Utica, NY (10/18/13)- The Utica College field hockey team returns to action Saturday as it travels to Elmira College for an Empire 8 Conference match up against the Soaring Eagles.  Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT: Utica is coming off a 5-0 victory over Hartwick College last Saturday… Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) had two goals and one assist to pace the Pioneers… Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse), Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School), and Emily Gascon (Chenango Forks, NY/Greene) each added one goal for UC, while Colleen Dowling (Fairport, NY/Fairport) had one assist… Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) secured her fifth shutout of the season, including her third in conference play… With the win, the Pioneers moved to 10-3 on the season (4-1 Empire 8).

BY THE NUMBERS: The Pioneers have now secured 10 or more victories in a single season for the seventh time in program-history…  Utica has outscored its conference opponents 22-5 through five Empire 8 contests this season… As a team, the Pioneers rank in the top-20 nationally in seven different categories, including scoring average, goals per game, goals against average, scoring margin, shutouts per game, points per game, and save percentage. 

JOURNEY WOMAN: Senior Ally Sanders (Endicott, NY/Maine Endwell) is set to break the College's career games played record Saturday afternoon… She is currently tied with 2012 graduate Mallory Mariano for appearing in the most games for the Pioneers (71 games played)… Sanders has started every game over the last three seasons and 69 out of 71 total games played in her career. 

JOIN THE CLUB: On Saturday, junior Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) became the third player in program-history (second this season) to score over 100 points in a career... Mackey now has 103 career points, joining classmate Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) and 2006 graduate Shannon Rohacek in the 100-point club…  She sits alone in third place on the College's all-time points and assists (21) lists…  This season, Mackey is tied for first in the conference in goals (12) and ranks second in points (30).

STEELE-NORTON CONTINUES STRONG PLAY: Junior Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) is the all-time leading scorer in UC history after compiling 114 points (54 goals, six assists) in 50 career games played… This season she is tied for first in the conference with 12 goals and ranks third in the E8 in points (27)… She has been held without a point just twice this season and UC is 7-0 in games where she scores at least one goal.

CASEY TOPS THEM ALL: Sophomore Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) leads the Empire 8 Conference in goals against average (1.337), save percentage (.848) and shutouts (five)… She is also 12th in the nation in save percentage and 20th in goals against average. 

SCOUTING ELMIRA: The Soaring Eagles are 3-8 overall and 1-4 in the conference… They are coming off a 4-1 loss to Neumann University on Tuesday… Elmira is led by Alli Gilbert and McKenna Light… Gilbert has a team-best 16 points (seven goals, two assists) while Light has 13 points (five goals, three assists). 

AGAINST THE SOARING EAGLES: The Pioneers are 6-4 against Elmira dating back to 2003… UC has lost its last two meetings against the Soaring Eagles, including a 4-2 defeat last season… Steele-Norton had both goals for Utica, while Colleen Dowling (Fairport, NY/Fairport) and Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) each had one assist. 

LOOKING AHEAD: UC will wrap up its five-game road trip as it travels to nearby Clinton, NY for a match up against Hamilton College… Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.


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