Field Hockey | 4/26/2021 10:02:00 AM
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – After capturing its second Empire 8 Championship in team history on Sunday, the accolades continued to roll in on Monday for the St. John Fisher College field hockey team as
Bre Socker was named the Empire 8 Player of the Year while the Cardinals' coaching staff, led by head coach
Victoria Bothner, was tabbed the Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year.
Additionally, Fisher had six players named All-Conference by the league with Socker,
Gianna Palma,
Alyssa Andres and
Abby Harris earning First-Team All-Conference distinctions.
Sam Choate and
Katelyn Slomba were each selected as Second-Team All-Empire 8 following the 2020-21 season.
Now a four-time First-Team All-Conference honoree, Socker became the third player in program history to be recognized as the conference's Player of the Year after the Liverpool native led the Empire 8 with 16 goals, 36 points and 45 shots over six games this season.
Socker, who was named the Empire 8 Championship's Most Valuable Player on Sunday, scored at least three goals in a game three times and set a single-game record in the semifinal round of the Championship with five goals and 10 points in Fisher's win over Nazareth.
Socker, who was named an All-American at the conclusion of the 2019 season, became Fisher's all-time leader in points over the weekend with 185 in total while her 77 career goal is second-most in team history.
Now in her seventh season at the helm, Bothner, along with
Ashley Maynard,
Elizabeth Cusack and
Kelly Bergamo, were tabbed as the Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year after leading Fisher to a perfect 6-0 mark. Under their direction, Fisher produced the top scoring offense in the conference and ranked first in numerous defensive categories including opponent's scoring average (0.33) and save percentage (.909).
Bothner, along with her staff, has mentored numerous All-Conference selections and has had five All-America selections over the last five seasons.
Palma was named First-Team All-Conference as the Brighton native ranked second in the conference in goals with five and in total points with 13. Over six starts this season, Palma, who was chosen as All-Empire 8 in each of the last two years, accounted for 18 shots and set a career-high with four goals and two assists in the Cardinals' 11-0 win at Utica in their season-opener.
One of the top midfielders in the conference, Andres was named First-Team All-Conference for the second time in her career as the senior started all six games for the Cardinals. Andres finished the campaign with five points in all and ranked third on the team with three assists. The Clarence native was credited with having taken 15 shots on the season.
Harris was named First-Team All-League for the first time in her career after anchoring the top back line in the Empire 8. With Harris on the field, Fisher posted five shutouts over six games and held its opponents to a paltry 0.33 scoring average this season. Harris also accounted for one defensive save on the season in the Cardinals' shutout win over Nazareth last Friday.
A freshman on the team, Choate was named Second-Team All-Conference after making six starts during her rookie season. Choate finished the year with one goal and two points as the Gasport native registered four shots in all including two that were on goal.
Slomba was also named Second-Team All-Conference as the senior was part of a defensive corps that allowed just two goals all season. With Slomba on the field, Fisher outscored its opposition 29-2 over six games this season and yielded just five shots per game on average.
One of the top defenses in Division III, Slomba and the Cardinals back line did not allow a goal over 28 penalty corner chances.
Finally, Andres was also selected as the team's Sportswoman of the Year. "The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "competing with honor and integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen."
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