ALBANY, N.Y. – Russell Sage College had five women's soccer players earn All-Empire 8 Conference honors.

Senior forward Natalie Ricci (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) (above) made the first-team for the third-straight season. She ranked fifth in the conference with 20 points and was fourth in the E8 with nine goals, both best on the Gators. Ricci, who topped the conference with three game-winning goals, finished the season 11th in program records with 53 career points. She is currently tied for tenth among RSC players with 23 career goals.

Defender Samantha Schmidt (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) and midfielder Lydia Malkiewicz (Schenectady, NY/Colonie Central), both graduate students, were voted to the second-team, while senior midfielder Angela Gonzalez (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central) earned third-team accolades.

The trio, all of them captains, helped the Gators record six shutouts this fall. Schmidt and Malkiewicz concluded the campaign at the top of the program's career record book for games played. Malkiewicz appeared in a program-best 78 games, while Schmidt, who established a program record for games started with 72, ranked second with 77 games played.

Senior goalkeeper Mickaela Buzzy (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) represented the program on the E8 Sportswomen of the Year Team. She totaled 49 saves across nine games this fall, including a season-high 12 saves vs. #24 Hamilton on September 29.

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