UTICA, NY – The nationally-ranked No. 10 Utica College women's ice hockey team exploded for five second period goals in route to a 7-1 win over Hamilton College in a non-league contest Tuesday night at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

With the win, UC improves to 15-8 overall and remains 10-4 in the ECAC Women's West Conference, while the Continentals dropped to 4-12-4 overall and remain 2-6-4 in the NESCAC. The Pioneers out shot Hamilton 41-21 on the day and avenged a 3-2 overtime loss at the hands of the Continentals on Dec. 5, 2007 at Sage Rink.

UC now owns a 7-3-2 all-time series advantage over the Continentals.

The first period featured just one late goal when freshman forward Lynny Gonzales (Rochester, NY/New Hampton Prep) lit the lamp with less than two minutes to go in the opening stanza past Hamilton junior goalie Kat Manning (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Bisons). Her third goal of the season was assisted by classmate Meagan Sudik (West Bend, WI/), marking her sixth assist of the year.

UC took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission, out shooting Hamilton 9-8 in the first period.

4:49 into the second period the Pioneers began the goal scoring onslaught when sophomore stand-out Andrea Maxon (Canton, NY/Hugh C. Williams) netted her eleventh goal of the season past Manning on an assist from three-sport athlete Ashley Kaufman (Enfield, CT/) and junior assistant captain Samantha Rowan (Trenton, MI/). Less than four minutes later the Pioneers took a 3-0 lead when Rowan netted her eleventh goal of the season and second point of the contest. Sudik added her second assist of the night and eighth of the season on the goal.

UC went up 4-0 when freshman defender Ann Rancourt (Cleveland, OH/) ripped a shot past Manning mid-way through the second period. Maxon, a former all-conference rookie team selection, was credited with an assist on Rancourt's second collegiate goal. Freshman Samantha Glockling (Carleton Place, Ontario/Tilton School) was later credited with an assist on the goal as well.

The Pioneers fifth goal of the evening caused a goalie change by the Continentals as freshman Leslie Ryder (Brooklyn, NY/Sound Shore Warriors) began her night between the pipes at the 11:02 mark of the second period. UC's fifth goal was scored by Gonzales, her second of the evening, on an assist from Sudik and junior defender Amanda McDonnell (Sagamore Beach, MA/). It marked the third set-up of the night for Sudik and McDonnell's eighth assist of the season.

UC closed out the second period with a goal from Rowan, assisted by Gonzales at the 14:04 mark. Gonzales, who sat out the entire first semester of the Pioneer's schedule, has 11 points in just 14 games played this season.

Hamilton got on the board and cut the Pioneer lead to 6-1, 1:06 into the final stanza, when Kathryn Kroleski (New Rochelle, NY/Gunnery) sent in a shot form the left side that ricocheted off UC junior captain Jessica Leclerc's (Augusta, ME/) skate and past UC freshman net minder Kelley Peers (Grosse Point, MI/).

UC took a 7-1 lead 14:47 into the final period on a power-play goal from freshman forward Jodie Galluzzi (Buffalo, NY/National Sports Academy), her eighth goal of the season, on an assist from junior transfer Michelle Witz (Pelham, NY/) and Gonzales.

Peers improved to 8-2 in net for the Pioneers and stopped 20 shots, while her counterparts, Manning and Ryder combined for 34 saves on the evening.

The Pioneers return to the ice for the final weekend series of the regular season against visiting Neumann College Saturday. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7 p.m. for the ECAC Women's West Conference competition.

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