ROCHESTER, NY – A pair of upsets brings a #3 vs. #4 matchup in the 2019 Empire 8 Field Hockey Championship game, as the #3 Hartwick College Hawks (12-6, 5-2 E8) will battle the #4 Nazareth College Golden Flyers (9-11, 3-4 E8) for the title at 1 p.m. in St. John Fisher's Growney Stadium.
The Hawks downed Utica, 3-2, in their Semifinal, in a game that saw Hartwick get revenge for a 2-1 Senior Day loss less than two weeks earlier. Utica controlled play for most of the first quarter, and scored in the sixth minute off a corner. The Hawks tied it in the 19th minute on a Brooke Singer (Johnson City, NY/Maine-Endwell) rocket off a corner, and then took the lead in the 27th minute when Allyson Quirk (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) found Sydney Gagnon (Chestertown, NY/North Warren Central) on a centering pass off the rush. Hartwick added an insurance goal in the 35th minute, when Leah Tolley's (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) great individual effort caused a 3-on-1, and a nice pass turned it into a 2-on-0 for Gagnon and Quirk. This time, Gagnon found Quirk on the break, giving the Hawks a 3-1 lead. Utica tightened the game to one goal on a Ricki Haab penalty stroke a little over six minutes into the fourth, but kept the Pioneers off the board for the rest of the game to secure their first ever Empire 8 Tournament win.
Nazareth was thoroughly outplayed for the bulk of their Semifinal against St. John Fisher, as they were outshot 14-0 through the first three quarters and 17-7 overall, but they pulled out a double-overtime victory. Top-seeded Fisher could only secure one goal during their dominance of the first 45 minutes, coming in the third quarter, when Gianna Palma sent one across the line during a pileup in front. Nazareth began to press midway through the fourth, and it paid off in the 57th minute, when Emilee Rosenberg slid it into the right side of the net for the dramatic tying tally. Each team had excellent chances in the first overtime, but it took until the final two minutes of the second extra period for the winner. Jennifer Hilts notched it, with an assist to Caroline Desautels, sliding it under the keeper's right pad.
Hartwick and Nazareth met once this season, on October 19 at Nazareth. The Hawks came away with a crucial Empire 8 win that game, downing the Golden Flyers on a late goal from Gagnon. Nazareth scored just six minutes in on a rebound goal from Lydia Dewart. The Hawks hung tough, however, and tied the game on their own rebound goal, from Katie Meuse (Londonderry, NH/Londonderry). Meuse got the assist on Gagnon's winner in the 58th minute, sliding a cross over into the freshman's wheelhouse for the goal.
Hartwick's defense has been the foundation of their strong season, and it is led by Rebecca Bonini (Avon, CT/Avon), who has started every game for the Hawks. Allyson Osborne (Nottingham, PA/Nottingham) has taken care of most of what gets behind her defense, as she has allowed more than two goals just twice and has a .836 save percentage. Gagnon has led the Hawk offensive effort in her freshman season, with 14 goals and 33 points to lead the team. Singer has been strong in the midfield position, with eight goals and 18 points.
Nazareth has quite a few impressive contributors on offense, but Hilts takes the cake with 15 goals and 36 points. Desautels and Bailey Selman are next on the list with respective point totals of 24 and 23, on ten goals each. Four more Golden Flyers have double-digit points, as well. Amanda Chuttey has done most of the goaltending for Nazareth, and she has a 1.93 GAA on an .820 save percentage in 20 games.
These two teams have never met in the Empire 8 Tournament, and have one Tournament win between the two of them, as Nazareth won in 2007. Hartwick has three Empire 8 titles to their name, in 2002, 2004, and 2005, all won before the institution of a postseason tournament in 2007.
Live stats for the game can be found here, and the live video stream can be found here. Tickets cost $6 for adults, $4 for students and seniors with ID, and are free for children under 12.
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