Utica, NY (2/21/14) - The Utica College women's hockey team takes on ECAC West foe, Potsdam State in a home-and-home series this weekend.  On Saturday, the Pioneers visit Potsdam at 3:00 p.m. before both teams travel to Utica for the series finale Sunday at 4 p.m.

GAME COVERAGE:  Live stats and video are available for Sunday's contest, with Utica College's WPNR radio station providing live audio for the game… Live stats, audio and video  will also be available for Saturday's game in Potsdam… Please visit the women's hockey schedule page at ucpioneers.com for links to game coverage.

LAST TIME OUT: UC is coming off two tough losses, both 2-1, against Oswego State last weekend… Kelsey Dowdall (Smiths Falls, ONT/Nepean) and Nicole Kieffer (Rome, NY/Lysander Lightning) scored the two goals for the Pioneers on the weekend … Senior Jennifer Hamel (Ithaca, NY/Northwood School) stopped 41-of-45 shots on the weekend.

PLAYOFF PUSH: The Pioneers are currently fifth in the ECAC West Conference standings, just one point behind Potsdam, which is in fourth place… UC has already locked up a spot in the conference tournament, its 12th postseason appearance in the last 13 years, however the remaining games determine the final conference standings... If Utica gets three out of four possible points this weekend, it will jump ahead of Potsdam in the standings and will host a first round playoff game.

MYERS SECOND ALL-TIME: Senior Megan Myers (Las Vegas, NV/LA Selects) is currently in second on the College's all-time points list with 135 points (71 goals, 64 assists) in 100 games played… This season, she leads the team in goals (16), assists (15), and points (31)… Her 1.35 points per game rank 12th nationally and fifth in the conference.

RELYING ON HAMEL: Senior Jennifer Hamel (Ithaca, NY/Northwood School)'s 33 wins rank second all-time, just two behind 2010 graduate, Jill Doherty…  Hamel has a .908 save percentage, a 2.38 goals against average, and is 11-8 on the season.

SCOUTING POTSDAM: The Bears are 12-8-3 overall, and sit in fourth place in the conference standings, just one point ahead of the Pioneers, with an 7-4-3 mark in the ECAC West… Potsdam is led by Jordan Ott, and Jessica Silveira… Silveira has a team-high 32 points (ten goals, 22 assists), while Ott leads all rookies with 30 points.

AGAINST THE BEARS: UC is 5-1-3 against Potsdam since 2009… Last season, Utica went 1-0-1 during the regular season and then went on to beat Potsdam in the first round of the conference tournament… In the ECAC West Tournament, Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) and Morgan Reed (Fort Myers, FL/Cushing Academy) each had two goals and an assist while Megan Myers (Las Vegas, NV/LA Selects) had a goal and two assists in the 5-1 win.

LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers will face Potsdam or Oswego next weekend depending on how the final two games finish out… If Utica losses both games and Oswego loses both of their games, UC will travel to Oswego for the first round... If Utica wins and at least ties this weekend, it will host Potsdam... If Utica splits the weekend, the Pioneers will travel to Potsdam for the first round.


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