Box Score Clinton, NY (October 23, 2013) - The Utica College field hockey netted a pair of second half goals to erase a 1-0 first half deficit as the Pioneers topped host Hamilton College, 2-1, on a rainy Wednesday night at Campus Road Field. Utica's Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) tied the game early in the second half for the Pioneers and junior classmate Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) added what proved to be the game-winner in the 54th minute to help the Pioneers improved to 12-3 overall on the year. 

UC also withstood a late barrage from the Continentals, including a few different scoring opportunities in the final 90 seconds, but Utica goalie Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) stood strong in the victory.  Casey finished the night with six saves.

The Pioneers, who have clinched the No. 2 seed in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament, will now return to conference action on Saturday morning when they host rival Washington & Jefferson Saturday at Gaetano (11 a.m.).

Katey Hopper opened the scoring in the 32nd minute for the Continentals, taking the ball off a defender's stick and beating Casey for her first goal of the year.

However, UC capitalized on its opportunities in the second half as Steele-Norton netted her team-best 14th goal of the season. Stojkovski added her third game-winning goal of the season and she now ranks third on the team with 21 points (eight goals, five assists). Freshman Emily Gascon (Chenango Forks, NY/Greene) assisted on the Pioneers' second goal and she now has 12 points this season (four goals, four assists). 

Hamilton outshot the Pioneers 14-13 with a 9-3 advantage in the first half.

Utica has now won at least 12 games in a single season for the fifth time in program history ('03, '04, '05, '12).