Utica, NY (9/19/14)- The Utica College field hockey team wraps up its four-game home stand this weekend as it hosts Empire 8 Conference opponent Elmira College and nationally ranked No. 3 Skidmore College. The Pioneers face Elmira Saturday at 4 p.m. and Skidmore Sunday at 2 p.m.
FOLLOW ALL THE ACTION: If you are unable to attend the game UC will provide numerous opportunities to enjoy the action... Links to all game coverage including Live Stats, Live Audio provided by Utica College's WPNR radio station, and Live Video are available on the field hockey schedule page at ucpioneers.com… Fans can also follow live updates on Twitter and Instagram: @UCPioneers and make sure to like the Pioneers on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ucpioneers… If you are at the game and on Twitter, or talking about the game on Twitter, be sure to use #LetsGoUC.
LAST TIME OUT: Utica is fresh off a 4-0 shutout win over SUNY Geneseo on Wednesday…
Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) and
Colleen Dowling (Fairport, NY/Fairport) each had a goal and an assist, while seniors
Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) and
Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) added one goal each… Junior
Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) made four saves in the shutout win.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Pioneers are 19-5 on their home turf in the last two years and are 8-1 at Gaetano Stadium dating back to Sept. 14 last year… In that span, UC has outscored its opponents 38-9 at home.
MACKEY LEADING THE WAY: Senior
Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) leads the conference with nine goals and 20 points on the season… As of Sept. 14, she ranked fourth nationally with 2.00 goals per game and was ninth in points per game (4.25)… She is second all-time at UC with 57 goals and currently holds the all-time scoring record with 139 career points… Mackey also recently tied teammate
Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) and 2009 graduate Katie Kutas for first on the College's career list with 15 game-winning goals… Utica is 4-0 this year when Mackey scores.
STEELE-NORTON KEEPING PACE: Senior
Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) has opened the season on a five-game goal-scoring streak… She is second on the team with five goals and ten points… The 2012 first team All-American is the program's all-time leader with 65 goals and she is currently second all-time with 138 career points.
STOJKOVSKI STEPPING UP: Senior Alaina Stojkosvki has scored three goals in the last two games… She is tied for third on the team with seven points on the season… She has netted 24 career goals, and her 26 assists rank second all-time as a Pioneer.
HELPING OUT: Seven different Pioneers have scored at least one goal on the year… Apart from Mackey, Steele-Norton, and Stojkovski, seniors
Chasity Eckert (Afton, NY/Afton Central),
Becki Vivacqua (Yorkville, NY/New York Mills Jr-Sr High), and
Adriana Surprenant (Utica, NY/New York Mills Jr-Sr High) have scored, as well as junior
Colleen Dowling (Fairport, NY/Fairport).
CASEY EYEING RECORD: Junior
Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) needs three more wins to tie the school record of 33 career wins… On the season, she has a 1.88 goals against average and .692 save percentage as well as one shut out.
SCOUTING ELMIRA: The Soaring Eagles are 1-5 overall and coming off a 1-0 OT win over Wells on Tuesday… Three players have scored for Elmira including junior Alli Gilbert, and freshmen Alison Mariano and Samantha James… Utica is 3-2 against Elmira in the last five years… Last season, the Pioneers won 3-2 behind one goal each from Mackey, Steele-Norton, and Stojkovski.
SCOUTING SKIDMORE: The Thoroughbreds recently moved up to No. 3 in the NFHCA national rankings… Skidmore is 5-0 on the season and has allowed just six goals through five games… Junior Dani Degregory leads the nation with 2.60 goals per game and 6.40 points per game, while senior Sam Scott is second nationally with 2.40 goals per game… Utica is 1-4 against Skidmore in the last five years… Last year, the Pioneers fell at Skidmore 2-1 in overtime…
Colleen Dowling (Fairport, NY/Fairport) scored the only goal for UC… The last time the Pioneers defeated Skidmore was a 2-1 victory in 2012 behind two goals from
Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School).
LOOKING AHEAD: Utica will have almost a full week off before traveling to Houghton College for a match up against the Highlanders next Saturday… Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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