Utica, NY – The Utica College women's lacrosse team played its first conference game of the season at home on Wednesday against the Gators from Sage. The Pioneers dominated the contest, 21-8, to open Empire 8 competition 1-0 and improved to 5-3 overall. Freshman attacker Stephanie Husnay (Canastota, NY/Whitesboro) led the way with five goals and one assist, for a career-best six total points in the win.
 
UC led 2-1 at the 22 minute mark early in the first half, thanks to a pair of goals from Natalie Capriglione (New Milford, CT/New Milford). Senior attacker Brooke Miller (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) broke the game wide open with three consecutive scores to go up 8-2 with less than 10 minutes before halftime. Husnay recorded four goals in the first half to secure an 11-5 halftime advantage.
 
Husnay, Kaitlynn Palmer (Verona, NY/VVS) and Hailee DuMont (Wilkes-Barre, PA/James M. Coughlin) each scored during a stretch of three unanswered goals for Utica to earn a 10-point lead halfway through the second. DuMont and Kristi Pearage (Bear Creek Township, PA/James M. Coughlin) scored twice in the final half, while Brittany Nowak (Eden, NY/Eden) and Hannah Nordstrom (Fairhaven, MA/Fairhaven) got on the board with one apiece. The Pioneers cruised through the finish line, to take the 13-point victory in the E8 season opener.
 
Stephanie Husnay (Canastota, NY/Whitesboro) led UC in points (6), goals (5), caused turnovers (4), and ground balls (8) as she set new career-highs for each statistical category. Lauren Wolff (Peabody, MA/Peabody) put together a strong performance as well, finishing with four points from one goal and a game-high three assists. Hailee DuMont (Wilkes-Barre, PA/James M. Coughlin) was all over the field today, collecting a career-high 11 draw controls to go with her two scores and one assist. Starting goalkeeper Hali Vandermeulen (Walden, NY/Valley Central) received the win in net to improve to 4-3 as the starter this season.
 
Sage's Torri Sperl was a constant threat for the Gators, as she finished with six goals and one assist for a total of seven points in a losing effort. Ellen Abbot and Anne Risler registered the other two scores, as the team's record drops to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in Empire 8 play. Marina Azab was given the loss in net for Sage, making five saves in just over 20 minutes of time. Carly Plaisance stepped between the pipes in the second half, coming up with 10 saves.
 
The Pioneers return to action on Saturday for an away matchup against E8 foe, Elmira College. The game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.