UTICA, NY- The Utica College women's hockey team faces a tough test this weekend as it takes on nationally ranked No. 2/3 Elmira College in a home-and-home series.  Saturday's contest with be in Elmira, before the teams return to Utica on Sunday.  Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m. both days.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers picked up three points in the conference standings last week as they beat and tied Oswego State… On Saturday, Utica topped the Lakers 4-1, before Oswego rallied for a 2-2 tie on Sunday… Senior Morgan Reed (Fort Myers, FL/Cushing Academy) scored five of Utica's six goals on the weekend, including a career-best four on Saturday… Junior Gabrielle Schnepp (Northville, MI/Belle Tire) tallied three assists and freshman Lauren Patterson (Burlington, Ontario/Oakville) had one goal and two assists as they each extended their scoring streaks to six games… Junior Keira Goin (Dobbs Ferry, NY/Hotchkiss School) made 61 total saves on the weekend as she remained unbeaten in five games on the year.
 
NATIONAL RECOGNITION: The Pioneers are currently in the "receiving votes" category in both the D3hockey.com and USCHO.com national polls… The Pioneers remain just outside the top-ten this week in the D3hockey.com national rankings after picking up one vote last week...  Utica's great start to the season also garnered attention from the USCHO voters as it ranks third in the "receiving votes" category with one vote this week… UC is currently unbeaten at 5-0-1 (3-0-1 ECAC West) on the year...  It marks the Pioneers' best start in over a decade.
 
WHERE WE SIT: The Pioneers are currently third in the ECAC West standings… Utica trails conference frontrunners Plattsburgh State and Buffalo State by just one point…  The Pioneers are also three points ahead of Elmira, but the Soaring Eagles have two games in hand… The UC power play ranks first in the nation with a 42.1 percent success rate, while the penalty kill is tied for eighth nationally as it has allowed just one goal on 18 chances… Utica has outscored its opponents 24-8 so far this season.
 
LEADING THE WAY: Senior Morgan Reed (Fort Myers, FL/Cushing Academy) has been red hot for the Pioneers to start the year… She is currently in the midst of a six-game scoring streak in which she has totaled 17 points (nine goals, eight assists)… Her 2.83 goals per game rank first in the country and she is also tied for first nationally in goals.
 
SCHNEPP KEEPING UP: Junior Gabrielle Schnepp (Northville, MI/Belle Tire) ranks second on the team with 14 points (four goals, ten assists)… She leads the country in assists and ranks fourth nationally with 2.33 points per game… She is also in the midst of a nine-game scoring streak that dates back to Feb. 21 last season.
 
PATTERSON PRODUCING: Freshman Lauren Patterson (Burlington, Ontario/Oakville) has wasted little time adjusting to the college game… Patterson has recorded at least one point in each game so far and ranks third on the team with 12 points (three goals, nine assists)… She ranks second nationally in rookie scoring with 2.00 points per game and her nine assists rank second only to Schnepp.
 
STILL "GOIN" STRONG: Junior Keira Goin (Dobbs Ferry, NY/Hotchkiss School) has been rock solid in net so far this season… She is currently in the top-10 nationally in both save percentage and goals against average… Her .963 save percentage ranks seventh, while she is ninth in goals against average (.99)… Goin also has one shutout on the year and is 4-0-1 in her five starts this season.
 
SPREADING THE WEALTH: Eight players have scored at least one goal this season… Apart from Reed, Schnepp, and Patterson, junior Emily Coope (Phoenix, AZ/Colorado Tigers) is tied for third on the team with three goals, while senior Janessa Haasbeek (Grand Forks, ND/Canadian International Hockey Academy) has found the back of the net twice… Sophomores Samantha Husak (Jackson, MI/Grass Lake) and Carlie Smith (Grimsby, Ontario/St. Catharine's Chaos) each have one goal, and freshman Jennifer Liu (North Saanich, British Columbia/Shaftesbury Titans ) also scored her first collegiate goal.
 
SCOUTING ELMIRA: The Soaring Eagles, who were defeated in the National Championship game last season, are currently ranked No. 2/3 in the national polls… After dropping the first game of the year to current No. 4 Adrian College, the Soaring Eagles have won their last three by a combined score of 16-3… Elmira has nine players with at least one goal so far, led by sophomore Meghan Fonfara, who has a team-best five goals… Sophomore Kelcey Crawford has started three games in net and holds a .896 save percentage… The special teams match up this weekend will be interesting as Elmira boasts the top penalty kill in the country as it has held opponents scoreless on 21 attempts and the Soaring Eagles have scored three short handed goals through four games.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: Following this weekend, the Pioneers will host Morrisville State on Tuesday night in a non-conference match up.  Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.