UTICA, NY- The Utica College field hockey team opens up its 2018 campaign this weekend as it travels to the New Paltz Invitational for a pair of games against New Paltz and Oneonta.  UC will first take on the Hawks of New Paltz on Saturday (11 a.m.) before facing the Oneonta Red Dragons on Sunday (2 p.m.)
 
2017 RECAP: Last season, the Pioneers made their sixth trip to the Empire 8 Conference tournament in program history and their first since 2014… UC defeated second-seeded St. John Fisher College 2-0 in the semifinals to advance to the championship game for the fourth time ever… Utica was upended by top-seeded Washington & Jefferson 3-1 in the conference title game… Rylee Meelan (Clinton, NY/Clinton) scored all three goals for Utica en route to being named to the All-Tournament team, while 2018 graduates Samantha Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) and Jordan Noga (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) also received All-Tournament team nods.
 
KEY RETURNERS: Utica returns four of its top five scorers from last season, led by senior Rylee Meelan (Clinton, NY/Clinton), who had a career-high 12 goals and 30 points… Sophomores Sabrina Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) and Sydney Scaccia (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) are also back after a full year of collegiate experience under their belts… The duo finished second and third on the team in scoring, respectively, with Whitehouse totaling seven goals and 17 points, while Scaccia had six goals and one assist for a total of 13 points… Junior Joanna Gaertner (Schuylerville, NY/Schuylerville) was tied for fourth on the squad with 10 points (four goals, two assists)… Senior Madison Babicz (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) returns to lead the Utica defensive unit… Babicz was one of only two field players to start all 19 games last season. 
 
VETERAN CORE: Utica welcomes back 17 players from last year's squad… Apart from Meelan and Babicz, seniors Jessica Belt (Webster, NY/Webster-Schroeder), Natalie Capriglione (New Milford, CT/New Milford), Maria Orsino (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit), Paige Mapley (Meridan, NY/Cato-Meridan), and Carly Tebolt (Wappingers, NY/Roy C Ketcham) will look to end their careers on a high note… Juniors Amanda Fitzgerald (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), Abbey Fitzgerald (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), Josie Sgarlata (Canastota, NY/Canastota), Fiona Shea (East Greenbush, NY/Columbia), Makenzie Stevens (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), Ricki Haab (Stowe, VT/Stowe), and Gaertner will be called upon to provide veteran leadership and sophomore Jenny Robbins (Hamburg, NY/Hamburg) will join classmates Whitehouse and Scaccia with a bigger role this season.
 
NEWCOMERS: The Pioneers welcome 10 new faces to the squad this year including transfers Kaitlynn Palmer (Verona, NY/VVS), Katherine LeRoy (Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse), Morgan LeBuis (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), and Taylor Oliver (Holland Patent, NY/Holland Patent)… Palmer was a first team All-Conference selection for the Utica women's lacrosse team last spring after transferring to UC last winter… Freshmen Madison Cudhea (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), Kennedy Guy (Glens Falls, NY/Glens Falls), Madeline Krecidlo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), and Megan Chamberlain (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) as well as sophomore Jeslyn Files (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport) will look to make their mark in their first season of collegiate field hockey.
 
A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE: The Pioneers' schedule features 17 games against regionally based opponents, eight of which will take place at the friendly confines of Charles A. Gaetano Stadium… Utica opens up the home portion of its schedule on Wednesday, Sept. 19 as it hosts Brockport (5 p.m.)… The lone team UC has not played before is Empire 8 Conference newcomer, Sage… Three opponents were recently ranked in the top 20 nationally by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). 
 
SCOUTING NEW PALTZ: The Hawks finished last year with a 7-12 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the SUNYAC… New Paltz advanced to the SUNYAC championship game before falling to SUNY Cortland 5-0… Last year, the Pioneers defeated the Hawks 3-2 in overtime, thanks in part to a pair of goals by Rylee Meelan (Clinton, NY/Clinton).
 
SCOUTING ONEONTA: The Red Dragons went 13-6 last season but were knocked out of the SUNYAC semifinals with a 2-1 loss to New Paltz… Oneonta returns 2017 leading scorer, Allyson Wells, who had 11 goals and six assists for 28 points.  Last year, UC downed Oneonta 1-0 in its season-opener… Joanna Gaertner (Schuylerville, NY/Schuylerville) scored the game's lone goal. 
 
LOOKING AHEAD: Following this weekend's action, the Pioneers will travel to Ithaca College on Wednesday for a match up against the Bombers… Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.