Field Hockey | 11/2/2023 4:35:58 PM
Top-seed St. John Fisher University (11-7) and No. 2 seed Hartwick College (11-5) will meet for the 2023 Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship after earning semifinal victories on Thursday evening. The Cardinals defeated No. 4 seed Utica University, 1-0 from Growney Stadium, while defending E8 Champion Hartwick defeated No. 3 Houghton University, 3-1 from Wright Stadium.
St. John Fisher will host Hartwick in the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. from Growney Stadium. St. John Fisher defeated Hartwick by a score of 2-1 from Growney Stadium on Oct. 21. Mary Kate Cooper and Sam Choate scored third quarter goals for the Cardinals to break the scoreless tie. Goalkeeper Sophia Trozzi made seven saves in net to earn the win for St. John Fisher.
Hartwick is attempting to win its second straight league title and sixth overall in program history, while St. John Fisher is looking to win its fourth Empire 8 crown and third in the last four seasons. The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2023 NCAA Division III Championship Tournament, which starts on Nov. 8.
NO. 1 ST. JOHN FISHER 1, NO. 4 UTICA 0
Top-seeded St. John Fisher (11-7) advanced to the Empire 8 Championship game for the third time in the last four seasons after hanging on to defeat No. 4 Utica (8-11).
The Cardinals would break the scoreless stalemate with two minutes left in the opening quarter on a counter attack, as after intercepting the ball in their own end, the ball would make its way to Molly Fisher at the side of the net, who fired a perfect goal mouth centering feed to Audrey Grieb, who fired a shot that Utica goalkeeper Hannah Young got a piece of before McPhee was able to put the rebound into the goal for her 10th tally of the season.
St. John Fisher would hold a 6-2 edge in shots at halftime, as the game remained 1-0.
Utica would come out and gain momentum in the third quarter, earning five penalty corners and putting two shots on goal but were unable to convert.
The Cardinals would keep pushing and tried to put the game away in the fourth quarter, but Young made a series of key saves that kept Utica in the game. Utica would have one final chance in the final minute but St. John Fisher goalkeeper Sophia Trozzi would kick the shot attempt away and the Cardinals would gain possession and run the clock out.
St. John Fisher out-shot Utica, 16-5, including a 10-4 edge with shots on target. The Cardinals also had 15 penalty corners to seven for Utica.
Young made eight saves in goal for the Cardinals, while Trozzi stopped three shots for the shutout win.
Utica finished the season with a 7-11 mark.
NO. 2 HARTWICK 3, NO. 3 HOUGHTON 1
Hartwick (11-5) scored a pair of first quarter goals to jump out to a quick 2-0 lead en route to defeating No. 3 seed Houghton University (11-6) by a score of 3-1 in the opening E8 Semifinal contest from Wright Stadium.
Hartwick's Holly Calore took a feed from Makenzie Kenzel just 51 seconds into the contest and converted to get the Hawks going. Julie Ruzzi would add to the lead just before the 11-minute mark, receving a pass from Sami Shortino and scoring her team-leading 16th goal of the season to make it 2-0 Hartwick.
Houghton would get right back into the game early in the second quarter, as Jace Hunzinger made a great move to come in all alone and dodge the goalkeeper before sliding the ball into the open net for her ninth goal and 39th point of the season.
Houghton would try to get the equalizer and had a few good chances after halftime but could not convert. Hartwick would regain the all-important two-goal lead right before the end of the third quarter, as this time it was Ruzzi finding Shortino for the goal, making it a 3-1 game.
Hartwick held a 10-4 overall edge in shots, including a 7-3 advantage on cage. Hartwick also had nine penalty corners to Houghton's three.
Hartwick goalkeeper Ashley Luppens made two saves in the win, while Houghton's Annika Galen stopped four shots.
This was a rematch of the 2022 Empire 8 Championship game, also won by Hartwick.
Houghton had its 2023 season come to an end with an 11-6 record. The Highlanders scored 67 goals on the season.
2023 Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship Schedule
Monday, Oct. 30 – First Round
No. 4 Utica defeated No. 5 Russell Sage, 3-2 – BOX SCORE
Thursday, Nov. 2 - Semifinals
No. 1 St. John Fisher defeated No. 4 Utica, 1-0 – BOX SCORE
No. 2 Hartwick defeated No. 3 Houghton, 3-1 – BOX SCORE
Saturday, Nov. 4 - Championship
No. 2 Hartwick at No. 1 St. John Fisher – 2 p.m. – LIVE STATS/VIDEO
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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
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