Rochester, NY--The Gators will look to de-thrown the reigning champion when the 2023 Empire 8 season rolls around. Nazareth University will look make it three straight Empire 8 Championships, as the 2023 season gets underway on Sept. 1. League play for the nine-team conference begins on Sept. 17. The top six teams will advance to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, which will take place with first round action on Saturday, Oct. 28, semifinal round games on Wednesday, Nov. 1 and the championship three days later on Saturday, Nov. 4. The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship.
Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge on the Empire 8 Network.
Julianna Beaulieu, Utica, Sr., F, Southwick, MA/Chicopee Comprehensive – Beaulieu tallied seven goals and 18 points last season. She was named to the Empire 8 Championship All-Tournament Team after scoring a hat-trick in the league semifinal.
Gianna Cacciola, Hartwick, Sr., F, Wading River, NY/Shoreham Wading River – Cacciola earned All-Empire 8 first team accolades last season and third team honors in 2021. She has 10 goals and 28 points over the last two seasons.
Lindsey Garbacz, Keuka, Jr., M, West Seneca, NY/West Seneca – Garbacz tallied four points last season and will be expected to be a team leader for the Wolves in 2023.
Kennedy Jones, Russell Sage, Sr., F, Albany, NY/Albany – Jones garnered All-Empire 8 second team honors last season after scoring six goals and 13 points.
Kayla Rhude, St. John Fisher, Sr., M, Ilion, NY/Central Valley Academy – Rhude earned All-Empire 8 first team accolades in 2022 after scoring three goals and leading a defensive unit that allowed just four goals in nine league games.
Natalie Milne, Houghton, Jr., F, Buffalo, NY/City Honors – Milne was an All-Empire 8 third team selection in 2022 after tallying 13 points on six goals and an assist.
Tatum Overton, Nazareth, So., F, Watertown, NY/Watertown – Overton was named the 2022 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and earned All-E8 first team accolades after tallying five goals and 12 points.
Nyah Solly, Alfred, Jr., M/D, Colden, NY/Springville-Griffith Institute – Solly was an All-Empire 8 second team pick in 2022 and helped lead a Saxons defense that allowed just two goals in nine league games.
Neveah Winston, Elmira, Jr., GK, Wilson, NY/Mount Saint Mary Academy – Winston, an E8 Player of the Watch for the second straight season, was second among all Empire 8 goalkeepers with 117 saves, 6.88 saves per game to go along with an .801 save percentage in 2022.
St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher will look to contend for its first Empire 8 title in 2023 after going 8-3-6 overall, while winning the conference's regular season title in 2022 with a 6-0-3 mark. The Cardinals return 24 players, 10 starters and six All-Empire 8 selections last season in Kayla Rhude (first team), Jenn Kirker (second team), Tori Cruz (second team), Ryann Dauksza (second team), Emma Spelman (third team) and Avery Byrnes. While the Cardinals will look to replace 2022 Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year Bella Guarracino, 2022 E8 Coach of the Year Molly Romano has brought in a strong group of newcomers who will vie for playing time, including Carli Maltbie, Francesca Logrippo and Sofia Pantoja.
Nazareth
Nazareth will look to win its third straight E8 title and 13th overall in program history in 2023. Last season, the Golden Flyers used a late season surge to win the league crown and advance to the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament. Nazareth returns 21 players and six starters from 2022, including Empire 8 Rookie of the Year Tatum Overton, who tallied five goals and 12 points, along with senior midfielder Grace Lanzetta, the 2022 Empire 8 Women's Soccer Championship Most Valuable Player. Senior forward Alexandra Skoda, junior back Grace Palczewski and junior goalkeeper Annika Monfort, the 2021 Empire 8 Goalkeeper of the Year, are also set to lead Nazareth. Five-time Empire 8 Coach of the Year Gail Mann has a career record of 350-156-69 (.669 winning percentage) and ranks among the winningest active coaches in Division III. She has a record of 140-23-15 (.829) in conference games.
Russell Sage
Russell Sage College will look to build momentum from the 2022 season, in which the Gators won six league games and advanced to the Empire 8 Semifinals. While Russell Sage lost 2022 Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year and four-time All-E8 first team selection Natalie Ricci, more than 20 players and four all-league selections return. Senior forward Kennedy Jones earned All-Empire 8 second team honors in 2022 after recording six goals and 13 points, while fellow all-league picks senior Marissa Key, junior Amelia Geesler and sophomore defender Courtney Bush will also be counted to lead the Gators. Head coach Garrett Cobb has brought in a strong group of newcomers, including Angela Competiello and Katelyn Nelson.
