Utica, NY – The Utica College women's soccer team heads to Hoboken, NJ on Friday to play Hartwick College in the semi-final round of the Empire 8 Tournament. This match is scheduled to kick-off at 4 pm.

2018 E8 Tournament: For this year's Empire 8 Tournament, Stevens has earned the top seed and will be hosting the tournament. The competing teams include: 1. Stevens (8-0 E8), 2. Utica (5-2-1 E8), 3. Hartwick (5-3 E8), and 4. Sage (4-3-1 E8). UC/Hartwick and Stevens/Sage are the semifinal matchups, as the winner of each will meet on Saturday at 7 pm for the Empire 8 Championship Final.

Live Options: Stevens will be running live statistics and live video for the games this weekend. Here the links for the official live stats and video.
Live Stats: http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=sit
Live Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/stevens/

Last Time Out: Utica faced off against Stevens in its final regular season contest, losing 6-0 on the road. The Ducks were in control from start to finish, scoring two in the first and four more goals in the second half. The loss pushed UC's record to 10-6-2 overall and 5-2-1 in E8 play to end the regular season.

Hot at the Right Time: Early in October, the Pioneers suffered a loss to Hamilton College that put their record at 5-5-2 overall and 2-1-1 in the conference. After that loss the team went on a tear, winning five matches in a row to clinch a spot in the E8 Tournament. UC established a nice rhythm during this stretch of games, outscoring its opponents 12-3 in that span. With just one loss in the last six contests, the team looks to carry momentum into the conference tournament.

Tournament History: This year will mark the first appearance for Utica in the E8 Tournament since the 2007 season, when they fell to Ithaca in the first round. The last win for UC in the conference tournament came by way of a 1-0 shutout over RIT back in 2006 in the semifinal round. The Pioneers would go on to lose in the championship game to Nazareth, 2-1. With a decade-long absence finally coming to an end, UC is ready to make some noise with its opportunity in the tournament this weekend.

Statistical Leaders: First year Pioneer, Mikayla Blumenstock (Poland, NY/Poland) completed the regular season as the Empire 8 leader in total points (26) and goals (11) to cap off an impressive junior campaign. Blumenstock was also tied for first on the team in assists (4), along with teammates Abby Reilly (Brookfield, NY/Brookfield) and Gabrielle Esposito (Rotterdam, NY/Mohonasen). Sophomore Kierra Caissey (Gardner, MA/Gardner) has had a big year as well, registering eight goals on the season. Goalkeeper Allison Wagner (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) came up with 114 saves and secured four shutouts to lead all UC goalies.

Scouting Hartwick: The Hartwick Hawks are entering the first round matchup of the E8 Tournament as the third seed, with a record of 9-7-1 overall and 5-3 in conference play. The Hawks ended the regular season on a good note, defeating Sage 2-0 in their last match. Utica defeated Hartwick, 2-0, when the two teams met up in the regular season. Gabrielle Kreppein is the top producer for the team with seven goals and four assists. Goalkeeper Cassandra Robataille has started all 17 games this year for the Hawks, making a total of 65 saves on her way to recording seven shutouts.

Next Step: A win on Friday over Hartwick will put UC in the Empire 8 Championship game on Saturday. Coming away with the conference championship trophy after the weekend would ensure the Pioneers a spot in the NCAA Tournament, which begins on November 10^th.