UTICA, NY- The Utica College women's hockey team returns to action Sunday as it travels to local rival, Hamilton College for a non-conference contest.  Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers have had a week off since their last competition, a 3-0 win over Stevenson University on Nov. 20… Georgiana Santullo (Woburn, MA/Boston Shamrocks/Woburn High School) and Erica Sloan (Potsdam, NY/St. Lawrence Steel) each had a goal and an assist while Sirena Fitzery (Hamburg, NY/Buffalo Bisons) also found the back of the net… Madison Novotny (Wesley Chapel, FL/Northwood School), Carly Stefanini (Framingham, MA/Brooks School), Nicole Flak (Middleton, MA/Boston Shamrocks), and Abby Lillis (West Seneca, NY/Buffalo Bisons) each had an assist in the game and Savannah Gutierrez (Huntington Beach, CA/Anaheim Lady Ducks) made nine saves for the shutout.
 
ON A ROLL: Utica is 6-1 overall and is in the midst of a six-game winning streak… All six wins have come in United Collegiate Hockey Conference play… UC has outscored its opponents 45-2 over the last six games, with five shutouts… The Pioneers lead the country in scoring offence, averaging 6.57 goals per game and they are second in team shutouts.
 
DOUBLE TROUBLE: So far this season Utica has been led by the duo of Georgiana Santullo (Woburn, MA/Boston Shamrocks/Woburn High School) and Erica Sloan (Potsdam, NY/St. Lawrence Steel), who have combined for a whopping 42 points so far… Santullo leads the country in both goals per game (2.0) and points per game (3.29), while Sloan is second nationally in points per game (2.71)… Santullo recently became the first player in program history to score a hat trick in three consecutive games, while Sloan also netted a hat trick and finished with eight points last weekend against Stevenson… Sloan is also tied for second in all of Division III with two short-handed goals so far. 
 
8 FOR 81: Sophomore Carly Stefanini (Framingham, MA/Brooks School) has tallied at least one point in each of her last eight games, dating back to the UCHC quarterfinal last season… In that span, the 2020-21 UCHC All-Rookie team selection has totaled 14 points (five goals, nine assists)… Stefanini is currently 11^th nationally with 1.86 points per game. 
 
SHUTTING THE DOOR: Utica's scoring defense has been bolstered by the goaltending tandem of Angela Hawthorne (Santa Clara, CA/Meijer) and Savannah Gutierrez (Huntington Beach, CA/Anaheim Lady Ducks)… Hawthorne ranks 10^th nationally and second in the conference with a .593 goals against average, while Gutierrez has 1.826 goals against average… the duo has combined for a .71 goals against average and .936 save percentage. 
 
SCOUTING HAMILTON: The Continentals are also off to a great start on the year, downing then-No. 8 ranked Amherst College in a series sweep last weekend and most recently topping Morrisville State 4-3 on Tuesday… Abby Kuhns and Nancy Loh each have one goal and three assists to lead Hamilton offensively, while Sidney Molnar has an impressive .985 save percentage.
 
AGAINST THE CONTINENTALS: Utica is 12-8-4 all-time against Hamilton and 3-1-1 in their last five meetings… Hamilton however has had the local bragging rights as they came away with a 6-0 win in the last meeting between the two teams, whose campuses are just nine miles apart. 
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers remain on the road next weekend as they travel to Alvernia University for a UCHC weekend set… Friday's game will start at 7 p.m. while Saturday's faceoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.