UTICA, NY- The Utica College women's hockey team hits the road this weekend as it travels to Manhattanville College for a weekend series of United Collegiate Hockey Conference play.  Friday's contest is scheduled for 7 p.m. while Saturday's game will be at 3 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers are coming off a weekend sweep of Chatham University last weekend… 11 different players found the back of the net on the weekend as Utica picked up 8-2 and 5-0 wins… Hannah Keating (North Andover, MA/HPNA), Carly Stefanini (Framingham, MA/Brooks School), Rebecca Brown (Steamboat Springs, CO/Norwich University), and Abby Lillis (West Seneca, NY/Buffalo Bisons) led the way with two goals each in the series… Sophomore Angela Hawthorne (Santa Clara, CA/Meijer) stopped 42-of-44 shots she faced on the weekend and picked up her fourth shutout of the season on Saturday.
 
A LOOK AT THE STANDINGS: The Pioneers are currently second in the UCHC conference standings with a 10-0 record and 30 points… Utica is six points behind front runner Nazareth College (12-0) with two games in hand… This weekend's series against Manhattanville is huge in terms of seeding as Manhattanville (9-1) trails Utica by just three points in the standings.
 
THE USUAL SUSPECTS: Utica continues to be led by senior Georgiana Santullo (Woburn, MA/Boston Shamrocks/Woburn High School) and junior Erica Sloan (Potsdam, NY/St. Lawrence Steel)… the pair rank third and fifth in the country, respectively, in points per game, with Santullo averaging just under two points per game (1.93) and Sloan netting 1.80 points per outing… Santullo is second nationally with an average of 1.13 goals per game and her four game-winning goals rank fourth… Sloan meanwhile is fourth in short-handed goals (two).
 
NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP: Sophomore Carly Stefanini (Framingham, MA/Brooks School), one of three All-Rookie selections for the Pioneers last season, has built off her impressive freshman campaign… Stefanini is currently third on the team with 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists)… She has set new career highs in all three statistical categories… Fellow All-Rookie selection Madison Novotny (Wesley Chapel, FL/Northwood School) has set a new career standard with eight points as the everyday defender has totaled one goal and seven assists… All-Rookie goalie Angela Hawthorne (Santa Clara, CA/Meijer) meanwhile ranks seventh nationally in goals against average (.985) and she is ninth in save percentage (.950).   
 
BET ON BROWN: Graduate Student Rebecca Brown (Steamboat Springs, CO/Norwich University) is in midseason form as she currently has a three-game scoring streak and has totaled four goals and two assists in her last six games… Brown, who is the most senior member of the team, is closing in on the 100-game milestone… She currently sits at 95 career games played. 
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers return home next weekend to host Neumann University… Friday's game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. while Saturday's faceoff is set for 1:30 p.m.