Utica, NY (10/24/14)- The Utica College field hockey team returns home Saturday as it takes on visiting RPI in non-conference action.  Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
PIONEERS ALL-ACCESS: If you can't make it out to Utica to watch Saturday's game in person, Pioneers All-Access is the place to be on game day, providing live video, audio (WPNR 90.7 FM) and stats for all UC home games on the turf … Pioneers All-Access is a completely FREE service provided for those members of the Pioneer nation that might not be able to make it out to the game … Recent stories and social media are fully integrated into the Pioneers All-Access site for the most comprehensive viewing experience …  Make sure to check out Pioneers All-Access at www.ucpioneers.com/watch.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers picked up a huge 2-1 overtime victory over nationally ranked No. 15 University of Rochester on Wednesday… Senior Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) scored the tying goal in the 52nd minute before classmate Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) netted the winner just 1:24 into overtime… Freshman Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) made six saves for her fourth win of the season and junior Colleen Dowling (Fairport, NY/Fairport) had one assist on the day.
 
UPSET CITY: U of R marks the second ranked opponent Utica has defeated this year… UC also knocked off then-ranked No. 3 Skidmore College on Sept. 21 by a score of 4-1. 
 
WHERE WE SIT: The Pioneers are 14-1 on the year and hold the nation's longest active winning streak at 12 games… Utica is in the "receiving votes" category of the NFHCA national rankings for the fifth consecutive week after collecting a season-high 109 points in the poll… At the beginning of the week, the Pioneers ranked third in the nation in scoring average (5.29) and fifth in scoring margin (3.86)…  Utica's .929 winning percentage is also second nationally.
 
EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE STANDINGS: The Pioneers are currently first in the Empire 8 Conference standings (7-0)… They are one of two unbeaten teams in the E8 along with St. John Fisher College… Utica has already clinched a playoff birth and has the potential to host the conference tournament… St. John Fisher is 6-0 in conference play with two games remaining… The Cardinals and Pioneers will meet each other in Utica on Nov. 1 with Empire 8 Championship implications.
 
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: Utica has been lights out at home this season… The Pioneers boast a 6-0 mark at Gaetano Stadium while outscoring opponents 32-6… Utica is 12-1 on its home turf dating back to Sept. 14 last year. 
 
MACKEY REMAINS HOT: Senior Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) continues to lead the conference in goals (30) and points (65)… The forward sits atop the NCAA with 2.07 goals and 4.50 points per game… She is the only player in the country in all divisions (I, II, or III) averaging over 2.0 goals per game… She has a 12-game goal-scoring streak in which she has tallied 23 goals. 
 
STEELE-NORTON CONTINUES STRONG PLAY: Senior Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) is second on the team in goals (12) and points (29)… She is fourth in the E8 with .800 goals per game and she also ranks fifth in the conference in points per game (1. 93)… She has netted four goals in the last three games. 
 
LOGGING THE MINUTES: Senior Amanda Vitro (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central) leads the team with 1045 minutes played...  She has played all but six minutes on the year and has started 35 of the last 36 games dating back to last season… Vitro has helped lead the Utica defense that has allowed just 1.40 goals per game and collected three shutouts.
 
PROTECTING THE CAGE: The Pioneers lead the conference with a combined goals against average of 1.40… Freshman Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) is atop the Empire 8 with a .826 save percentage to go along with her 4-0 record… Junior Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) is second in the E8 with a 2.12 goals against average and she also has one shutout.
 
SCOUTING RPI: The Engineers are 4-10 overall (2-4 Liberty League)… Eight of their 10 losses have been by just one goal… RPI is coming off a 2-1 loss to New Paltz on Wednesday… 12 players have scored at least one goal on the season and four Engineers have tallied six points on the year… UC leads the all-time series against RPI 7-6... Last year, the Pioneers left Troy with a 2-0 victory over the Engineers… Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) and Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) scored for UC.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: Utica will wrap up non-conference action Wednesday as it travels to Oneonta… Game time is scheduled for 5 p.m.


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