UTICA, NY- The Utica College women's hockey team clinched a UCHC playoff berth as it completed the weekend sweep over visiting Stevenson University Saturday afternoon, downing the Mustangs 5-2.  The Pioneers have now made the playoffs 17 times in the program's 18-year history.
 
Utica improves to 14-4 on the year and 11-2 in UCHC play.  Utica is also just two wins shy of matching its single-season record for conference wins, which the 2015-16 edition of the Pioneers accomplished. UC will look to carry its momentum into a key conference week featuring three games against other playoff contenders. The stretch begins with a midweek game at Nazareth College on Wednesday.  Puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m.  
 
The Pioneers wasted little time getting things going as senior Kayla Dion (Colchester, VT/Boston Shamrocks) opened the scoring just 39 seconds into the game as she ripped a shot from the point that found the back of the net for her third of the year.  Elizabeth Dohner (Highlands Ranch, CO/Colorado Selects) and Georgiana Santullo (Woburn, MA/Boston Shamrocks/Woburn High School) assisted on the opening goal.
 
Utica took a 2-0 lead at 15:11 of the first when Santullo buried a power play tally.  The freshman took a feed from Lexi Stanisewski (Lawrence, MA/Boston Shamrocks) and walked out of the corner before putting in her eighth of the season.  Danielle Haasbeek (Grand Forks, ND/Balmoral Hall) also assisted on the play.
 
The Mustangs got one back in the final minute of the first as Cierra Siemasko knocked in a loose puck just after a Utica penalty expired to send the teams into the locker room with UC holding a 2-1 lead. 
 
The score remained the same until just past the halfway point of the second period when freshman Caley Susitti (Hartland, WI/Milwaukee Jr. Admirals) tipped in a centering pass from Olivia Hirschy (Fort Wayne, IN/Culver Academies) for her third of the year.  Ricki Haab (Stowe, VT/Stowe) also assisted on the insurance tally.
 
Once again, Stevenson was able to score in the final minute of the period as Kellen Wittman jammed in a loose puck for her 16^th tally of the season.  Siemasko and Rachel Grewette assisted on the power play tally. 
 
The Pioneers got some breathing room at 18:40 of the third period when Rebecca Brown (Steamboat Springs, CO/Norwich University) capitalized on a Stevenson turnover and fired a puck into the empty net.   Dohner added her second assist of the day on Brown's 10^th of the year.  The junior was not done, however as she put an exclamation mark on the weekend by burying her second of the day just 50 seconds later off assists from Kayla Dion (Colchester, VT/Boston Shamrocks) and Taylor Dion (Colchester, VT/Boston Shamrocks).
 
Junior Bria Reilly (Hamden, CT/Brewster Academy) made 21 saves to pick up her 11^th win of the season.  Her counterpart, Annie Smyth-Hammond turned aside 24 shots in the loss.