UTICA, NY (11/30/2013) – The Utica College women's hockey team jumped out to a 3-0 lead and never looked back as the Pioneers defeated visiting Buffalo State 5-1 in an ECAC Women's West Conference competition on Saturday night at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

The Pioneers have now won four straight and improved to 4-2 overall on the year and 3-2 in ECAC Women's West Conference action. Buffalo State has now lost its first eight games of the year.

UC opened the scoring early in the first period when senior All-American Megan Myers (Las Vegas, NV/LA Selects) tallied her team best fourth goal of the season off assists from Nicole Schwartz (Danville, CA/San Jose Sharks) and Caitlyn Moccaldi (Clinton, NY/Clinton High School Boys) and the Pioneers led 1-0 just 3:23 into the game.

The Bengals and senior goalie Jordan Lee were able to hold the Pioneers scoreless for the remainder of the first period. However, UC piled it on in the opening minutes of the second period, scoring two goals just 44 seconds apart, to take a commanding 3-0 lead 1:39 into the stanza. Freshman forward Gabrielle Schnepp (Northville, MI/Belle Tire) extended her scoring streak to four games by netting the Pioneers second tally of the contest under a minute into the period, and senior Vanessa Maines (Boxborough, MA/Boston Jr. Shamrocks) added her third goal of the season on the next shift to give UC the three goal advantage.

Buffalo State got one back late in the second, but the Pioneers answered again with two scores in the final 4:34 of the game, including an empty netter with 29 seconds to go.

UC's Kristen Beckman (Arnold, MD/Northwood School) blasted home her second of the year, on a power play and Schwartz added the empty netter to lift the Pioneers to victory. Myers led the team with one goal and three assists, while Schwartz had one goal and two assists and Beckman and Schnepp each had one goal and one assist. Kelsey Dowdall (Smiths Falls, ONT/Nepean) and Caitlin Moccaldi also added one helper each.

UC's Jennifer Hamel (Ithaca, NY/Northwood School) stopped eight shots in her fourth victory of the young season. Buffalo's Jordan Lee made 34 saves as the Bengals were outshot 39-9.

The Pioneers and Buffalo State turn right back around tomorrow when they will wrap up the regular season series at 3 p.m.



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