HOUGHTON, N.Y. – Senior Mary Kate McPhee scored twice in the third quarter, and the Cardinals' defense held Houghton to one shot on goal as the No. 5-seeded St. John Fisher field hockey team beat No. 4 Houghton, 2-0, in the first round of the Empire 8 Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Burke Field.
The Cardinals (9-9) advance to the Empire 8 Tournament semifinals for the 15th consecutive year.
How It Happened
Fisher controlled the first quarter. The Cardinals outshot Houghton 9-0 and earned five penalty corners in the frame, but Highlanders goalkeeper Amber Cribbs made seven saves to keep the game scoreless. One of those saves came on a McPhee penalty stroke 7:46 into the game.
Houghton had its best stretch in the second quarter, earning five penalty corners and taking four shots. None of the four reached the cage, and the teams went to halftime scoreless.
McPhee broke through 3:25 into the third quarter with an unassisted goal that made it 1-0. Fisher kept up the pressure. Cribbs and Katie Berghorn turned away two Alison Taplin shots off a corner, and Cribbs stopped Avery McLaughlin twice in a 12-second span. Seconds after Fisher's next penalty corner, McPhee scored again with 4:25 left in the quarter to make it 2-0.
Houghton's only shot on goal came 3:46 into the fourth quarter, and junior goalkeeper Morgan Parrinello saved Adria Hartzler's attempt. The Highlanders earned two corners in the final six minutes, but Fisher blocked Kylee Barshinger's shot and Ava Kramp's follow-up went high.
Fisher outshot Houghton 21-9, held a 16-1 edge in shots on goal and earned 13 penalty corners to Houghton's eight.
Game Notes
- McPhee scored both goals, both unassisted, and her first stood as the game-winner. She took a game-high nine shots, six of them on goal.
- It was Fisher's fifth shutout of the season and its second straight, following Wednesday's 2-0 win over Keuka.
- The Cardinals avenged a 3-2 overtime loss to Houghton on Oct. 14 at Growney Stadium.
- Fisher improved to 7-3 in road games this season.
Up Next
St. John Fisher faces No. 1 SUNY Geneseo (14-3) in the Empire 8 Tournament semifinals at Geneseo, N.Y., on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 4 p.m. It's the third straight season the Cardinals will meet the top-seeded Knights in the semifinals. Geneseo went 9-0 in Empire 8 play, is the two-time defending conference champion and beat Fisher 5-0 at Growney Stadium on Sept. 26.
