Utica, NY (10/3/14) – The Utica College field hockey team will travel to Rochester for an Empire 8 matchup against Nazareth Saturday … The game is set to start at noon.

SOCIAL MEDIA: If you can't make it out to the game make sure to follow live updates on the Pioneers official Twitter feed: @UCPioneers… If you are at the game on Twitter, or talking about the game on Twitter, make sure to use #UCMoose… You can also "Like" the Pioneers on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UCpioneers ... Or follow the Pioneers on Instagram: UCPioneers.

THE PIONEERS: Utica is 8-1 on the season, including a marquee win over, then third-ranked, Skidmore College … The Pioneers are gearing up for three straight away matches; including two conference contests … In E8 play this year UC is 3-0, have outscored opponents 21-2, to go along with two shutouts … Last Tuesday the Pioneers earned 67 votes in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Poll, which is second behind William Smith College in the receiving votes cetegory.

EMPIRE 8 LEADERS: Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central), Chasity Eckert (Afton, NY/Afton Central) and Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) are the top three scorers in the Empire 8 Conference … Mackey leads the Empire 8 with 43 points (19 goals, 5 assists), followed by Eckert (7 goals, 6 assists) and Steele-Norton (8 goals, 4 assists) with 20 points each … Mackey has four hat tricks on the season and is averaging 4.78 points per game … Eckert is tied for third in the conference with six assists while teammate Steele-Norton is tied for seventh in the conference with eight goals.

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: UC's Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) headed into the week leading the nation with an average of 2.13 goals per contest ... She also ranks third nationally in points per game ... As a team the Pioneers rank fourth nationally in goals per game ... They also rank seventh nationally in scoring margin, defeating opponents by an average of 4.0 goals per game.

BRICK WALL: Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) has been playing lights out this year for the Pioneers … Casey has played and started in all nine games and has only let in 11 goals … She has helped the Pioneers to a 8-1 record, including three shutouts … Casey has 33 saves and is averaging 1.54 goals against per game ... Casey recent set a new program-record for wins in a career (34).

ON THE CLOCK: Amanda Vitro (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central) and Nikki Kieffer (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) are one and two on the team for most minutes played … Vitro and Kieffer have started and played in all nine games this season and have logged in 624 and 617 minutes, respectively … Playing on defense Vitro and Kieffer have helped the Pioneers to three shutout victories ... As a team, UC has only let in 13 goals … Kieffer has scored one goal and racked up six assists, including a career-high four assists against Hamilton on Wednesday.

LAST TIME AGAINST NAZARETH:  The Pioneers played host to the Golden Flyers last year (9/28/13) and won 6-1 … Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) started in goal and had four saves, while not allowing a goal … Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) had a goal and an assist, while teammates Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) and Colleen Dowling (Fairport, NY/Fairport) had two assists … Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) led the team with two goals.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN FLYERS: Nazareth is 6-6 on the season and 3-1 on the road … The Golden Flyers have nine players with at least one point … Nazareth has a pair of players in Catherine Willard and Maggie Muzio who are second in the Empire 8 in goals and assists … Willard has nine goals on the season while teammate Muzio has seven assists.

ALL TIME SERIES: UC is 11-2 against Nazareth dating back to 2001 ... The last time Naz defeated Utica was 2007 when they won 2-1.

THE NEXT TIME OUT: Utica will travel to Brockport on Wednesday for a non-conference game against the Golden Eagles. The game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m.