ONEONTA, NY- Senior Melissa Koch (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) scored the game winner just over 10 minutes into overtime to lift the Utica College field hockey team to a 3-2 win over New Paltz at the Oneonta Invitational Sunday afternoon.  With the win, the Pioneers improve to 2-0 to start the season.
 
UC got on the board just 2:26 into the game as junior Rylee Meelan (Clinton, NY/Clinton) netted her first of the year.  The Hawks responded just over two minutes later as Justine O'Reilly scored off a dish from Hayley Kim off of a penalty corner.
 
Meelan scored again in the 25^th minute by ripping a shot over the shoulder of New Paltz goalie Megan Gangwere to send the Pioneers into halftime with a 2-1 lead.  New Paltz evened the score at 45:16 as Carly Croteau scored an unassisted goal on a breakaway.  Neither team scored over the next 25 minutes to send the game to overtime. 
 
Utica came out flying in the extra frame as it outshot New Paltz 7-0 before Koch was able to put in her own rebound for her first score of the year.  Utica's Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) made six saves in the win, while Gangwere had 16 saves in the loss.
 
The Pioneers return to action Wednesday as they host Ithaca College in their 2017 home opener.  Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.