Field Hockey | 4/20/2021 4:35:39 PM
Five teams will vie for the 2021 Empire 8 Spring Field Hockey Championship, which takes place from Wednesday, April 21 to Sunday, April 25, with all matches played at the higher seed. St. John Fisher College is the 2021 E8 regular season champion and top-seed, while No. 2 seed Hartwick College is looking to defend its 2019 league title.
Final 2021 Empire 8 Spring Field Hockey Championship Seeds
#1 – St. John Fisher (4-0)
#2 – Hartwick (3-1)
#3 – Houghton (1-3)
#4 – Utica (1-3)
#5 – Nazareth (1-3)
The 2021 Empire 8 Spring Field Hockey Championship schedule is below. For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on Twitter (@Empire8).
2021 Empire 8 Spring Field Hockey Championship Schedule
Wednesday, April 21 – First Round
#5 Nazareth College at #4 Utica College – 4 p.m.
Friday, April 23 - Semifinals
Winner of #4 Utica/#5 Nazareth at #1 St. John Fisher College – 7:30 pm
#3 Houghton College at #2 Hartwick College –
4 p.m.
Sunday, April 25 - Championship
Winner of Semifinal #1 vs. Winner of Semifinal #2 – TBA at Highest Remaining Seed
St. John Fisher enters the 2021 Championship with a perfect 4-0 record, having outscored its opponents 22-2 this season. The 2021 E8 Regular Season Champion Cardinals are making their tenth straight appearance in the league tournament and are looking for their second league title, also having won in 2016. Bre Socker leads the team and Empire 8 in scoring with 10 goals and 24 points. Socker has two hat-tricks in four games this season. Gianna Palma is right behind with five goals and 13 points. In net, Sophia Trozzi has a 0.74 goals against average, .857 save percentage and three shutouts in 2021.
Hartwick, the defending Empire 8 Field Hockey Champion, is making its seventh appearance in the E8 Tournament and is looking to win its fifth league title. The Hawks finished 3-1 during the regular season. Sydney Gagnon, the 2019 E8 Rookie of the Year, leads the team in scoring with two goals and five points, while Holly Calore also has two goals. Six different Hawks have scored in the four games. Senior goalkeeper Allyson Osborne is 3-1 with a 0.92 goals against average, .818 save percentage and two shutouts in 2021.
Houghton is the No. 3 seed in the 2021 E8 Tournament and is looking for its first postseason win as a member of the conference. The Highlanders also made the Empire 8 Tournament in 2017. Peyton Bentley leads the Highlanders in scoring with two goals and five points, while Zoey Kasper also has two goals. Six different Highlanders have scored in their five games played this season. Goalkeeper Sofia Gildemeister has a 1.88 goals against average and a .714 save percentage this season.
Utica is attempting to win its fourth Empire 8 Field Hockey title, having won three straight titles from 2012-2014. The Pioneers are in the tourney for the eighth time in program history. Four different Pioneers have scored goals this season. Madeline Krecidlo and Sabrina Whitehouse are tied for the team lead with three points apiece on a goal and an assist, while Jeslyn Files and Shannon Jedreicich have also scored goals. Megan Chamberlain is appeared in all four games in net for the Pioneers. She has a .760 save percentage over her last three contests.
Nazareth is in the Empire 8 Tournament for the fifth time in program history and is looking for its second E8 Championship. The Golden Flyers won the inaugural Empire 8 Championship Tournament in 2007. Caroline Desautels, Lydia Dewart, Grace Kelleher and Emilee Rosenberg have scored goals for Nazareth in 2021, while Bailey Selman has two assists. Amanda Chuttey has appeared in all four games between the pipes for the Golden Flyers and has an .840 save percentage.
Wednesday’s first round game between Nazareth and Utica will mark the second meeting of the season between the two programs. Whitehouse scored early in overtime to lift Utica to a dramatic 2-1 win at Nazareth on March 28.
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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