UTICA, NY - The Utica University women's soccer team wraps up the regular season with its final match against the St. John Fisher Cardinals on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The team has already secured Empire 8 playoff berth, with seeding to be determined after Wednesday's game.
Follow Along: For those who can't attend can watch and view live stats
here.
Last Time Out: The team fell at home to the St. Lawrence University Saints, 3-0, in non-league play on Wednesday evening. The Saints registered 17 shots and nine on goal to the Pioneers' 10 and six, respectively. St. Lawrence's three goals came from three different players in the 43rd, 64th and 89th minutes. For Utica,
Jenna Keeman (Douglas, MA/Douglas) led the way with three shots (one on goal) while
Mikayla Kelley (Ballston Spa/Ballston Spa) had two looks, one of which on goal.
Samantha Kogut (North Adams, MA/Drury),
Kayla Giovingo (Centereach, NY/Centereach),
Kaela Mochak (Westfield, MA/Westfield) and
Natalia Bell (Cortland, NY/Groton) each had one shot on goal as well. Between the pipes,
Courtney Connolly (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) made six saves with three goals allowed in the losing effort. Utica began the opening 12 minutes commanding the offensive with four scoring changes, one of which was saved. However, the looks were to no avail as the Saints began to control possession. It took until the 42:23 mark in the first but St. Lawrence broke through as Kaitlyn Barton notched her first tally of the season to give the visitors a 1-0 lead at halftime. The Pioneers looked to record the equalizer roughly eight minutes into the second. Off a Keeman free kick, Mochak headed the ball to a nicely positioned
Rylee Lamphere (Little Falls, NY/Dolgeville) who put the ball into the back of the net. However, offsides on Lamphere was called which would keep St. Lawrence out front. From there, the Saints took a 2-0 advantage late in the 64th minute with a goal by Lilly Stone. Bell and Giovingo looked to bring the Pioneers within as each had shots that were saved following the Saints' second score of the game. Zoe Rogan, St. Lawrence's leading scorer, added one final mark on a free kick late in the 89th minute to put the game away.
Point Producers: Rylee Lamphere (Little Falls, NY/Dolgeville) continues to lead Utica with five goals and five assists and ranks second in the Empire 8 with 15 points.
Jazmyn Gillette (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) and
Gabriela Daumont (Latham, NY/Shaker) have six points each. Gillette has four goals in seven matches with just six shots on goal. Daumont's registered two goals and four assists.
Previous Meeting: Last time Utica and Fisher met was in the 2022 Empire 8 Semifinals. Utica won 5-3, thanks to
Julianna Beaulieu (Southwick, MA/Chicopee Comprehensive) who recorded her first career hat-trick. Goalkeeper
Courtney Connolly (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) registered four saves on seven shots faced as the team advanced to the Championship game.
Team Production: The Pioneers rank third in the Empire 8 with 24 goals and have allowed 16 goals which is one of the least in the Empire 8. Goalkeeper Connolly has a .817 save percentage while averaging 4.47 saves a game.
Scouting St. John Fisher: The Cardinals are 7-3-4 and 4-0-3 in Empire 8 play. Fisher is coming off a 5-0 victory against Houghton University. Graduate Student Jenn Kirker recorded the teams first hat-trick of the season. Sophomore Riley Grimm scored two goals and Junior Emma Spelman registered three assists on the day. The Cardinals haven't lost a game since their defeat to the University of Rochester on September 21. Junior Emma Spelman and Kirker lead Fisher in points. Spelman has 14 points on three goals and eight assists while Kirker has six goals on 13 shots on goal. Kirker is tied with five other players with six goals for the most in the league and sits first averaging .462 goals a game. Goalkeeper Avery Byrnes started all 14 matches. She ranks second in the Empire 8 with 10 goals against and a .863 save percentage. Last time the teams met, Utica won 5-3.
Up Next: The team will prepare for the Empire 8 Conference Tournament. Final seedings will be determined following Wednesday's action.
