UTICA, NY – The Utica College women's lacrosse team will play its regular season finale on Saturday as the Pioneers travel to Alfred University for an Empire 8 showdown at 1 p.m.
 
Last Time Out: The Pioneers defeated the Canton Kangaroos on Wednesday by the score of 13-9. Freshmen Stephanie Husnay (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) tallied four goals, added two assists and became the second UC player to hit the 30-goal mark this season.  The Pioneers improved to 9-6 overall and are currently in a fourth place tie with Hartwick in the conference standings with a 4-3 record.
 
Goal Galore: In their last four competitions the Pioneers have averaged 14.25 goals per game and they have won three out of the four games. Senior Brooke Miller (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) has totaled 31 goals and six assists for the Pioneers this season and ranks eighth in the Empire 8 in total goals.  Freshmen Lauren Wolff (Peabody, MA/Peabody) has started in all 15 games, tallying 20 goals and 11 assists for a total of 31 points on the season. She is one of two Pioneers to break into double digits in both goals and assists this season.

Historic Season: A win on Saturday at Alfred would give the Pioneers 10 wins for the first time since 2014 when they set the school-record with a 10-6 overall record. A win would also bolster their resume as they look to earn one of the top four spots and a chance to play in the conference tournament for the first time since 2006.
 
Between the Pipes: Sophomore goalie Hali Vandermeulen (Walden, NY/Valley Central) leads UC with a record of 7-6. She has 126 saves on 351 shots faced.  She is currently ranked sixth on the program's all-time single season list with 126 saves.  UC is also ranked third in the Empire 8 with a .488 save percentage and the Pioneers also rank second in the conference with one shutout this season.

Coming on Strong: Utica's Kaitlynn Palmer (Verona, NY/VVS) has collected a season-high eight draw controls in each of the last two games.  She currently ranks sixth in the Empire 8 with an average of 3.33 draw controls per game.

Break Out Season: Utica's Hailee DuMont (Wilkes-Barre, PA/James M. Coughlin) is having a banner season and has posted eight points in her last two outings.  She also has 12 goals in her last five games. She currently has 28 points (21 goals, seven assists), nearly tripling her 10 point freshman campaign.
 
Playoff Picture: The Pioneers are looking to clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2006 where they lost in the semifinals to Nazareth College, 13-3.  The top four teams in the final regular season conference standings will make the conference tournament. UC is currently tied for fourth with Hartwick College at 4-3 but holds the head-to-head tiebreaker after defeating the Hawks 12-8 (04/18/18).
 
Scouting Alfred: Entering the week Alfred is currently 0-13 and was defeated by No. 24 St. John Fisher 21-0 on Tuesday.  Senior Miranda Gilbert leads the way for the Saxons, starting all 13 games, while tallying 32 goals and two assists on the season.
 
Against Alfred: Since 2013 the Pioneers have defeated the Saxons in five consecutive meetings, averaging 17.0 goals per game. Last season the Pioneers defeated Alfred 22-3 (04/08/17).
 
Next Time Out: Fans can follow the Empire 8 Conference playoff picture by visiting ucpioneers.com or the Empire 8 website at Empire8.com.