Central Islip, N.Y. - Junior Linda Velaj (Stamford, Conn.) from the University of Bridgeport, sophomore Krissy Lacik (Edison, N.J.) from Mercy College and senior Ettore Morelli (Bellmore, N.Y.) from Molloy College have been selected to receive the inaugural John Smillie, Jr. Award.  This award was created to celebrate student-athletes who have overcome personal or physical challenges and hardships to pursue their intercollegiate athletic careers.

The first recipient suffered a tragic accident after a big win over the conference-leading C.W. Post Pioneers. The Purple Knights had stopped for dinner on the way home from the game and while attempting to cross the busy intersection, Velaj was struck by a car.  She was rushed to the emergency room where she had undergone surgery to amputate her 3rd, 4th, and 5th, digits of her left hand at the DIP joints.

With just days to go before the conference tournament, Velaj and her teammates were devastated; the Purple Knights would compete for the conference title without their leading scorer.  Although still sidelined, Velaj was there to support her team throughout the following week.  She attended practices and cheered on her team helping them prepare for the conference tournament.  Her positive attitude and support helped guide the team to the Third Round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament. 

Velaj was determined to finish her season on the field and before the team left for the NCAA Third Round game, she was cleared to play.  The doctors warned her that the she would be more prone to frost bite and one hit would cause excruciating pain, but despite the doctor's hesitancy, Velaj was ready to play.  Before she left a splint was fashioned for her with extra padding for protection and warmth and exactly three weeks after the incident, Velaj returned to the field.  She played in 3/4 of the game, gave it her all, and put everything else aside.  Although the team did not advance, Velaj was on the field with her team at the end of the season and through it all she never gave up. 

The second recipient, Krissy Lacik (Mercy College) suffered what could have been a career-ending injury before it ever really got started.  In the fifth inning of the second game of her freshman season (2008) at Georgian Court, Lacik collided with teammate Alicia Martin going after a fly ball. When she tried to get up and chase the ball down, her body didn't follow.  Lacik couldn't get up as she had torn the ACL, MCL, PCL, POL and both meniscus in her right knee.

Two weeks later she had the knee repaired and began rehabilitation shortly after.  The doctor first told her it would be 8-12 months of rehab before she might be able to play again.  She worked hard with her physical therapist and defied the doctor's prognosis, getting cleared to begin some softball activities just five months later and was fully cleared to resume full softball participation in January of 2009.  When she was cleared, her doctor then told her that he did not expect her to be able to ever play again at first, but did not want to tell her that for risk of Krissy not completing the rehab.

Not only did she play again, she completed her first full season for the Mavericks in 2009, starting in the outfield all 34 games with a solid .299 batting average, five doubles, two home runs, and ranked second on the squad with 20 runs batted in.  She played a major role in helping the Mavericks to their most successful season since 1987, winning 16 games and becoming a legitimate threat in the ECC.  Along with her success on the field, she is just as competitive in the classroom, earning a spot on the ECC Commissioner's Honor Roll and compiling a 3.32 cumulative GPA.

The third recipient battled knee injury after knee injury throughout his career.  Morelli had his first surgery before joining the Lions' squad in 2004.  Despite that, he played in all 17 games his freshmen year (2004) and was named the conference Rookie of the Year along with garnering All-Conference Second Team honors. However, that spring Morelli sustained another meniscus tear. 

Surgery and rehabilitation forced him to sit out the entire 2005 Men's Soccer season and he returned to the field in 2006, knowing he would need to undergo surgery after the season to remove frayed cartilage in the joint.  That year he played in all 17 games and was named to the All-Conference Third Team. 

Morelli was ready for the start of the 2007 season after more rehabilitation, but just a few games into the season, he sustained another significant meniscus tear in the same knee. That tear led to his 4th knee operation, a complete menisectomy, which prevented him from playing again that season.  Another course of rehab was in store for Morelli and legitimate doubts if he would ever be able to play effectively again. 

He returned to his spot in front of the net in the Fall of 2008 to complete his last year of eligibility.  During the 2008 season Morelli led the Lions both on and off the field as a captain. The team won a program record 12 games and claimed their first ever ECC Championship with a 1-0 shutout win over Dowling College.  Morelli played a huge part bringing our Men's Soccer program to it's first ever NCAA Tournament, the first such appearance for any of Molloy's Men's Athletic Programs.  During 2008, he was ranked nationally in save percentage, goals against average, and saves per game.  He named to the 2008 ECC Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll, the All-Conference First Team as well as being selected the ECC Goalkeeper of the Year.      

John Smillie, Jr. Award
The John Smillie, Jr. Award is presented annually by the Sports Medicine Staff members of the East Coast Conference institutions to the student-athlete or student-athletes who have overcome personal and/or physical challenges and hardships to participate and contribute to their institution's intercollegiate athletic program.

This award is named for John Smillie, Jr. who served as Athletic Trainer at New York Institute of Technology and cared for NYIT and East Coast Conference team members for 14 years with caring, compassion and unselfishness prior to his passing in December 2008.