UTICA, NY – Senior forward Jill Nolan (Labrador, Newfoundland/) tallied the game's first three goals as the nationally-ranked No. 8 Utica College women's hockey team defeated visiting Cortland St. 6-2 Wednesday night in ECAC West Conference action.

The tone of the first period was dictated by the goaltenders. Olivia Nuzzo (Brooklyn/St. Anselm) made ten stops in net for the Red Dragons, while senior Alex Talbott (Rochester, NY/) stopped five first period shots for the Pioneers. After 20 minutes of play the score was tied at 0-0.

Nolan scored just 34 seconds into the second period after Courtney Bank (Saginaw, MI/) kept the puck in the zone against the boards and got it out to a streaking Nolan. Nolan went top left corner and the Pioneers led 1-0. Bank and Katie Moss (Rochester, NY/) were credited with assists on the goal.

Nolan followed the first goal up with her second of the night just over a minute later. Jessica Leclerc (Augusta, ME/) took a wrist shot from just inside the neutral zone and Nolan was in perfect position to tap it in and give UC a 2-0 lead. Nolan's third and final goal, assisted by Bank and Moss, was her 11th of the season.

Cortland made it 3-1 when Caitin O'Hara (Rochester/Clarkson) beat Talbott at 10:03 in the second period. Junior defensemen Janie Byrd (Auburn/Ithaca Shooting Stars) assisted on the Red Dragon's first goal.

Leclerc scored her second goal of the season 13:51 into the second period to seal the victory for the Pioneers. Krystal Cummings (Victor, NY/) assisted on the goal.

Erin Fleury (Glens Falls/Troy-Albany Ice Cats) scored her team-high sixth goal of the season for the Red Dragons with 4:10 remaining to close out the scoring.

Deanna Wiegand (Utica, MI/) and Andrea Maxon (Canton, NY/Hugh C. Williams) also scored for the Pioneers, while Courtney Bills (Penfield, NY/), and senior captain Stephanie Price (River Rouge, MI/) each tallied one assist.

Talbott improved to 4-0 on the year and stopped 14 shots for UC, while Nuzzo lost her tenth game of the season stopping 43 shots.

The Pioneers (10-2-2, 4-2-2 ECAC West) return to action at 4 p.m. Saturday against three-time defending National Champion Middlebury College at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.