UTICA, NY- The Utica College field hockey team looks to bounce back Saturday as it travels to Stevens Institute of Technology.  The Empire 8 Conference match up is scheduled for 5 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers are coming off a 6-1 loss at nationally ranked No. 9 Hamilton College on Tuesday… Hamilton jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first half, before the Pioneers were able to get on the board two minutes into the second stanza…  Junior Rylee Meelan (Clinton, NY/Clinton) scored her team-leading sixth goal of the year for Utica's only tally...  Sabrina Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) and Melissa Koch (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) each tallied an assist on Meelan's goal off a penalty corner... Senior Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) made a season-high 16 saves in the loss.
 
TOUGH ROAD TRIP: Utica hopes to finish its four-game road trip on a high note on Saturday… The Pioneers have dropped their last three contests, starting out with a 2-1 overtime heartbreaker to Hartwick, followed by losses to nationally regarded St. John Fisher and Hamilton… This could be a big momentum swing for UC headed into a return home next weekend.
 
WHERE WE SIT: The Pioneers are currently 5-4 overall and they rank fourth in the Empire 8 Conference standings with a 2-2 mark in league play… Two of Utica's three remaining conference games are against teams who are currently below the Pioneers in the conference standings.
 
LEADING THE WAY: Junior Rylee Meelan (Clinton, NY/Clinton) leads the team with six goals and 15 points so far… Meelan has already scored more points this season than all of last year, and she needs just two more points to match her offensive output from her freshman season.
 
SAVING THE DAY: Senior Jordan Noga (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) leads the Empire 8 and ranks third nationally with five defensive saves so far… Noga set a new single-season program record last year with seven defensive saves, and she is on track to set a new record this season.
 
SCOUTING STEVENS: The Ducks are 2-5 on the year and 1-1 in the conference… Stevens is coming off a 7-2 win over Elmira last Saturday… Stevens is led by senior Victoria Alvarez, who has 16 points on eight goals this season.
 
AGAINST THE DUCKS: Utica is 3-4 against Stevens in the last five years, with five games being decided by one goal… Last year, the Pioneers fell 6-2 to the Ducks… 2017 graduate Rachael Scaramuzzino (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) scored both goals for UC, while classmate Tori Couture (Auburn, ME/Edward Little) and Rylee Meelan (Clinton, NY/Clinton) each had one assist… Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) made 11 saves in the loss.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers return home next weekend to take on Washington & Jefferson in their breast cancer awareness game… Game time is scheduled for 12 p.m.