UTICA, NY- Seven different players scored as the Utica College women's lacrosse team cruised to a 16-6 victory over visiting Hartwick College in Empire 8 Conference action Wednesday evening. 
 
The Pioneers have now won three straight E8 contests and outscored their opponents 48-17 in that span.  Utica (9-5, 4-2 Empire 8) will look to carry its momentum into a showdown at Empire 8 frontrunner, Ithaca College on Saturday.  Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
The game remained close within the first 11 minutes of action as UC held just a 3-2 lead with 19:07 remaining in the first half.  The Pioneers however outscored the Hawks 8-2 over the next 18 minutes to take a commanding 11-4 lead into halftime.
 
Utica tacked on five more scores in the second stanza, while holding Hartwick to just two tallies.  Senior Courtney Wheeler (Ava, NY/Rome Free Academy) matched her career-high of six points (four goals, two assists), while Brooke Miller (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) also netted four goals and added one assist on the day.  Junior Rebecca Plunkett (Kings Park, NY/Kings Park) totaled three goals, while classmate Amanda Chruscicki (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) had two goals to her credit.
 
Senior Colleen Dowling (Fairport, NY/Fairport) and Mary Morgan Marafino (Monroe, NY/Central Square) each had one goal in their final career home game, while freshman Katlyn Scarpinella (South Setauket, NY/Ward Melville) added one goal and one assist.
 
Plunkett matched her career-high of nine draw controls, two of which led to a pair of goals by Miller just 14 seconds apart with just over two minutes remaining in the game.  Marafino and junior Maggie Notter (Clifton Springs, NY/Midlakes) led the Utica defense with five caused turnovers apiece while Notter scooped up 10 ground balls.
 
Senior Kells Casey (Sandwich, MA/Kimball Union Academy) and sophomore Amanda Lupo (Auburn, NY/Skaneateles) combined for five saves in the win, while their counterpart, Carleigh Tarala stopped 12 shots in the loss.