Utica, NY - The Utica College field hockey team is set to host the Nazareth Golden Flyers in an Empire 8 matchup on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Last time out: The Pioneers notched an impressive 4-3 win over RPI on the road Tuesday night. Josie Sgarlata (Canastota, NY/Canastota) was the catalyst in this one with two goals, and the ladder came in the 61st minute to break the 3-3 tie. Senior Ricki Haab (Stowe, VT/Stowe) was also an integral part of the effort, as she notched on goal and one assist as well. Junior Sydney Scaccia (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) continued her impressive season as well, scoring in the 60th minute to tie the game up at three a piece. This win marked the second in a row for the Pioneers, as they advanced to 4-7 with this non-conference win.

Riding Momentum: After dropping the first five games of the season, the Pioneers have turned things around and have won four of their last six contests.

Chasing First: Utica currently sits in a three-way tie for second place in the Empire 8 with Washington & Jefferson and Nazareth, all of which have a 2-1 conference record thus far.

Scaccia's offense: Junior Sydney Scaccia (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) is having a breakout year, as she leads the team with six goals while also adding two assists en route to a team-best 14 points. Scaccia has already broken her single-season point record of 13 from her freshman year, and she is one goal away from notching a season-high in goals as well.
 
Whitehouse's Consistency: Senior Sabrina Whitehouse (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) currently sits right behind Scaccia with 13 points on three goals and a conference-best seven assists this year. The 2018 second-team Empire 8 selection is the only Pioneer to record a point in seven of the team's 11 games. Whitehouse holds a slight advantage over Scaccia, who has recorded at least one point in six games this season.

Defensive Specialists: Outside of senior goalie Megan Chamberlain (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury), who has played all 679 minutes for the Pioneers this season, senior Makenzie Stevens (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills) and junior Katherine Leroy lead the team in minutes played with 669 minutes and 637 minutes, respectively. These two have served as the nucleus of the Pioneer defense all season.

Scouting Nazareth: The Golden Flyers currently share the second spot in the Empire 8 with Utica and Washington & Jefferson with a 2-1 record, and they have accumulated an overall record of 5-7 in 2019. Freshman Caroline Desautels has led Nazareth offensively thus far, totaling a team-high 19 points and eight goals while also adding three assists. Senior Jennifer Hilts is right behind Desautels with 18 total points on seven goals and four assists.

Dominating History: The Pioneers have the upperhand when it comes to history, as they have won 14 of the 18 matchups against Nazareth in program history. Utica has won two of the last three heading into this matchup, with the last win coming by a score of 3-2 in 2017. Both Sgarlata and Whitehouse were key contributors in this win with one goal each.

Up Next: UC will stay at home for its next game against SUNY Geneseo in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday at 4 p.m before going on a four-game road trip to Elmira, Hamilton, Hartwick and Skidmore, respectively.