Utica, NY (1/9/14)- The Utica College women's hockey team looks to keep its winning streak intact as it prepares for a big home weekend.  The Pioneers welcome nationally-ranked No. 4 Norwich University on Saturday and then host Manhattanville College on Sunday.  Both games are scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. 

LAST TIME OUT: UC is coming off a sweep of SUNY Canton last weekend… The Pioneers downed the Kangaroos 3-2 in Canton on Friday… They followed that up with a 4-1 win, their eighth consecutive victory, at home on Saturday… Senior Megan Myers (Las Vegas, NV/LA Selects) and sophomore Morgan Reed (Fort Myers, FL/Cushing Academy) each had four points in the series… Junior Marissa McNamara (Camillus, NY/Lysander Lightning) had 14 saves on Friday for her second win of the season, while Jennifer Hamel (Ithaca, NY/Northwood School) stopped 21 of 22 shots she faced on Saturday.

MYERS NAMED ECAC WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior Megan Myers (Las Vegas, NV/LA Selects) was recently named ECAC West Player of the Week for the second time this season…  Myers extended her point-scoring streak to ten games as she tallied four points last weekend… On Friday she had one goal and one assist, then netted two goals, including the game-winner, on Saturday to lift the Pioneers to their eighth straight victory… On the season, she leads the conference and ranks sixth in the country with 1.00 goals per game… She is also seventh in the nation in points per game (1.80).

HOT START: The Pioneers tied the 2001-02 team for the program's best start with an 8-2 record through the first ten games…  In the inaugural season, UC also had a program-best eight-game win streak, which the current edition of the Pioneers have matched… UC has outscored opponents 37-18 so far this year and have averaged 3.7 goals per game.

IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: The Pioneers are just outside the top-10 in the most recent USCHO.com national poll… UC is currently first in the "receiving votes" category with four votes… apart from Myers ranking in the top-ten in both goals and points per game, sophomore Morgan Reed (Fort Myers, FL/Cushing Academy) is tied for ninth nationally with 1.00 assists per game… Freshman Gabrielle Schnepp (Northville, MI/Belle Tire) is tied for second in the country with three game winning goals and ranks sixth nationally in rookie scoring (1.00 points per game)… The Pioneers hold the seventh best scoring offense with 3.7 goals per game and they also hold the seventh best penalty kill with a 90.7 success rate… Eight games is the second best unbeaten streak in the country, behind No. 1 ranked Plattsburgh's 11-game unbeaten streak. 

SCOUTING NORWICH: The Cadets are currently ranked No. 4 in the most recent USCHO.com national poll after compiling a 9-2 overall record and a perfect 6-0 start in the ECAC East… Their two losses have come at the hands of unanimous No. 1, Plattsburgh State… Norwich has been ranked in the top five in every poll this season… The Cadets are led by senior Tori Charron, who has 12 goals and six assists on the year… UC is 1-1 all-time against Norwich… The last meeting between the two teams was Oct. 30, 2009, when Norwich won 4-2.

SCOUTING MANHATTANVILLE: The Valiants are 6-5-1 on the season and they are coming off a 4-0 win over Stevenson on Tuesday… Juniors Michele Meggiolaro, Sydney Asselstine, and Alla Traun lead the team in points… Meggiolaro has 15 points (six goals, nine assists), while Asselstine (eight goals, six assists) and Traun (seven goals, seven assists) each have 14 points… The Pioneers are 1-4 against Manhattanville in all-time meetings… Last year UC topped the Valiants 4-0 with the help of one goal and two assists from Megan Myers (Las Vegas, NV/LA Selects)… Meredith Tice (Hershey, PA/Washington Pride), Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School), and Nicole Schwartz (Danville, CA/San Jose Sharks) also scored goals for UC.

LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers return to action next weekend as they travel to Pittsburgh, PA for an ECAC West Conference series against Chatham University… UC takes on the Cougars Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.


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