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Utica, NY (3/28/13) - The Utica College women's lacrosse team opens up Empire 8 Conference play Saturday as it welcomes rival Hartwick College to Charles A. Gaetano Stadium for a 1 p.m. face-off.

Last Time Out: The Pioneers are coming off a 10-5 victory over Oswego on Tuesday… Sophomore Megan Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) led the way with four goals while classmate Morgan DuPont (Wynantskill, NY/Averill Park) had two tallies on the day… Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School), Patricia Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville), Courtney Wheeler (Ava, NY/Rome Free Academy), and Samantha Gebler (Vestal, NY/Vestal) each had one goal while Vanessa Maines (Boxborough, MA/Acton-Boxborough Regional) and Julia Primps (Ossining, NY/Ossining) added one assist each… Senior Stephanie Belanger (Lewiston, ME/Lewiston) had eight saves in the crease.

By the Numbers: Utica is currently 5-1 overall and off to its best start in program history… The Pioneers have racked up 82 goals over the course of the first six games, and have allowed just 35 goals against… UC holds a 70-52 advantage in caused turnovers, while winning 72-of-129 draws and scooping up 122 ground balls, compared to 92 ground balls by its opponents. 

“Play for Seton Hill” Game: Saturday's game will be in honor of the Seton Hill University lacrosse team that was involved in a bus accident on March 16th which caused them to lose their head coach Kristina Quigley, who was six months pregnant, and their bus driver Anthony Guaetta…  UC will have a moment of silence before the start of the game and will also be wearing crimson and gold ribbons in recognition of the school's colors… There is a scholarship fund set up for the coach's son and donations can be made at: http://play4setonhill.eventbrite.com.

Kane of Fire: Sophomore Megan Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) has been on a hot streak through the first six games of the season as she leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference with 21 goals, including four game winners… The 2012 Empire 8 first team All-Conference selection has already scored five more goals than her entire freshman campaign.

Balanced Attack: Three other players have tallied at least ten goals on the season… Freshman Courtney Wheeler (Ava, NY/Rome Free Academy) has a team-high 23 points on 13 goals and 10 assists… Sophomore Morgan DuPont (Wynantskill, NY/Averill Park) has 13 goals and eight assists, while classmate Patricia Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) has 11 goals and one assist. 

Steele-Norton - Rock Solid: Sophomore Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School), also a standout on the UC field hockey and women's ice hockey teams, has made an immediate impact since joining the squad in mid March… The forward has tallied six goals and two assists in just three games so far… Steele-Norton was named First-Team All-American after leading the Pioneers to the NCAA Sweet 16 in field hockey and recently guided the women's hockey team to the semifinal round of the ECAC West Conference Tournament, only to lose to national champion Elmira College.

Between the Pipes: Senior Stephanie Belanger (Lewiston, ME/Lewiston) leads the E8 with a 5.71 goals against average and ranks second in the conference with a 50.7 save percentage… She has totaled 36 saves while compiling a 5-1 record.

Scouting Hartwick: The Hawks (3-4) are coming off a 7-6 loss to Keuka College on Wednesday… Hartwick is led by sophomore Emily Jweid, from nearby Marcy, NY, who has 16 goals and five assists on the year… Three other players have netted ten or more goals on the year including Meg Luce (ten goals, eight assists), Kia Ference (14 goals, one assist), and Lisa Littleton (ten goals, one assist). 

UC vs. the Hawks: The Pioneers have won five-straight against Hartwick including a 10-6 victory last season in Utica in the conference opener… UC have defeated HC by an average of 5.6 scores per contest during that streak… The Hawks last beat the Pioneers back on April, 11 2007 by a score of 13-11.

Looking Ahead: UC will host cross-town opponent SUNYIT Tuesday night under the lights at Gaetano Stadium… Opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m.