Senior captain Laurie Calvasina (Vestal/Apalachin) netted three goals as the Utica College field hockey team defeated visiting Oneonta State 4-1 on the turf at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium Friday.

The Pioneers improved to 6-8 overall, while the Red Dragons drop to .500 with an 8-8 record. Utica avenges last years' 3-1 loss at Oneonta. UC is now 5-2 in seven meetings against Oneonta. The Pioneers have out scored the Red Dragons 20-15 over the course of seven meetings.

Calvasina opened the scoring at 13:47 after sophomore Elizabeth Knudsen (Rome Free Academy/Rome) connected with a streaking Kim Martin (Holland Patent/Prospect), who made a move to the left and found Calvasina for the one-timer in the left corner. The Pioneers took a 2-0 lead on a similar play with Martin recording her second assist of the day as Calvasina beat Oneonta goalie Erika Dombrowski (Carmel/Carmel) with a one-timer in the left corner.

The Red Dragons pulled to within one goal with no time left on the first half clock when senior Jacki Rose (Marathon/Marathon Central) found classmate Samantha Merrit (Dover/Dover, NH) on a set play off a penalty corner from ten yards out.  Merritt's third goal of the season beat UC goalie Amanda McDonnell (Sagamore Beach, MA/Portsmouth Abby) on the left side. Rose now has five points on three goals and one assist this season.

Calvasina completed the hat-trick just 1:50 into the second half when she tipped home a Tiffany Bichrest (Hebron/Harpswell, ME) slap shot. Calvasina leads the team with 12 goals this season. Martin, a freshman forward, tallied her career-high fourth point of the game after netting the final goal assisted by Knudsen. Knudsen leads the team with eight assists on the year. Martin and Bichrest, both freshman classmates, rank second on the team with four goals each.

McDonnell stopped six shots in her fourth win of the season, while her counterpart, Dombkowski made five saves in seventy minutes of action.

UC out shot Oneonta 10-9 on the evening, but the Red Dragons earned an 11-7 penalty corner advantage.

The Pioneers return to action Sunday against visiting Brockport State at 1 p.m. Oneonta takes on host Union next Thursday at 4 p.m.
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