Utica, NY (8/30/14) – The Utica College women's soccer team opens up its 2014 campaign this weekend at the Erinn K. Brozman Cup in Oneonta, NY hosted by Hartwick College.  The Pioneers will play Lycoming College at 4 p.m. on Saturday followed by Keuka College on Sunday, August 31 at 1 p.m.

Utica's tough schedule features 17 games, of which 11 will be played away from home.  The Pioneers have just six games scheduled at the friendly confines of Charles A. Gaetano Stadium, including four in Empire 8 Conference play.

Following its opening weekend, UC will face Clarkson University for a non-conference contest in Potsdam, NY on Sept. 5.  Utica then returns home for back-to-back games including its home opener against D'Youville on Sept. 10 under the lights of Gaetano at 7 p.m. The Pioneers then welcome SUNY Potsdam on Saturday, Sept 13 before hitting the road for four-straight.  UC heads across town on Tuesday Sept. 16 to face local rival SUNYIT before traveling to Hoboken, NJ for its conference opener against Stevens Institute of Technology on Saturday, Sept. 20.  Utica wraps up its four-game road stint versus Hartwick (10/1/14) and cross-town foe Hamilton College (10/4/14).

The second half of the season features eight games, including five Empire 8 Conference contests.  The Pioneers will host St. John Fisher College in their E8 home opener on Oct. 4.  UC then travels to Brockport for a match up against the Golden Eagles on Oct. 7.  Utica will also host defending conference champion and nationally ranked No. 5 Ithaca College on Saturday, Oct. 11, followed by a trip to Empire 8 provisional member, Houghton College on Oct. 13.

UC will host conference rival, Alfred University on Oct. 18 as part of the College's homecoming festivities before hitting the road to take on Bard College (Oct. 22) and Nazareth College (Oct. 25).  The Pioneers wrap up the regular season at home in an Empire 8 showdown against Elmira College on Nov. 1.  

The Pioneers return 17 players from last year's squad, including leading scorers Alana Fitzpatrick (Cheshire, CT/Holy Cross), Jenna Hughes (Brookfield, NY/Brookfield), and Krystine Alvear (Ossining, NY/Ossining).  Fitzpatrick had four goals to go along with three assists for 11 points, tied her for most on the team with 2014 graduate Sarah Southwell (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy). Hughes had two goals and two assists while Alvear had three goals bringing both the ladies total points to six. Hughes, Fitzpatrick, Maddisen Melley (Wappingers Falls, NY/Roy C. Ketcham), and Katie Matloff (Grafton, MA/Grafton) look to have memorable senior campaigns and hope to lead the lady Pioneers into the playoffs.

UC also welcomes 13 new players to this year's squad including Alexis Bianchi (Frankfort, NY/Frankfort Schuyler), Amanda Pawlikowski (Vernon, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill), Maddison Vitale (Ilion, NY/Ilion), Brittany Motta (Lake George, NY/Lake George), Keri Berkowitz (Racine, WI/Racine Saint Catherine's), Caitlin Hopkins (Climax, NY/Greenville), Cassandra McNitt (Ballston Lake, NY/Shenendehowa), Alexis Albano (Tonawanda, NY/Kenmore East), Jordynn Miller (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa), Natalee Wrege (Clinton, NY/Clinton), Elanna Green (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland), Kaitlin Latella (Mineola, NY/Mineola), and junior Mackenzie Roy (Clinton, NY/Clinton), who also plays on the women's hockey team. 

Head Coach Claire McLain, who enters her 11th season at the helm, is confident in the team this year, "The combination of soccer and team unity has stepped it up for sure and I think we're in a better place than we were a year ago," said McLain.  "We started a new system last year, and so our returners have a year of experience with it under their belts and our new players have picked it up, so we're playing better within the system than we finished the season last year."

"I think its going to be a good year, we have a strong core returning, especially on the defensive end.  Some of our freshmen have really impressed us and they will make an immediate impact.  So we're excited and we're ready to get out and start playing."