The Utica College women's field hockey team lost to visiting Hartwick College 2-1 Saturday in Empire 8 Conference action on the turf at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.

With the loss UC drops to 7-8 overall and they are now 3-3 in conference play while the Hawks improved to 6-9 overall and 3-2 in the conference. Hartwick now owns a 5-2 all-time series advantage over Utica. UC has three one goal losses to the 'Wick and the Hawks have out scored the Pioneers 15-9 in seven meetings all-time.

The Hawks opened the scoring in the first half when senior forward Jill Hughes (Brownsville, VT/Windsor) knocked in a rebound goal after UC goalie Amanda McDonnell (Portsmouth Abbey/Sagamore Beach, MA) made the initial save on junior Samantha Galm's (Kingston, NY/Kingston) first shot. Hughes's team-high sixth goal of the season gave Hartwick a 1-0 lead just under four minutes into the contest.

UC knotted the score up at 1-1 when freshman forward Rebecca Corsones (Kingston/Hurley) tallied her fourth goal of the season after she tipped in a shot from senior forward Katie Kutas (New York Mills/New York Mills). Kutas's first assist of the season gives her a team-high 21 points on the year (ten goals, one assist).

Hartwick took a 2-1 lead in the second half when senior forward Amanda Johnson (Reading, VT/Woodstock Union) scored her second goal of the season off an assist from junior defender Jenny Murphy (Vineyard Haven, MA/Martha's Vineyard). Johnson's goal in the 37th minute beat McDonnell on the left hand side and both teams played to a stalemate over the final 33 minutes of the contest as the Hawks earned the conference victory.

McDonnell stopped a game-high 11 shots for UC while sophomore goalie Mackenzie Chapman (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) made four saves in her sixth victory of the season. Hartwick earned a 9-2 penalty corner advantage on the day and also out shot UC 15-8.

The Pioneers return to action Wednesday when they travel to Oneonta State to take on the Dragons at 5 p.m. Hartwick travels to Skidmore College on Wednesday to take on the Thoroughbreds at 3:30 p.m.

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