HOUGHTON, NY- Junior Emily Hill (Watertown, CT/Watertown) made three clutch saves and three players buried their shots as the Utica College women's soccer team earned a thrilling 3-1 win in penalty kicks over host Houghton College in the first round of the Empire 8 Conference Tournament Tuesday evening.  The Pioneers will now travel to top-seeded Nazareth College on Thursday for the semifinals.  Game time is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
 
Houghton opened the scoring at 30:11 when Kealy DeForest put in a rebound off a set piece for her team-leading fifth goal of the season.  Moriah Steffen picked up the assist on the go-ahead score.
 
Utica responded just 4:55 later as sophomore Hope Millets (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) put in her second of the year to tie the game at one.  Junior Hillaria Hernandez (Carmel, NY/Kennedy Catholic) fired a shot from 10 yards outside the box that the Houghton keeper stopped, but could not keep control of and Millets was there to put in the rebound. 
 
Houghton threatened towards the end of regulation and Utica controlled the majority of the play in the overtime period, but neither team was able to net the winner as the game was sent to penalty kicks.
 
Hill gave UC the momentum early as she stopped the first kick with a great diving save to her right side.  Sophomore Jenna Keeman (Douglas, MA/Douglas) buried her attempt to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead after round one.  Another big save by Hill and a missed shot by Utica kept the score at 1-0 after round two. 
 
Houghton's Anna Kalivoda converted on her kick, but Hernadez left no doubt as she fired her shot inside the right post to regain the Utica lead.  Hill came up with another big save and freshman Kaela Mochak (Westfield, MA/Westfield) placed a ball inside the left post as the Houghton keeper dove the opposite way to send the Pioneers to the semifinals for the third year in a row.
 
Hill finished with 13 saves for Utica, while Megan Merrifield made seven saves for the Highlanders.