Field Hockey

Hartwick Field Hockey Plays W&J In E8 Semifinal

ONEONTA, N.Y. - The Hartwick field hockey team will be searching for its fourth league title this weekend as the Empire 8 Conference tournament takes stage at Cameron Stadium in Washington, Pa.

The Hawks, who will serve as the tournament's fourth seed, will play top-seeded Washington & Jefferson, Saturday at noon in the first semifinal game. Second seeded Nazareth will battle with third seeded Ithaca in the day's second match-up. The winners will advance to the conference title game on Sunday. This will be the second game played between the Hawks and the Presidents in two weeks. On October 20, Washington & Jefferson edged Hartwick 3-2 at Cameron Stadium. Annie Yager (Greene, N.Y.) and Jen Kaye (Altamont, N.Y.) scored in the loss for the Hawks.

Hartwick, 8-9 overall, is led by Kaye in scoring. The freshman ranks among the league leaders in several statistical categories, including goals (7) and points (19). The Hawks have four other players who have recorded double figured point totals in Samantha Galm (Kingston, N.Y.), Amanda Johnson (Reading, Vt.), Amanda Barton (Endicott, N.Y.), and Yager. Galm has 15 points (7 goals, 1 assist) on the year, while Johnson has 13 points (4 goals, 5 assists) on the year. Both Barton and Yager have 11 points (4 goals, 3 assists).

Sophomore Katie Thorpe (South Windsor, Conn.) is 6-9 in net for the Hawks with a 2.22 goals against average. She went the distance in Hartwick's 2-0 victory over Rochester, last Sunday at Wright Stadium.

The Presidents boast one of the league's best one-two combinations in Beth Kelley (15 goals, 5 assists, 35 points) and Amanda Howard (9 goals, 8 assists, 26 points). Ashley Rund is 14-3 overall in net with a 1.08 goals against average.

Fans can track the tournament and its results by going to the Washington & Jefferson website address. http://www.washjeff.edu/content.aspx?section=647&menu_id=807&crumb=138&id=10491