ELMIRA, NY- The Utica College women's soccer team secured a spot in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament as it downed host Elmira College 4-1 in E8 action Saturday afternoon.
 
This marks the second straight season that Utica has qualified for the conference tournament as it advanced to the championship game last season.  The last time the Pioneers made back-to-back postseason appearances was 2006 and 2007.
 
Fresh off a four-goal performance on Wednesday, senior Mikayla Blumenstock (Poland, NY/Poland) showed no sign of slowing down as she scored a pair of goals just five minutes apart to give UC a 2-0 lead through the first 22 minutes. 
 
Junior Sydney Cook (Waterville, NY/Waterville) extended the Utica lead at 36:15 as she buried a feed from Blumenstock for her second of the season. 
 
Elmira got one back in the 46^th minute off the foot of Taylor Hanson, but Blumenstock capped off the game with her third of the day to secure the victory.  Blumenstock now leads the E8 with 22 goals and 46 points on the season.  She has 10 more goals and 21 more points than both of the second place players. 
 
Cook, Jacinta Kaminski (Holland Patent, NY/Holland Patent), and Hope Millets (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) each tallied one assist on the day.  Senior Allison Wagner (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) made three saves in the win, while her counterpart, Ally Knorr-Anderson made 13 saves. 
 
The Pioneers will travel to top seeded St. John Fisher College on Wednesday for the E8 semifinals.  Game time is still to be determined.