FH All-Tournament Team Announced; Vitro Named MVP
Utica senior Amanda Vitro was named the Empire 8 Field Hockey Tournament MVP after leading the Pioneer defense that allowed just two goals in two games over the weekend. Utica defeated Stevens Institute of Technology, 3-2, in the semifinals and then shutout St. John Fisher College, 3-0, in the finals to win its third straight conference title.
Joining Vitro on the all-tournament team were teammates Hannah Mackey, Alaina Stojkovski and Kells Casey. Mackey tallied a goal and an assist in each tournament game, while Stojkovski scored a goal in each game.
Mackey scored the second goal in the 3-2 semifinal win over Stevens on a penalty stroke and assisted on the game winner in the 62nd minute of play. In the 3-0 win over St. John Fisher in the title game, Mackey capped off the scoring in the 49th minute for her conference leading 36th tally of the season.
Stojkovski scored the game-winner at 61:27 in the semifinals against Stevens. In the finals she ran down the right side of the field, cut to the middle and placed the ball inside the far post for a 2-0 lead.
Casey made six saves against Stevens in the semifinals and then recorded seven saves against Fisher for her second shutout of the year.
Elizabeth Cusack, Marissa Vedella and Alexis Zakala each earned a spot on the all-tournament team after leading Fisher, a fourth-year program, to its second straight championship game.
Cusack assisted on the third goal of the semifinal win against Washington and Jefferson and then gave the Cardinals a key scoring chance in the finals as she collected rebound for a second opportunity but her shot was deflected out of bounds.
Vedella was instrumental in the Cardinals taking 12 shots in the semifinals and seven shots in the finals.
Zakala scored the second goal of the semifinals to put Fisher up 2-0 at halftime against W&J and was solid on defense in both games. Fisher limited W&J to only two shots and denied Utica on all seven penalty corners.
Stevens’ Dailyn Brook and Nolie Prouty were each selected to the E8 all-tournament team as they gave nationally ranked Utica all it could handle in the semifinals.
Prouty was a staple in the midfield and on the defensive end as the Ducks limited the Pioneers to one goal on eight shots in the first half. After making it a 3-2 game with five minutes left, the Ducks held the Pioneers without a single shot but were unable to find the equalizer to force extra time.
Brook sliced the Pioneer lead in half, 2-1, when she was able to put home her own rebound at the 50:55 mark of the second half. And then down two with 6:15 to play, Brook assisted on the Ducks’ second goal of the game to make it a one goal game.
Aria DeSimini and Amanda Steffey were named team. DeSimini came up big twice on the defensive end during the semifinals as she recorded two defensive saves. Offensively, Steffey took both shot attempts for W&J in the semifinal game against Fisher.
2014 All-Tournament Team
Utica: Amanda Vitro (MVP), Kells Casey, Alaina Stojkovski, Hannah Mackey
St. John Fisher: Alexis Zakala, Elizabeth Cusack and Marissa Vedella
Stevens: Dailyn Brook and Nolie Prouty
W&J: Aria DeSimini and Amanda Steffey