UTICA, NY – The Utica College women's ice hockey team returns to action this weekend, slated for another pair of UCHC contests at home. The Pioneers will take on Alvernia University at 2p.m. on Saturday, before returning to action for a 1 p.m. puck drop with Stevenson University on Sunday.

Going Gold: UC has teamed up with the "13thirty" Foundation for this year's Gold Ribbon Game on Feb.5. During the game, the Pioneers will wear special edition gold ribbon uniforms to raise awareness for childhood cancer. The jerseys are currently being auctioned off and you can bid on them by sending an e-mail to: jcsolomi@utica.edu with your name, address and amount you would like to bid. Online bidding will end at 5 p.m. on February 4th and will resume in the arena at 6 p.m. on the 5th.  All proceeds from the event will be donated to support local adolescent and young adult cancer patients and survivors.
 
Last Time Out: UC went 1-1 in conference last weekend, taking down Neumann University (6-2) on Friday, before falling to Manhattanville College (3-0) on Saturday to move to 6-3 in conference, 6-11 overall. Georgiana Santullo (Woburn, MA/Boston Shamrocks/Woburn High School) collected her first-ever hat trick in the squad's win over the Knights. Also posting multiple points was Lexi Stanisewski (Lawrence, MA/Boston Shamrocks) with one goal, the game-winner, and one assist, while Olivia Hirschy (Fort Wayne, IN/Culver Academies) chipped in two helpers of her own.

Maggie Rylott (Cobourg, Ontario/West Northumberland) tallied one goal. In the loss Holly Silva (Boston, MA/Worcester Academy) contributed a team-best 3 blocks. Over the span of the two games, senior Bria Reilly (Hamden, CT/Brewster Academy) made 35 saves. 

Stacking Up: Santullo and Erica Sloan (Potsdam, NY/St. Lawrence Steel) are tied for the top spot in the team's scoring and points categories, both owning six goals and 12 points on the season. The pair also tied in assists with Hirschy, each dishing out six helpers apiece. Defensemen Kyra Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Holderness) leads Utica in blocks with 19, followed by Sirena Fitzery (Hamburg, NY/Buffalo Bisons) and Silva with marks of 12 and 11, respectively. In goal Reilly has accumulated 395 saves for a .904 save percentage, earning one shutout.

Goals a Plenty: Santullo and Rylott are the only Pioneers to have posted three-goal games this season. The latter's hat trick came on Nov. 15 when they took down King's College 11-2 on the road. The freshman also posted one assist in the victory.

Scouting the Golden Wolves: In the first season of its program, Alvernia University has collected 4 wins, while being dealt 13 losses, going 0-9 on conference. It went 0-2 last weekend, falling to King's 3-2 on Friday and Wilkes 3-0 on Saturday. In the Golden Wolves' close battle with the Monarchs, Abby Reisinger and Olivia Gilida posted power play goals. Gilida also earned the lone assist on Reisinger's tally.

Gilida has proved to be a force on both ends of the ice, owning the team-lead in goals (13), power play goals (9), points (20) and blocks (70). She also ranks third in assists (7). Reisinger owns the top-spot in assists (9), ranking second in the plus/minus category (+1) and third in points (16).

Scouting the Mustangs: Stevenson is 7-7-2, 5-4 in the UCHC. In its last two contests it is 2-0, taking down Wilkes 3-1 and King's 5-1. Over the span Trinity Barcless collected five points on four goals and two assists, posting a hat trick against the Monarchs.

Barcless and two others tie for the team-lead in assists with seven, while she ranks second in goals with six and points with 13. Nikki Kendrick is the most efficient in scoring, leading the Mustangs in goals with eight and points with 14. Kendrick is second in assists with six.   

All-Time Series with Stevenson: The Pioneers own a 4-2-1 all-time lead over the Mustangs, taking them down 4-2 and 5-2 last season to clinch a spot in the UCHC playoffs last season. Santullo and Caley Susitti (Hartland, WI/Milwaukee Jr. Admirals) both collected two goals over the two contests, while Stanisewski contributed one goal and two assists.

Up Next: UC will host Nazareth College at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5 for the 7^th Annual Gold Ribbon Game.