Field Hockey | 11/1/2021 9:47:40 AM
St. John Fisher College, Hartwick College, Utica College and Nazareth College will vie for the 2021 Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship, which takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 2 and Saturday, Nov. 6, with all games played at the higher seed. Top-seed St. John Fisher will host No. 4 Nazareth in one semifinal, while No. 2 seed Hartwick will take on third-seeded Utica in the second semifinal Tuesday. Both games will start at 7 p.m., The two semifinal winners will meet for the 2021 Empire 8 Championship on Saturday at the highest remaining seed.
The league champion receives an automatic berth into the 2021 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship Tournament, which begins on Nov. 10.
Participating Teams
No. 1 – St. John Fisher (8-0 E8, 10-7 Overall)
No. 2 – Hartwick College (7-1 E8, 11-4 Overall)
No. 3 – Utica College (6-2 E8, 9-8 Overall)
No. 4 – Nazareth College (5-3 E8, 6-10 Overall)
SEMIFINAL #1 – No. 4 Nazareth at No. 1 St. John Fisher
Top-seed St. John Fisher enters the tournament having out-scored its foes, 26-2 in eight Empire 8 conference contests this season. The Cardinals, who are the defending E8 Champions, have won 24 straight Empire 8 regular season contests dating back to the 2018 season. Graduate student Bre Socker is the Empire 8’s all-time leading career scorer with 92 goals and 224 points. She is second in the league this season in scoring with 15 goals and 39 points in 17 games. Molly Fisher is second on the team with eight goals and 17 points. In net, Sophia Trozzi has a 0.40 goals against average and a .905 save percentage with five solo shutouts in league play.
No. 4 seed Nazareth advanced to the E8 Tournament after a dramatic 2-1 win in penalty strokes over Washington & Jefferson in the regular season finale on Oct. 30. Goalkeeper Amanda Chuttey made 25 saves in the win, while Lydia Coombs scored in penalty strokes to secure the win. Bailey Selman leads the Golden Flyers in scoring with 14 points on four goals and six assists, while Bella Reherman also has four goals. Goalkeeper Amanda Chuttey has played in all 15 games this season and leads the league with 206 saves and has an .805 save percentage with two shutouts.
The Cardinals knocked off Nazareth by a score of 2-0 at Growney Stadium on Sept. 22. Gianna Palma and Emma Cooper scored fourth quarter goals for St. John Fisher, who out-shot Nazareth, 18-2. Chuttey made nine saves for Nazareth.
SEMIFINAL #2 – No. 3 Utica at No. 2 Hartwick
No. 2 seed Hartwick enters the E8 Tournament with an 11-4 overall mark and finished 7-1 in league play during the season. The Hawks have out-scored opponents, 48-21 this season and boast five different players with at least 10 points. Junior Sydney Gagnon leads the team in scoring with nine goals and 20 points, while Julie Ruzzi is right behind with 19 points on six goals and seven assists and Lex Matarazzo has seven goals. Goalkeeper Madison Maddocks played in all 15 games this season and is 11-4 with a 1.48 goals against average and a .756 save percentage.
Third-seeded Utica enters as the highest scoring team in the league, averaging 5.00 goals per game in league play and 4.06 goals overall. The Pioneers boast a balanced attack, with four 25-point scorers and six 15-point scorers, including graduate student Sabrina Whitehouse, who leads the league with 18 goals and 41 points. Sydney Scaccia, is right behind with 36 points on 12 goals and a league-high 12 assists. Madeline Krecidlo and Shannon Jedreicich have 13 and 11 goals on the season, respectively. points on nine goals and four assists. Senior goalkeeper Megan Chamberlain has played in all 17 games this season and has 106 saves.
Hartwick and Utica met recently on Oct. 20, with the Hawks earning a 4-2 home win at Wright Stadium. Four different players scored for Hartwick, who led 3-0 and 4-1. Madison Maddocks made 11 saves in the win. Whitehouse had a goal and an assist for the Pioneers.
Utica is looking for its fifth Empire 8 Championship, while Hartwick is attempting to win its fifth title and second in the last three seasons. St. John Fisher is looking for back-to-back crowns and third since 2016, while Nazareth (2007) is trying to both win its second league championship.
2021 Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship Schedule
Tuesday, November 2 - Semifinals - at Higher Seed
No. 4 Nazareth at No. 1. St. John Fisher - 7 p.m.
No. 3 Utica at No. 2 Hartwick - 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 6 - Championship Final
Winner of Semifinal 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal 2 at Highest Remaining Seed - TBD
Admission
$6.00 - Adults
$4.00 - Students and seniors with ID
Free - Children under 12
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).
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.
EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA
YouTube –
Facebook –
Twitter –
Instagram