UTICA, NY- The Utica College women's hockey team ran out of time as it dropped a 4-3 decision to nationally ranked No. 6 Middlebury College Saturday afternoon at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
 
The Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first 15 minutes of the first period, but the Pioneers were finally able to get on the board with 4:23 remaining to regain momentum.  Senior Kayla Dion (Colchester, VT/Boston Shamrocks) ripped a shot from the point that Middlebury goalie Lin Han knocked down, but sophomore Lexi Stanisewski (Lawrence, MA/Boston Shamrocks) was there to bang home the rebound.  Freshman Georgiana Santullo (Woburn, MA/Boston Shamrocks/Woburn High School) also assisted on Stanisewski's fifth of the year.
 
Middlebury regained the three-goal lead at 11:39 of the second stanza as Katarina Shuchuk's shot from the hash marks barely squeaked between the legs of Utica netminder Bria Reilly (Hamden, CT/Brewster Academy) and into the net.
 
Utica responded again with 2:16 remaining in the second when Dion fired a rocket from the point into the top right corner of the net for her second of the year.  Katrina Cornick (Mason City, IA/Rocky Mountain Roughriders) and Rebecca Brown (Steamboat Springs, CO/Norwich University) assisted on Dion's tally.
 
The Pioneers controlled most of the play in the third period and were finally rewarded at 5:58 when freshman Maddie Paydos (Simsbury, CT/Vermont Academy) put in her second of the season.  Paydos skated out of the corner and sent a centering feed towards the front of the net that banked off Han and ended up in the back of the net to cut the Middlebury lead to 1.  Nicole Johnson (North Easton, MA/Holderness) and Caley Susitti (Hartland, WI/Milwaukee Jr. Admirals) were credited with assists on the play.
 
Despite sustained pressure, the Utica offense was not able to get the equalizer.  Reilly finished with 31 saves, while Han made 21 stops for the visitors.
 
Middlebury improved to 4-1-2 to start the season, while the Pioneers dropped to 8-2 on the year.  UC will have a month off before returning to action on Tuesday, Jan. 8 as it hosts UCHC Conference foe, Manhattanville College.  Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.