UTICA, NY- The Utica College field hockey team used four unanswered goals to down visiting Skidmore College 4-1 in non-conference action Wednesday evening at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.  Senior Rylee Meelan (Clinton, NY/Clinton) led UC with three goals on the night. 
 
The win marks Utica's first win against Skidmore in five years.  The Pioneers improve to 5-9 on the season and will look to carry their momentum into Saturday's Empire 8 match up against Elmira College.  Game time is scheduled for 11 a.m. and will be preceded by a short ceremony honoring Utica's seniors.
 
Skidmore opened the scoring at 11:34 as Gabby Hyman buried a loose ball in front for her team-leading 12^th of the year.  Utica goalie Megan Chamberlain (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) was able to make the first save, but UC could not clear the ball and Hyman eventually knocked it over the goal line.  Grace Florsheim was credited with an assist on the play.
 
The Pioneers got on the board at 28:58 as Meelan put in her first of the day off an assist by classmate Maria Orsino (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit).  Off of a penalty corner, Orsino stopped the ball in front of the cage and played it across the goalmouth to Meelan, who fired into the open net.
 
Utica came out flying in the second half as Meelan scored within the first 39 seconds and added another tally just 1:13 later to give the Pioneers a two-goal cushion.  With six points on the evening, Meelan moves into sixth place all-time with 93 career points.  She needs just three more points to match former All-American Alaina Stojkovski's mark of 96. 
 
The Pioneers tacked on another tally at 52:52 as Orsino redirected a long shot by Sabrina Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) for her third of the year.  Whitehouse finished with two assists on the day.
 
Chamberlain turned aside nine shots in the win, while Elizabeth Coughlin made five saves in 56 minutes of work as she shouldered the loss.