Utica 3, Oswego St. 1 Box Score

Utica, NY (11-12-11) - The Utica College women's hockey team retaliated with a 3-1 win Saturday in Oswego after losing to the Lakers, 3-2 in overtime, Friday night at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.  Sophomore goalkeeper Jennifer Hamel (Ithaca, NY/Northwood School) recorded her second win of the season stopping 38 shots to lead the Pioneers.

UC moves to 3-3 on the season and 1-3 in ECAC Women's West play while the Lakers drop to 2-3-1 including a 2-1-1 mark in the conference.  Utica returns to the ice Saturday as they head to Elmira for a weekend set against the Soaring Eagles.  The ECAC West contests are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday.

The first period of play went scoreless with the home team outshooting the visitors, 13-5.  Utica killed three consecutive Laker power-plays over the first 20:00 of action as they remain among the nation's leaders in penalty kills.  UC ranks 27th nationally as they have deaded 29-of-37 opponent opportunities this season.

Two second period goals by UC, despite being out shot 20-15, would result in Utica's first ECAC West win of the early season. Junior Carmen Johnson (Falls Church, VA/Washington Pride) tallied her first goal of the season, even-strenghthed, at 12:32 to open up the scoring for the Pioneers.  Utica leading scorer sophomore Megan Myers (Las Vegas, NV/LA Selects) and freshman Samantha Pucci (Pearl River, NY/Connecticut Polar Bears) documented assists as UC took a 1-0 lead.  Just under three minutes later, at 15:24, Myers drilled home the eventual game-winner off dishes from junior Meghan McMahon (Gardner, MA/St. Marks (MA)) and freshman Louise Steele Norton.  Steele-Norton, also a member of the Utica College field hockey team, recorded her first collegiate point on the ice in her inuagural game with the team.

Oswego came out of the locker room and got on the board just under three minutes into the final period as Jillian bBergeron found the back of the net for her first score of the season to cut the UC lead to one. Following 15 minutes of scoreless play, UC senior defender MacKenzie Roy (Concord, NH/Cushing Academy) gave the Pioneers a 3-1 cushion after she drilled her first goal of her senior campaign, at 18:15.  Sophomore Britany DelleChiaie registered her first assist of the season and is now second in scoring with four points including three goals. The Pioneers would fend off the home team as they got back to their winning ways.

Oswego outshot Utica 39-29 on the afrernoon while neither team converted a power-play opportunity. 

Laker goalkeeper Catherine Cote tallied 26 saves while allowing three goals as she falls to 1-2-1 on the season.