UTICA, NY- The Utica College women's hockey team returns from the winter break Sunday as it travels to Oswego State for a non-conference match up with the Lakers.  Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
FIRST HALF WRAP UP: Utica is 7-4 overall and 3-1 in the UCHC after the first semester of play… The Pioneers have won three of their last four and five of their last seven… UC is coming off a tough 2-1 loss to Morrisville State on Dec. 9.
 
A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE: The Pioneers are currently fourth in the UCHC standings with six points… 12 of Utica's 14 remaining games are UCHC conference contests, including eight games against teams who are currently below the Pioneers in the standings.
 
GOING GOLD ALL YEAR LONG: All season long, the Pioneers will wear special edition gold ribbon uniforms to raise awareness for childhood cancer… The jerseys are currently being auctioned off online (HERE) and bidding can be done in person at any home game this year… The person with the winning bid will be invited to the Pioneers' end of season banquet, where they will be given their jersey from the player who wore it all season… Additionally, Utica's game against Morrisville State on Dec. 9 served as the Pioneers' 6th annual gold ribbon game for childhood cancer awareness… All money raised at the event and through the jersey auction will be donated to the family of a local child who is battling cancer… The Pioneers have raised over $22,000 for the cause over the last five years.
 
LEADING THE WAY: Sophomore Rebecca Brown (Steamboat Springs, CO/Norwich University) and senior Meghan Power (Windsor, Ontario/Southwest Wildcats) lead the team with ten points each… Brown has four goals and six assists, while Power has two goals and a team-high eight assists… Power needs just one more point to reach 50 points in her career.
 
BALANCED ATTACK: 14 different players have found the back of the net this season… Sophomore Olivia Hirschy (Fort Wayne, IN/Culver Academies) leads the squad with five goals, followed by Brown (four), and Elizabeth Dohner (Highlands Ranch, CO/Colorado Selects), Samantha Husak (Jackson, MI/Belle Tire), Danielle Haasbeek (Grand Forks, ND/Balmoral Hall), and Katrina Cornick (Mason City, IA/Rocky Mountain Roughriders ) have each netted three goals so far. 
 
SHUTTING THE DOOR: Three goalies have seen action between the pipes this year… Freshman Gabrielle Igo (Phoenix, AZ/Northern Cyclones) holds a 5-0 record while racking up a .906 save percentage and a 1.57 goals against average… Senior Amanda Lupo (Auburn, NY/Skaneateles) has a .892 save percentage and a 3.29 goals against average, and sophomore Bria Reilly (Hamden, CT/Brewster Academy) topped all 26 shots she faced to pick up the shutout in her first career start against Hamilton.
 
SCOUTING OSWEGO: The Lakers are 5-7 overall and 3-3 in the NEWHL… Their last game was a 3-0 loss to Hamilton on Dec. 8… Olivia Ellis and Kate Randazzo lead the team with eight points each… Goalie Mariah Madrigal has a team-leading .937 save percentage and a 1.51 goals against average.
 
FAMILIAR FOE: This marks the first season that Oswego is not in the same conference as Utica… UC is 15-7-2 all-time against Oswego… Last year the teams split their season series, with the Lakers earning a 2-0 win in Oswego and the Pioneers taking a 2-1 win at home… Utica then came away with a 5-3 win in the ECAC West Conference quarterfinals, thanks in part to a two-goal effort by Carlie Smith (Grimsby, Ontario/St. Catharine's Chaos).
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers return to action next weekend with a home-and-home series against conference rival, Elmira College… The teams will face off on Friday at 7 p.m. in Elmira before traveling to Utica on Saturday for a 3 p.m. puck drop.