Utica, NY - The Utica College women's soccer team is slated to make its first NCAA tournament appearance in program history this Saturday at 11 a.m. against William Smith. This opening round fixture of the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship Tournament will be played at John H. Cozzens Memorial Field on William Smith's Campus in Geneva, New York.

Follow Along: Live video and stats are available from Hobart and William Smith Athletic Communications at https://hwsathletics.com/showcase?Live=1104, and at http://www.sidearmstats.com/hws/wsoc/. In addition, WPNR 90.7 FM will travel to Saturday's game to provide live radio play-by-play of the action with Utica College students Nicholas Ahles and Abin Boris on the call. That broadcast is available online at http://www.pioneerradio.org.

Uncharted Territory: While making its first NCAA tournament appearance, the Pioneers also have an opportunity to become the first team in program history to win thirteen matches in a single season. They are currently tied with the 2005 squad's school record of twelve. 

Playoff Hunt: Utica's path to postseason play came all the way down to the final game of the season against Elmira. UC posted one of its best performances in the most important game of the season, winning by a convincing 4-1 decision to advance to 10-5-1 overall and 3-3-1 in the conference. The fight for the fourth and final seed in the Empire 8 tournament came down to a two-way tie between Utica and Houghton, but Utica received the playoff nod by way of its 3-0 win over Houghton earlier in the season.

Opening Round: Entering the conference tournament as the No. 4 seed, the Pioneers were scheduled for to face the top-seeded St. John Fisher Cardinals. This game was a defensive battle, but the difference-maker proved to be the match's lone goal from senior Emma Workman (Salt Lake City, UT/East) on a free kick in the 83rd minute. This was all Utica needed to secure the upset, as it held Fisher scoreless for the duration.

Champions: UC then advanced to the Empire 8 championship for a matchup against the second-seeded Hartwick Hawks, who won the sole matchup against Utica earlier in the season, 2-0. This match held the same script as Utica's opening-round game against Fisher, as junior Sydney Cook (Waterville, NY/Waterville) found the back of the net on a Mikayla Blumenstock (Poland, NY/Poland) feed in the 81st minute of this contest. This marked the only goal of the game once again, and a tremendous back-line effort combined with senior goalie Allison Wagner's (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) second consecutive shutout gave rise to Utica bringing home the E8 championship for the first time in program history. Wagner was named the most outstanding player of the tournament. 

Collecting Hardware: Blumenstock has had one of the most historic seasons in UC women's soccer history, setting single-season records in both points (47) and goals (22). Her totals this season broke records that were previously held by Michele Tansey since 1993. This propelled Blumenstock to receiving Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year honors. Over the course of only two years Blumenstock has solidified herself in UC history, as she currently ranks second in career goals (34) and points (74). She now sits just four points and three goals short of tying Ashley Granger's career records in each respective category that were set in 2009.

An Elite Club: Earlier this season, Blumenstock was the recipient of the United Soccer Coaches national player of the week award. She is one of just a handful of college soccer players ever to receive that award twice in a career. 

Supporting Cast: While Blumenstock has headlined this UC team, her counterparts have also been a huge part of the team's success this season. Junior Kierra Caissey (Gardner, MA/Gardner) was also named first-team all-conference, culminating the year with 15 points on seven goals and one assist. Junior defenders Emma Workman (Salt Lake City, UT/East) and Amanda Thut (Carmel, NY/Carmel) were named to the all-conference honorable mention team as well. These two served as the nucleus to the Utica backline all season, a unit that finished the year with the fourth-ranked defense in the Empire 8.

Brick Wall: Senior Allison Wagner (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) has been exceptional in the net for the duration of her senior campaign and has really caught her stride going down the stretch of the 2019 season. Wagner has tabbed a .881 save percentage, which is the best in the Empire 8 and sixth in program history, while also ranking third in the E8 saves per game with seven. The four-year starter has notched 11 wins this season, leaving her one win removed from tying the school's single-season record that was set by Ashley Kaufman in 2005. Wagner has come up big as of late, allowing only two goals in the last five games while also totaling 15 saves throughout the conference tournament. She is the only Empire 8 keeper to ever exceed 500 career saves. 

Last Time Against William Smith: Utica last met William Smith in women's soccer in 2006, in the finals of the ECAC Upstate Championship Tournament. That match was a 0-0 draw, with William Smith winning the title on penalty kicks. 

The Region: The winner of this contest will play the winner of the SUNY Geneseo/Mary Washington match, which kicks off at 1:30 p.m. at the same location. The other host team on this side of the bracket is the NESCAC's Middlebury, which is set for an 11:30 a.m. matchup against the University of New England. Former Empire 8 member Stevens is slotted for a fixture with UMASS Boston immediately after at 1:30. The second round of games will be played at the same location the following day at 1 p.m.

Weekly Awards: Sydney Cook (Waterville, NY/Waterville) was named the Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week for her game-winning goal in the conference final, and goalkeeper Allison Wagner (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) was named defensive player of the week for her two shutouts in the Empire 8 tournament. The awards were announced by the Empire 8 Conference on Monday. 

Scouting William Smith: The Herons have pieced together a very impressive 2019 season, finishing with an overall record of 16-1-1 en route to their 13th consecutive Liberty League title all while holding the No. 2 spot in the nation at the end of the season. William Smith's resume is extensive, with multiple wins over ranked opponents, including the top-ranked team in the country in Messiah. This team is very well balanced throughout the field, as it has outscored its opponents 41-4 in 2019. The sole loss of the season for the Herons came on September 21 when Rochester shut them out, 1-0. Overall, they have a very well-balanced offensive attack, as 11 players have six or more points this season. Junior Sheila McQuillen leads the team with 12 goals on four points and four assists. Freshman Katrine Berg is the only other Heron to sport a double digit statline, as she has 11 points on three goals and five assists this year. William Smith was the 2013 national champion.

Where the Road Ends: The national championship will be held in Greensboro, North Carolina on the campus of UNC-Greensboro. 

At The Helm: The Pioneers won the Empire 8 Championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament with a brand new head coach at the helm for 2019. Brooke Barbuto took over in the summer for Eileen Blumenauer, and has helped the Pioneers build on last season's Empire 8 finals appearance with a big step into the big dance. While their roles in Utica's recent success are evident in where the team stands now, the pair have also brought similar levels of success at other institutions that have made this year's tournament. Barbuto spent last season as an assistant with Cortland, who has made the 2019 field, and Blumenauer is an assistant at Williams College, which also made the field. 

Up Next: The second round of the NCAA tournament will take place on Sunday, November 17 at the same location. The winner of this game will face the winner of the SUNY Geneseo/Mary Washington match.