Field Hockey

Field Hockey Seeks 4th E8 Title This Weekend; Free Webcasts of the Action Available

ONEONTA, NY - Hartwick College's field hockey team begins its quest for the Empire 8 Conference crown on Saturday in Hoboken, NJ. The Hawks, who are the second seed in the tournament, will play third-seeded Washington & Jefferson at 2:30 p.m. in the day's second semifinal. Host and top seed Stevens entertains fourth-seeded Ithaca at noon.

A Hartwick victory over the Presidents would put them into Sunday's championship with an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament on the line. The title game will either take place at noon or 1:30 p.m. The final will be pushed back to 1:30 should the Stevens men's soccer team host the E8 championship on the same day.

Free webcasts and live stats are available for all three games scheduled for the weekend. Links to the action can be found below.

Hartwick enters the weekend's festivities with an 11-6 overall record and 5-1 mark in the conference. Of the Hawks' six losses on the year, three have come at the hands of nationally-ranked opponents. 'Wick's lone Empire 8 loss came in a heartbreaker in double overtime to Stevens 1-0 on Oct. 17th. In their remaining five conference matches, the Hawks outscored their opponents 11-1.

Hartwick is in search of its first Empire 8 Championship since 2005 after capturing the title three times in four years in 2002, 2004 and '05. 'Wick is in search of its ninth trip to the NCAA Tournament after appearances in 1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, and 2005.

The Hawks are led by Anna Meyer, who is in her 22nd season at the helm. She enters the weekend with a career record of 271-148-3 and ranks in the top 25 in victories among active coaches in Division I, II, and III.

Freshman Kelsey Kimble (Dingmans Ferry, PA) and junior Jen Kaye (Altamont, NY) have accounted for half of the Hawks' scoring this season with a total of 15 of the team's 30 goals. Kimble leads the squad with eight goals and adds four assists for a team-best 20 points. She also has four game-winning goals. Kaye paces the Hawks in the assist department with five. She also has seven tallies for 19 points.

Seniors Sam Galm (Kingston, NY) (5 goals), and Morgan Cestari (Lake Grove, NY) (4), and sophomore Brittany Baughman (Niskayuna, NY) (3) also bolster the Hartwick offense. Goalie Mackenzie Chapman (Niskayuna, NY), a three-time Empire 8 Goalie of the Week this season, has four shutouts in 2009 and a goals against average of 1.22.

Webcasts: http://www.pennatlantic.com/main.php

Live stats: http://www.stevensducks.com/livestats/fhockey/xlive.htm