Men's Soccer | 10/31/2022 8:05:39 AM
St. John Fisher University, Medaille University, Russell Sage College, Utica University, Hartwick College Nazareth College and Hartwick College will compete for the 2022 Empire 8 Men’s Soccer Championship, which starts on Tuesday, Nov. 1 and wraps up Saturday, Nov. 5, with all games played at the higher seed.
No. 3 seed Russell Sage will host No. 6 Hartwick and No. 4 seed Utica will host No. 5 seed Nazareth in opening round games on Tuesday. The winner of Utica vs. Nazareth will travel to face top-seed St. John Fisher on Thursday, Nov. 3, while No. 2 seed Medaille is set to host the winner of Russell Sage and Hartwick, also on Thursday. The two semifinal winners will meet for the 2022 Empire 8 Championship on Saturday at a time to be determined.
The league champion receives an automatic berth into the 2022 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship, which begins on Nov. 12-13.
Participating Teams
No. 1 St. John Fisher University (6-2-1 E8, 7-5-3 Overall)
No. 2 Medaille University (5-1-3 E8, 10-1-6 Overall)
No. 3 Russell Sage College (5-4-0 E8, 8-7-2 Overall)
No. 4 Utica University (4-4-1 E8, 7-8-1 Overall)
No. 5 Nazareth College (2-2-5 E8, 7-4-5 Overall)
No. 6 Hartwick College (3-4-2 E8, 5-8-3 Overall)
Top-seeded St. John Fisher is looking to win its second E8 title in the last three seasons. The Cardinals went 6-2-1 in league play, out-scoring its opponents, 18-9 in the nine games. Ben Woolingham leads the team in scoring with 11 points on five goals and an assist, while Brennan Brown has 10 points on four goals and two assists. Justin Bonetto and Matt Gentile have also played a key role for the Cardinals. Goalkeeper Jadon Schlierf has played in all 15 games this season, having recorded a 0.95 goals against average and a .806 save percentage with five solo shutouts.
Medaille is the No. 2 seed in the Empire 8 Tournament in its first season as a league member. The Mavericks went 5-1-3 in league play and are 10-1-6 overall. Ander Castillo leads the Empire 8 in scoring and is in the top-five nationally with 39 points on 18 goals and three assists. Rodrigo Fernandez is second on the team in scoring with 18 points on five goals and eight assists. Charlie Stewart has six goals, while Sean Burke has four. Dante Gesamondo has appeared in 11 games between the pipes overall for the Mavericks. He has a 1.36 goals against average and .768 save percentage.
Russell Sage finished 5-4-0 in league play to gain the third seed and earn a postseason berth for the fourth time in six seasons. El Hadji iba Sy leads the Gators in scoring with six goals and 12 points, while Braxton Harper and Christian Vaalusten have seven points apiece. Goalkeeper Tyler Brennan has appeared in 14 games and has a 1.36 goals against average and a .765 save percentage
No. 4 seed Utica enters the tournament with seven wins in 2022. Cody Baker-Green leads the Pioneers in scoring this season and is third in the Empire 8 with 30 points on 13 goals and four assists. Byamungu Mugushu is second on the team in scoring with 19 points on seven goals and five assists. Goalkeeper Foti Xidias has played in 15 games this season and has a 1.76 goals against average and a .742 save percentage with two solo shutouts.
No. 5 seed Nazareth enters the Empire 8 Tournament having recorded five ties in league play this season. The defending champion Golden Flyers have outscored their opponents this season, 41-20 overall. Cuneyt Vardar leads the Golden Flyers in scoring with 34 points on 15 goals and four assists. Jake Pawlika is also enjoying an excellent season for Nazareth with eight goals and nine assists for 25 points, while Sam Smyth is right behind with 19 points on seven goals and five assists. Goalkeeper Logan Menna has a 1.20 goals against average, and .789 save percentage in 13 games this season.
Hartwick earned the sixth seed in the Empire 8 Tournament after a crucial 3-2 win over Elmira College in the regular-season finale on Oct. 29. Hartwick, which played at the Division I level until the 2018 season, is in the Empire 8 Tournament for the first time. Jim Mahony and Jake Zona are tied for the team lead in scoring, as both student-athletes have six goals and 14 points. Adam Razukiewicz has played in 14 games between the pipes for the Hawks, while Jackson Gilstrap has played in nine contests.
Hartwick defeated Russell Sage by a score of 1-0 on Oct. 19. Utica rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit and scored twice in the final 49 seconds to stun Nazareth, 3-2 at Golden Flyer Stadium on Oct. 1. Noah Scranton scored the go-ahead goal as time expired for Utica.
Nazareth is looking for its sixth league championship and third in the last four seasons, while Hartwick, Houghton, Medaille and Utica are looking for their first E8 titles. St. John Fisher will attempt to win its third league crown.
This weekend's championship schedule is below. For the most up to date information on this year's championship, visit
www.empire8.com and follow the Empire 8 Conference on Twitter and Instagram (@Empire8).
2022 Empire 8 Men's Soccer Championship Schedule
Tuesday, November 1 – First Round
No. 5 Nazareth at No. 4 Utica – 3:30 p.m.
No. 6 Hartwick at No. 3 Russell Sage – 7 p.m.
Thursday, November 3 - Semifinals
Winner of Russell Sage vs. Hartwick at No. 2 Medaille – 6 p.m.
Winner of Utica vs. Nazareth at No. 1 St. John Fisher – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 5 - Championship Final
Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 at Highest Remaining Seed – TBD
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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