UTICA, NY- The Utica College field hockey team used two second half goals, including the game-winner with just under seven minutes remaining, to down visiting Hartwick College, 2-1, Tuesday afternoon.  With the win, Head Coach Nikki Kieffer picks up her first career win as a head coach.
 
The Pioneers improve to 1-6 overall and 1-2 in the Empire 8.  Hartwick (6-1, 1-1 E8) meanwhile, had its wining streak snapped at six.  UC looks to continue its momentum into a conference showdown with Stevens Institute of Technology on Saturday.  Game time is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.
 
Senior Rachael Scaramuzzino (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) led the Pioneers with two goals, while freshman Joanna Gaertner (Schuylerville, NY/Schuylerville) picked up two assists.  Scaramuzzino broke the deadlock at 49:53 as she redirected a shot from Gaertner that just snuck inside the near post.
 
The Hawks rebounded in the 60^th minute as Lex Richards scored on a penalty stroke.  Following a Hartwick corner, senior defender Sara Hennessey (East Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) ended up on the ground along the goal line.  She made one stop before the officials called for the stroke.  Richards stepped up to the line a buried a shot inside the left post, just out of reach of a diving Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich).
 
UC regained the lead at 63:01 as Gaertner fired a shot that Scaramuzzino was able to get a stick on right in front of the Hartwick goalie to redirect it into the open net.
 
Hartwick outshot Utica 9-8 on the day and held a slight advantage in penalty corners (12-11).  Whitehouse finished with six saves on the day, while Hartwick's Shannon Carter had five stops.  Hennessey and Jordan Noga (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) picked up defensive saves for the Pioneers.