UTICA, NY  -- Senior Morgan DuPont (Wynantskill, NY/Averill Park) capped her collegiate career with a school-record 11 points as the Utica College women's lacrosse team topped visiting Houghton College 17-9 in Empire 8 Conference play at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium on Saturday.  DuPont broke her own single game school-record with eight assists and she also added three goals.

The Pioneers closed out their 2015 campaign with a 9-6 overall record and a 4-4 mark in the Empire 8 Conference. UC narrowly missed out on earning a bid into the Empire 8 Conference Tournament. Utica has now won at least nine games in each of the last three seasons and the Pioneers have finished the season with a record of .500 or better for the fourth consecutive season.

Utica's Megan Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) registered two goals, one assist and eight ground balls in the Pioneers' senior day victory. Kane capped her career ranked second on the College's all-time scoring list with 180 career points.  Her 147 career goals rank third on the College's all-time list.  She finished the season with 46 goals, good for sixth on the program's single season list. Kane is also the program's all-time leader with 213 career ground balls and she set a new single season record with 73 ground balls this year. Her 169 career draw controls rank second all-time at Utica.

DuPont is the College's all-time leader with 104 career assists, marking the first player in program-history to record over 100 assists in a career.  Her 161 career points rank third all-time at UC. 

Utica sophomore Rebecca Plunkett (Kings Park, NY/Kings Park) finished the day with a season-high six points (five goals, one assist).  In just two seasons with the Pioneers, Plunkett has registered 82 points (70 goals, 12 assists).

The Pioneers jumped out to a 6-3 lead in the first half and outscored the visitors 11-6 in the final 30 minutes to earn the eight goal victory. 

Houghton (5-10, 2-6 Empire 8) was led by three goals each from Jennifer Zacchigna and Elizabeth Westwood.  Kourtnie Franklin added 19 saves (12 in the second half) for the Highlanders.

Utica freshman Brooke Miller (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) registered three goals and finished her freshman season with 28 goals and five assists.  Senior Patricia Kane (Staten Island, NY/Tottenville) capped her career with one goal and a career-high 11 ground balls.

Tewasherake Barnes (Akwesasne, NY/Salmon River) netted one goal for UC and finished her sophomore campaign with a career-best 17 points (14 goals, three assists). Junior Courtney Wheeler (Ava, NY/Rome Free Academy) added two goals and one assist for the Pioneers. Wheeler now has 98 career points through three seasons at Utica.

Utica goalie Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) stopped four shots in the victory.