Field Hockey | 11/6/2023 11:15:07 AM
Four different institutions earned individual honors as the Empire 8 Conference announced its 2023 Field Hockey All-Conference awards on Monday, November 6. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Russell Sage graduate student Amy Stevens and Hartwick College senior Julie Ruzzi were named Co-Offensive Players of the Year, while senior defender Madison Ranalli of Utica University was named Defensive Player of the Year. St. John Fisher senior goalkeeper Sophia Trozzi was named Goalkeeper of the Year, while Lauren Scorza and her staff from St. John Fisher was named E8 Coaching Staff of the Year. Hartwick forward Danielle Hand earned Rookie of the Year honors.
Stevens arrived at Russell Sage from Lock Haven University and led the league in scoring with 49 points on 20 goals and nine assists in just 16 games, which puts her seventh nationally in points per game this season (3.06 per game). Stevens is also tied for sixth in Division III, averaging 1.25 goals per game. She had at least one point in 13 games, including a four-goal outburst against Elmira in Oct. 21. Stevens also added hat-tricks six days apart in September against Dean and Saint Joseph. She also led all E8 players with 11 goals and 25 points in seven league games. Stevens is Russell Sage’s first individual field hockey award winner in program, history.
Ruzzi, now a three-time All-Empire 8 first team selection, is in the midst of another tremendous season for the back-to-back E8 Champion Hawks. Ruzzi, who is second in the Empire 8 in scoring, has 43 points on 17 goals and nine assists in 17 games played this season. She has three game-winning goals and tallied a season-high seven points on three goals and an assist in a win over DeSales on Sept. 16. Ruzzi has at least one point in 15 games this season and four multiple-point outings. On Nov. 4, Ruzzi was named the Empire 8 Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player. Ruzzi has 25 career goals, 30 assists and 80 points in 56 games and is Hartwick’s fourth different E8 Player of the Year.
Ranalli has enjoyed an excellent senior season for the Pioneers in 2023, setting an Empire 8 single-season record with 17 defensive saves, which is also tops in all of NCAA Division III. Ranalli has 32 defensive saves over the last two seasons. She is Utica’s first E8 Defensive Player of the Year.
Trozzi, who was an All-Empire 8 second team selection in 2021 and third team pick last season, went 7-0 in league play with a 1.17 goals against average and a .841 save percentage to go along with a pair of shutouts in league play this season. On Oct. 11, Trozzi was named the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III Defensive Player of the Week. She is the first E8 Goalkeeper of the Year from St. John Fisher.
Hand has enjoyed an excellent rookie season for Hartwick, tallying 24 points on 10 goals and four assists. Her 24 points were tenth in the Empire 8 this season. She scored a goal in eight contests and had a season-high five points on two goals and an assist against Union on Sept. 20. Hand is Hartwick’s sixth E8 Rookie of the Year in program history.
Scorza, assistant coach Kelly Bergamo and volunteer coach Hannah Cooper led the Cardinals to a 7-0 league mark in 2023, earning the Empire 8 regular season title and spit in the league championship game. St. John Fisher out-scored opponents, 33-8 in seven league games this season. It is the first time that at Scorza and her staff earned E8 Coaching Staff of the Year honors and fifth time that a St. John Fisher coach was honored.
St. John Fisher led all institutions with four first team selections, while Hartwick, Houghton and Utica had three first team picks. Ruzzi earned her third straight All-E8 first team honor, while St. John Fisher standout Emma Cooper earned All-E8 first team accolades for the second straight season.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2023 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.
2023 Empire 8 Field Hockey All-Conference Selections
Co-Player of the Year: Amy Stevens, Gr., M, Russell Sage
Co-Player of the Year: Julie Ruzzi, Sr., M, Hartwick
Defensive Player of the Year: Madison Ranalli, Sr., D, Utica
Goalkeeper of the Year: Sophia Trozzi, Sr., GK, St. John Fisher
Rookie of the Year: Danielle Hand, Fr., F, Hartwick
Coaching Staff of the Year: St. John Fisher, led by Head Coach Lauren Scorza
Empire 8 First Team
Jace Hunzinger, Jr., F, Houghton
Alyssa Fitzgerald, Gr., F, Russell Sage
Audrey Grieb, Jr., F, St. John Fisher
Julie Ruzzi, Sr., M, Hartwick
Deborah Cross, Jr., M, Houghton
Amy Stevens, Gr., M, Russell Sage
Emma Cooper, Jr., M, St. John Fisher
Emily Strutt, Sr., D, Hartwick
Rileigh Luste, Sr., D, St. John Fisher
Madison Ranalli, Sr., D, Utica
Sophia Trozzi, Sr., GK, St. John Fisher
Empire 8 Second Team
Danielle Hand, Fr., F, Hartwick
Bekah Davie, Jr., F, Houghton
Mary Kate McPhee, Fr., F, St. John Fisher
Alyssa Pisano, Sr., F, Utica
Libby Fortin, Sr., M, Hartwick
Sam Choate, Sr., M, St. John Fisher
Mackenzie Mix, Jr., M, Utica
Cate Westenberger, So., D, Houghton
Lydia Coombs, Jr., D, Nazareth
Selena Emery, Jr., D, St. John Fisher
Ashley Luppens, Sr., GK, Hartwick
Empire 8 Third Team
Holly Calore, Sr., F, Hartwick
Adria Hartzler, Fr., F, Houghton
Audra Mieczkowski, So., F, Nazareth
Cedar Smith, Sr., M, Houghton
Makaela Mills, Gr., M, Keuka
Tori Nelson, Sr., M, Keuka
Cheyanne Zobel, Fr., M, Russell Sage
Alexa Wentz, So., M, Russell Sage
Sami Shortino, Sr., D, Hartwick
Campbell Bowers, Fr, D, Houghton
Nicole Servider, Fr., D, Utica
Jaia Caron, So., G, Russell Sage
Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year
MeganRae Burke, Sr., GK, Elmira
Holly Calore, Sr., F, Hartwick
Cedar Smith, Sr., M, Houghton
Jillian McGinley, Sr., M, Keuka
Sam Helmer, Fr., M, Nazareth
Sara O’Connor, Gr., F, Russell Sage
Claire Dearie, Jr., M/D, St. John Fisher
Emily Frank, Sr., M, Utica
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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