Women's Soccer | 11/7/2019 8:11:54 PM
ROCHESTER, NY – Second-seeded Hartwick College will host No. 4 Utica College in the 2019 Empire 8 Women’s Soccer Championship match at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9 at historic Elmore Field. The league champion receives an automatic berth into the 2020 NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship, which begins on Nov. 16-17.
Hartwick punched its ticket to the tournament final after defeating No. 3 seed Nazareth, 1-0 on Wednesday evening. Zoe Capanna scored her first collegiate goal in 55th minute, while goalkeeper Cassandra Robataille made four saves. Hartwick out-shot Nazareth, 18-7, including 14-3 in the second half.
Hartwick has allowed just 14 goals in 18 games this season and is 12-3-3 overall. Robataille leads the Empire 8 with a 0.70 goals against average and 12 shutouts. Tanner Reed leads the Hawks in scoring with six goals and 14 points, while Gabrielle Kreppein has four goals and 11 points.
Utica advanced to the Empire 8 Championship game for the second year in a row, as they knocked off top-seed St. John Fisher, 1-0 Wednesday evening. Emma Workman scored on a free kick with 7:33 remaining in regulation to break the scoreless tie, while Allison Wagner made eight saves in net to earn the shutout.
The Pioneers are 11-5-1 overall and have outscored their opponents, 37-16 this season. The 11 wins are the most by a Utica team since 2006. Mikayla Blumenstock leads all Empire 8 players in scoring with 22 goals and 46 points and has at least one goal in 12 different games this season. Kierra Caissey is second on the team in scoring with seven goals and 15 points. Wagner is 10-5-1 with a 1.00 goals against average and an .875 save percentage. She is Utica’s all-time leader in saves and shutouts.
Hartwick defeated Utica on the road by a score of 2-0 on Oct. 5. Courtney Velho and Hannah Bochniak scored for the Hawks, while Robataille made seven saves in the shutout. Hartwick held a 17-11 edge in overall shots, while each team fired seven shots on net.
Hartwick is looking for its second Empire 8 title, having shared the crown in 2017. Utica is looking for its first league title.
This weekend's championship schedule is below. For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on Twitter (@Empire8).
2019 Empire 8 Women's Soccer Championship Schedule
Wednesday, November 6 - Semifinals
No. 4 Utica 1, No. 1 St. John Fisher 0
No. 2 Hartwick 1, No. 3 Nazareth 0
Saturday, November 9 - Championship Final
No. 4 Utica at No. 2 Hartwick – 5 p.m.
Admission
$6.00 - Adults
$4.00 - Students and seniors with ID
Free - Children under 12
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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