UTICA, NY - With its 16-4 win over the visiting Russell Sage College Gators on Wednesday, the Utica University women's lacrosse team secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Empire 8 Conference Tournament. 
 
The Pioneers will host the third-seeded team (TBD) in the conference semifinals on Wednesday, May 1 from Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. It will mark the second time in program history that Utica will host an Empire 8 postseason contest (2021). 
 
Samantha DeCondo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) paced the Pioneer attack with a season high five goals and one assist. Alyssa Drell (Mastic, NY/William Floyd) joined the 100 point club after scoring four goals in the game to reach the centennial mark. Grace Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and Kerry Carr (New Hartford, NY/Manhattanville College) scored two goals each while Maria Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), Courtney Fish (Albany, NY/Albany), and Jordan Kowalski (Chicopee, MA/Plattsburgh State (NCAA DIII)) rounded out the scoring with one each. 
 
Alyssa Pisano (Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington), Maria Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and Kerry Carr (New Hartford, NY/Manhattanville College) finished tied for the team lead with two assists a piece. Grace Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and Aana Blaszka (Hampstead, NH/Pinkerton Academy) each collected a team high four ground balls while Stuhlman also led the Pioneers with 10 draw controls. Daniela Muscari (Millbrook, NY/Millbrook) caused three turnovers in the win followed by Mara Cunningham (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) and DeCondo each having two. In goal, Makayla Purdy (Shirley, NY/William Floyd) earned her 11th victory of the year after making five saves with just four goals allowed. 
 
The Pioneers got off to a quick start with four goals over the first seven minutes of the first quarter. Maria Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and Grace Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) went back-to-back in the opening minutes before DeCondo (8:56) and Carr (8:19) tallied goals less than 40 seconds apart. 
 
Sage notched its first goal with 6:52 to play in the first to make it 4-1 before the Pioneers went on a 7-0 run that lasted until the final minute of the first half. In fact, the Gators did not score for over 20 minutes of game time until they scored with 35 seconds left to go in the second. 
 
During the Pioneers' run, Drell scored four straight, two over which coming while a player down, over the span of four minutes. DeCondo (down), Kowalski and G. Stuhlman each had one as well. 
 
Utica kept Sage off the board throughout the entire third quarter and scored three more times to enter the final 15 minutes of action ahead 14-2. DeCondo and Fish each scored midway through the fourth while Sage's final two goals came with 1:23 and three seconds left to play. 
 
Utica (12-3, 4-1 Empire 8) will hit the road for its regular season finale at 1 p.m. on Saturday against Alfred University.