Field Hockey | 11/1/2025 4:15:25 PM
No. 3 seed Nazareth University (13-5) and fourth-seeded St. John Fisher University (10-7) advanced to the 2025 Empire 8 Semifinal round after earning first round on Saturday, Nov. 1. The Golden Flyers rolled to a 5-0 win over No. 6 SUNY Brockport, while St. John Fisher outscored No. 5 seed Houghton University, 4-1 in the second half on its way to a 5-2 win.
Semifinal matchups are set, as Nazareth will head to No. 2 Hartwick College (11-5) at 2 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 5, while The Cardinals will travel to top-seed SUNY Geneseo (18-1) at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Hartwick earned a 4-0 win at semifinal opponent Nazareth on Oct. 4, while Geneseo defeated St. John Fisher, 4-0 at home on Oct. 1
The winners of Wednesday's semifinals games advance to the 2025 Empire 8 Field Hockey Cross Country Championship game at the home of the highest remaining seed. The 2025 Empire 8 Champion earns an automatic berth into the 2024 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship Tournament, which begins Nov. 12.
NO. 3 NAZARETH 5, NO. 6 SUNY BROCKPORT 0
Nazareth Field Hockey (13-5) blanked SUNY Brockport, 5-0, in the Empire 8 Championship's quarterfinal round Saturday afternoon at NLPA Field. With the win, the Golden Flyers advance to their first E8 semifinal since 2021. Brockport, who advanced to the 2024 E8 Semifinals, had its season end with an 8-10 mark.
Nazareth came out firing in the first quarter, scoring three times in the opening 10 minutes to seize control early. The Golden Flyers dominated possession and outshot Brockport 7-1 in the frame.
Nazareth continued to press with 12 shots and six penalty corners but couldn't add to its lead in the second stanza.
The Golden Flyers broke through again in the third quarter as
Juliana Dimao and
Isabel Porterfield found the back of the cage to extend the margin to 5-0.
Brockport generated its best offensive push with four penalty corners and eight shots, but Nazareth's defense and goalkeeper
Lauren Bachner held firm to complete the 5-0 shutout in the fourth quarter.
Isabel Porterfield registered a career-best six points on two goals and two assists over SUNY Brockport.
Michaela Cushman notched her team-best 18th goal of the season in the first quarter, matching Catherine Willard's single-season school record set in 2015. Cushman's 44 points this fall already rank first in program history for single-season scoring output.
Lauren Bachner recorded her eighth shutout of the season in goal, posting eight saves on eight shots faced. Bachner ranks first in the Empire 8 with a .850 save percentage.
NO. 4 ST. JOHN FISHER 5, NO. 5 HOUGHTON 2
The No. 4-seeded St. John Fisher field hockey team scored twice in the fourth quarter to pull away from No. 5-seeded Houghton in a 5-2 victory in the first round of the Empire 8 Tournament on Saturday at Growney Stadium.
The Cardinals (10-7) will face top-seeded SUNY Geneseo (18-1), ranked No. 21 nationally, on Wednesday in the conference semifinals. Geneseo topped Fisher 2-0 in the semifinals last November.
Sophomore attacker
Avery McLaughlin tallied five points on two goals and an assist to lead the Cardinals on Saturday. Fellow sophomore
Sydney Byrns, junior
Mary Kate McPhee and senior
Katie Schirrmacher each scored one goal apiece.
Houghton had its season come to an end with a 10-6 record. Lilyana Good tallied a goal and an assist, while Kylee Barshinger also scored for the Highlanders.
The teams traded goals in the first quarter, with Byrns striking first on an assist from sophomore
Sam Current just more than a minute into the contest. About four minutes later, Barshinger pulled the Highlanders even, putting a shot past Fisher's
Morgan Parrinello after taking a feed from Lilyana Good.
The Cardinals went back in front early in the second half with two goals in three minutes. McLaughlin scored her first of the day on an assist from senior
Emma Muchow at 30:47, and McPhee, after Muchow was tripped on a breakaway attempt, snuck a penalty shot past Houghton goalkeeper Annika Galen at 33:46.
The Highlanders cut their deficit back to one on a goal from Good at the 39:52 mark. Olivia Ocker, who inserted the pass on a penalty corner, got credit for the assist.
McLaughlin tapped in a pass from senior
Lily Humphrey for her second goal of the contest midway through the fourth quarter. Schirrmacher added Fisher's final tally with about two minutes left in the game, deflecting a McLaughlin shot into the back of the net.
2025 Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship Tournament Schedule
Saturday, November 1 – First Round
No. 3 Nazareth defeated No. 6 SUNY Brockport, 5-0 – BOX SCORE
No. 4 St. John Fisher defeated No. 5 Houghton, 5-2 – BOX SCORE
Wednesday, November 5 - Semifinals
No. 4 St. John Fisher at No. 1 SUNY Geneseo – 4 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
No. 3 Nazareth at No. 2 Hartwick – 2 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
Saturday, November 8 - Championship Final
Winner of Semifinal 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal 2 -– TBA (at highest remaining seed) – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
Site: Higher Seeds for all games
Admission
$10.00 - Adults
$2.00 - Students and seniors with ID