UTICA, NY- The Utica College women's hockey team returns home this weekend to host Neumann University for a two-game series. Friday's game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., while Saturday's puck drop will be at 1 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers split a two-game series in Purchase, NY at Manhattanville College last weekend. Utica's seven-game winning streak was snapped on Friday as it fell short to Manhattanville 3-1. However, UC bounced back on Saturday to defeat the Valiants 7-2. In that game, Rebecca Brown (Steamboat Springs, CO/Norwich University) led the Pioneers with a four-point effort (three goals, one assist), Georgiana Santullo (Woburn, MA/Boston Shamrocks/Woburn High School) found the back of the net twice, and Nicole Flak (Middleton, MA/Boston Shamrocks) and Holly Silva (Boston, MA/Worcester Academy) added goals as well.
 
A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE: The Pioneers are currently second in the UCHC with 33 points, with an 11-1 record in the UCHC. Nazareth holds the top spot with 36 points (12-0 UCHC), and Mahattanville is third with 30 points (10-2 UCHC). Utica has eight conference games remaining, six of which are against teams ranked sixth or lower in the standings.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS: Utica currently leads the nation with 20 powerplay goals, while sitting first in the UCHC and fifth nationally with a 29.4 power play percentage. On the defensive side, the Pioneers are fourth in the conference with a 90.9 penalty kill percentage and they rank second in the conference and 5th in the nation in short-handed goals with four.
 
CUE THE GOAL SIRENS: The Pioneers are tied for first nationally with conference foe Nazareth with 92 goals on the year. Senior Georgiana Santullo (Woburn, MA/Boston Shamrocks/Woburn High School) leads the country with 1.18 goals per game and she is second nationally in points per game (1.94).
 
BOLD BECKY BROWN: Graduate student and captain Rebecca Brown (Steamboat Springs, CO/Norwich University) is coming off her best game of the season against Manhattanville, where she had a four-point effort and her first career hat trick in the 7-2 victory, while also extending her point streak to five straight games. Two of her three goals came on the powerplay, which moves her to second in the conference and seventh in the nation in powerplay goals (four). 
 
PASSING PIONEERS: A large part of the Pioneers' success this season has come from their ability to pass the puck. Utica currently ranks first nationally in total assists (152), while having five players in the top ten in the UCHC in assists per game. Erica Sloan (Potsdam, NY/St. Lawrence Steel) leads the way with 1.00 assists per game, followed by Carly Stefanini (Framingham, MA/Brooks School) (0.82) and Maggie Rylott (Cobourg, Ontario/West Northumberland) (0.81) in fourth and fifth, respectively.  Santullo (0.76) is seventh, and Carolyn Whitney (Raleigh, NC/Milbrook School) rounds out the top ten with 0.65 assists per game.
 
STOPPING THE PUCK: Utica is currently ranked second nationally and first in the UCHC with seven total shutouts. Sophomore Angela Hawthorne (Santa Clara, CA/Meijer) is 10th in the country and third in the UCHC with a 1.29 goals against average. Hawthorne also sits at sixth in the conference with a save percentage of 93.3 percent. Senior Savannah Gutierrez (Huntington Beach, CA/Anaheim Lady Ducks) is 18th nationally and fourth in the conference with a 1.57 goals against average, while also being ranked fifth in save percentage (93.9 percent).
 
SCOUTING NEUMANN: The Knights are 2-14-2 overall (2-10-2-1 UCHC) and are coming off a pair of loses to Arcadia last weekend.   Neumann is led by senior Katelyn Brown, who has 12 points (seven goals, five assists), as well as junior Mikaylee Henhawk, who has 11 points (four goals, seven assists). As a team, the Knights are second nationally in team saves with 706. Utica is 25-8-1 all-time against Neumann. The last time the two teams played was on Jan. 24, 2020 when Utica came away with a 6-2 win.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Pioneers hit the road next weekend to face conference foe Lebanon Valley College in a two-game series in Annsville, PA. Friday's game is scheduled for 4 p.m., while Saturday's puck will drop at 2 p.m.