UTICA, NY- The Utica College field hockey team wraps up Empire 8 Conference play on Saturday as it travels to Elmira College.  Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers are coming off a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Cortland on Sunday… The Pioneers evened the score with 12:37 left on the game clock, but the Red Dragons responded just two minutes later for the eventual game-winner… Senior Madison Williams (Prospect, NY/Holland Patent) scored the lone goal for Utica, assisted by Josie Sgarlata (Canastota, NY/Canastota)… Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) made seven saves in net.
 
CONFERENCE STANDINGS: Utica is currently fourth in the Empire 8 Conference standings with a 3-3 record… If the Pioneers defeat Elmira, they have a good shot at earning a berth into the Conference tournament.
 
LEADING THE WAY: Junior Rylee Meelan (Clinton, NY/Clinton) leads the team in goals (seven), assists (four), and points (18)… She has set a new career-high in points and needs just one more goal to match her best output, which she accomplished as a freshman. 
 
HELPING OUT: Freshman Sabrina Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) is second on the squad with 13 points (five goals, three assists)… Senior Melissa Koch (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) and sophomore Joanna Gaertner (Schuylerville, NY/Schuylerville) are tied for third with seven points each.
 
SHUTTING THE DOOR: Senior Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) ranks second in the Empire 8 with a .794 save percentage… She is also one of only two goalies in the E8 with over 100 saves… Classmate Jordan Noga (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) ranks third in the conference with six defensive saves… She needs one more defensive save to match her single-season program record of seven, which she accomplished last year. 
 
SCOUTING ELMIRA: The Soaring Eagles are 2-10 overall and 0-4 in the Empire 8… They are coming off a 6-3 win over Wells on Tuesday… Elmira is led by Janie Kempf, who has six goals and 13 points.
 
AGAINST THE SOARING EAGLES: Utica is 4-1 against Elmira in the last five years… Last year, UC came away with a 3-0 victory, behind two goals from Melissa Koch (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) and a four-save shutout by Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich).
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers return to action Wednesday as they travel to SUNY Geneseo… Game time is scheduled for 5 p.m.