Utica, NY (11/1/14)- The nationally ranked No. 20 Utica College field hockey team downed visiting St. John Fisher College 3-1 in Empire 8 Conference action Saturday afternoon at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. 
 
With the win, the Pioneers improve to 16-2 overall and wrap up the regular season with a perfect 8-0 mark in conference play.  This marks the first time UC has ever finished the regular season unbeaten in conference play.  Utica clinches the Empire 8 regular season championship for just the third time in program history.  As the No. 1 seed, the Pioneers will now host the E8 Tournament next weekend. 
 
Senior Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) led Utica with two goals, while classmate Chasity Eckert (Afton, NY/Afton Central) added one goal and one assist and junior Colleen Dowling (Fairport, NY/Fairport) chipped in with her eighth assist of the season. 
 
Fisher opened the scoring in the 25th minute as freshman Emily Markarian netted her 17th tally of the season, unassisted.  Utica rebounded just five minutes later as Mackey took a pass from Eckert off the goal line and fired a high shot into the top right corner of the net. 
 
The second half was all Utica as Mackey netted her second of the day and 34th of the year to give Utica the lead.  Eckert added the insurance goal in the 50th minute as she took a pass from Dowling and slipped the ball inside the left post for her 10th of the year. 
 
Utica outshot Fisher 19-6 on the day and held a 10-5 advantage in penalty corners.  UC goalies Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) and Olivia Cunningham (Bethlehem, NH/Profile) combined for five saves on the afternoon, while Cardinal goalie Danielle Famolaro made ten saves in the loss. 
 
Prior to the game, the Pioneers honored their 11 seniors who played in their final regular season game at Utica. 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).
 
 
The Pioneers will take on the No. 4 seed, Stevens Institute of Technology in the Empire 8 semifinals next Saturday.  Game time is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Gaetano Stadium.   


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