UTICA, NY - The No. 9 Utica University women's hockey team will open United Collegiate Hockey Conference play this weekend when the team travels to Annville, PA for a weekend set at Lebanon Valley College. Friday's contest is set for 7 p.m. while puck drop for Saturday is currently set for 4:30 p.m.
Follow Along: Live video for both games can be found at
https://godutchmen.com/watch/?Live=1316&type=Live while live stats will be provided through
https://godutchmen.com/sidearmstats/whockey/summary.
Last Time Out: The team defeated the then-ranked No. 6 Adrian College Bulldogs 2-1 in overtime in the championship game of the Utica University Kickoff Tournament last Saturday afternoon.
Carolyn Whitney (Raleigh, NC/Milbrook School) provided the game-winner in what was an intense championship game.
Hailey Modlin (Phoenix, AZ/Boston Shamrocks) got the Pioneers on the board early on in the first period with her second goal of the year.
Erica Sloan (Potsdam, NY/St. Lawrence Steel) tallied her team high fourth assist of the season on the goal, along with
Tess Barrett (Tewksbury, MA/St. Mark's) who now has three assists through two games played this year.
Angela Hawthorne (Santa Clara, CA/Meijer) was stellar in goal with 44 saves on the afternoon. The Pioneers defense fended off a blistering fast Adrian team to secure the victory despite being outshot 45-15 in total. In a first period where Utica was outshot 15-5, the Pioneers were ultimately able to score the lone goal in the frame as they took advantage of another power play opportunity. At the 10:13 mark,
Hailey Modlin (Phoenix, AZ/Boston Shamrocks) would score her second goal of the season, assisted by
Erica Sloan (Potsdam, NY/St. Lawrence Steel) and
Tess Barrett (Tewksbury, MA/St. Mark's). This marked the Pioneers' fifth power play goal out of seven opportunities this season. Adrian had several great chances to score a goal of their own, but the superb play of
Angela Hawthorne (Santa Clara, CA/Meijer) left them blank in the first. Hawthorne made several incredible saves this period to keep the Pioneers on top. There were no goals scored in the second, largely due to the continued dominance of
Angela Hawthorne (Santa Clara, CA/Meijer) in goal. The senior continued to keep Adrian's offense at bay with 12 saves in the period.
Holly Silva (Boston, MA/Worcester Academy) also made a key deflection amidst an Adrian two-on-one chance to help maintain the Pioneers' lead. Adrian was finally able to get on the board in the third, scoring at the 7:05 mark. The Bulldogs commanded much of the third period, outshooting Utica 16-2. Just under nine minutes into the frame, Adrian was given a five minute major penalty for kicking but Utica was unable to take advantage of the power play opportunity.
Nicole Flak (Middleton, MA/Boston Shamrocks) had both shots on goal for Utica but was unable to get one past the goalie and the game went into overtime. Just 12 seconds into overtime,
Carolyn Whitney (Raleigh, NC/Milbrook School) got the puck near the neutral zone on a two-on-one breakaway and sniped a shot top shelf past the goalie, Michaela O'Brien, for the game-winner. Whitney now has two goals on the season, both of which coming from caused neutral zone turnovers.
In the Polls: The team moved up to No. 9 in this week's US College Hockey Online Women's Top 15. The poll was released Monday by the national college hockey website. The Pioneers received 132 points to move up four spots to No. 9. The team put together an impressive weekend with a pair of wins to capture the inaugural Utica University Kickoff Tournament championship. On Friday, the Pioneers defeated Suffolk University, who received votes in last week's poll before topping previous No. 6 Adrian College 2-1 in overtime on Saturday. Utica and Adrian both received 132 points this week to tie at No. 9. The entire Division III women's poll can be found at
https://www.uscho.com/rankings/d-iii-womens-poll/.
Stefanini For Three: Carly Stefanini (Framingham, MA/Brooks School) shined in the season opener vs Suffolk as she recorded a hat-trick and provided an assist in the win. This was the first hat-trick of her career, and the second most points scored in a game for her career behind her five point outing last season against Lebanon Valley. Stefanini's first goal came off assists from
Erica Sloan (Potsdam, NY/St. Lawrence Steel) and
Maggie Rylott (Cobourg, Ontario/West Northumberland). This first line of attack has proven lethal so far and should continue to wreak havoc on opposing teams all season. She would go on to score two more goals in the third period, shutting the door on any hopes of a comeback for Suffolk. The senior currently needs only 10 more points to reach 100 for her career, a milestone that has been reached by only seven other players.
Not Gettin' by Her:
Angela Hawthorne (Santa Clara, CA/Meijer) was awarded UCHC goaltender of the week for her efforts in the Utica University Kickoff Tournament. Hawthorne made 67 saves over the two contests and accumulated a stellar .957 save percentage. The senior was especially fantastic in the championship game vs Adrian. She made 44 saves on an afternoon where Utica was outshot to propel them to victory. This marks the fourth most saves for Hawthorne in a single game for her career.
A Helping Hand: Tess Barrett (Tewksbury, MA/St. Mark's) and
Erica Sloan (Potsdam, NY/St. Lawrence Steel) made their mark in the Utica University Kickoff Tournament through their facilitation of the puck. Barrett and Sloan each accounted for four assists through the two games and played in great sync with each other on their shared time on the ice. Two goals were scored with the help of both Barrett and Sloan for the primary and secondary assist. Most notably,
Tess Barrett (Tewksbury, MA/St. Mark's) was on the ice in the overtime period with
Maggie Rylott (Cobourg, Ontario/West Northumberland) where she would assist
Carolyn Whitney (Raleigh, NC/Milbrook School) on the tournament-winning goal.
Whitty Play: Carloyn Whitney provided two thrilling moments for the Pioneers with two goals scored from neutral zone turnovers. Whitney has a knack for intercepting the puck from the opposing team and going one-on-one against the goalie. Out on the breakaway her dazzling offensive skills were shown with two crafty top shelf goals over the weekend. Just 12 seconds into the overtime, Whitney sent the home crowd into a frenzy as she netted the game-winner. Her tenacious efforts on the ice will cause nightmares for other teams this season.
Historical Bouts: Utica has never lost a game to Lebanon Valley as the team sports a 12-0 all-time mark and defeated them three times last season. Most recently, Utica handled Lebanon Valley in the first round of the UCHC playoffs, winning 4-0. The playoff victory was fueled by
Erica Sloan (Potsdam, NY/St. Lawrence Steel),
Maggie Rylott (Cobourg, Ontario/West Northumberland),
Carolyn Whitney (Raleigh, NC/Milbrook School), and
Carly Stefanini (Framingham, MA/Brooks School) who each tallied two points.
About Lebanon Valley: The Lebanon Valley Dutchmen are off to a 1-1 start this season after going 12-13-1 last year. After getting shut out by Morrisville in the season opener, they rebounded to put up five goals against Albertus Magnus the following day. Last season's UCHC rookie of the year, Katrina Strauts and sophomore standout Ioanna Christou, did not return to the team this season. These two were Lebanon Valley's top scorers from last season, so new players will need to step up for them this year. Their top defender, and former second team all-conference selection Erin Yorke returns this season. Her efforts will help contain opposing teams and make life easier for first-year goalie Jorja Fisher between the pipes. Veteran forwards Jess Dawe and Katie Pounder are both team captains for the season. Dawe and Pounder have made early contributions to the team as well, with two points scored a piece through the first weekend of play.
Up Next: Utica will return home On November 10 and 11 to host Wilkes University. Game time on Friday, November 10 is set for 7 p.m. followed by a 2 p.m. puck drop on Saturday, November 11.
