UTICA, NY - After clinching a berth into the 2022 Empire 8 Conference Tournament, the Utica University field hockey team will complete its regular season slate this week while looking to secure a first round bye. The team will travel to Skidmore College for a non-conference contest against the Thoroughbred before hosting St. John Fisher University for the team's senior game.
Follow Along: Skidmore will provide live video through
https://livestream.com/skidmoreathletics as well as live stats via
https://skidmoreathletics.com/sidearmstats/fhockey/summary. For those unable to attend on Saturday, live video and stats can be found at
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/.
Last Time Out: Utica took care of Medaille University Mavericks 7-1 on Saturday night. The win helped the team clinch its third straight Empire 8 postseason berth excluding the 2021 season. The Pioneers dominated the first quarter and were extremely aggressive to begin the match.
Shannon Jedreicich (Deer Park, NY/Half Hollow Hills East) broke through with a goal in the sixth minute to give Utica a quick 1-0 edge. Just two minutes later,
Alanna Fragapane (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy ) found the back of the net to increase the lead to 2-0. The team kept being aggressive as
Alyssa Pisano (Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington) scored her second goal of the game in the ninth minute and Utica was leading 3-0 after the first quarter. Utica's offense continued to control the pace of the game and kept possession in the attacking zone.
Christina Jackson (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport) and Pisano both recorded shots yet could not convert. The team had five shots recorded in the quarter before Fragapane shot high and Pisano recovered her miss and scored to give the Pioneers a 4-0 lead entering the half. To begin the third quarter, Utica kept possession and its aggressive play style. Halfway through the quarter, the teams were battling for possession when
Mackenzie Mix (Camden, NY/Camden) was able to steal the ball and run downfield while Fragapane finished with a goal for a 5-0 advantage. The Pioneers led 5-0 after three quarters and were playing wonderfully on offense and defense. The fourth quarter saw the pace slow down and the teams try to stretch the field. In the 54th minute off of a Jedreicich blocked shot, Mix scooped up the ball and put it in the back of the net for her first goal of the game. Just three minutes later, Mix was able to score again for her second goal of the game and the Pioneers would win the game 7-1 as Medaille punched in a goal with just three seconds left. Utica played phenomenally as the team was in control the entire game and scored seven goals on eleven shots on goal. The offense was clicking and led by Jedreicich, Pisano, Mix, and Fragapane while
Madison Ranalli (Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) helped to keep Medaille in check with a few fine defensive plays.
Lyla Cushman (Holland Patent, NY/Holland Patent) did not see much action as the defense was great, yet recorded two saves during the second half.
What's the Scenario: Utica has already clinched an Empire 8 Tournament postseason berth. The Pioneers can finish as high as second with a win over St. John Fisher, coupled with one Houghton loss, or as low as fifth.
Spreading the Wealth: The Pioneers offensive attack has been a group effort this season while
Alyssa Pisano (Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington) and
Mackenzie Mix (Camden, NY/Camden) have led the charge. While both are within the top-10 in the conference in points per game, Pisano (1.93) and Mix (1.71) also find themselves in the top-90 nationally. The duo have also combined for 22 of Utica's 35 goals this season with Pisano netting 12 and Mix right behind her with 10. Along with them,
Shannon Jedreicich (Deer Park, NY/Half Hollow Hills East) and
Alanna Fragapane (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy ) have added depth to the scoring attack. Jedreicich is third on the team with 15 points off of four goals and seven assists while ranking third in the E8 with just under four shots per game. In her first season with the team, Fragapane is fourth on the unit with 12 points on six goals while posting a .316 shot percentage.
Cushin' It: Lyla Cushman (Holland Patent, NY/Holland Patent) is coming off of her second Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week honor after allowing one goal per game on a .584 save percentage in a 2-0 week for Utica. In the team's 2-1 over Russell Sage on Wednesday, Cushman stopped one of two shots faced while in the Pioneers' 7-1 over Medaille on Saturday, Cushman made two saves on three Medaille shots. On the season, the sophomore is second in the league with a 2.071 goals against average and is tied for the E8 lead with four shutouts to her credit.
About Skidmore: The Thoroughbreds enter the week 10-8 overall and at 3-4 in Liberty League play, the team sits in fifth place. Skidmore has averaged 2.56 goals per game on a .686 shot on goal percentage while opponents have averaged 2.28 goals per game with a .601 shot percentage. Carrie Hughes has been one of the most prolific scorers in the country as she currently ranks 28th in Division III averaging 2.39 points per game with 19 goals and five assists over 18 outings. Goalkeeper Victoria Bodnar owns a 10-8 record this season while posting a 2.22 goals allowed average as well as 89 saves on a .695 save percentage.
Scouting Fisher: The defending Empire 8 champion Cardinals enter the week 7-9 overall and are tied with Utica for second in the Empire 8 standings with a 6-2 mark. The team will travel to the University of Rochester on Wednesday prior to facing the Pioneers on Saturday. The team ranks second in the Empire 8 averaging 3.5 goals per game while four players have at least eight goals to their credit. On defense, Fisher ranks in the middle of the pack in the E8 giving up 2.94 goals per game while goalkeeper Sophia Trozzi ranks fifth in the league allowing 3.126 goals per game on a .680 save percentage. Utica and Fisher are 8-8 all-time against one another while Fisher took the most recent meeting 3-0 in the 2021 Empire 8 championship.
Up Next: The team will prepare for the Empire 8 Conference Tournament with the first round set to begin on Wednesday, November 2. Utica's first game as well as time and location are all TBD.
