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Utica, NY (11/1/12)- The Utica College field hockey team is set for its third consecutive Empire 8 Conference Tournament appearance this weekend.  The Pioneers earned the second seed in the conference and, as Stevens Institute of Technology will not be able to host, the Pioneers will host the tournament.

Game Times: The first semifinal between No. 1 Stevens Institute of Technology and No. 4 Washington & Jefferson will take place on Saturday at 11:30 a.m…  The second semifinal, featuring the second-seeded Pioneers against No. 3 St. John Fisher College will begin at 2:30 p.m…  Sunday's Championship game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. immediately following the men's soccer championship ... All games will be at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.

Tournament Coverage: Live Stats and video for all games will be available … There will also be a tournament web page with updated scores and information available after each game. 

Social Media: Follow the Empire 8 Conference on Twitter @empire8 ... Tweet #e8... You can also like the Empire 8 on Facebook ... Follow the Pioneers on Twitter @UCPioneers ... Tweet #UCFH.

Last Time Out: The Pioneers clinched the number two seed in the tournament after defeating Hartwick College, 3-1, last Saturday…  Sophomores Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse), Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School), and Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) all scored for UC, while freshman goalie Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) registered seven saves in the win.

Steele-Norton Picks Up E8 Recognition: Sophomore Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) was recently named Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week after recording four points last week… Steele-Norton has a league-best 22 goals and is ninth in the country with 1.38 goals per game… She is also 14th nationally in points per game (2.81) and is tied with teammate Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) for first in the E8 with five game-winning goals.

Mackey Getting Hot: Sophomore Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) is peaking at the right time as she has three goals and seven points in her last four games… She is tied for first in the conference with five game-winning goals and ranks third in points (34) and assists (10)… The Pioneers are 9-1 in games where Mackey scores. 

Stojkovski Stepping Up: Midfielder Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) has provided strong play for UC all year… She is second in the conference with 12 assists and ranks 18th nationally with .75 assists per game… Her 24 points are good enough for third on the team in scoring.

Casey Rock Solid: Freshman Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) has been rock solid in net for the Pioneers this season…  She leads the Empire 8 and ranks 14th nationally with a .811 save percentage… She is second in the conference with a 1.51 goals against average and has a 7-2 record on the season.

About Stevens: Stevens Institute of Technology heads into the conference tournament as the top seed after posting an impressive 7-0 record throughout conference play during the regular season... Unfortunately for the Ducks, Hurricane Sandy impacted their campus in Hoboken, NJ to the point where they had no choice but to hand the hosting rights over to Utica College... Stevens has won seven of its last nine contests, including a 4-2 win at semi-final opponent and fourth-seeded Washington & Jefferson on Oct. 20th… The Ducks are led by Marguerite Chavez who tallied 32 points on 13 goals and six assists in 18 games during the regular season...  Kaitlin McClymont should get the nod between the pipes for the Ducks after totaling 108 saves and two shuts outs.

About Fisher: St. John Fisher, a second year program, is making its first appearance in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament… The Cardinals earned the No. 3 seed after registering a 4-3 record in conference play (6-11 overall)… They undoubtedly have the youngest roster in the Empire 8, fielding only freshmen and sophomores for the entire year... It is a bit of a homecoming for the Cardinal's Head Coach Tarah Christenson who spent two years as the head coach at Utica, leading the Pioneers to 15 wins... The Cardinals earned huge conference wins over Elmira, Washington & Jefferson, Ithaca and Nazareth to earn the right to compete in the post season... Marissa Vedella leads the team with 12 points on five goals and two assists, while goalie Danielle Famolaro leads a stingy Fisher defense after posting 129 saves.

About Washington & Jefferson: Washington & Jefferson, the reigning Empire 8 Conference Champions, heads into the tournament as the No. 4 seed for the second straight year...  Last season the Presidents came away from the tournament, which was also hosted by Utica, with an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament… W & J finished the year with an overall record of 11-7, with key conference wins over Utica, Naz, Elmira and Ithaca... The President's roster features three 20+ point scorers including Jennifer Marabella (13 goals, one assist), Erin Barno (10 goals, five assists), and Arielle King (seven goals, seven assists)... Kira Bunker started their final regular season game in the cage after splitting time this past season with Morgan Brozena… Bunker currently boasts a 1.75 goals against average.