Utica, NY (10/31/14) – The Utica College field hockey team wraps up regular season play as it hosts St. John Fisher College in Empire 8 action. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.
BOTH TEAMS UNDEFEATED: Utica and St. John Fisher are both 7-0 in the Empire 8 conference … The winner of the game will take home the regular season title and hosting rights for the E8 tournament next weekend.
LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers snapped a program record, 13-game winning streak as they fell to Oneonta, 3-1 in non-conference action on Wednesday … Lousie Steele-Norton scored UC's lone goal of the game in the first seven minutes … The Pioneers let the lead slip away as the Red Dragons scored three unanswered goals for the win.
11 SENIORS TO HONOR: The class of 2015 has helped the UC field hockey program to new heights … They have compiled a 58-21 record, including a school record 17 wins in 2013, two Empire 8 Conference Championships and back-to-back trips to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen … The 11 seniors include:
Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central),
Amanda Muldoon (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool),
Chasity Eckert (Afton, NY/Afton Central),
Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse),
Amanda Vitro (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central),
Becki Vivacqua (Yorkville, NY/New York Mills Jr-Sr High),
Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School),
Adriana Surprenant (Utica, NY/New York Mills Jr-Sr High),
Nikki Kieffer (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy),
Angela Charles (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), and
Olivia Cunningham (Bethlehem, NH/Profile).
PROGRAM LEADERS: Junior goalie,
Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy), has amassed a program record 37 wins … Casey's 240 saves ranks her fourth all time at UC …
Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) ranks first all time with 188 points, 80 goals, and 22 game-winning goals.
STINGY "D": As a team, Utica has let up just 24 goals on 144 shots … The defense is anchored by
Nikki Kieffer (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) and
Amanda Vitro (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central) … The duo have combined for most minutes on the team and have two shutout victories.
E8 STANDINGS: Utica leads the Empire 8 in scoring average (4.706), shots (401), points (199), assists (39), and in goals against average (1.41) … UC has scored 80 goals on the season, which also leads the Empire 8; the closest team is St. John Fisher with 54 goals.
ALL TIME VERUS FISHER: Since 2011, the Pioneers are 6-0 against Fisher … Last year the Pioneers downed Fisher in the Empire 8 Championship game 5-2 … In 2012 the Pioneers again beat them in the Empire 8 conference Tournament 3-1.
SCOUTING ST. JOHN FISHER: Fisher is undefeated in E8 (7-0) games and holds an 11-6 overall record … The Cardinals are coming off a 2-1 loss to SUNY Geneseo … Fisher has three players with at least 30 points, they are, Elizabeth Cusack, Emily Markarian, and Stacie Skidmore … Fisher's goalie, Danielle Famolaro, is posting a 2.08 goals against average and 121 saves.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Pioneers will compete in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament next weekend… Game times and location are to be announced.
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