UTICA, NY- The Utica College field hockey team returns home Wednesday as it takes on Ithaca College in the Pioneers' 2017 home opener.  Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT: UC opened the season with a pair of wins at the Oneonta Invitational last weekend… The Pioneers downed the host team 1-0 on Saturday thanks to a goal by Joanna Gaertner (Schuylerville, NY/Schuylerville) and a 10-save shutout by senior goalie Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich)… On Sunday, Melissa Koch (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse Minoa) scored the game-winner just over ten minutes into overtime to lift UC past New Paltz, 3-2… Junior Rylee Meelan (Clinton, NY/Clinton) scored both of Utica's goals in regulation and Whitehouse turned aside six shots.
 
STRONG START: The Pioneers are off to a 2-0 start for the first time in three years… The last time UC won its first two games was in 2014, when the team went 18-3 overall and captured its third straight Empire 8 Championship.
 
FIRE AT WILL: Junior Rylee Meelan (Clinton, NY/Clinton) leads the team with 15 shots and eight shots on goal through the first two games… She rifled off ten shots against New Paltz and was rewarded with two goals, including one just 2:26 into the game… Meelan, who led the team in scoring as a freshman, is looking to bounce back and compete for the E8 scoring title.
 
SHUTTING THE DOOR: Senior Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) registered her fifth career shutout on Saturday as she turned aside all 10 shots she faced… Whitehouse leads the Empire 8 with a .903 goals against average and a .889 save percentage. 
 
FAMILIAR FOE: This marks the first year that Ithaca is not a member of the Empire 8 Conference… The Bombers joined the Liberty League starting this fall… Utica is 7-10 all-time against Ithaca, but the Pioneers are 5-2 against the Bombers in the last six seasons.
 
SCOUTING ITHACA: The Bombers are 1-1 to start the season… Ithaca fell to Kean 3-0 on Saturday, before downing Wilkes 2-1 on Sunday… Senior Michaela Donohue scored both goals on the weekend for Ithaca… Sophomore Savanna Lenker was in the cage for both games… She has a 2.00 goals against average and a .714 save percentage so far.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers remain home on Saturday as they open up Empire 8 Conference play against Nazareth College… Game time is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.