Rochester, N.Y. – The third-seeded Nazareth women's soccer team travelled down the road to No. 2 St. John Fisher University for an Empire 8 semifinal matchup on Wednesday, where they dropped a 2-0 match to close out their season. St. John Fisher will move on to the conference finals where they will face SUNY Brockport.
How It Happened
- Both teams got to work early, with each side delivering a few shot attempts and being charged with fouls in just the first 15 minutes
- Senior Taylor Ashe had the Golden Flyers' first good chance of the game, firing a shot over the goal in the 30th minute
- St. John Fisher broke the scoreless tie in the 32nd minute, taking a 1-0 lead
- Nazareth went right back on the attack with a good shot of their own, with junior Brynn Furbeck taking a hard shot at the Cardinals goal in the 35th minute, but it was kept out by the keeper
- The teams traded possessions for the remainder of the half, ultimately closing out the first 45 minutes of competitive play with a 1-0 St. John Fisher lead. Nazareth also trailed in shots (7-3) and corners (3-1). The two teams combined for six fouls in the half
- The two teams came out firing once again in the second half, each recording shots on goal in the opening four minutes
- Junior Shannon Sgombick and Caitlyn Smithers took consecutive shots in the 57th minute, the second of which made it on goal and forced a difficult save from the opposing goalkeeper
- The Cardinals and Golden Flyers continued trading shots and fouls until St. John Fisher doubled their lead to 2-0 in the 85th minute, cementing the result and ultimately eliminating Nazareth's women's soccer team from the Empire 8 Conference Championships
- Delaney Malone got the start, making four saves, while Katriana Walls made two saves
Game Notes:
- The loss for Nazareth ends its run of four-straight appearances in the Empire 8 title game, winning in 2021, 2022, and 2023, before falling in 2024
What's Next
Nazareth's women's soccer team closed out a strong season, only one win away from a conference finals appearance. They finished with a record of 9-6-3 and entered the playoffs as the third seed, picking up a number of impressive wins throughout the season. They will return to the pitch for the beginning of the 2026 season next Fall.