BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – One day after being named the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Defensive Player of the Week, senior linebacker Nicholas Ciriello received his first-ever spot on the D3Football.com Team of Week for his performance against Case Western Reserve on Saturday. The D3Football.com Team of the Week recognizes the top NCAA Division III football players from across the nation each week, and it is a fitting recognition for Ciriello given the excellence he's shown as one of the top linebackers in the PAC this season.

Ciriello finished Saturday's 43-16 win over CWRU with 12 total tackles, including a career-best 11 solo stops. He also recorded two tackles for loss, a sack, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown in the victory. It was a career day for the senior linebacker in the final regular season game of his career, and he played a an important part in holding an excellent Spartan offense to just 16 points.

Saturday's win guaranteed Geneva to finish with a winning record, the first time the program has done that since 2009. It was also the first time the GTs had defeated CWRU since the Spartans joined the conference, and their first win outright versus Case Western Reserve since 1977.

Ciriello joins senior wide receiver Keaton Baker as the two Golden Tornadoes to be named to the D3Football.com Team of the Week this season. He and Baker will play pivotal roles in Geneva's final game of the season this Saturday, a road contest at SUNY Brockport in the ECAC Robert M. "Scotty" Whitelaw Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.

Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).