ONEONTA, NY – Just like all of the battles between the Houghton and Hartwick field hockey teams in recent years, the women from Oyaron Hill dominated the possession battle. This time, however, they converted that possession into numbers on the scoreboard and broke a string of eight straight one-goal games between the two sides in a 3-0 win. The victory sends the second-seeded Hawks (4-1) into the Empire 8 Championship for the second consecutive season, while the third-seeded Highlanders end their campaign at 2-4.
Hartwick wasted little time grabbing the advantage on their home turf. After some nifty Sydney Gagnon (Chestertown, NY/North Warren Central) moves turned into a 'Wick penalty corner, the Hawks earned a subsequent corner and then broke the ice. Rebecca Peakes (West Chester, PA/Unionville) sent one short to Emily Strutt (Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington), whose high shot was knocked away by goalkeeper Sofia Gildemeister with her stick. Unfortunately for Gildemeister, Leah Tolley (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) was on high alert and batted the ball out of midair and into the cage for a 1-0 lead at 3:48. The Hawks had a chance to double their lead later on in the period when sharp passing from Tegan Robinson (Mechanicville, NY/Shenendehowa) to Val Palmeri (Endwell, NY/Maine Endwell) to Gagnon ended with a quality opportunity, but Gagnon sent one wide.
Not to worry for the home side, as the 10-4 connection resulted in another tally off a corner in the 18th minute. This time, Peakes sent it to Julie Ruzzi (High Falls, NY/Rondout Valley) at the top of the circle before Ruzzi shepherded it to her classmate Strutt. Strutt sent one hard and low towards the cage that Tolley redirected in for a two-goal advantage at 17:36. Some more Strutt and Tolley pressure nearly resulted in a third Hawks goal in the 26th minute. After Strutt's shot was knocked down out of midair, Tolley bid for a natural hat trick but was stuffed by Gildemeister. 'Wick got their third tally a few minutes later, though, when Robinson and Gagnon executed a picture-perfect give-and-go that left the senior captain all alone in point-blank range. Robinson made no mistake, firing home her first career postseason goal at 29:16 to send the hosts into the half with a 3-0 advantage.
Things quieted way down in the third stanza, as it took until the final half-minute of the quarter for a shot. After Strutt was penalized for tripping a Highlander and earned a yellow card at 37:09, the Hawks were able to kill off their five-minute woman disadvantage without allowing a single shot. Houghton later earned a corner with 30 seconds to go, and nearly got on the board in the aftermath. Caitlin Jennings found herself in a prime scoring position, but her shot was blocked. She tried again and sent a screamer towards net, but this time goalkeeper Allyson Osborne (Nottingham, PA/Solanco) was there to snatch away any Highlander hope with a gorgeous save.
Tolley tried for the hat trick again just over a minute into the fourth, but her backhand attempt was stopped by Gildemeister. Houghton earned four penalty corners in the final quarter, but was stopped on each of them. They came closest to scoring on their last one with under 90 seconds remaining, but Osborne stopped the first try and defender Faith Weaver (Clay, NY/Cicero North Syracuse) stymied the second for her first career defensive save. Just over a minute later, the horn would sound and send Hartwick to the Championship game.
Tolley was the day's standout performer, shooting it a game-high four times and scoring the first two Empire 8 playoff goals of her career. Strutt was all over the place on offense and defense, and had three shots and an assist to show for it (although her offensive impact was really far greater than those numbers imply). Robinson, Gagnon, and Emily Schaub (Brewster, NY/Brewster) were the other two Hawks with more than one shot, at two apiece. Osborne did not have much to do in net today, particularly in the first half, but made the two saves she was asked (including the stunner on Jennings late in the third) en route to her 15th career shutout.
Hartwick had a 17-5 shot advantage for the game, inclusive of an 11-3 lead in shots on goal. The first half shot scoreboard tells the biggest story, as the Hawks completely shut down the Highlanders in the initial thirty minutes to the tune of a 13-0 difference in shots. The story is the same with penalty corners, as 'Wick earned 11 corners to Houghton's five but had a 7-0 lead in the category in the first half.
Once again, the Hawks will have to wait to find out their final opponent of the season, as fifth-seeded Nazareth takes on local rival and top seed St. John Fisher in the conference's other Semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Regardless of who wins, the Empire 8 champion will be determined this Sunday, April 25 at a time to be determined. If the Golden Flyers upset the Cardinals, that winner will be crowned on the Wright Stadium turf. If undefeated Fisher takes care of business, the season's final game will be played on their campus.
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