Field Hockey | 11/9/2019 3:57:17 PM
ROCHESTER, NY – Third-seed Hartwick College scored a pair of goals 1:51 apart in the third quarter to erase a 1-0 deficit and defeat No. 4 seed Nazareth College, 2-1 in the 2019 Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship from Growney Stadium on the campus of St. John Fisher on Saturday. Hartwick receives an automatic berth into the 2019 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship Tournament, which begins on Nov. 13.
The title is Hartwick's first since the Empire 8 went to a postseason tournament format in 2007, and sends the Hawks to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004. With a goal in both the Semifinal and Final, midfielder
Brooke Singer (Johnson City, NY/Maine-Endwell) was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player. Hartwick is now 13-6 overall, matching their highest win total since 2004, while Nazareth ends their season at 9-12.
Hartwick's next game will come in the NCAA Tournament. The First Round begins on Wednesday, November 13, and the Hawks will find out their fate this Sunday, Nov.10, when the NCAA releases the field at 11:30 p.m.
The Golden Flyers struck first in the 23
rd minute. They earned a corner at 22:34 and got a shot at net that was kept out during the ensuing scramble, but were then awarded another corner. This time, they took advantage. Natalie L'Hommedieu returned the ball into play to Jennifer Hilts at the top of the circle. Hilts, who scored the double-overtime winner in yesterday's Semifinal win over St. John Fisher, poked one a couple yards ahead to Mikaylee Whalen. Whalen turned and fired, sending one to the back-left portion of the cage for the lead at 22:59. The Hawks had some more pressure in the waning minutes of the half, but could not tie the game before the buzzer sounded.
After a chance early, Hartwick began to swarm the Nazareth circle and put some more serious pressure on the Golden Flyers. They earned a corner late in the 35
th minute, and that led to a goal in the first second of the 36
th.
Rebecca Peakes (West Chester, PA/Unionville) took the corner, and as she so frequently does, sent it to Singer at the point. Singer rifled one that looked to be deflected in front, but it found the back of the net at 35:00 to tie the game at one.
The Hawks continued to absolutely take it to their opponents, earning two more corners in the next couple of minutes. They went back to Singer on both; the first saw the ball roll inches wide of the cage, and the second ended up with her shot being waved off as dangerous (although it did not find the back of the net anyway). 'Wick kept at it, and off a frantic scramble in the 37
th minute, Meuse came away with the ball near the right post and found
Allyson Quirk (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow), who slid the ball into the net for the lead at 36:51. Each team had some more nice chances before the end of the quarter, including two corners for Nazareth and one for Hartwick, but the score remained the same headed into the fourth.
Nazareth began to press, but the Hawks defense held steady, stifling multiple rushes. When the Golden Flyers managed a shot in the 58
th minute, goalkeeper
Allyson Osborne (Nottingham, PA/Solanco) was there to stop Hilts with a kick save. There was of course some drama in the final moments, as Nazareth earned a corner with just two seconds left. L'Hommedieu took it, and play continued past the buzzer, but eventually the Hawks sent the ball out of bounds to end the game and secure their trophy.
After trailing the shot count 3-2 at the half, Hartwick dominated the final half-hour, outshooting Nazareth 12-3 in the second half and 14-6 overall. The Hawks ended up with a 6-5 advantage on penalty corners, as well.
2019 Empire 8 Women's Tennis Championship Schedule
Friday, November 8 - Semifinals - at St. John Fisher
No. 3 Hartwick 3, No. 2 Utica 2
No. 4 Nazareth 2, No. 1 St. John Fisher 1 (2OT)
Saturday, November 9 - Championship Final (at St. John Fisher)
No. 3 Hartwick 2, No. 4 Nazareth 1
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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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