics volunteer. A Dean’s List member and a four-time All-Little All-Academic selection and four-time National Scholar Athlete Day Award Winner, she currently carries a (3.99) GPA in Media and Communications.

Cannata, a four-year member and captain of the Salem State men’s golf team was named the 2023 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year after earning medalist honors and leading the Vikings to the MASCAC Tournament championship.  A two-time First Team All-MASCAC Selection, he was a member of two MASCAC championship teams and helped Salem State reach the NCAA Golf Championships in 2022 & 2023. Cannata also won the Thread City Invitational hosted by Eastern Connecticut in 2022. Inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society, he is Dean’s List member and a four-time All-MASCAC All-Academic selection and four-time National Scholar Athlete Day Award Winner. Cannata currently carries a (3.56) GPA in Business Administration.

2022-23 Team MVP’s 

Men’s Soccer – Patrick Filetti

Women’s Soccer – Jill Tramondozzi

Field Hockey — Melanie Mason

Women’s Tennis – Samantha Tenney

Women’s Volleyball – Kailey Roche

Men’s Basketball – Conner Byrne

Women’s Basketball – Liz Zaiter

Men’s Ice Hockey – Erik Larsson

Women’s Ice Hockey – MacKenzie Mallett

Baseball – Brahiam Ortega

Softball – Sydney Rodriguez

Men’s Lacrosse – Trevor Gilligan

Women’s Lacrosse – Taylor Sujko

Men’s Tennis – Roni Bazile

Men’s Golf – Brian Cannata

VESPY AWARD FOR RECORD SETTING PERFORMANCE

Liz Zaiter, Women’s Basketball

The senior captain from Peabody, Mass. was the Viking’s leading scorer this season, earning First Team All MASCAC honors for the second straight year. Despite only competing for three seasons and having her 2023 campaign end early due to a knee injury, Zaiter reached the 1,000 career-point milestone, producing 348 points.

VESPY AWARD FOR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Ernidia Goncalves Women’s Basketball

A first year performer on the women’s basketball team. The Everett, Mass. native averaged 12.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. She ended the regular season first in offensive rebounds (123) and blocks (49) and was named the MASCAC Rookie of the Week four times. She also was selected as the conference Rookie of the Year, the first Viking to win this award since the 1999-2000 season

Zach Dill – Men’s Ice Hockey

As a freshmen forward on the men’s ice hockey team, he found the back of the net 13 times to lead all freshmen while assisting on 17 others for 30 points. He had five power play goals, two game-winning goals and registered a hat trick once this season. The Lake Tahoe, California native was named as a second team All MASCAC performer, a USCHO All Rookie team selection, and the conference Rookie of the Year winner.

VeSPY Award for Clutch Performance

Andrew Muttiah, Men’s Tennis

Over his career the grad student from Sri Lanka has placed among the all-time leaders in wins and winning percentage in Salem State men’s tennis. The two-time LEC Player of the Year and Rookie of the year was the tournament  MVP in 2019 and 2023. Muttiah recorded a 20-1 record the last two seasons, which included a 20-match win streak. This spring he won 11-out-of-12 matches and led the Vikings to the Little East Conference regular and post season championship.

VESPY AWARD FOR BEST PLAY

Makayla McGrath Women’s Ice Hockey

On November 12, facing a one-goal deficit in the third period against Johnson and Wales, McGrath stole the puck from a Wildcat defender and netted the equalizer with 10:35 to play in the game, which would carry the Vikings to a 3-3 tie.

2023 Salem State Senior Class