Field Hockey | 11/10/2024 12:45:50 PM
GENESEO, NY - Top-seeded SUNY Geneseo (18-2) scored three first half goals on its way to winning the 2024 Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship, 4-0 over No. 3 seed Hartwick College (11-8) through the raindrops from College Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 10. The Knights earn the Empire 8's automatic bid into the 2024 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship.
Geneseo will await their opponent and game site, as the 2024 NCAA Division III Field Hockey selection show will take place this evening, Sunday, Nov. 10 at 9:30 p.m.
The two teams played to a stalemate throughout the first 10 minutes before Geneseo took control and dominated play the rest of the way. The Knights out-shot Hartwick, 26-6 and had eight penalty corners to just two for Hartwick.
Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship Most Valuable Player Sam Lewis led Geneseo with a goal and an assist, while Ella Greico, Shannon Cunningham and Ada Roe scored for the Knights. Lilly Spitz picked up the shutout in net, finishing with one save.
Ashley Luppens made 12 saves in defeat for Hartwick, who was looking to win its third straight Empire 8 Championship.
The Knights got on the board first, right before the end of the opening quarter on a penalty corner, as Roe sent a ball into the middle. Katrina Clare had her initial shot stopped by Luppens before Greico slammed in the rebound in tight for her 16th goal of the season.
The intermission did nothing to slow Geneseo down, as Greico and Ava Harman were stopped in close by Luppens early in the quarter with the ensuing scramble resulting in a penalty stroke for the Knights. Cunningham stepped up and calmy fired a shot to the left corner of the net past a sliding Luppens to make it 2-0 Geneseo.
Geneseo extended its lead to 3-0 right before the halfway point of the second quarter, as Roe scored in close off a feed from Lewis.
Lewis continued Geneseo's scoring run just 1:17 into the third quarter, scooping a loose ball just outside the penalty area, shielded off a Hartwick defender and fired a hard shot past Luppens for her 10th goal of the season to make it 4-0 Knights.
Geneseo