UTICA, NY- The Utica University women's lacrosse team will host Plattsburgh State Tuesday at 4 p.m and then host St. John Fisher University in an Empire 8 matchup on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
Follow Along: If you can not attend this week's games, live video and stats can be found through https://portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/.
 
Last Time Out: Grace Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) tied a career-high with five goals in the game while Samantha DeCondo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) added three, which brought her career total to 99, to go with a team-high two assists. Ruby Ackerman (Bethel, CT/Bethel) also scored on what was her only shot on goal attempt of the game. In goal, Breese Burlingame (Binghamton, NY/Northfield Mount Hermon) made 14 saves and finished tied as the team leader with four ground balls. Nazareth opened the scoring at the 8:06 mark of the first quarter before DeCondo responded less than one minute later to draw even at 1-1. The Golden Flyers jumped out to a 3-1 lead with a free position goal at 6:45 as well as a tally with 4:17 remaining in the frame. Stuhlman cut Utica's deficit to one goal with her first of the afternoon with 1:35 to play in the first before Nazareth scored once more in the quarter with 13 seconds left to take a 4-2 edge into the second. Nazareth went on to score the first two goals of the second before the Pioneers got back on the board with 6:45 left in the half. Off a Golden Flyers turnover, DeCondo found Stuhlman near the cage for her second goal of the game to bring the score to 6-3 in favor of Nazareth. The Golden Flyers ended the half with a pair of goals to take an 8-3 lead into halftime. Utica started to pick up momentum early in the third with a DeCondo goal about 1:30 into the fresh half while Nazareth responded with under eight minutes left in the third. However, DeCondo and Stuhlman goals brought Utica within three while Nazareth chalked up one more to ultimately take a 10-6 lead into the fourth. The Pioneers continued to battle back with three straight goals, two of which by Stuhlman and one by Ackerman on the Utica advantage, to make it a 10-9 game with 3:54 to play. The Golden Flyers went on to convert on a free position shot with 2:56 left before winning the ensuing draw control to ultimately run the game clock down and deny the Pioneers' comeback attempt. 
 
Keepin' It 100: Samantha DeCondo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) is one goal shy of reaching 100 career goals as she has been on a tear this season. Only ten other players in program history have recorded 100 goals and at of the start of the season she ranks fifth all-time in program history with 2.53 goals per game. DeCondo is on an eight-game point streak and dating back to last season's game against Hamilton College on May 5, 2022, she has recorded at least one point in each of her last 10 outings. 
 
Steady Stuhlman: Grace Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) has been playing dominant this season, having four multi-point scoring games including having had four or more goals in the last four of five outings. Against Nazareth, she tied her career high with five goals on nine shots. She ranks sixth in the Empire 8 with 29 goals and 3.22 goals per game. 
 
Sharp Shootin': The Pioneers have been shooting lights out with a .506 shooting percentage this season, ranking them 22nd in the nation and second in the Empire 8. On woman-up opportunities, the Pioneers are 4-for-4 ranking them third in the conference. Utica has 13 different goal scoreres this season and has outscored their opponents 93 to 70 over its eight games this year. 
 
Scoopin' Em Up: The team has been dominant on ground balls this season ranking first in the Empire 8 with 254. Alyssa Pisano (Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington) leads Utica with 20 followed by Aana Blaszka (Hampstead, NH/Pinkerton Academy) and Katie Crofoot (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central) with 18 apiece. Against Nazareth the Pioneers scooped up 23 versus the Golden Flyers 20. 
 
Scouting Plattsburgh: The Plattsburgh State Cardinals are 4-4 this season and sport a 1-2 record in the SUNYAC conference. The team has four players with at least 11 goals. Emma McLaughlin leads the Cardinals in points with 17 goals and five assists. Lindsay Guzzetta has 19 goals which leads the team while Cynthia Barnoksky has six helpers to go along with eight goals. Goalie Johanna Malone has a 4-4 record and posts a .388 save percentage which ranks fourth in the SUNYAC with 54 saves. 
 
Scouting Fisher: The Cardinals are 5-2 this season and will face SUNY Geneseo on Thursday, April 6 before squaring off with the Pioneers on Saturday, April 8. The duo of Hanna Kumpf and Mary Fiorentino have been fantastic for Fisher as Kumpf has scored 12 goals with six assists and Fiorentino has netted 10 goals with four assists. The two are the team's top point scorers while the Cardinals have three more scoring threats in Sydney Carpenter, Cara Landry, and Courtney O'Dea who have each scored eight goals thus far. Lily Goodsell has started all seven games in net and sports a 5-2 record with 55 saves and a .529 save percentage against 137 shots faced this season. Goodsell's stellar season has her ranked first in the conference with just a 7.00 goals against average and is tied for second in save percentage.

Next Up: The team will travel to Hartwick College for an Empire 8 matchup on Wednesday, April 12 at 4 p.m.