UTICA, NY - The Utica College women's soccer team looks to restore order following a brief two-game slide as it opens the 2019 Empire 8 Conference schedule against Houghton College on Saturday. The match is set to begin at 3 p.m. at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.

Follow Along: Live video and stats will be available at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/. The broadcast of Saturday's match will also be on the Empire 8 apps available through Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and AppleTV platforms. The apps make watching even easier for fans who have those devices connected to their television, and will also routinely carry Utica's away matches against Empire 8 opponents. The apps are available free of charge.

Where The Chips Fall: Utica is 5-2 in its first seven matches, and have lost their last two. The Pioneers enter conference play with the second best non-conference winning percentage in the Empire 8, and are tied with Houghton for the second best scoring offense in the conference at present at 2.28 goals per match. 

Last Time Out: The Pioneers had opportunities on numerous counterattacks, but a strong Hamilton side produced a pair of goals in each half as Utica took the loss at the hands of Hamilton by a 4-1 score on Wednesday. The Continentals built an early 2-0 lead, one that lasted until Mikayla Blumenstock (Poland, NY/Poland) deposited the ball into the bottom left corner of the net 38 seconds after the second Hamilton goal. The 2-1 score lasted until the second half, when Hamilton struck twice more for the 4-1 win. The Pioneers got a career high in saves from goalkeeper Allison Wagner (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy), who had the first 20 save match of her college career. Eliza Ericson (Beacon, NY/Beacon) had the assist on Blumenstock's goal with a beautifully weighted ball off the kickoff in the 23rd minute. Hamilton's Hyla Mosher had two goals and an assist in the match.  

The Wagner File: Goalkeeper Allison Wagner (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) is off to quite a start to her season so far. The senior keeper became the school's all-time leader in saves earlier this year. She has started all seven matches and logged 617 minutes so far. She is 34th in the nation in save percentage at 90.8 percent, and holds a goals allowed average of 1.02. In Wednesday's defeat, Wagner became the first Pioneer goalkeeper to make 20 saves in a match since Marissa Hotaling did it in a 5-0 loss to Nazareth in 2012.

Saves and More Saves: Through the first seven matches they've played, the Pioneers have a sizable conference lead in team saves. Goalkeepers Allison Wagner (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) and Emily Hill (Watertown, CT/Watertown) have combined to make 70 saves to lead the Empire 8 Conference. 

Electric Eliza: Newcomer Eliza Ericson (Beacon, NY/Beacon) has demonstrated that she is increasingly adept at getting the ball forward into the attack space in her first season of college soccer. The freshman has assists in back-to-back matches, and has three in total to share the conference lead along with teammate Summer Gagnon (Manchester, NH/Manchester), and Alfred's Emily Wright. 

Key Kierra: Kierra Caissey (Gardner, MA/Gardner) stands second on the club with six goals and a total of twelve points. The junior midfielder shares the conference lead in goal scoring, is fourth in total points, and has three game-winning goals to lead the Empire 8 conference.

Top Of The Formation, Top Of The Stat Sheet: After an all-conference campaign a season ago, Poland, NY native Mikayla Blumenstock (Poland, NY/Poland) has brought her form to another level to begin the 2019 season. The striker shares the conference lead in goal scoring with six goals, and leads all Pioneers with thirteen points total after her goal on Wednesday. She has one assist on the year. 

Mrs. Efficiency: Newcomer Sydney Cook (Waterville, NY/Waterville) leads all first year Pioneer players in shots and shots on goal. She has been exceptionally efficient, as all six shots she has attempted have landed on goal. She has one goal and an assist while starting her first seven matches in blue and orange.

Scouting Houghton: The Highlanders sport the sixth-best non-conference record in the Empire 8 at 3-3-1. They have landed a result in their last four matches with wins over Pitt-Bradford, D'Youville, and Medaille, and a 1-1 draw with Buffalo State. Kealy DeForest had the Highlander goal in the draw. The Pioneers will need to take care in marking Sierra Neddo, who shares the conference lead with six goals. Tess Schilke is one of just nine Empire 8 players to have two assists this season. Goalkeeper Megan Merrifield has made 34 saves so far this season for the Highlanders, who allow 1.43 goals per match.

Up Next: The Pioneers will have a full week on the training ground before proceeding to Troy, NY on Saturday, September 28th to meet the Sage Colleges in an Empire 8 fixture. That contest is scheduled for 2 p.m.