Box Score Utica, NY (9/19/12)- The Utica College field hockey team dropped its second straight game, Wednesday as it lost to visiting SUNY Geneseo 3-2.  Sophomore Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) led the Pioneers with two goals, while classmates Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) and Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) each had an assist.

Steele-Norton opened the scoring just over seven minutes into the game as she netted her seventh goal of the season.  Sophomore Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) received the ball off a penalty corner and played a long shot on net that Steele-Norton was able to tip passed Geneseo goalie Dayna Mercer to put Utica up 1-0.

The Knights evened the score nine minutes later as Kayla DeAngelis netted her second goal of the season.  DeAngelis gathered a ball about 20 yards out, after stick handling by three Pioneer defenders; she drove a low shot into the right corner.

Geneseo scored again nine minutes later as Kerry Hosford picked up her team-leading third goal of the season.  The Knights played the ball in front of the net off a penalty corner.  After the ball bounced around, Geneseo's Katie Farley controlled it and passed to Hosford who was able to slide one passed goalie Olivia Cunningham (Bethlehem, NH/Profile).

The Knights picked up right where they left off in the second half, as Brianne Campagna put in her first of the season in the 39th minute. She picked up a loose ball in the Utica end and fired a backhander in from twelve yards out to beat Cunningham.

The Pioneers came within one as Steele-Norton netted her second of the game and eighth of the season at 42:02 of the second half.  Mackey collected a corner and passed it to Steele-Norton, who was able to put it through Mercer's legs to cut the lead in half.

Despite a number of attempts in the final minutes, Utica was unable to solve Mercer and lost its second straight contest.  UC falls to 4-2 overall, while Geneseo improves to 2-4.  Utica's Olivia Cunningham (Bethlehem, NH/Profile) had six saves, while Mercer tallied three on the day.

The Pioneers return to action Saturday as they travel to Rochester, NY to take on Empire 8 opponent, Nazareth College.  The Golden Flyers are currently 1-4 overall and 0-2 in the conference.  Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Naz's Turf Field.


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