Come out and support the Lacrosse For Autism initiative as UC takes on Hartwick Saturday
Utica, NY (3/30/12)- The Utica College women's lacrosse team prepares for its first Empire 8 Conference game, Saturday, as it takes on Hartwick College at 3 p.m. In honor of April being Autism Awareness month, the Pioneers are dedicating this game to “Lacrosse-for-Autism”.
“Lacrosse-for-Autism”: The Pioneers will hold two separate raffles during the game and the winner of each will be announced at the end of the game. UC will hold a 50/50 raffle and the program will also raffle off a basket full of Utica College lacrosse apparel. All support and donations will go directly to the Kelberman Center in Utica. The Kelberman Center is a regional center for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and related learning challenges.
“Our program is committed to giving back to the community and we believe that this event is a great opportunity to share our support and educate others about this common developmental disorder,” said Head Coach
Kristin St. Hilaire.
The Pioneers would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of the Lax-for-Autism program:
Venice Pizzeria - Yorkville
Castlewood Cafe
Schoen Brothers Lacrosse
Killabrew Saloon - New Hartford
Carmella's Cafe - New Hartford
For more information concerning the Lacrosse-for-Autism initiative please visit their webpage at
www.lax4autism.com
Last Time Out: UC is coming off a 12-10 win against Oswego on Wednesday… Senior
Katlyn Banker (Henrietta, NY/Rush-Henrietta) netted a game-high five goals and added two assists, while freshman Morgan Dupont had a career-high two goals and two assists.
Where We Sit: Utica is currently 3-2 overall headed into Empire 8 Conference play… Two of Utica's three wins have been shutouts, while both losses have been by three goals or less.
Bank on Banker: Senior
Katlyn Banker (Henrietta, NY/Rush-Henrietta) leads the team in all major categories… She has 25 points on 19 goals and six assists… She is averaging just under four goals per game, and has found the back of the net nine times to go along with three assists in her last two games... Her 4.50 points per game ranks her fifth in the conference.
Fantastic Freshmen: Freshmen classmates
Samantha Gebler (Vestal, NY/Vestal),
Patricia Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville), and Morgan Dupont are right behind Banker in scoring… Gebler is second on the team with nine points on five goals and four assists, while Kane (eight goals) and Dupont (three goals, five assists) each have eight points.
Big D: In Utica's tough two goal loss to Clarkson, twelve Pioneers recorded at least one ground ball, while eleven had at least one caused-turnover … Before this loss, the Pioneers posted back-to-back shutouts against Sage (17-0) and SUNY IT (16-0) … Those were the program's first two shut outs in 12-years… UC has outscored opponents 59-29 throughout the first five games.
Between the Pipes: Senior Goalie
Shelby Barbay (Waterloo, NY/Waterloo) is second in the conference with a .532 save percentage and leads the team with 21 ground balls… Junior
Stephanie Belanger (Lewiston, ME/Lewiston) has four saves and had a hand in both shutouts.
Scouting Hartwick: The Hawks are 4-3 overall and are coming off an 11-10 win over Cazenovia… UC is 4-2 against Hartwick dating back to 2006, with the last loss coming in 2007… Last year UC beat the Hawks 8-5, with Banker netting two goals for the Pioneers.
Looking Ahead: UC will travel to Buffalo, NY Tuesday to take on non-conference opponent Medaille College. Face-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.
