2023 Empire 8 Women’s Lacrosse Season Preview; St. John Fisher Will Look for 11th Straight Crown

Women's Lacrosse | 2/15/2023 11:17:49 AM

St. John Fisher will look for its 11th straight Empire 8 title, as eight teams will battle for the 2023 E8 Championship. The upcoming season gets underway with E8 newcomer Medaille University and Utica University playing non-league contests on February 22, as league play begins on March 25. The top four teams will advance to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, which will take place from May 3-6. The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2023 NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championship.
 
Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge on the Empire 8 Network.
 
2023 Empire 8 Players to Watch (Sorted Alphabetically)
 
Sadie Bonetti, Keuka, Sr., A, Seneca Falls, NY/Mynderse Academy – Bonetti earned All-Empire 8 third team accolades in 2022 after recording 22 goals, 16 assists and 38 points.

Amelia Booth, Alfred, So., A/M, Staatsburg, NY/FDR – Booth was named the Empire 8 Co-Rookie of the Year and earned All-Empire 8 first team accolades in 2022 after scoring 54 goals and 68 points, while adding 131 draw controls. Her 9.36 draw controls per game ranked fourth in Division III.
 
Cameron Briggs, Medaille, So., M, West Seneca, NY/West Seneca West – Briggs was named the 2022 United East Rookie of the Year after scoring 65 goals to go along with 88 ground balls and 84 draw controls. She was among the Division III leaders in ground balls per game.
 
Sydney Carpenter, St. John Fisher, So., A, Hilton, NY/Hilton – Carpenter, the 2022 E8 Offensive Player, Co-Rookie of the Year and IWLCA First Team selection, recorded 36 goals, 30 assists, 66 points and 119 draw controls.
 
Samantha DeCondo, Utica, Sr., A/M, Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro – DeCondo earned All-Empire 8 third team honors last season after recording 50 points on 33 goals and 17 assists.
 
Grace Hines, Russell Sage, Jr., M, Schenectady, NY/Guilderland – Hines led the Gators in scoring with 38 goals and 40 points to go along with 14 caused turnovers in 2022.

Ellie Masterpole, Hartwick, Jr., M, Syracuse, NY/Westhill – Masterpole earned All-Empire 8 second team accolades in 2022 after recording 22 goals and 29 ground balls.
 
Emma States, Nazareth, Sr., A, Phoenix, NY/C.W. Baker – States earned All-Empire 8 first team honors and IWLCA All-Region second team accolades for the second straight season in 2022 after recording 51 goals and 72 points. She has 107 goals and 143 points in her Nazareth career.
 

Team Capsules (Sorted by Spring 2022 Standings)
 
St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher will look to win its 11th straight league championship in 2023. The Cardinals advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season and are just two seasons removed coming off a perhaps their best season in program history in 2021, advancing to the NCAA National Semifinal, while finishing 18-2 overall. The Cardinals open the season receiving votes in the 2023 IWLCA Division III Preseason Women’s Lacrosse poll. Sophomore Sydney Carpenter, the 2022 E8 Offensive Player, Co-Rookie of the Year and IWLCA First Team selection returns after tallying 36 goals, 30 assists, 66 points and 119 draw controls. Senior attack Courtney O’Dea is back after tallying 56 points on 27 goals and 29 assists, while sophomore Mary Fiorentino hit the back of the net 29 times during her rookie season. Junior defender Shannon Foster, the 2021 Empire 8 Co-Rookie of the Year, earned All-Empire 8 second team accolades in 2022 and will lead the defensive unit. St. John Fisher has won 37 straight games against Empire 8 opponents dating back to the 2018 season. The Cardinals are 158-45 since head coach Linda Michele took over in 2012.
 
Nazareth
The Golden Flyers look to challenge for the Empire 8 title in 2023 and are seeking their first league crown since 2006. Nazareth has advanced to the Empire 8 Championship game in each of the last two seasons. Senior Emma States returns as a two-time All-Empire 8 first team and IWLCA All-Region second team selection. She recorded 51 goals and 72 points last season and has 107 goals and 143 points in her Nazareth career to date. The Golden Flyers return three All-Empire 8 selections from 2022, seniors Reva Mussi, Annie Rubel and Maren Wallace. Defensively, Nazareth will have a young defensive unit in 2023 and look to replace Emma Parry, who was the 2022 Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year and earned IWLCA Third Team All-America honors. Tori Henchen will look to secure the starting goalkeeper job.
 
