ROCHESTER, NY- For the second game in a row the Utica College women's soccer team won on penalty kicks, this time defeating top-seeded Nazareth College 4-2 to advance to the Empire 8 Championship game for the third year in a row.
 
Jenna Keeman (Douglas, MA/Douglas), Mikayla Kelley (Ballston Spa/Ballston Spa), Hillaria Hernandez (Carmel, NY/Kennedy Catholic), and Kaela Mochak (Westfield, MA/Westfield) all converted on their penalty kicks and junior Emily Hill (Watertown, CT/Watertown) made two big saves to clinch the win for Utica.
 
The Pioneers will meet the winner of Russell Sage-Alfred University in the championship game on Saturday.  Game time and location are to be determined pending the outcome of the other semifinal.
 
Freshman Kaela Mochak (Westfield, MA/Westfield) opened the scoring at 13:39 as she netted her second of the season.  Mochak won a 50-50 ball near midfield.  She took a couple steps then launched a high shot that went over the keeper's head and tucked under the crossbar to give Utica the early lead.
 
Nazareth responded in the 31st minute as Alexandra Skoda buried a feed from Shayla Scully for her fifth goal of the season.  
 
Haley Harrington (Munnsville, NY/Stockbridge Valley) had a good opportunity with just under two minutes remaining in the first half as she settled a ball near the top left corner of the box, but her shot sailed just over the cross bar.  Naz responded in the final 30 seconds of the first half with a chance of its own.  A Nazareth player sent a great ball into the box, but Hill got a great jump off her line and swallowed up the loose ball.
 
Nazareth's Mikayla Hughes had a great chance with just over two minutes to play in regulation, but her shot from the top of the box went just wide of the top left corner.
 
Hill came up with a huge stop just under four minutes into the first overtime as Hughes headed a centering feed from 7 yards out, but Hill jumped and caught the ball without giving up a rebound.  Utica was able to hold off the remaining Nazareth advances to send the game to the shootout. 
 
Keeman started Utica off on the right foot as she scored on the first kick of the shootout.  Nazareth responded with a goal by Mallory Ott to make the score 1-1 after the first round.  Kelley netted her shot in the second round and Hill made a diving save to her left to put the Pioneers up 2-1. Both Hernandez and Hughes from Nazareth scored on their shots as UC remained ahead 3-2 after three rounds.  Mochak scored a clutch goal on her shot, setting up the potential for Utica to clinch the win with a stop from Hill.  Naz's Lena D'Amico played a low ball to the right side, but Hill once against guessed correctly and came up with the winning save. 
 
Just two days after making a career-high 13 saves, Hill set a new personal best as she finished with 15 saves in the semifinals.  Gabrielle Pighetti meanwhile finished with three saves for the Golden Flyers.