PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Fresh off its second Empire 8 Championship in the last five years, the St. John Fisher College field hockey team will look to repeat as the conference's top team as the Cardinals take the field for their season opener at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at William Smith College.

The team features a corps group of returners and will be bolstered by an incoming class that features numerous All-Conference and All-State selections from the high school ranks.

Head coach Victoria Bothner, who along with assistants Kelly Bergamo, Ashley Maynard and Elizabeth Cusack were named the Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year last season, brings back four First-Team All-Conference honorees from the 2020 campaign including Bre Socker who was named the Empire 8 Player of the Year.  Socker, who is currently the program's all-time leader in points and shots, is set to rewrite the Empire 8's record books this season as she needs just eight goals and 15 points to become its all-time leading scorer.

An All-American and a former Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, Socker was unstoppable last season after leading the league with 36 points including 16 goals over six contests.  One of the most prolific offensive talents to ever play Division III, Socker was named the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Player of the Week twice last season and was selected to play in the Young Women's National Championship by USA Field Hockey.

Senior Gianna Palma is also set to don the Cardinal and Gold for another year after being named First-Team All-Empire 8 in 2020.  The Brighton native ranked second on the team with 13 points and five goals in all.  Palma, who is a three-time All-Conference honoree, enters the 2021 campaign ranked seventh all-time in team history with 22 career goals and is sixth in career helpers with 16.

Now a two-time First-Team All-Conference selection, Alyssa Andres will anchor Fisher's midfield after producing a goal and three assists over six starts a season ago.  The Clarence native is one of the more experienced players on the roster after having played in 63 games over her career with 23 points to her credit.  Fellow graduate student Abby Harris is also back for another season after being named First-Team All-Empire 8 during her senior season.  Harris, along with the rest of Fisher's back line, yielded just two goals in 2020 and finished the year with five shutouts overall. 

Also set to return in second-year goalie Sophia Trozzi who was named to the Empire 8 All-Tournament team after posting back-to-back shutouts in the postseason.  The Warminster, Pa. native, who was named the NFHCA's Defensive Player of the Week twice, capped off her freshman season with a 0.50 goals against average and a .905 save percentage – both of which led the Empire 8.

Experience will be key in Fisher's quest for its second consecutive Empire 8 title run as they will boast one of the deepest lineups in the conference with junior Abby Richardson and sophomores Sam Choate, Abby Hepfer and Rileigh Luste all expected to contribute to the team's success this year.

Bothner is also excited about the potential of her 14 incoming freshmen with Emma Cooper, Lexi Diel, Destiny Kier, Bridget Huber, Rebecca Berner, Sarah Woods, Taylor Scrocca, Riley Jameson, Claire Dearie, Audrey Grieb, Anna Melfi, Molly Fisher, Selena Emery and Senja Matson rounding out the roster.

Fisher will play six of its first seven games on the road beginning with William Smith before hosting Ithaca College at 12 p.m. on September 4th.

From there, the Cardinals hit the road for five consecutive games starting with SUNY Geneseo on September 8th. Three days later, Fisher travels to New Paltz for a tough non-conference showdown before embarking on its Empire 8 title defense on September 15th at Elmira.  On September 18th, Fisher will head to the Port City of Oswego to take on the Lakers and is scheduled to face Williams College at a neutral site on Sunday, September 19th.

On September 22nd, the Cardinals will welcome East Avenue rival Nazareth College to campus in an Empire 8 pairing to kick off a three-game homestand.  Following its duel with the Golden Flyers, Fisher will grapple with one of the top teams in Division III as Middlebury College makes its way to Pittsford on September 26.  Three days later, the Cardinals will have another tough test when it hosts the University of Rochester at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 29th.

After playing two straight non-conference games, Fisher will jump back into Empire 8 action beginning with a road contest at Russell Sage on October 2nd.  From there, the team will host Utica College at 4 p.m. on October 6th before meeting the Keuka College Wolves at 4 p.m. on October 13th in Keuka Park.

Fisher will return home on Saturday, October 16th to take on Hartwick College in a rematch of last season's Empire 8 finale before heading to Cortland four days later to duke it out with the Red Dragons on October 20th.

The Cardinals will play their final regular season home game and celebrate the members of their senior class on Saturday, October 23rd when Washington and Jefferson comes calling before closing out the regular season docket with two games on the road. Fisher will head to Houghton on October 27th in its conference finale before making its way to Canton to play St. Lawrence on October 30th.

The Empire 8 Championship, which will be played at the highest overall seed, is scheduled to begin the following weekend.

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