Utica
The Pioneers return 16 players from last season’s team that finished 11-5 overall and advanced to the Empire 8 Semifinals. Senior Samantha DeCondo, a two-time All-Empire 8 selection returns after tallying 50 points on 33 goals and 17 assists last season. She has 76 goals and 104 points in her Utica career. DeCondo will lead a young offensive unit, as three of Utica’s top four scorers from 2022 graduated. Sophomore Grace Stuhlman will be expected to step into a greater role offensively. Junior defender Aana Blaszka, an All-Empire 8 first team selection in 2022, will be counted on to lead the defensive unit. Head coach Kristin St. Hilaire has brought in a group of 12 highly-touted newcomers, including goalkeeper Breese Burlinggame, attack/midfielder Ruby Ackerman and defender Ella Lindheimer.
 
Hartwick
Hartwick will look to even greater success in 2023 after advancing to the Empire 8 Semifinals for the second consecutive season in 2022. Hartwick returns 11 players, including eight starters, including 2022 All-Empire 8 selections Kristin Vaccarelli (first team), Emily Madigan (second), Ellie Masterpole (second) and Claudia Pollaro (second). Vaccarelli led the Hawks in scoring with 38 goals and 45 points, while recording 71 draw controls and 39 ground balls last season. Pollaro earned All-E8 honors for the second straight season after netting 16 goals. Sophomore attack Gabrielle Stringer will also be counted on to play a larger role in 2023.
 
Russell Sage
Russell Sage is looking to get back to the Empire 8 Tournament in 2023. The Gators will have a new look behind on the sidelines, as Rob Bray takes over as head coach. Russell Sage has 14 players from last season’s team that was in the hunt for an E8 postseason berth until the final day of the regular season return, including senior midfielder Caroline Musinski, junior midfielders Grace Hines and Alexandra Queeney and sophomore Aimee Rodriguez. Queeney tallied 22 goals and 30 points to go along with 69 draw controls in 2022, while Hines had a team-best total of 38 goals and Musinski was right behind with 13 goals and 22 points. Graduate student Brylee Pelfrey earned All-E8 third team honors as a defender last season.
 
Alfred
Alfred will look to earn a postseason berth in 2023 under head coach Julie Decker, who begins her first season on Jericho Hill. Sophomore Amelia Booth was named the Empire 8 Co-Rookie of the Year and earned All-Empire 8 first team accolades in 2022 after scoring 54 goals and 68 points, while adding 131 draw controls. Her 9.36 draw controls per game ranked fourth in Division III. Senior attack Brenna Turner, along with goalkeeper Alyssa Piechota and defenders Abigail Call and Ceci Sherwood will provide leadership on and off the field in 2023. Turner tallied 34 goals and a team-best 15 assists for 49 points, while Call tied for the team lead with 20 caused turnovers. In goal, Piechota led the Empire 8 with 205 saves and was second nationally with 14.64 saves per contest in 2022.
 
Keuka
Keuka will look to get back to the Empire 8 Tournament in 2023 after advancing to the semifinals in its conference debut in 2021. The Wolves return 13 players, including nine starters from last season’s team. Senior Sadie Bonetti earned All-Empire 8 third team accolades in 2022 after recording 22 goals, 16 assists and 38 points. Junior defender Jillian McGinley also returns after garnering All-Empire 8 third team honors, while Madeline Greene is back after chipping in with 15 goals and 24 points to go along with 23 draw controls.
 
Medaille
Medaille makes its Empire 8 debut in 2023 after winning nine games and advancing to the United East Conference Championship game in 2022. The Hawks enter the season boasting a strong dynamic duo in sophomores Cameron Briggs and Sara Geiser. Briggs was named the United East Rookie of the Year after scoring 65 goals to go along with 88 ground balls and 84 draw controls. She was among the Division III leaders in ground balls per game.
Geiser shattered the Medaille single-season record with 61 assists and added 37 goals for a team-best 98 points. She had 13 assists and 17 points in a game last season. Senior goalkeeper Tatiana Wright returns along with sophomore midfielder Katelynn Deveans for head coach Erin Schurr.
 
Final 2022 Empire 8 Women’s Lacrosse Standings
St. John Fisher (10-9, 6-0 Empire 8) – League Champions
Nazareth (8-10, 5-1 E8)
Utica (11-5, 4-2 E8)
Hartwick (6-7, 3-3 E8)
Russell Sage (5-9, 2-4 E8)
Alfred (3-11, 1-5 E8)
Keuka (3-9, 0-6 E8)
 
^ Medaille was a member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference in 2022
 
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
 
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