Box Score
Utica, NY (9/15/12)- The Utica College field hockey team dropped its first game of its 2012 campaign, Saturday, as it lost to Stevens Institute of Technology 3-2. Sophomores
Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) and
Angela Charles (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) scored for UC
The Pioneers got on the board just over five minutes into the contest as Charles netted her second goal of the season. After winning a penalty corner, Charles passed to classmate
Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) who fired a shot on goal. Charles was able to tip the ball passed Stevens goalie Kaitlin McClymont to put UC up 1-0.
Eleven minutes later, Stevens tied it up as Grace Ridge tallied her first goal of the season, assisted by Mary Nikish. Nikish passed to Ridge off a corner and ridge drove a hard shot into the far corner of the net to even the score.
Steele-Norton put Utica back on top in the 20th minute after she scored her sixth goal of the season. Junior
Ally Sanders (Endicott, NY/Maine Endwell) received the ball off a corner and fired a shot on net; Steele-Norton knocked the ball down and slid by McClymont to send the Pioneers into halftime with a 2-1 lead.
After dominating a majority of the second half, Stevens was able to tie the score as Jill Fiebel netted her first of the season with ten minutes remaining in the game. Fiebel ran down the right side, cut towards the goals and snuck a ball between the legs of Utica goalie
Olivia Cunningham (Bethlehem, NH/Profile).
The Ducks scored the game-winner with 1:30 to play as Marguerite Chavez scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season. Ridge played a corner to Nikish, who ran towards the right side of the goal. Nikish centered a high pass that Chavez deflected in the upper left hand corner for the Stevens victory.
The Ducks improve to 3-3 overall and 2-0 in the Empire 8, while Utica drops to 4-1 overall and 0-1 in the E8. Cunningham stopped nine shots for the Pioneers, while McClymont made seven saves for the Ducks.
Utica wraps up its season-opening six-game home stint on Wednesday as it hosts SUNY Geneseo. Game time is 4 p.m.
--- www.ucpioneers.com ---
