ROCHESTER, NY -- The 2012 Empire 8 field hockey season was competitive throughout the season and down to the final minutes of the playoffs. A late goal with under five minutes remaining by Player of the Year, Louise Steele-Norton, secured a bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament as Utica College defeated top-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology, 4-3, in the E8 Conference Tournament Championship game.
Though it may be unreasonable to expect a similarly exhilarating campaign in 2013, with 17 All-Conference selections back, it’s possible the conference could be even more competitive from top to bottom. The Pioneer squad looks loaded again with three All-Conference First Team selections back to try for another title. But the rest of the field certainly won’t be far behind as they engage in a two-month battle for the Empire 8 title.
Ready to repeat?
With all its returning talent as supporting evidence, the league coaches tabbed Utica (15-6 overall) as the favorite in the 2013 Empire 8 Field Hockey Preseason Poll. The Pioneers received seven first-place votes and a maximum 49 points to claim the top spot, and a second straight E8 title is a real possibility for head coach Sarah Elleman’s team.
Stevens collected 43 tallies, including the remaining top spot consideration. Washington and Jefferson rounds out the top three with 34 points. (full poll results below).
Who’s Back?
Utica welcomes back four all-conference players, led by Steele-Norton. Steele-Norton, a junior and an All-Conference First Team pick, finished the season ranked first in the conference in points (56) on 27 goals and two assists. Hannah Mackey joined Steele-Norton on the first team with the second best mark in the league for points (43) and goals (16). Alaina Stojkovski, E8 Tournament MVP, garnered second team laurels after leading league players with 15 assists. Kells Casey is also back between the pipes after earning first team honors. Casey notched conference bests in save percentage (.814) and goals against average (1.57), while her 21 goals allowed was the second best mark in the Empire 8.
Stevens returns several key players including first team all-conference honorees Marguerite Chavez and Megan Traub. Chavez led the Ducks with 14 goals and was tied for the team lead in assists with 12. She finished 2012 with 40 points, five game-winning goals and a shots on goal percentage of .689. Traub finished with 29 points from her back position, playing a central role in the Stevens defense while contributing in a major way on both offensive and defensive penalty corners. One of the team's biggest hitters, the junior captain scored 12 goals and had five assists. Traub helped Stevens to four shutouts on the year and she led the team with three defensive saves and had points in 12 different games this season.
Washington and Jefferson is looking to make a return to the top of the standings after winning the conference championship in 2011. The President’s posted an 11-8 overall record and haven’t finished below .500 since 2005. However the top two scores from last fall have graduated, leaving some holes on the field that need to be filled. W& J does return all-conference second teamer Victoria Patrick, who aided the Presidents’ offense with five goals and six assists last fall, while helping the defense collect five shutouts. With all five of her goals coming off set plays, she has been notably effective on penalty corners.
Hartwick College will have to replace two of its top playmakers but enjoys the return or Hillary Carlson and honorable mention midfielder Megan Lefeber. Carlson was third on the team in scoring with four goals and five assists for 13 points while Lefeber added one goal and three assists for five points.
St. John Fisher has two full seasons under its belt as an Empire 8 member and reigning E8 Coach of the Year, Tarah Christianson, welcomes back all four all-conference players from 2012. First Team honoree, Stacie Skidmore tied for second on the team with four goals, and led the team in defensive saves, totaling seven on the year. Marissa Vedella, a selection on the Second Team, led Fisher with five goals on the season. Vedella also tallied three assists on the year to give her a team-leading 13 points. Elizabeth Cusack and Danielle Famolaro were both named as Honorable Mentions for the 2012 season. Cusack finished second on the team in points, totaling four goals and two assists for eight points on the year. She also led the team with 32 shots. Famolaro posted a save percentage of 77.7% over 18 games, while tallying four blank slates, with a 2.47 goals against average.
Ithaca College returns Andrea Pace and Lindsay Flanagan who collected second team accolades. Pace was second on the team with 17 points on four goals and nine assists. She also had a team-high three defensive saves. Her nine assists were the most in a single season by a Bomber player in 20 years. Flanagan ranked second on the team with six goals and third on the team with 17 points.
Nazareth College graduated all three of its all-conference players and is looking to improve upon its two conference wins from 2012. Sarah Wazenkewitz (6g, 1a) and Alexis Root (5g, 3a) return on offense after a solid junior campaign, while Shannon Winney finished with a .717 save percentage.
Elmira College looks to climb the Empire 8 ladder this season. Midfielder McKenna Light, an E8 second teamer, has led Elmira in scoring each of the last two seasons, chipping in eight goals and three assists last season. Lauren Thomas, Elmira's primary goaltender led the conference in saves (164) and her 11.71 saves per game ranked seventh in the nation. Shannon Nelligan, an honorable mention selection, is back to aid Thomas on the defensive end. Nelligan recorded two goals on one defensive save last year.
Houghton Highlights
The 2013 season marks the second year of inclusion for Houghton College as a competing Empire 8 program. The Highlanders are not eligible for post-season play (and therefore were not ranked in the poll) but will complete a full league schedule. However, games against Houghton will not factor into the standings.
The Highlanders finished 9-8 in its first season as a provisional NCAA Division III member, including a 3-5 record against Empire 8 teams. Houghton welcomes back welcome back Adria Bridgwood (6g, 1a) and Maesa Phongsamouth (5g) as their top returning scorers. Tatum McLeod will be looked to as a force on defense as the Highlanders feature two young goalies on the 2013 roster.
Dates to remember
Empire 8 field hockey fans don’t have long to wait to see their favorite teams in action. The 2013 season officially begins on Friday, August 30 with five teams taking the field for nonconference contests.
Conference play begins Saturday, Sept. 14, and this year's playoff schedule features two semifinal matches on Saturday, November 9, and the championship on Sunday, Nov. 10 with the highest seed hosting the tournament.
Follow Online
If you can’t make it out to the game be sure to check if Live Stats are available or better yet the game may be web streamed courtesy of EzStream. Be sure to check out the schedule of streamed events by visiting
empire8.tv. The
Empire 8 scoreboard will have the latest schedule and results as well as media coverage links.
A closer look
For more information, visit any of the participating schools' websites or go to the Empire 8 home on the Internet at
www.empire8.com. Don't forget to become a fan of the Empire 8 on
Facebook and follow
@Empire8 on Twitter.
2013 Empire 8 Field Hockey Preseason Coaches Poll
|
Utica College (7 first place votes) |
49 points |
|
Stevens Institute of Technology (1) |
43 |
|
Washington & Jefferson |
34 |
|
Hartwick College |
28 |
|
St. John Fisher College |
26 |
|
Ithaca College |
22 |
|
Nazareth College |
15 |
|
Elmira College |
7 |