ROCHESTER, NY: The SUNY Geneseo women's soccer team punched its ticket to the Empire 8 Championship with a 3-1 victory over the No. 1-seeded St. John Fisher Cardinals this evening. Ella Yartym led the offensive charge with a pair of goals, while Maggie Zito added an early strike to help the Knights secure their spot in the conference finals. Geneseo improves to 7-2-2 in conference play and 11-4-3 overall.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
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The Knights wasted no time finding the back of the net, as Maggie Zito capitalized on a rebound from Laura DeMura's shot just five minutes into the contest to give Geneseo an early 1-0 advantage.
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Ella Yartym extended the lead, getting on the end of a ball played into the box by Clair Woolingham. After beating the Cardinals' goalkeeper to the 50/50 ball, Yartym chipped it into the net to send the Knights into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
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Geneseo carried its momentum into the second half, and Yartym struck again just 45 seconds after the break. A perfectly placed through ball from DeMura sent Yartym in behind the defense, where she finished to put the Knights up 3-0. St. John Fisher managed to break through in the final minute, but the Knights held firm to secure the 3-1 win and their place in the Empire 8 Championship.
QUICK FACTS:
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Yartym's two-goal performance brings her season total to 14 goals.
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Natalie Budgar anchored the Knights in net, earning her third consecutive win.
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The Knights advance to the Empire 8 Championship for the second time in three years. Their last appearance resulted in a 1-0 championship victory over Nazareth.
WHAT'S NEXT:
The Knights head to Nazareth for the Empire 8 Championship on Saturday, Nov. 7, with kickoff set for 12 p.m.
