Utica, NY (9/25/13)- The Utica College women's soccer team travels to Ithaca College Wednesday for an Empire 8 Conference match up against the nationally ranked No. 8 Ithaca Bombers.  Kick off will be at 4 p.m.

Last Time Out: The Pioneers are coming off a 3-0 loss at Elmira on Saturday… Freshman Jamie Enders (Cazenovia, NY/Cazenovia) had a game-high 11 saves, and senior Sarah Southwell (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) and Freshman Krystine Alvear (Ossining, NY/Ossining) led the Utica offense with two shots on goal each.

Where We Sit: Utica is currently 2-4-2 and 0-1 in the Empire 8…  UC has outscored opponents 14-13 on the season and the Pioneers are averaging 1.75 goals per game.

Leading the Way: Junior Alana Fitzpatrick (Cheshire, CT/Holy Cross) leads the squad and ranks fifth in the conference with nine points (four goals, one assist), followed by Jenna Hughes (Brookfield, NY/Brookfield) and Samantha Matthews (Valley Falls, NY/Tamarac), who each have two goals and two assists.

Helping Out: Senior Sarah Southwell (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) is fourth on the team with two goals and one assist, followed by sophomore Krystine Alvear (Ossining, NY/Ossining) (two goals)… Elizabeth Feigum (Milford, NJ/Delaware Valley Regional) and Deanna Didio (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) have also registered points.

Big D: The Utica defense, led by freshman goalkeeper Jamie Enders (Cazenovia, NY/Cazenovia) and junior back Emily Lefebrve, has held opponents to 1.63 goals per game… Enders ranks second in the conference in saves (57) and saves per game (7.13). 

Scouting Ithaca: The Bombers (5-1, 1-0 Empire 8) are ranked No. 8 in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Poll… They have not been ranked outside the top ten nationally this season… Ithaca is led by Kelsey King and Beth Coppolecchia… King has netted five goals, while Coppolecchia has allowed just two goals in over 520 minutes of work.

Against the Bombers: Utica is 2-10-1 all-time against Ithaca… In eight of the 13 games, the margin of victory has been two goals or less…The last time the Pioneers defeated the Bombers was a 2-1 win on Oct 29, 2008… Last year UC fell 3-0 in its only meeting against Ithaca.

Looking Ahead: The Pioneers return home Saturday as they face conference foe, Stevens Institute of Technology… Game time is set for 12 p.m.


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