Utica, NY (2/28/15)- Junior Morgan Reed (Fort Myers, FL/Cushing Academy) netted her third career hat trick to lead the Utica College women's hockey team to a 4-1 victory over Buffalo State in the ECAC West Women's Hockey Quarterfinal, Saturday evening at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
 
With the win, the Pioneers (11-10-5) move on to face top seeded and nationally ranked No. 1 Elmira College on Saturday, March 7. Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
Reed opened the scoring with just over a minute remaining in the first period as she redirected a pass from Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, PA/Millbrook School) for her 13th of the year.  Senior Samantha Pucci (Pearl River, NY/Connecticut Polar Bears) also assisted on the play.  The Bengals evened the score just 1:51 into the second period as Brooke Krantz converted a power-play opportunity with her fifth of the year, assisted by Jeyna Minnick and Nikki Kirchberger.
 
Reed netted the eventual game-winner at 8:46 of the second stanza as she put in a rebound off a Gabrielle Schnepp (Northville, MI/Belle Tire) shot.  Freshman Kelly Critzer (West Salem, OH/Ohio Flames) added her second assist of the season on the play. 
 
Utica added two more tallies in the third period to all but seal the victory.  Senior Kelsey Dowdall (Smiths Falls, ONT/Nepean) found the back of the net halfway through the period for her fourth of the year, assisted by Steele-Norton and Nicole Schwartz (Danville, CA/San Jose Sharks). Then, at 15:49, Reed intercepted a breakout pass and placed a shot off the cross bar and in to complete the hat trick.  She now has two postseason hat tricks as she also accomplished the feat in a 4-1 ECAC West Quarterfinal win over Potsdam last year. 
 
Sophomore Keira Goin (Dobbs Ferry, NY/Hotchkiss School) stopped 26-of-27 shots she faced, while her counterpart, Justine Silva made 26 saves in the loss.  Utica was held scoreless on one power-play opportunity, while the Bengals were 1-for-5 with the man advantage.  Utica is now 6-0 in ECAC West Quarterfinal games at "The Aud." 


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