UTICA, NY – The Utica College women's soccer team travels to take on Empire 8 Conference opponent Ithaca College on Saturday. The game is set to start at 12 p.m.
 
Last Time Out: The Pioneers lost a rough game against nationally ranked Empire 8 Conference opponent Stevens 7-1 last Saturday … The Ducks netted three goals in the first 25 minutes before Xiomara Rodriguez (Bay Shore, NY/Brentwood) put UC on the board off of a pass from Abby Reilly (Brookfield, NY/Brookfield) in the 27^th minute … Stevens added one more goal before the end of the first half … In the second half the Ducks added three more goals to close out the game.
 
Youth Movement: Freshmen and sophomores have accounted for 29 of the 46 total points scored this year… Freshman Jenna Mazza (Frankfort, NY/Sauquoit Valley) leads the team with 11 points (five goals, one assist) … Fellow freshman Abby Reilly (Brookfield, NY/Brookfield) is tied for second on the team with seven points off of three goals and one assist … Sophomore Keri Berkowitz (Racine, WI/Racine Saint Catherine's) has six points off of three goals on the season, while freshman Gabrielle Esposito (Rotterdam, NY/Mohonasen) has three points off of one goal and one assist … Sophomore Elanna Green (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) has contributed one assist.
 
Veteran Presence: Junior Ciara McIlvenney (Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington) is tied for second on the team with seven points on three goals and one assist… Senior Maddisen Melley (Wappingers Falls, NY/Roy C. Ketcham) has three points off of one goal and one assist…Sara Kubera (Utica, NY/Notre Dame), Cassandra McNitt (Ballston Lake, NY/Shenendehowa), and Xiomara Rodriguez (Bay Shore, NY/Brentwood) all have two points off of one goal.
 
Goalie By Committee: Junior Jamie Enders (Cazenovia, NY/Cazenovia) has appeared in 13 games while starting in 12 of those … Enders is fifth in the conference in saves (71), and sixth in the conference in save percentage (.780) … Enders is fourth all-time in saves for Utica College … Kimberly Beattie (Levitton, NY/Division Ave) has appeared in eight games while starting in four … Beattie has 47 saves and a save percentage of .783 … Kelly Heimerle (North Babylon, NY/North Babylon) has appeared in two games and started one… Heimerle has 14 saves and a save percentage of .636.
 
Scouting Ithaca: The Bombers are 11-3-2 overall with a 5-0-2 Empire 8 record … Ithaca has won or tied the last 10 games (8-0-2) and haven't lost a game since September 20 … The Bombers are led by Kelsey King (19 points off of eight goals and three assists), Holly Niemiec (15 points off of five goals and five assists), and Beth Coppoiecchia (92 saves and a save percentage of .893 over 16 games).
 
Recent Years Against The Bombers: The Pioneers are 0-5 against Ithaca over the last five years … Ithaca has shutout Utica the last five games and has only given up four goals to the Pioneers in the last seven years …  UC last beat the Bombers 2-1 in 2008.