Utica Voted Preseason Favorite in Empire 8 Field Hockey Poll
Heading into the season, Utica College is the unanimous pick to win the Empire 8 Championship again this fall. The Pioneers received eight first place votes and racked up 64 points to earn the role of preseason favorite. Stevens Institute of Technology earned the second spot with 55 points and last year’s runner-up, St. John Fisher College, was picked third with 47 points and the remaining first place vote.
Pioneer Points
The Pioneers had another record breaking season in 2013 as they wrapped up their campaign with an overall record of 17-5, en route to their second straight Empire 8 Conference Championship, an automatic NCAA Tournament berth, and NCAA "sweet sixteen" appearance. UC also set new program records for wins (17), points (205), goals (77), and assists (49) in a season.
Utica welcomes back four first team all-conference players. Hannah Mackey collected a career-best 46 points including a career-high 19 goals, Louis Steele-Norton finished third in the Empire 8 in points (41) and goals (18), and Aliana Stojkovski registered 28 points on 11 goals. Kells Casey finished first in the E8 with a 1.57 goals-against average, a .804 save percentage, and seven shutouts.
Duck Discussion
The 2013 Ducks had an excellent season, winning the Empire 8 regular-season title and reaching the semifinals of both the conference and Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Mid-Atlantic Championship. Head coach Emily Beach was named the 2013 E8 Coach of the Year after leading Stevens to a 7-0 mark in the league and an overall ledger of 14-8. However, last season is over and the 2014 season is right around the corner, and it will be exciting to see who steps up to fill the gaps that the class of 2014 left. One constant returning will be E8 second-teamer Dailyn Brook. Brook ranked second on the team with 14 goals and 28 points.
Cardinal Chatter
Fisher is coming off the most successful season in program history after posting 10 wins and reaching the Empire 8 title game in only their third season as an NCAA Division III program. The Cardinals will look to continue its success under new head coach Victoria Warzeski.
After graduating one player from last season's team, the Cardinals are set to return nearly the entire roster including Stacie Skidmore, Marissa Vedella, and Elizabeth Cusack. Skidmore, an All-Region honoree, posted seven goals and seven assists, while Vedella (8g, 5a) and Cusack (10g, 23 pts) were named second team all-conference.
Bomber Basics
Ithaca finished the 2013 season with a record of 10-8 on the year, as the Bombers reached their first Empire 8 Tournament since 2009. Danielle Coiro (10g, 5a) returns to the front line after earning first team all-conference and second team all-region honors. Katie Lass, reigning E8 Rookie of the Year, ranked second in the conference with a .812 save percentage, while her 2.70 goals-against-average ranked third in the Empire 8.
President Points
W&J finished the 2013 season with a 13-6 overall record. The Presidents are seeking a conference championship and a return to the NCAA Division III Tournament, which they accomplished both for the first time in program history in 2011. Entering her senior year, midfielder Catherine Beaudoin returns as the top scorer after netting 14 goals and seven assists. Joining Beaudoin on the offensive attack will be forward Amanda Steffy who finished her rookie season with nine goals and 23 points.
Hawk Highlights
The Hawks finished the 2013 season with a record of 5-13 and 1-5 in the Empire 8 conference. Head coach Anna Meyer, who enters her 27th season at the helm, will be guiding a young squad as her roster features 10 freshman, 11 sophomores and one senior. The Hawks will have some spots to fill on offense as the top four point scorers have moved on, but returning goalie Shannon Carter will highlight the defensive end. Carter started all 15 games in her rookie season, posting a 2.68 goals against average and a .761 save percentage.
Golden Flyer Focus
The Golden Flyers finished 4-14 overall in 2013, including a 2-5 mark in conference play. Thirteen players are back from last year's team and will be joined by three freshman and a Division II transfer. Maggie Muzio and Sibongile Chisi return to offense after finishing with 15 points (5g, 5a) and 12 points (6g), respectively. On the defensive end, the Golden Flyers will look to Kailee Coleman (7pts) and Megan Paris (18 starts) to provide support for returning goalies Shannon Winney (.690 save percentage) and Lauren Devine.
Houghton Highlights
The 2014 season marks the third year of inclusion for Houghton College as a competing Empire 8 program. For the first time, the Highlanders will factor into conference standings and be eligible to compete in the E8 postseason. However, Houghton is still unable to compete at the NCAA national level. So if Houghton wins the E8 tournament, the conference tournament runner-up will earn the AQ to the NCAA.
The Highlanders finished 6-12 overall, including a 2-6 record against Empire 8 teams and will be looking to increase their win total. The 2014 roster will feature seven returners and 10 newcomers. Colleen Sullivan (6g, 2a) is back for her senior year and will lead the front line, while classmate Hannah Zgrablich (1g, 3a) and sophomore Kelsie Ashley will anchor the back line after registering six defensive saves each.
Soaring Eagles Essentials
The Soaring Eagles went 4-12 in the 2013 regular season and 1-6 in Empire 8 action with their lone conference win coming against W& J. Elmira said goodbye to seven seniors, but the largest void will be felt in the goal cage as Purple and Gold bid farewell to Lauren Thomas. With the starting keeper position up for grabs, at least Elmira will have veteran leadership on the offensive end in Alli Gilbert. Gilbert ranked fifth in the conference with points (29) and sixth in goals scored (13).
Dates to remember
Empire 8 field hockey fans don’t have long to wait to see their favorite teams in action. The 2014 season officially begins on Friday, August 29 with five teams taking the field for nonconference contests and three more kicking of their season on Saturday, August 30.
Conference play begins Saturday, Sept. 20, and this year's playoff schedule features two semifinal matches on Saturday, November 8, and the championship on Sunday, Nov. 9 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 Volar Video. 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
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@Empire8 on Twitter and
Instagram.
2014 Empire 8 Field Hockey Preseason Coaches Poll
|
Utica (8 first place votes) |
64 points |
|
Stevens |
55 |
|
St. John Fisher (1) |
47 |
|
Ithaca |
42 |
|
Washington & Jefferson |
36 |
|
Hartwick |
27 |
|
Nazareth |
22 |
|
Houghton |
20 |
|
Elmira |
11 |