UTICA, NY- The Utica College field hockey team opens up play this weekend as it travels to the Oneonta State Invitational.  The Pioneers will face the host Oneonta Red Dragons on Saturday (11:30 a.m.) before capping off the weekend Sunday against New Paltz (2 p.m.)
 
KEY RETURNERS: Junior Rylee Meelan (Clinton, NY/Clinton) will be called upon to lead the offense this season… Meelan had five goals and one assist last season after leading the team with 17 points (eight goals, one assist) as a freshman… Senior Melissa Koch (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) led the team with four assists in 2016… Senior Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) is back in the cage this season for UC… Whitehouse played every minute last season, compiling a .769 save percentage and three shutouts. 
 
VETERAN LEADERSHIP: Senior Jordan Noga (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) returns to lead the Utica defense after playing in all 18 games last season… Noga set a new single-season program record with seven defensive saves one year ago… Classmates Madison Williams (Prospect, NY/Holland Patent), Abby Bird (Nineveh, NY/Harpursville), and Gianna Cavalier (Northport, NY/Commack) will also provide leadership with three years of collegiate play under their belts… Juniors Jessica Belt (Webster, NY/Webster-Schroeder), Madison Babicz (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford), and Paige Mapley (Meridan, NY/Cato-Meridan) will provide depth on the field, while Carly Tebolt (Wappingers, NY/Roy C Ketcham) will continue to develop and battle for playing time in goal… Sophomores Josie Sgarlata (Canastota, NY/Canastota), Joanna Gaertner (Schuylerville, NY/Schuylerville), Fiona Shea (East Greenbush, NY/East Greenbush), Makenzie Stevens (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), and Ricki Haab (Stowe, VT/Stowe) will also provide guidance after completing their rookie seasons. 
 
NEWCOMERS: The Pioneers welcome seven new faces to the team this season… Junior Natalie Capriglione (New Milford, CT/New Milford), who is also on the women's lacrosse team will look to make an impact on the field… Sabrina Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich), Amanda Fitzgerald (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), Hannah Nordstrom (Fairhaven, MA/Fairhaven), Abbey Fitzgerald (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), Jenny Robbins (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg), and Sydney Scaccia (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) will hope to fit in right away for the Pioneers… Senior Maria Orsino (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit) is also back on the squad after sitting out last season.
 
A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE: The Pioneers' schedule features 17 games against regionally based opponents, five of which will take place at the friendly confines of Charles A. Gaetano Stadium… Utica opens up the home portion of its schedule on Wednesday, Sept. 6 as it hosts Ithaca College (7 p.m.)… The Pioneers will also be dedicating their game on Oct. 7 against W & J to breast cancer awareness… UC wraps up home play on Oct. 8 against SUNY Cortland. 
 
SCOUTING ONEONTA: The Red Dragons finished last year with a 5-13 overall record and a 3-3 mark in the SUNYAC…  Junior Allyson Wells led the team last year with 10 points on four goals and two assists… In their last meeting, Oneonta fired off two unanswered goals in the second half to come away with a 2-1 victory… Jessica Belt (Webster, NY/Webster-Schroeder) scored UC's lone goal.
 
SCOUTING NEW PALTZ: The Hawks went 9-9 last year and finished 5-1 in the SUNYAC… New Paltz was eliminated from the conference tournament as it fell to Geneseo in the semifinals, ending its run of four consecutive SUNYAC titles… Senior Justine O'Reilly returns after she finished second on the squad with 26 points (11 goals, four assists) as a junior… Last year, New Paltz downed the Pioneers 4-1, despite Melissa Koch (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) scoring the first goal of the game.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: After this weekend, the Pioneers will return home on Wednesday to face Ithaca in their home opener.  Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.