ROCHESTER, NY – One goal was all it took for St. John Fisher to wrest the conference crown away from the Hartwick field hockey team on Sunday, as Bre Socker's third quarter smash held up as the only score in a 1-0 Cardinals victory. The win gave St. John Fisher their second ever Empire 8 championship and first since 2016. They end their season with an undefeated 6-0 record, while the Hawks finish up at 4-2 with both losses coming at the sticks of the Cardinals.

The first quarter saw little action around the cages, but what scoring chances did occur came around the Hawks goal. A Fisher corner in the ninth minute nearly led to the game's first score, but a Socker shot was blocked and Alyssa Andres' follow-up was saved by Allyson Osborne (Nottingham, PA/Solanco). The Cardinals had another corner and a couple more shots in the 12^th minute, but the game stayed scoreless after one.

Things picked up a bit in the second. Leah Tolley (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) had Hartwick's first shot of the game 2:09 into the period when she sent a long backhanded try high from near the top of the circle. St. John Fisher came right back down the other way and had a dangerous chance of their own, but Allison Bartlett's try off a cross went wide to the short side. The Hawks earned their first corner of the game in the 23^rd minute, leading to their second shot of the contest. This time Julie Ruzzi (High Falls, NY/Rondout Valley) had the try, but her attempt was saved by Sophia Trozzi. Socker nearly broke the ice in the 27^th minute on a beautiful individual show of skill; she made a few nice moves in the left side of the circle to create some space and then rocketed a backhanded shot off the far post. The half's final scoring chance came just over a minute later, when Fisher's Allison Bartlett tipped a long ball from outside the circle just wide. At the half, the game remained deadlocked at zero.

Both teams came out flying in the third stanza, with Hartwick in particular putting some early pressure on the Cardinals. A corner in the 36^th minute produced a skillful give-and-go between Emily Strutt (Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington) and Ruzzi. Strutt sent one towards the cage but Trozzi was up to the task again on the save. Just like in the second quarter, the Cardinals came right back down the pitch and this time they earned a corner. They made this opportunity count; Bartlett sent the ball to Socker at the top of the circle, and she stepped up and rifled one home short side for the 1-0 lead at 36:11. The Hawks did their best to tie it before the quarter was up, earning three corners and shooting three times (including a try by Tegan Robinson (Mechanicville, NY/Shenendehowa) in the 42^nd minute that required an agile Trozzi save), but they were left empty-handed and looking towards the fourth quarter to find their equalizer.

They never did find it, although it was not for lack of trying. 'Wick had four shots and five corners in the final period, but could not put the biscuit in the basket. Sydney Gagnon (Chestertown, NY/North Warren Central) had the first of those in the 50^th minute, when she hit a cross out of midair that was stopped by Trozzi. A corner soon after this led to a pair of chances, including a Roozi shot that was again saved by Trozzi. Another Hartwick corner in the 52^nd minute saw a ball off the stick of Ruzzi trickle through towards the cage, but Trozzi kicked it out. St. John Fisher went the other way on the break and earned a pair of corners, but their efforts at picking up an insurance goal led only to a blocked Socker shot. The final chances for Hartwick to knot the game up came in the 56^th minute, when they earned two corners and had a shot off each of them. The latter of those shots might have been their best chance to score in the entire game, as the ball came to Rebecca Peakes (West Chester, PA/Unionville) on the left side of the cage but her shot ended up just wide, perhaps with some help from the stick of Trozzi. 

Ruzzi was the shot leader for the Hawks, sending three attempts towards the cage (all on target). Tolley was the only other Hawk with multiple shots at two, while Strutt, Robinson, Peakes, Gagnon, and Libby Fortin (State College, PA/State College Area) each had one try apiece. Osborne was great again in net in her final game as a Hawk, making three saves on four shots in 60 minutes.

Socker and Bartlett were the standout field players for the champions. Socker, who was named Tournament MVP after the game, had four shots (two on goal), and the title-winning tally. Bartlett matched her with four shots (one on target), and assisted Socker's winner. Trozzi stood on her head for the Cardinals, earning the shutout with seven saves.

The shot count was even for the game, at 10 aside. The Hawks sent more of their chances on target, though, with a seven to four lead in shots on goal. 'Wick also earned more corners than their hosts, with 11 to Fisher's seven.

These two teams will be at it again in the fall, as they along with the rest of the Empire 8 will battle for conference supremacy.

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