Marcy, NY – The Utica College women's lacrosse team won its third straight game on Wednesday afternoon as the Pioneers topped host SUNY Poly 16-4 in non-conference action.  Senior Courtney Wheeler (Ava, NY/Rome Free Academy) netted a career-high six goals as ten total players registered at least one point in the victory. Wheeler was 5-for-5 on free position attempts and added a team-best six draw controls to go along with two ground balls.

The Pioneers improved to 6-3 overall on the year headed into a key Empire 8 showdown on Saturday at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium against nationally-ranked No. 15 St. John Fisher College (1 p.m.). 

Freshman Katlyn Scarpinella (South Setauket, NY/Ward Melville) added three goals for Utica, while junior Rebecca Plunkett (Kings Park, NY/Kings Park) netted two goals and currently leads the team with 27 this season.
UC earned a 7-0 lead in the first half behind goals from Wheeler, Plunkett, Scarpinella, Mary Morgan Marafino (Monroe, NY/Central Square), and Colleen Dowling (Fairport, NY/Fairport). The goal by Marafino was her first of the season and she also added two caused turnovers. 

SUNY Poly made a push early in the second half and cut its deficit to 10-3, but the Pioneers rattled off six of the final seven goals of the contest to earn the 12 goal win, marking their largest margin of victory of the season.

Utica's Mary Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) finished the day with one goal and one assist, while Brooke Miller (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), Sara Hennessey (East Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa), Amanda Chruscicki (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) and freshman Jessica Steinhilber (Plainview, NY/Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK) each added one point.  Steinhilber's goal was the first of her collegiate career and closed out the scoring on the afternoon for the Pioneers with 2:52 left in the contest. 

Utica's Amanda Lupo (Auburn, NY/Skaneateles) earned her second career win in net for the Pioneers as she stopped five shots in 54:49 of work.  Erin Jacobsen came on in relief and made two saves in net for the Pioneers. SUNY Poly's Carli Rogan stopped eight shots in net for the Wildcats. 

Utica outshot the home team 28-12 on the day and earned 11 free position attempts compared to the Wilcats' one. 

UC is now 5-0 all-time against SUNY Poly.