Field Hockey | 11/1/2023 11:44:00 AM
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher University field hockey team are two wins away from their third Empire 8 championship title in the last four years. To do so, they need to win two more games, starting with a 7:00 P.M. Empire 8 Field Hockey Conference Tournament semi-final showdown at Growney Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 2, against No. 4 seeded Utica University.
The top-seeded Cardinals went 2-0 in the last week of the regular season, defeating arch-rival Nazareth at home, 5-3, before beating Houghton on the road, 3-1.
Regular Season Review
St. John Fisher went 10-7 during the regular season, including a perfect 7-0 conference record. They went 5-2 at home and haven't lost a game of any kind since an 8-0 loss to nationally-ranked Cortland on Oct. 15. During conference play, the Cardinals outscored their opponents 33-8.
Junior forward
Audrey Grieb led the way offensively for the Cardinals, notching 11 goals and nine assists for a total of 31 points for the season. Senior midfielder
Sam Choate is second on the team in goals with 10, and also has two assists.
Speaking of assists, junior
Emma Cooper has had a historic year helping others find the back of the net. Her 12 assists this season are third all-time for a single season in the history of the St. John Fisher field hockey program, behind only Lindsay Scott (19 in 2019) and Bre Stocker (15 in 2018).
The Cardinals have used mainly senior
Sophia Trozzi in goal this season, playing in 16 of the team's 17 games and starting 14. She leads the Empire 8 in save percentage (.805) and is third in saves-per-game (8.50).
Know Your Foe
Utica University is 7-10 on the season but 4-3 against Empire 8 opponents. The Pioneers advanced to the semi-final by beating No. 5 seed Russell Sage on Monday in a first-round play-in, 3-2.
On the field, Utica's top scorer is Alyssa Pisano, who sits fifth in the league with 14 goals and tied for seventh in the league with 30 points. Madison Ranalli has been one of the best defensive field players this season, averaging a conference-leading defensive save per game. Goalie Hannah Young is third in the Empire 8 with a 2.309 goals-against average.
St. John Fisher is 10-6 all-time against Utica and has taken the last ten games with them, most recently defeating the Pioneers, 6-1, on Oct. 7 at Growney Stadium. Grieb had an all-time game that day, notching 10 total points (four goals and two assists), tying the program record for points in a game by a single player.
Utica has won or shared four Empire 8 field hockey titles, most recently in 2014.
Player To Watch
The aptly named
Molly Fisher, a junior, has had five goals and an assist in 11 games this season. She ended the season on a hot streak, scoring twice against Houghton in the regular season's final game. With 28 goals, the Webster native is sixth all-time in the school's record books.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news, scores, highlights and more by downloading the official mobile app for Fisher Athletics. Just search SJF Athletics in the App Store or on Google Play and download today for free. Follow the Cardinals on social media for more!
Twitter |
Instagram
