UTICA, NY- After a 5-4 victory on Saturday, the UC women's hockey team could not fend off the No. 5 RIT Tigers on Sunday, losing 3-1 in ECAC Women's West Conference action in Rochester, NY.

UC freshman Kelley Peers (Grosse Point, MI/) was in goal for both games this weekend and totaled 57 saves in 120 minutes of work. The Pioneers now boast a record of 12-8 overall and an 8-4 record in the ECAC West Conference. UC will return to action on Feb. 8 against Oswego in the Campus Center Hockey Arena at 7 p.m.

For RIT Sandra Grant minded the net for the weekend games and recorded 44 saves in two games. At the conclusion of the weekend the Tigers are now 13-6 overall and have a 7-3 record in conference.

Utica took the 1-0 advantage at the 10:11 mark of the first period Saturday as freshman Samantha Glockling (Carleton Place, Ontario/Tilton School) scored a power-play goal. Assisting on the goal were freshman Lynny Gonzales (Rochester, NY/New Hampton Prep) and senior Kelly Bills (Penfield, NY/). Three minutes later at the 13:34 mark, Glockling sent another shot that past RIT goalie Sandra Grant to give the Pioneers a first period 2-0 lead. Sophomore Andrea Maxon (Canton, NY/Hugh C. Williams) and junior Jessica Leclerc (Augusta, ME/) assisted on Glockling's second goal of the night and sixth of the year.

In the second period RIT converted on a power play of their own as Katie Stack knocked home the pass from Keltie Jones 1:22 into the period to put the Tigers on the board, 2-1. No scoring came for the rest of the period until the 19:58 mark when Jerica Young scored a short-handed goal, her third of the season, on the assist from Melissa Hall. This would knot the score at 2-2 going into the final stanza.

The third period was full of scoring as junior Michelle Witz (Pelham, NY/) recorded her sixth goal of the season at the 4:21 mark giving UC a 3-2 lead. Assisting on Witz's goal were Gonzales and Glockling. Just over ten minutes later, at the 14:30 mark, junior Samantha Rowan (Trenton, MI/) registered an unassisted goal, her ninth on the year, and gave the Pioneers a two-goal lead late in the period. Forty-five seconds later, freshman Tiffany Bichrest (Harpswell, ME/Hebron Academy) added her third goal of the year to increase the UC lead to 5-2, with the assist coming from freshman Meagan Sudik (West Bend, WI/). A minute later RIT would strike back as Sarah Dagg scored her eighth goal of the season assisted by Keltie Jones and Katie Stack to bring the Tigers in striking range 5-3. Another thirty seconds would pass by and RIT registered another goal as Melissa Hall scored an unassisted goal to make the score 5-4 in favor of Utica College. That would end up being as close as RIT would get as time ran out and UC held on for the 5-4 victory.

On Sunday, Utica College came out just as strong as they had on Saturday, jumping out to a 1-0 lead on a goal from freshman Becky Heim. For Heim it was her second goal of the season, Junior assistant captain Samantha Rowan (Trenton, MI/) assisted on the goal that came at the 17:43 mark of the first period.

The second period had RIT scoring a goal to tie up the game at 1-1. The goal came from Katie Stack, her ninth on the year, at the 17:42 mark. Lindsay Littman and Keltie Jones were credited with assists on the Stack goal.

In the third period RIT would pull away early as Keltie Jones scored her fifth goal of the season at the 5:46 mark to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Assisting on the goal were Sarah Dagg and Katie Stack. At the 13:24 mark Isabelle Richard would score her 10th goal of the season to close out the scoring for RIT. Maegan Geypens and Amanda Klassen were given credit for assists on the games final goal. The score would improve to 3-1 in favor of RIT and that would remain as the final score of the game.