Winthrop, Mass. – A trio of Albertus Magnus College softball players earned All-Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) honors as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon. The Falcons landed one player on the first team and two on the third team.
Sophomore infielder Gillian Fortier (Naugatuck, Conn.) was named to the first team for the second straight year, while classmate Brianna Whitfield (West Islip, N.Y.) and senior outfielder Alyssa Puccilli (Milford, Conn.) both received third team distinction.
The GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team was also announced on Monday and junior infielder Rachel Cataudella (Shelton, Conn.) represented Albertus Magnus on the squad.
Fortier had another banner year for the Falcons after being named the GNAC Player and Rookie of the Year in 2015 as a freshman. Earlier this spring, she became the ninth player in program history to record 100 career hits. Fortier was the fastest to do so, eclipsing the mark in just 68 games. She leads the team in batting average (.387), on-base percentage (.511), slugging percentage (.495), triples (4) and is tied for tops on the squad in hits with Puccilli and Whitfield at 43. She currently ranks fifth in the league in on-base percentage. Last week, she was named the Albertus Magnus College 2015-16 Female Athlete of the Year. Gillian is the daughter of Scott and Christina Fortier and is majoring in criminal justice.
Whitfield had a breakout year for AMC, starting 38 games and hitting .377 with an on-base percentage over .400. She tied for the team lead with 25 runs scored and 21 RBIs this year, while smacking eight doubles. Defensively, Whitfield registered a .926 fielding percentage and was a part of four double plays. During the middle of the season, she put together a career-best nine-game hitting streak. In total, Whitfield had 13 multi-hit games this year. Brianna is the daughter of Nancy Aomando and William Whitfield and is majoring in special education.
Puccilli left her mark on the softball program over the past four years and leaves as the all-time hits leader with 148. This year, she set new career highs in hits (43), doubles (8), stolen bases (9) and batting average (.347). Puccilli had a homer during the season and picked up 21 RBIs. In the outfield, she had the highest fielding percentage on the team at .981, while making seven assists. She racked up three or more hits in a conference game three times, highlighted by a 4-for-4 showing with two runs scored in a 6-0 win against Lasell. Alyssa is the daughter of Anthony and Eva Puccilli and is majoring in communications.
Cataudella appeared in 35 games at second base for Albertus Magnus in 2016. She scored 20 runs, knocked 22 hits and picked up eight RBIs. On the base paths, she stole three bases. Rachel is the daughter of Michael and Louise Cataudella and is majoring in psychology.
The Albertus Magnus College softball team finished the 2016 season with a 22-17 overall record and earned the No. 7 seed in the GNAC Tournament after posting a 12-10 mark in league play. The Falcons saw their season come to an end with a 9-5 setback versus host Suffolk in the double elimination portion of the GNAC Tournament.
Founded in 1995, the GNAC is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
For the latest information on the softball team and Albertus Magnus athletics, follow AMCAthletics on Twitter and visit AlbertusFalcons.com.
