Utica, NY (10/4/13)- The Utica College field hockey team looks to remain perfect in the Empire 8, Saturday as it travels to conference rival, Stevens Institute of Technology.  Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT: UC (8-2, 3-0 Empire 8) is coming off a 4-0 win over Ithaca on Wednesday… Colleen Dowling (Fairport, NY/Fairport) stretched her scoring streak to three games as she netted the opening goal… Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) tallied five points on two goals and one assist, while Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) contributed with her ninth goal of the season… Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse), Ally Sanders (Endicott, NY/Maine Endwell), and Angela Charles (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) each had one assist on the day.

IN FOR A TRIP: This is the first of a five-game road trip for the Pioneers… UC will take on three conference and two non-conference opponents, all on the road, over the next 19 days… Utica is 4-1 in away games this season.

STEELE-NORTON MAKING HISTORY: With five points on Wednesday, junior Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) tied the College's career point scoring record of 110 points, held by Shannon Rohacek '06... Rohacek totaled 110 points in 68 career games, while it has only taken Steele-Norton 47 games to reach the milestone… Steele-Norton currently has 52 career goals, shattering the previous goal scoring record of 46, held by Rohacek… She is also first in the E8 in goals (ten) and second in points (23).

DON'T COUNT OUT MACKEY: Junior Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) has tallied seven points in the last four games… She is tied for second in the conference with nine goals, and ranks third in points (22)… She is currently fourth on the all-time scoring list with 95 points and needs just three points to tie Katie Kutas '08 for third on the list… UC is 6-0 this year when Mackey tallies at least one point.

BIG D: The Pioneer defense led by Meghan Morreale (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro), Marissa Davendonis (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central), Angela Charles (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), and Amanda Vitro (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central) has been solid all season… They have allowed just 9.4 shots and 1.00 goals against per game… In the last three conference games, UC has outscored opponents 14-1… Sophomore goalie Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) leads the conference with a 1.05 goals against average and .857 save percentage… She is also second in the Empire 8 with three shutouts.

SCOUTING STEVENS: The Ducks are 6-3 overall and coming off a 3-2 loss to top ranked Montclair State University on Wednesday…  Two of their three losses have come against top-ten opponents… Stevens is led by 2012 first-team All-Conference selections senior Marguerite Chavez and junior Megan Traub… Chavez leads the E8 with 25 points, and is tied for second in goals (nine) with Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central)… Traub has a league-best 61 shots (6.78 per game) and is fourth in the conference in points (17).

AGAINST THE DUCKS: Stevens holds a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series against UC, however the Pioneers have won three of their last four meetings against the Ducks… Utica fell 3-2 in its regular season meeting last year, but got revenge with a 4-3 victory in the Empire 8 Conference Championship game last November… Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) had two goals in the E8 final, while Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) tallied the game-winner with less than five minutes remaining, off a pass from Nikki Kieffer (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy)… Ally Sanders (Endicott, NY/Maine Endwell) also scored for UC and Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) added one assist. 

LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers will travel to Troy, NY on Wednesday for a match up against RPI… The non-conference contest is scheduled for 7 p.m.


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