ROCHESTER, NY - Five members of the Utica University field hockey team have been named to All-Empire 8 teams, as announced by the league on Monday.
Madison Ranalli (Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) became Utica's first ever Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year recipient while also adding All-Empire 8 First Team honors to her resume. Ranalli topped the Empire 8 for the second year in a row in defensive saves by a landslide with a total of 17. She not only broke her own single-season and E8 record of 15, but she once again leads the nation across all levels in defensive saves. Last season she was named to the third team as she earned her second and third All-Empire 8 honors this year.
Alyssa Pisano (Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington) was named to the All-Empire 8 Second Team. Pisano was an offensive focal point for the Pioneers this season. Her ability to pick her head up inside the arc and find the back of the cage proved to be fundamental in the team's success. Pisano led the Pioneers with a total of 30 points coming from 14 goals and two assists. In the E8, she ranked fourth in game-winning goals with a total of four and fifth in total goals scored. This is her second All-Empire 8 nod after earning second team honors last year as well.
Mackenzie Mix (Camden, NY/Camden) joined Pisano as an All-Empire 8 Second Team honoree. Showcased throughout the season, Mix was not afraid to turn on the jets running from arc to arc. Often facing up and blowing by her defensive counterparts, Mix's speed left defenders in the dust and allowed the Pioneer's to be successful on the counter attack. She finished her season with 10 points from four goals and two assists. Mix has now been named an All-League selection in each of her three years with Utica as she was named to the third team in 2021 and the first team in 2022.
Nicole Servider (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) was represented as an All-Empire 8 selection in her freshman season as she was named to the third team. With the most minutes played on the team, 1086, the rookie provided consistent defensive stability throughout the season. Ranking third in the Empire 8 and tied for 17th across the country, Servider recorded seven defensive saves averaging 0.39 per game through 17 games.
Emily Frank (Johnstown, NY/Johnstown) was Utica's recipient of the Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year award. One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2023 Empire 8 Field Hockey Sportswoman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
