UTICA, NY- The Utica College field hockey team remains home Tuesday afternoon as it hosts Hartwick College in Empire 8 Conference action.  Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers are coming off a 1-0 loss to St. John Fisher in E8 play on Saturday… Junior Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) stopped 17 shots on the day, just one off her career-best, while Fisher's Ashley Maynard made two saves in the win… Utica had defensive saves from Madison Babicz (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) and Jordan Noga (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) to keep the game within one.
 
WITHIN ONE: UC has lost two of its last three games by just one goal… The Pioneers fell to Kean University, 4-3, in overtime on Sunday, Sept. 11… UC also dropped its season-opener 2-1 to Oneonta on Sept. 3.
 
LEADING THE WAY:  Sophomore Rylee Meelan (Clinton, NY/Clinton) leads the squad with three goals and 14 shots on goal… All three of her scores came in the overtime loss to Kean….  Meelan is also averaging four shots in the last three games.
 
HELPING OUT: Five other players have contributed points this year… Sophomore Jessica Belt (Webster, NY/Webster-Schroeder) is second on the squad with three points, while Melissa Koch (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa), Tiffany Evans (East Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa), and Josie Sgarlata (Canastota, NY/Canastota) each have two points… Gianna Cavalier (Northport, NY/Commack ) rounds out the field with one assist.
 
SHUTTING THE DOOR: Junior Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) ranks second in the Empire 8 with 12.50 saves per game… She has collected a .798 save percentage, 3.15 goals against average, and 75 saves on the season… Her 126 career saves rank fifth on the College's all-time list.
 
SCOUTING HARTWICK: The Hawks are currently 6-0 overall and 1-0 in the Empire 8… They are coming off a 1-0 win over Brockport on Saturday… Hartwick has held opponents to just a .67 goals per game average so far this season… Senior Sarah Ryan leads the team with five goals and 11 points, while Shannon Carter has compiled a .902 save percentage in six starts.
 
AGAINST THE HAWKS: Utica is 5-0 against Hartwick in the last five years … The Pioneers last lost to the Hawks 1-0 in 2009… Last year, UC defeated Hartwick 3-2 in double overtime… Sophomore Rylee Meelan (Clinton, NY/Clinton) scored two goals, including the game-winner and classmate Rebecca Kauffman (Mount Joy, PA/Linden Hall) added the other tally… Meghan McCormick (Ava, NY/RFA) picked up two assists on the day.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers wrap up their five-game home stand on Saturday as they host Stevens Institute of Technology… The game, which is part of UC's homecoming festivities, will begin at 10 a.m.