UTICA, NY - The Utica University women's soccer team begins the first round of the Empire 8 Conference Tournament at home against the sixth-seeded Alfred University Saxons on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
Follow Along: Those who can't attend can watch and view live stats here. 
 
Getting In: To attend Saturday's match, adults are $6, students and seniors with ID are $4 and children under 12 are free. All Utica University students with Utica ID will be granted free admission. 
 
Last Time Out: The team tied St. John Fisher University 1-1 in its final match of the regular season.It was a tight match with Fisher leading the shots battle 13 to 8 with Utica leading with 5 corners to 4. Cora Kraft (Poughquag, NY/Arlington) had the lone Utica goal at the 16:55 mark of the first half yet it proved to be a huge one as it helped the team earn the tie. Kaela Mochak (Westfield, MA/Westfield) led the team with three shots while Noella Burlette (Manchester, CT/Manchester), Rory Richard (Barneveld, NY/Holland Patent), and Olivia Bochniak (Barneveld, NY/Holland Patent) each had at least one.  In goal Courtney Connolly (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) shined making six saves and allowing just one goal to help Utica secure the draw.It was a very balanced first half with Fisher leading the shot battle 6 to 5. However, Utica made the most of its shots with four requiring a save from the Fisher goalie. Both teams were very aggressive, each totaling one corner kick and at least one offsides. The Cardinals struck first at the 4:23 mark capitalizing off an early corner kick to grab an early 1-0 lead. However, the Pioneers continued to push, and delivered the equalizer at the 16:55 mark to knot the score at 1-1. Each team had its chances, yet the match remained 1-1 heading into halftime. The second half featured Fisher outshooting Utica 7 to 3, yet the Pioneers defense remained stout. Connolly played excellently, recording four saves in the second half while the Utica offense pushed the pace with four corner kicks. Neither time could break through in the second half resulting in the match ending 1-1.
 
Tournament Format: Featuring the top six teams from league play, the Empire 8 Championship Tournament is a single elimination tournament, where all games are played at the higher seed. In the first round the No. 3 Pioneers will be hosting No. 6 Alfred, where the winner will go onto face off with No. 2 St. John Fisher. On the other side of the bracket, No. 4 Houghton will be hosting No. 5 Russell Sage, where their winner will travel to Rochester to play top-seeded Nazareth. The winner of the E8 Championship Tournament will be automatically entered into the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship Tournament. 
 
Postseason History: Since 2000, the Utica University women's soccer team has an overall record of 5-6-4 in the E8 Tournament. In their 15 appearances, the Pioneers have proven to be a difficult matchup as of recently. Since 2018, the Pioneers have been in the championship four times while capturing the 2019 Empire 8 title over Hartwick in 2019. 
 
Last Matchup: Utica and Alfred played last on September 23 which ended in a 2-2 draw. Utica's Jazmyn Gillette (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy) scored the Pioneers' first goal which was assisted by Rylee Lamphere (Little Falls, NY/Dolgeville) in the 64th minute. The second goal came from Mikayla Kelley (Ballston Spa/Ballston Spa) in the 79th minute as she was assisted by Jenna Keeman (Douglas, MA/Douglas). Goalkeeper Courtney Connolly (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) registered five saves. Saxons' Abby Wilson scored both goals. Her first goal came at the 38th minute with an assist by Olivia Gilbert. Wilson struck again at the 82nd minute mark to seal the game at a 2-2 draw. 
 
Cookin' Kraft: Right back Cora Kraft (Poughquag, NY/Arlington) has started every match and played every single minute available, racking in a total of 1,440.  The freshman has facilitated five clean sheets throughout the season. Kraft provided the Pioneers with a Rolls-Royce performance making defensive stops and recorded a first half equalizer in their last game against St. John Fisher. 
 
Prior Performances: In their postseason history, the Pioneers have put on stellar performances. Notably, winger Julianna Beaulieu (Southwick, MA/Chicopee Comprehensive) scored a hat-trick in last season's semifinal game against St. John Fisher. After scoring early in the contest, Beaulieu netted one just before half, and then again halfway through the second half. Two seasons prior, Kaela Mochak (Westfield, MA/Westfield) put the team on her back scoring two regular time goals: one against Nazareth in the semifinals and another against Russell Sage in the finals. Mochak also went 2-for-2 with penalty kick attempts in shootout wins against Houghton and Nazareth in the 2020 postseason.
 
About Alfred: The Alfred University Saxons enter the 2023 Empire 8 playoffs with a 4-5-6 overall record and 2-1-5 in conference play. The team is coached by Craig Yanni who's been the coaching staff since 2012. Alfred is coming off a 0-2 defeat against Nazareth University on October 25. In 16 matches the Saxons have 40 points combined as a team off 16 goals and eight assists, averaging 2.50 points per game. Sophomore forward Abby Scanlan has been Alfred's most productive player, finishing the regular season with 12 points off five goals, two assists and 17 shots on goal. Alyssa Smith is the team's second leading point producer with three goals, one assist and seven shots on goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Kiani Barnard-Pratt has started in 14 matches with a .821 save percentage, 1.38 goals against average and five clean sheets. 

Up Next: The winner of Saturday's contest will travel to Rochester, NY on Wednesday to take on second-seeded St. John Fisher in the Empire 8 Semifinals. Game time is TBD.