Field Hockey | 11/7/2022 9:56:58 AM
Empire 8 Champion Hartwick College earned four of the five individual honors as the Empire 8 Conference announced its 2022 Field Hockey All-Conference awards on Monday, November 7. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches. Hartwick senior Sydney Gagnon was named Offensive Player of the Year, while junior teammate Libby Fortin was named Defensive Player of the Year. Hartwick senior Maddison Maddocks was named Goalkeeper of the Year, while Erin Autera and her staff from Hartwick was named E8 Coaching Staff of the Year. Washington & Jefferson College forward Lily Giering earned Rookie of the Year honors.
Gagnon, now a four-time All-Empire 8 first team selection, is in the midst of another tremendous season for the 2022 E8 Champion Hawks. Gagnon, the Empire 8’s leading scorer, enters the NCAA Tournament with 18 goals, six assists and 42 points in 17 games this season. Gagnon is a two-time E8 Player of the Week this season and scored a career-high four goals in a win over Houghton that clinched the E8 regular season title on Oct. 22. Gagnon has 43 career goals, 15 assists and 101 points in 59 games.
Fortin has enjoyed excellent junior season for the Hawks in 2022, leading a defense that has allowed just nine goals in 11 games against Empire 8 foes this season. She has made two defensive saves and chipped in offensively with eight points on three goals and two assists. Overall, Hartwick has recorded five shutouts this season and 11 games allowing one goal or less.
Maddocks, who was an All-Empire 8 third team selection last season, went 9-0 with a 1.04 goals against average and a .759 save percentage to go along with three combined shutouts in league play this season. Overall, she is 12-6 in 2022 and has allowed one goal or less in a game 11 times.
Giering enjoyed an excellent rookie season for Washington & Jefferson, tallying 26 points on nine goals and eight assists. Her 26 points were tied for tenth in the Empire 8 this season. She scored a goal in seven contests and had a season-high five points on two goals and an assist against Keuka on Oct. 22.
Autera and assistant coach Carissa Warren led the Hawks to a 9-0 league mark and 12-6 overall record in 2022, earning the Empire 8 Championship and automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Hartwick out-scored opponents, 56-8 in nine league games this season and 9-1 in two postseason contests. It is the second straight season that Autera and her staff earned E8 Coaching Staff of the Year honors and fourth time that a Hartwick coach was honored. Autera is now 52-26 in five seasons with the Hawks, having won two league titles in the last four seasons.
Hartwick led all institutions with five first team selections, while St. John Fisher had three first team picks. Gagnon earned her fourth straight All-E8 first team honor, while Hartwick standout Julie Ruzzi, St. John Fisher’s Selena Emery and Chloe Williams of Utica earned All-E8 first team accolades for the second straight season.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2022 Empire 8 Field Hockey Sportswoman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
2022 Empire 8 Field Hockey All-Conference Selections
Player of the Year: Sydney Gagnon, Sr., F, Hartwick
Defensive Player of the Year: Libby Fortin, Jr., D, Hartwick
Goalkeeper of the Year: Madison Maddocks, Sr., GK, Hartwick
Rookie of the Year: Lily Giering, Fr., F, Washington & Jefferson
Coaching Staff of the Year: Hartwick, led by Head Coach Erin Autera
Empire 8 First Team
Sydney Gagnon, Sr., F, Hartwick
Emma Cooper, So., F, St. John Fisher
Hailey Wachowiak, Jr., F, Washington & Jefferson
Mackenzie Mix, So., M, Utica
Julie Ruzzi, Jr., M, Hartwick
Leah Tolley, Sr., M, Hartwick
Gianna Palma, Gr., M, St. John Fisher
Libby Fortin, Jr., D, Hartwick
Selena Emery, So., D, St. John Fisher
Chloe Williams, Sr., D, Utica
Madison Maddocks, Sr., GK, Hartwick
Empire 8 Second Team
Lex Matarazzo, Sr., F, Hartwick
Bekah Davie, So., F, Houghton
Jace Hunzinger, So., F, Houghton
Molly Fisher, So., F, St. John Fisher
Alyssa Pisano, Jr., F, Utica
Deborah Cross, So., M, Houghton
Elzandie Du Plessis, Fr., M, Houghton
Makaela Mills, Sr., M, Keuka
Emily Strutt, Jr., D, Hartwick
Sara Carter, So., D, Houghton
Rileigh Luste, Jr., D, St. John Fisher
Madison Tadusz, So., GK, Houghton
Empire 8 Third Team
Holly Calore, Jr., F, Hartwick
Caroline Desautlels, Sr., F, Nazareth
Sam Choate, Jr., M, St. John Fisher
Audrey Grieb, So., M, St. John Fisher
Lindsay Diggan, Sr., M, Washington & Jefferson
Jillian McGinley, Jr., D, Keuka
Avery Tanton, Fr., D, Nazareth
Madison Ranalli, Jr., D, Utica
Ella Phillips, So., D, Washington & Jefferson
Sophia Trozzi, Jr., GK, St. John Fisher
Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year
Kathryn Kiebalsinski, Sr., D, Elmira
Halle Feane, Sr., M, Hartwick
Katherine Manley, Sr., M, Houghton
Makaela Mills, Sr., M, Keuka
Kylie Tolsma, Jr., F/M, Medaille
Lydia Coombs, So., M, Nazareth
Tayler Haslob, Fr., M, Russell Sage
Gianna Palma, Gr., M, St. John Fisher
Kylee Wojciechowski, Jr., M, Utica
Madison Devine, Sr., M, Washington & Jefferson
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 and
YouTube
EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA
YouTube –
Facebook –
Twitter –
Instagram