Senior forward Katie Kutas (New York Mills/New York Mills) netted both goals as the Utica College field hockey team stunned host Washington & Jefferson 2-1 Saturday in Empire 8 Conference action. Kutas, who was the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year in 2006, has scored the Pioneers last six goals spanning three contests.

UC has now won four of their last six games and improved to 2-0 in conference play. The Pioneers are 2-1 all-time against W&J, defeating the President's 4-2 two seasons ago, while losing 3-2 in overtime last season. After winning five of their first six games Washington & Jefferson has now lost two straight and they are currently 5-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

Kutas opened the scoring after she received a pass from freshman Rebecca Corsones (Kingston/Hurley) and beat W & J goalie Roslynn Reynoso (Fallbrook, Calif./Fallbrook Union) to give the Pioneers an early 1-0 lead. Corsones currently leads all UC freshman with two assists on the season. Just over 15 minutes later Kutas netted her sixth goal of the season, unassisted, to boost the Pioneer lead to 2-0 at the 20:59 mark. With two goals on the day Kutas moved into sole possession of second place on the College's all-time scoring list with 88 career points. Former All-American Shannon Rohacek currently stands atop the list with 110 points in four seasons (2002-2005) with the Pioneers.

The Presidents out shot UC 6-3 in the second half and took advantage of a penalty corner in the 57th minute when sophomore Julianne Zackey (Easton, Pa./Moravian Academy) rifled home her fifth goal of the season to cut the UC lead in half. Classmate Kolbey Seidel (Oley, Pa./Exeter) assisted on the Presidents' lone goal of the contest but it was not enough as UC net minder Amanda McDonnell (Portsmouth Abbey/Sagamore Beach, MA) registered a game-high seven saves on the day to earn the victory.

When it was all said and done W & J earned a 10-7 shot advantage and they also dominated the penalty corner battle 11-3. UC's early control over shadowed the Presidents command of both the statistical categories and with the win the Pioneers currently boast the only 2-0 record in the conference.

Reynoso was replaced in net by freshman Shelby Coyler (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda) in the 24th minute and Colyer went on to stop three shots over the course of the final 45 minutes for the Presidents. Seidel led W & J with three shots on net, while Kutas paced the Pioneers with a game-high four.

UC returns to E8 action Saturday when they travel to Nazareth College to take on the Golden Flyers at 1 p.m. The Presidents hope to get back in the win column on Wednesday when they host Wooster for a non-conference match up at 7 p.m.
 

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