Utica, NY (11/12/14)- The nationally ranked No. 17 Utica College field hockey team suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as it fell to visiting Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Wednesday evening at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.
 
The Pioneers wrap up their best season ever with an 18-3 record.  18 wins set a new program record for wins in a season.  This year's team also set a new record for points (232) and goals (92) in a season.
 
Senior Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) had two goals for the Pioneers, while classmate Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) had two assists. Junior Colleen Dowling (Fairport, NY/Fairport) also scored and Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) had one assist.
 
Utica jumped out to a 1-0 lead just under five minutes into the game as Steele-Norton tipped a long shot from Stojkovski and played it around the FDU goalie.  The Devils evened the score in the 30th minute as Nicole Hall netted her first of the season off a pass from Gabrielle D'Amico to send the teams into halftime knotted at 1-1. 
 
Florham came out strong in the second half, scoring at 41:11 as D'Amico netted her sixth of the year as she put in a rebound off the post to give the Devils their first lead of the game.  It was short-lived however as Steele-Norton and Stojkovski connected again just 16 seconds later to tie the game. 
 
Florham was able to regain the lead two minutes later off a shot from Alicia Grotyohann following a penalty corner.  Dowling tied the game in the 50th minute as she rocketed a shot into the cage off a pass from Mackey on a set piece. 
 
Despite many opportunities, neither team was able to score in the final 20 minutes, forcing an extra frame.  Just over three minutes into the overtime period, Freedom Conference Player of the Year, Niki Ikeda fired in a shot off the corner to seal the victory. 
 
Florham's Amy Defnet made eight saves in the win, while Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) had two saves for Utica in the loss.  UC outshot the Devils 13-6 on the day, however FDU held an 8-4 advantage in corners. 
 
Utica will say goodbye to 11 seniors who were instrumental in putting the Utica College field hockey team on the map.  They compiled a 61-22 record over the course of their careers, and are the only group in UC history to capture three straight Empire 8 Conference titles.  Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) wraps up her career as the College's all-time leading scorer with 199 points and a program-best 84 goals.  Her 80 points in her senior campaign rank 12th in NCAA Division III history.  Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) ranks second all-time in goals (76) and points (165).  UC also bids farewell to Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse), Amanda Vitro (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central), Nikki Kieffer (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), Amanda Muldoon (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), Olivia Cunningham (Bethlehem, NH/Profile), Chasity Eckert (Afton, NY/Afton Central), Becki Vivacqua (Yorkville, NY/New York Mills Jr-Sr High), Adriana Surprenant (Utica, NY/New York Mills Jr-Sr High), and Angela Charles (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool).  


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