UTICA, NY - For the first time since February 28, 2020 the Utica College women's basketball team will take the court in a non-exhibition game. The team will travel to SUNY Delhi at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 6 to begin the 2021-22 season. 
 
Follow Along: Live stream and stats will be provided for Utica's season opener by following https://delhibroncos.com/sports/wbkb/live. 
 
Looking Back: The Pioneers last competed in the 2019-20 season where they went 15-11 overall and 8-6 in Empire 8 play, earning the three-seed in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament. The team fell in the semifinals to Sage, 82-75. UC led the E8 in scoring that season, posting 72.3 points per game as a unit while Sydney Przygoda (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) and Nicolette Conkin, who has since graduated, led the team with over 18 points per game each. 
 
The Schedule: The full slate of regular season games will range from November 6-February 19, 2022. If qualified, the Empire 8 Conference Tournament will be held from February 22-26, 2022. Utica is set to play 25 games this season, 13 of which at home and 12 on the road. Non-conference play will range from November 6-January 3, 2022 before the full slate of conference play will go from January 7-February 19, 2022. Non-conference opponents this season include, in order: SUNY Delhi, Alfred St. College, SUNY Oneonta, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Cazenovia College, SUNY Poly, Wells College and Morrisville St. College. 
 
All Aboard: The Pioneers will welcome back seven players from the 2019-20 Empire 8 semifinal team. Sydney Przygoda (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) will look to lead the charge after being named an All-Empire 8 first team selection in 2019-20 after averaging 18.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 56 percent from the floor. She led the conference with 475 total points while her near 11 rebounds per game ranked second in the E8. Brigid Johndrow (Bristol, CT/St. Paul Catholic) (9.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.7 APG, 38 FG%) Petrina DeMarco (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) (11.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 36 FG%) and Kimberly Soriano (Queens, NY/Monsignor McClancy Memorial) (6.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 30.1 FG%) were all key components of the 2019-20 team who will be counted on to help lead the way for the Pioneers this season. Cora Sawyer (New London, CT/New London), Kristine Miller (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) and Julia Rotando (Cold Spring, NY/Haldane) will also return to the squad while bringing veteran experience to a fairly young roster. 
 
Fresh Faces: While the lone freshman on the team, Anna Rossi (Verona, NY/VVS), is set to begin her collegiate career with the Pioneers, there will be seven sophomores ready to do the same after Utica opted out of the spring 2021 season. Hope Halvarson (Cranton, RI/Cranton East), Caiden Crego (Newark, NY/Lyons), Hannah Stack (Dogleville, NY/Dolgeville), Krissy Geraci (Rochester, NY/Greece Arcadia), Julianna Beaulieu (Chicopee,MA/Chicopee Comprehensive), Kelsey Carter (Shamong, NJ/Seneca) and Logan Taylor (Henrietta, NY/Rush-Henrietta) will all suit up for the first time for UC and look to leave their marks on the program starting this season. 
 
New Year, New Opportunities: For the past two seasons UC has played, Nicolette Conkin finished second on the team in scoring each of those years. Finishing 2019-20 with an E8 best 6.8 assists, 3.2 steals, and 36.1 minutes per game, Conkin willed her team game in and game out. With her graduation and departure from the Pioneer program, the door has opened for the next leader to step up. With veterans on the team in Johndrow, Sawyer, Pryzgoda, Demarco, and Soriano, Utica will have plenty of worthy candidates to fill the void left by the UC great.
 
Just Buckets: The Pioneers bring back four of its five leading scorers from their top-ranked offense in the Empire 8 in 2019-20. Averaging 72.3 points per game, Utica is revamped and ready to go on another offensive onslaught. In 2019-20, the team shot 40% from the field and 28.7% from three-point land where they ranked third and fourth in the conference, respectively. UC finished that season with four sharpshooters in the top-25 in the Empire 8. The ability to shoot from deep was a staple for the Pioneers that year, averaging an E8 best 7.7 three-pointers made per game. The team was also solid from the charity stripe, finishing 209-20 tied for second in the conference with a 70.4% free throw percentage. Much of the offensive productivity was created in large part by the Pioneers impeccable chemistry and ball movement. With the help of the leading passer in the E8, Nicolette Conkin, who totaled 6.8 assists per game, Utica finished the season with 16.65 assists per game which topped the conference. 
 
Defending the Hoop: While the offense fired on all cylinders, the Pioneers were also countering everything the opposing team was offering on the defensive end. Finishing with the fourth ranked defense in the Empire 8, UC was a nuisance when teams tried to shoot the ball keeping opposing shooting percentages at 35.7% from the field and 25.9% from beyond the arc, both ranked second in the conference. In 2019-20, the Pioneers were the ultimate ball hawks, leading the E8 with 9.81 steals per game. The team also maintained the highest turnover margin at 3.31. 
 
About Delhi: The Broncos completed the 2019-20 season with an overall 7-17 record. Delhi will be entering their upcoming season with the ability to find their next prolific scorer as their top five scorers from the 19-20 season will not be returning for this season. The Broncos will be coming into the season with a brand-new team only retaining Justine Lubbers from the 19-20 season. Out of the 11 players on the team's roster, Delhi will send out just one senior and junior each while the rest of the team consist of sophomores and freshmen. The Pioneers are 2-0 all-time against the Broncos with both wins coming in 2019, 99-34 and 98-50.

What's to Come: UC will open up at home on Saturday, November 15 at 5 p.m. against Alfred St.