UTICA, NY - The Utica College women's soccer team prepares to host conference foe Nazareth College in their home opener, on Sunday, March 21, at 1 p.m. at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. 

Follow Along Sunday: Due to pre existing COVID-19 restrictions, spectators are not allowed at Utica College sporting events until further notice. Live video and stats will be provided for all home games at portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/.

Last Time Out: Utica dropped a match for the first time this season in a 2-0 loss to Russell Sage College on Wednesday. Freshman goalkeeper Courtney Connolly (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) made eight saves for the night. While senior Sydney Cook (Waterville, NY/Waterville) led the team with two shots on goal. Eliza Ericson (Beacon, NY/Beacon), Haley Harrington (Munnsville, NY/Stockbridge Valley), and Kaela Mochak (Westfield, MA/Westfield) all made one attempt on goal. 

Connolly Collects: Freshman goalie Courtney Connolly (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) was named the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week this past Monday after her performance on Sunday against Alfred University. In her first collegiate appearance, she made three saves for her first college clean sheet, as the Pioneers won 2-0 over the Saxons. She stopped eight of ten shots at Sage. 

Right At Home: The Pioneers have been quite successful at home in recent seasons. The team has an 11-5 record on the turf at Gaetano Stadium to its credit over the last two years. Utica is hosting Nazareth for a second straight season. 

Call on Kaminski: Senior midfielder Jacinta Kaminski (Holland Patent, NY/Holland Patent), is leading the team board in points, with two goals for four points. She was the lone goal scorer, and scored once in each half of the match against Alfred. Hillaria Hernandez (Carmel, NY/Kennedy Catholic) and Sydney Cook (Waterville, NY/Waterville) provided the assists. Kaminski is 3rd in the conference in goals per game, tied for 4th in points per game, and 5th in the conference in shots on goal at an average of 1.5 per match.   

Cook with Consistency: Senior forward Sydney Cook (Waterville, NY/Waterville) is off to a strong start with an assist in the opener. She continues her consistent presence in the lineup, as she has started all 21 games in her Utica career, and has three career goals and six assists going into this Sunday's contest. 

It's Been Awhile: The two goals conceded to Sage in Wednesday's match were the first for the Pioneers in an Empire 8 match since November 2nd, 2019. 

History with Naz: The Pioneers have had a historically difficult time against Nazareth with just one win in the last 26 matches, however, the last two matches have been decided by a goal or less, including a 1-1 tie in 2018.

About Nazareth: The Golden Flyers are 2-0 and have outscored opponents Houghton and Elmira 13-0. Kristen Prohaska has three goals on the young campaign to lead a brisk attack that has had ten different players score a goal. 

Up Next: Utica will host Elmira College on Sunday, March 28, at 1 p.m. for a designated non-conference match.