Box Score Utica, NY (1/2/13)- The Utica College women's ice hockey team dropped its third straight game, Wednesday by way of a 4-1 defeat to nationally-ranked No. 4 Middlebury College.  Junior Jennifer Hamel (Ithaca, NY/Northwood School) had a game-high 28 saves in the loss.

Middlebury opened the scoring just over halfway through the first period as Sara Ugalde netted her second of the year.  Molly Downey skated behind the Utica goal and fed the puck in front to a wide open Ugalde who fired a rocket off the crossbar and in to put the Panthers up 1-0.

Five minutes later, the Panthers struck again as Katie Mandigo put in her second of the year assisted by Ugalde and Downey.  Downey found Ugalde on the side board and then fed Mandigo in the high slot who was able to put a shot just over the outstretched pad of Hamel.

The only scoring in the middle frame came at 6:08 as Madeline Joyce put in her second of the year assisted by Emily Fluke.  Fluke and Joyce came down on a 2-on-1.  Hamel made a good save on Fluke's initial shot, but Joyce was there to pick up the rebound to put Midd up 3-0. 

With just over seven minutes remaining in the game, Fluke was able to burry a goal of her own.  She received a long pass from Styrbicki and went in 1-on-1.  Fluke shot a long puck five feet inside the blue line that fooled Hamel and ended up in the back of the net.  

However, just 37 seconds later, junior Megan Myers (Las Vegas, NV/LA Selects) was able to get Utica on the board as she netted her team-leading sixth goal of the year.  Myers skated into the Panther zone and fired a hard shot that went through Middlebury goalie Annabelle Jones' five hole.  Junior Brittany DelleChiaie (Leominster, MA/The Winchendon School) and sophomore Courtney May (Oxford, MI/Belle Tire) assisted on the tally.

Jones turned away 15 shots in her second win of the season.  Middlebury improves to 6-1-1, while UC falls to 4-6 on the season.  The Pioneers return to action Saturday as they host Manhattanville College for a non-conference contest.  Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m.


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