Utica, NY - The Utica College field hockey team is set to culminate its season with a senior day, Empire 8 match against Houghton on Saturday at 4 p.m.

Playoff Berth: Utica and Hartwick were tied for second place in the conference heading into last week's match against each other, as both teams showcased impressive 4-1 E8 records. With the win, The Pioneers clinched the No. 2 seed in the Empire 8 tournament while moving to 7-9 overall and 5-1 in conference. This marks the second time in the last three years that UC has clinched an E8 tournament appearance.

Pioneers in the Postseason: Utica is chasing what would be its first NCAA Division III Tournament appearance and Empire 8 championship since 2014. The Pioneers also took home the Empire 8 title and made an appearance in the Division III Tournament in 2013 and 2014. This year marks the seventh time that Utica has qualified for the conference tournament over the program's 19-year history.

Coming In Hot: The Pioneers enter this contest winning five of their last eight, with four of these wins coming against Empire 8 opponents. The three losses came at the hands of the the 15-2 Geneseo Knights, NESCAC's Hamilton College, and the Liberty League's top-ranked Skidmore.

Overtime Success: Three of Utica's last four victories have come in either overtime or a shootout. On the season, UC has notched four overtime victories while only dropping one.

Catching Fire: Whitehouse shares the team-high in points with 20 on six goals and eight assists this season. The 2018 second-team Empire 8 selection has also tabbed an impressive 12 points over a four-game span from October 5 to October 16. This performance propelled her to two consecutive E8 Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Scaccia's Offense: Sydney Scaccia (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) is having a breakout year, as she currently shares the top-spot in points with Whitehouse. Scaccia has accumulated a 20-point stat line on eight goals and four assists. This marks a historic season for Scaccia, as she has broken her single-season point and goal total.

Offensive Consistency: Scaccia and Whitehouse are the only Pioneers who have recorded at least one point in 10 of the team's 17 matches this year.

Chamberlain's Net: Sophomore goalie Megan Chamberlain (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) remains atop the Empire 8 leaderboard in saves with 146. She is also second in saves per game with 8.59, less than one point separated from Elmira's Tina O'Donnell.

Defensive Specialist: Outside of Chamberlain, who has played all 1060 minutes for the Pioneers this season, senior Makenzie Stevens (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills) leads the team in minutes played with 1045. Stevens is also ranked first in the Empire 8 in defensive saves with nine, which sets the single-season program record at Utica. Jordan Noga (2016) and Madison Babicz (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) (2018) previously held the record with seven.

Scouting Houghton: Heading into their final game of the season, the Highlanders are 6-10 on the year and are tied four fourth in the conference with Nazareth and Washington & Jefferson. All three of these teams have a 3-3 conference record. Houghton rosters three players with 10-plus points this season. Junior Caitlin Jennings leads the team with 16 points on two assists and a team-high seven goals, while senior Sydney Jameson sits right behind her with a 14-point statline on six goals and two assists. Freshman Peyton Bentley has also tabbed an impressive 2019 campaign, posting 11 points on five goals and one assist.

Dominating History: The Pioneers currently have a perfect 7-0 record against the Highlanders in program history. UC won the last matchup on the road 3-2, and the most convincing decision came in 2014 in an impressive 8-0 outing.

Up Next: The Pioneers will patiently wait to see who they will be matched up with for the Empire 8 tournament, which will be hosted by St. John Fisher in Rochester next Friday and Saturday.