Utica
The Pioneers return 24 players and nine starters from last season's team that advanced to Empire 8 Championship game for the fourth time in the last five seasons in 2022. Senior forward Julianna Beaulieu returns after earning Empire 8 Championship All-Tournament Team honors. She became the first player in league history to score a hat-trick in an Empire 8 postseason game. Former All-Empire 8 selection Kaela Mochak and Gabby Daumont are back to provide strong play and leadership. In goal, Courtney Connolly has played 34 games in goal over the last two seasons with 10 clean sheets over that span.
Hartwick
The Hawks return seven players, including five starters from last season's team that advanced to the opening round of the Empire 8 Tournament. Senior forward Gianna Cacciola is a two-time All-Empire 8 selection, having earned first team honors in 2022 and third team accolades in 2021. She has 10 goals and 28 points over the last two seasons. Senior midfielder Madi McGuire returns after earning All-Empire 8 second team honors in 2021, while classmate Abbi McCleary will help patrol the defensive unit. Head coach Brian Knapp, who has led the Hawks to six straight Empire 8 Tournament appearances, has brought in a strong group of newcomers, including Reilly Groff, Dahlia Landry and Nelle Slavitsky.
Alfred
Alfred will look to earn its fourth straight Empire 8 postseason berth in 2023. The Saxons recorded seven clean sheets in league play last season and advanced to the opening round of the E8 Tourney. Alfred returns 20 players and eight starters from last season, including Empire 8 Goalkeeper of the Year Kiani Barnard-Pratt. Barnard-Pratt had seven shutouts, a 0.22 goals against average and a .957 save percentage in league play. The Saxons return five former All-E8 selections in addition to Barnard-Pratt, including , including junior midfielder Claire Squicciarini, junior midfielder Nyah Solly, sophomore forward Abby Scanlan, senior defender Jacey Palmgreen and junior forward Kayla Silverstein.
Houghton
Houghton will look to get back to the Empire 8 Tournament in 2023 after winning six games last season. Houghton returns 15 players and six starters from last season's team, including junior forward Natalie Milne, an All-Empire 8 third team selection. Milne tallied 13 points on six goals and an assist in 2022. Junior midfielder/defender Rileigh Studley, sophomore midfielder Morgan Applegate and classmate Aivery Shuck will also be counted on to lead the way for the Highlanders this season. In addition, head coach Esther Pellegrino has brought in a strong group of newcomers, led by Anna-Lena Gilbert, a transfer from Alliance University.
Keuka
Keuka is primed to earn its first E8 postseason berth in its third season in the conference in 2023. The Wolves return 18 players from last season's team but will need to replace center back Renee Vito, who was a former North Eastern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Keuka's first All-Empire 8 selection in 2021. Junior midfielder Lindsey Garbacz along with senior forward Ciarra Rudnick and sophomores Parker Leahy and Peyton Steates will be counted to lead Keuka in 2023. Lahey led the team in scoring last season. Rosie Wallace and Audrey Jones lead a strong group of newcomers who will vie for immediate playing time.
Elmira
The Soaring Eagles will look to return to the Empire 8 Tournament in 2022 under head coach Bill Kelly, who recently served in the same role at Bard College. The Soaring Eagles return 18 players, including eight starters from last season's team. Junior goalkeeper Neveah Winston returns to lead the defensive unit. She placed second in the league with 117 saves and 6.88 saves per game in 2022 after recording nearly 200 saves in 2021. Midfielders Rachel Bortnick and Sarah Wagner and forwards Sophia Tarntino and Piper Andrews will help lead the way on the field. Bortnick led Elmira with 10 points in 2022. Tierney Krawczyk leads a strong group of newcomers who will look to contribute right away.
Final 2022 Empire 8 Women's Soccer Standings
St. John Fisher (8-3-6, 6-0-3 E8, 21 points)
Nazareth (8-5-7, 5-1-3 E8, 18 points) – League Champions
Russell Sage (8-10-1, 6-3-0 E8, 18 points)
Utica (8-8-4, 4-2-3 E8, 15 points)
Hartwick (4-8-5, 4-2-3 E8, 15 points)
Alfred (6-7-5, 3-2-4 E8, 13 points)
Houghton (6-7-4, 3-4-2 E8, 11 point)
Keuka (3-8-5, 1-5-3 E8, 8 points)
Elmira (6-9-2, 1-6-2 E8, 5 points)
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com and YouTube
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