Field Hockey | 11/3/2024 11:23:42 AM
SUNY Geneseo, SUNY Brockport, Hartwick University, Nazareth University, St. John Fisher University, and Houghton University will vie for the 2024 Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship, which starts on Monday, Nov. 4 and wraps up Sunday, Nov. 10, with all games played at the higher seed.
No. 3 seed Hartwick will host No. 6 Houghton, while East Ave. rivals No. 4 seed Nazareth and No. 5 seed St. John Fisher will compete in opening round games on Monday, Nov. 4. The winner of Nazareth vs. St. John Fisher will travel to face top-seed SUNY Geneseo on Thursday, Nov. 7, while No. 2 seed SUNY Brockport is set to host the winner of Hartwick vs. Houghton, also on Thursday. The two semifinal winners will meet for the 2024 Empire 8 Championship on Saturday at the highest remaining seed.
The league champion receives an automatic berth into the 2024 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship Tournament, which begins on Nov. 13.
2024 Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship Participating Teams
No. 1 – SUNY Geneseo (9-0 E8, 16-2 Overall)
No. 2 – SUNY Brockport (7-2 E8, 13-5 Overall)
No. 3 – Hartwick College (7-2 E8, 9-7 Overall)
No. 4 – Nazareth University (6-3 E8, 9-7 Overall)
No. 5 – St. John Fisher University (6-3 E8, 8-10 Overall)
No. 6 – Houghton University (4-5 E8, 9-8 Overall)
SUNY Geneseo, ranked No. 18 nationally, has enjoyed a tremendous 2024 season, having finished 9-0 in Empire 8 play and 16-2 overall on the season. The Knights have out-scored opponents, 48-3 in league play and 73-16 overall and have three players with at least 25 points and nine student-athletes with at least three goals. Katrina Clare and Ella Greico are the top-two leading scorers in the Empire 8 this season. Clare has 16 goals and 36 points, while Greico is right behind with 15 goals and 34 points. Clare also has a league-best five game-winning goals. Sam Lewis leads all E8 student-athletes with 10 assists and has eight goals. Goalkeeper Lily Spitz leads all E8 players with 16 wins, a 0.94 goals against average and eight shutouts.
SUNY Brockport enters the E8 Tournament as the No. 2 seed in its first season as a full member. The Golden Eagles are 13-5 overall, having finished 7-2 in league play and have out-scored opponents, 56-27 this season. Brockport has a balanced scoring attack, as six student-athletes have at least six goals and 15 points. Allison Greene leads the Golden Eagles in scoring with 27 points on 10 goals and seven assists, while Kelsey Zehr is right behind with nine goals and 24 points. Paige Thowe and Samantha Choate have eight goals apiece. Thowe also has three defensive saves. In net, Ella Buchanan is 12-4 with a 1.44 goals against average and an .821 save percentage.
No. 3 seed Hartwick, the two-time defending league champions, enter the E8 Tournament with a 9-6 overall mark and finished 7-2 in league play during the season, outscoring its E8 opponents, 29-9. The Hawks boast five different players with at least 10 points. Sophomore Danielle Hand, the 2023 E8 Rookie of the Year, leads Hartwick with 18 points on seven goals and four assists, while Jessica Betts and Ashley Tricarico are right behind with 17 points apiece. Makenzie Kensel, Betts, and Hand have seven goals apiece. Goalkeepers Ashley Luppens and Ava Reynolds have split time in net this season. Luppens has seven wins, while Reynolds has a 1.59 goals against average and a .760 save percentage.
Fourth-seeded Nazareth finished 6-3 overall in league play and have won eight more games overall than in 2023. The duo of Michaela Cushman and Audra Mieczkowski are among the E8 leaders in goals and points this season. Cushman has 13 goals, six assists and 32 points, while Mieczkowski has 12 goals, five assists and 29 points this season. Lydia Coombs has 13 points and four defensive saves in 2024. Goalkeeper Morgan Russo has six wins, a 2.18 goals against average and an .806 save percentage this season.
No. 5 seed St. John Fisher enters the tournament having out-scored opponents, 33-13 in league play this season. The Cardinals, who were back-to-back league champions in Spring 2021 and the traditional 2021 season, are looking for their fourth league title. St. John Fisher has five players with at least 12 points. Molly Fisher leads the Cardinals in scoring with 26 points on 12 goals and a pair of assists, while Audrey Grieb has 18 points on six goals and six helpers and Emma Cooper has seven goals and 18 points. Selena Emery has a team-high four defensive saves. In net, Sonja Matson and Morgan Parinello have split time. Matson has five wins, while Parinello has a 1.71 goals against average.
Houghton, the No. 6 seed, advanced to the Empire 8 Championship game for the first time in program history in 2022 and is outscoring its opponents, 58-35 this season. Senior Jace Hunzinger, the Empire 8’s all-time leader in assists (54) is third in the league with 14 goals and 31 points this season. Bekah Davie, Houghton’s all-time leader in goals, has 24 points on 11 goals and a pair of assists. Adria Hartzler also has 24 points on eight goals and a team-best eight assists, while Bekah Davie has seven goals and seven assists. Goalkeeper Amber Cribbs has played in 15 games and has a 2.29 goals against average.
First round opponents Hartwick and Houghton met in Houghton on Sept. 21, with Hartwick scoring two late goals to rally for a 1-0 win. Nazareth defeated St. John Fisher on the road by a score of 2-0 behind 15 saves from Russo on Oct. 23.
Hartwick is attempting to win its third straight title and seventh overall, while St. John Fisher is looking for its fourth title since 2016 and third in the last five years. SUNY Brockport, SUNY Geneseo, Nazareth, and Houghton are all attempting to win their first league crown.
2024 Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship Schedule
Monday, November 4 – First Round
No. 6 Houghton at No. 3 Hartwick – 4 p.m.
No. 5 St. John Fisher at No. 4 Nazareth – 6 p.m.
Thursday, November 7 - Semifinals
Winner of St. John Fisher/Nazareth at No. 1 SUNY Geneseo – 4 p.m.
Winner of Houghton/Hartwick at No. 2 SUNY Brockport – 4 p.m.
Sunday, November 10 - Championship Final
Winner of Semifinal 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal 2 -– TBA (at highest remaining seed)
Admission
$6.00 - Adults
$4.00 - Students and seniors with ID
Free - Children under 12
This weekend's championship schedule is below. For the most up to date information on this year's championship, visit
www.empire8.com or follow the Empire 8 Conference on Twitter and Instagram (@Empire8).
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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