GENESEO, N.Y. - Ella Greico scored both goals as SUNY Geneseo field hockey defeated second-seeded Hartwick College 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at College Stadium to win its third-straight Empire 8 championship. The Knights finish the season 16-3 and have now won the Empire 8 tournament title three years in a row.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Geneseo scored early, as Greico finished a shot at 2:27 of the first quarter to make it 1-0. The Knights out-shot Hartwick 6-2 in the quarter.
- Neither team scored in the second quarter, with Geneseo holding a 5-1 edge in shots and a 3-1 edge in penalty corners.
- Hartwick pushed in the third quarter, earning seven penalty corners, including six in a span of about a minute, but Geneseo's defense blocked every attempt. At 40:40, Geneseo missed a penalty stroke chance at the other end, and the score stayed at 1-0.
- Greico added the second goal early in the fourth quarter, scoring at 53:02 off a Kyra Giannelli assist to make it 2-0.
- Geneseo's defense held through a late stretch of Hartwick penalty corners, and Bridget Schafer finished the shutout with one save in 60 minutes.
- Geneseo out-shot Hartwick 23-10 and held a 17-1 edge in shots on goal. Hartwick led 16-12 in penalty corners but put just one shot on goal.
QUICK FACTS:
- Bridget Schafer set the new program record for career shutouts in the game, recording her 14th career shutout to surpass the record set by Sarah Quinlan.
- Ava Harman was named the Tournament MVP, scoring in the semifinal win against St. John Fisher and assisting the game-winning goal.
- Greico finished with two goals on eight shots, seven of them on goal.
- Giannelli had an assist and put all three of her shots on goal, while Aubree Wenner added five shots, four on goal.
- Geneseo has now won three Empire 8 championships in a row and finished the conference season 10-0.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Geneseo will find out its NCAA Tournament fate Sunday night, when the NCAA Selection Show airs at 9 p.m. on ncaa.com.
