UTICA, NY- The Utica College women's hockey team returns home on Saturday as it hosts nationally ranked No. 6 Middlebury College.  Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers suffered their first loss of the season last Tuesday as they dropped a 4-2 decision to Morrisville State… UC fell into a 4-0 hole in the first half of the game… Despite a pair of third period scores by senior Elizabeth Dohner (Highlands Ranch, CO/Colorado Selects), the Pioneers were not able to mount the comeback… Freshman Georgiana Santullo (Woburn, MA/Boston Shamrocks/Woburn High School) assisted on both of Dohner's tallies and Lexi Stanisewski (Lawrence, MA/Boston Shamrocks) also chipped in with one helper… Gabrielle Igo (Phoenix, AZ/Northern Cyclones) and Bria Reilly (Hamden, CT/Brewster Academy) combined for 16 saves in the loss.
 
LEADING THE WAY: Sophomore Lexi Stanisewski (Lawrence, MA/Boston Shamrocks) leads the Pioneers with nine assists and 13 points… She needs just one more point to match her scoring output from her freshman campaign… Stanisewski has been held without a point just twice this season. 
 
HELPING OUT: Senior Elizabeth Dohner (Highlands Ranch, CO/Colorado Selects) is right behind Stanisewski with 12 points on the year, followed by junior Rebecca Brown (Steamboat Springs, CO/Norwich University) and freshman Georgiana Santullo (Woburn, MA/Boston Shamrocks/Woburn High School), who each have 11 points… Dohner and Brown are tied for the team-lead with six goals each… Santullo meanwhile ranks 13^th nationally amongst freshmen with 1.10 points per game and her seven assists this season are second on the team behind Stanisewski.
 
SHUTTING THE DOOR: Junior Bria Reilly (Hamden, CT/Brewster Academy) ranks tenth nationally with a 1.04 goals against average… Reilly is also tied for 16^th in the country with a .942 save percentage and she holds a 7-0 record with two shutouts.
 
FINISHING STRONG: The third period has proven to be Utica's best period of play so far this season… UC has outscored its opponents 17-1 over the final 20 minutes through the first 10 games… UC also has two goals within the first shift of the third period this year. 
 
SCOUTING MIDDLEBURY:  The Panthers are ranked No. 6 in both the D3hockey.com and USCHO.com national polls… Middlebury is 3-1-2 overall and the Panthers are coming off a 1-1 tie at Connecticut College last Saturday… Sophomore Maddie Leidt leads the team with nine points (two goals, seven assists) through the first six games.
 
AGAINST THE PANTHERS:  Utica is 0-5 against Middlebury in the last five meetings, including three games that were decided by just one goal… The last time Utica played Middlebury was Nov. 26, 2016, when the Panthers came away with a 5-1 win. 
 
LOOKING AHEAD: Utica will return from the winter break on Tuesday, Jan. 8 as it hosts UCHC foe, Manhattanville College… Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.