Geneseo Survive Overtime and Hartwick End Brockport’s Season as the Empire 8 Final Is Set
The Empire 8 final is Geneseo v Hartwick, and neither semifinalist made it look easy.
Top-seeded Geneseo needed overtime to get past fifth-seeded St John Fisher, winning 3-2 at College Stadium. Halle Senfield gave the Knights the lead just 3:26 in, and Ava Harman put them back in front 2-1 midway through the second quarter. Fisher refused to go away, dragged it to overtime, and then Geneseo found the winner. That’s what top seeds are supposed to do, eventually, but Fisher pushed them all the way. Geneseo, 15-3, are chasing a third straight Empire 8 title. Fisher’s season ends at 9-10, and they can hold their heads up. Not many fifth seeds take the top seed to overtime in a semifinal.
The other semifinal was more straightforward, but only just. Hartwick beat Brockport 3-1 in Oneonta, with Hope Angioletti scoring her 14th goal of the season to get the Hawks going early. Kayla Kinkel, assisted by Katelyn Klotz, made it 3-1 heading into the fourth, and Hartwick held on from there. Brockport’s season ends at 13-5, and that’s a good season by any measure. They just ran into a Hartwick side that has now won five straight.
So Saturday’s final is Geneseo v Hartwick, at the highest remaining seed, which means Geneseo host. The Knights beat Hartwick to the top seed with a perfect 9-0 league record, and they’ll fancy themselves at home. But Hartwick have already ended one good team’s season this week, and they’re arriving with momentum. For our money, Geneseo’s experience in these games gives them the edge, but only just. Finals like this don’t follow seedings.
