ALFRED, NY- The Utica College women's Lacrosse team earned a berth in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament for the first time since 2006 as it downed Alfred University 21-3 Saturday afternoon.
 
With the win, the Pioneers improve to 10-6 overall and 5-3 in E8 play.  Five conference wins in a season is a new program best and UC also matched its program record for wins in a season (10), which it accomplished in 2014.  The Pioneers picked up the number four seed in the tournament and will take on top-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology next Saturday at 11 a.m. at Stevens.
 
Utica scored four goals in the first 4:01 of play and went on to take a 17-2 lead into halftime.  Three players led UC with five points each including Brooke Miller (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), who had a team-high five goals, and Katie McDowell (Wynantskill, NY/Averill Park) and Maddie Behan (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville Dewitt), who each had three goals and two assists.
 
Lauren Wolff (Peabody, MA/Peabody), Noelle Capriglione (New Milford, CT/New Milford), and Stephanie Husnay (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) each had two goals and one assist, while Natalie Capriglione (New Milford, CT/New Milford), Kaitlynn Palmer (Verona, NY/VVS), Brittany Nowak (Eden, NY/Eden), and Brianna Colley (Staten Island, NY/Petrides) each had one goal.
 
Natalie Capriglione (New Milford, CT/New Milford) and Brittany Nowak (Eden, NY/Eden) tied for the team-lead with five draw controls each, while Kaleigh Dwyer (Denville, NJ/Morris Knolls) and Noelle Capriglione (New Milford, CT/New Milford) each had two caused turnovers.  Dwyer also picked up a team-high five ground balls.
 
Hali Vandermeulen (Walden, NY/Valley Central), Amanda Lupo (Auburn, NY/Skaneateles), and Abigail Rogan (Clinton, NY/Clinton) combined for three saves in the win.