Box Score
Utica 4, Skidmore 1- Final
Utica, NY (9/21/14)- The Utica College field hockey team used three first half goals to knock off nationally ranked No. 3 Skidmore College Sunday afternoon at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.  Junior Colleen Dowling (Fairport, NY/Fairport) led the Pioneers with four points on the day.
 
The win marked the highest ranked opponent that UC has ever defeated and the first time the Pioneers have beaten a team ranked in the top five in the country.  This is also the first win over a ranked opponent since Utica defeated No. 11 Skidmore, 2-1 on Oct. 10, 2012.
 
Utica improves to 6-1 on the season, while Skidmore falls to 6-1.  The Pioneers are now 4-0 at home this season, and have outscored opponents 21-3 on their home turf.
 
UC jumped out to a quick lead as senior Hannah Mackey (Locke, NY/Moravia Central) scored her conference-leading 13th goal of the season, just 3:46 into the contest, assisted by Dowling.  Mackey now has five goals and one assist in her last three games. 
 
The Thoroughbreds evened the score at 19:49 as Melanie Webb tallied her sixth goal of the year, assisted by the nation's leading scorer, Dani DeGregory.  The goal snapped Utica's shutout streak, which lasted exactly 174 minutes. 
 
Utica regained the lead at 23:48 as senior Chasity Eckert (Afton, NY/Afton Central) tipped in a long shot from Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) for her fourth of the season.  Two minutes later, the Pioneers converted on a penalty corner to take a 3-1 lead.  Freshman Melissa Koch (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) collected Dowling's rebound and lifted a backhand over Skidmore's net minder, Amy Beck, for her first collegiate goal. 
 
Despite being outshot 11-7 in the second half, the Pioneers were able to hold on for the victory.  Dowling capped off the scoring at 52:56 with her second of the season to all-but seal the win. 
 
Utica outshot Skidmore 18-15, while the Thoroughbreds held an 11-8 advantage in penalty corners.  Junior Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) made a season-high ten saves for her 32nd career win.  She is just one shy on tying Jenny Lounsbury for most all-time at UC.  Beck also had ten saves in the loss. 
 
The Pioneers have almost a full week off before traveling to Houghton College for a match up against the Highlanders on Saturday.  Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.


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