UTICA, NY - The Utica University field hockey team will kick off its 2024 campaign at home this weekend as Gaetano Stadium hosts the 2024 Utica University Tournament. Utica will play host to a pair of SUNYAC foes in Oneonta and New Paltz, with St. Lawrence also competing against those same teams to round out the 4-game lineup. Here is the schedule for this weekend's field hockey festivities:
Friday, August 30^th
1:00PM – Utica vs SUNY Oneonta
4:00PM – St. Lawrence vs SUNY New Paltz
Saturday, August 31^st
1:00PM – St. Lawrence vs Oneonta
4:00PM – Utica vs SUNY New Paltz
 
How to Watch: Follow along live with all of this weekend's action by visiting the "Watch" tab on our athletics website, or by following the link below to the all-new Empire 8 Network page; the new home of all Utica Pioneers athletics streams! You can also download the Empire 8 network app on your mobile device to follow along on the go!
Visit the newly opened Empire 8 Network here: https://www.empire8network.com/utica/
 
Follow Along with Live Stats: Get live statistics updates for every field hockey matchup by following the link below to our new live stats page, or by selecting the "live stats" tab under each matchup on our 2024 field hockey schedule page.
Follow along with Live Statistics here: https://uticapioneers.com/sidearmstats/fhockey/summary

2023 Recap: Utica capped off its 2023 season with a total record of 7-11. The Pioneers really hit their stride in conference play though, finishing 4-3 against Empire 8 opponents. Utica nabbed a spot in the Empire 8 Tournament, finishing 4^th in the conference and setting up a first-round showdown with Russell Sage. Utica went on to dispatch the Gators in a close matchup before falling in the semifinals to #1 overall seeded St. John Fisher.
 
At the Helm: Nikki Hobaica returns for her ninth season in charge of the program while Rylee Calidonna (sixth season) and Megan Chamberlain (third season) return as assistants. Over her previous eight seasons, Hobaica has led the Pioneers to over 50 victories as well as six Empire 8 Tournament berths including five in a row. 
 
A Look Ahead: The Pioneers are slated to play seven non-conference games this season while their remaining nine will come against Empire 8 foes. Of the team's seven non-league games, three will come on the road at Skidmore, Muhlenberg, and St. Lawrence, with all three of those contests being played during a multi-week road trip in early September. Utica will open at home against a couple of SUNYAC foes in Oneonta and New Paltz on August 30^th and 31^st before later playing host to fellow non-league opponents Keystone and Union (N.Y.). The Pioneers' Empire 8 road schedule will take them to Geneseo, Nazareth, Houghton, and Hartwick while the Empire 8 opponents coming to Gaetano Stadium this season will include St. John Fisher, Keuka, Elmira, Brockport, and Russell Sage. Below is a full breakdown of the Pioneers' 2024 opponents.



 
Back in Action: Utica will welcome back 11 players from the 2023 team. The experience of Mackenzie Mix (Camden, NY/Camden) (three-time All-E8 selection), Alyssa Pisano (Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington) (two-time All-E8 selection), Madison Ranalli (Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) (two-time All-E8 selection), Hannah Young (Jordanville, NY/Little Falls), Alanna Fragapane (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), Samantha Young (Jordanville, NY/Little Falls), Makayla Arnold (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro), and Dakota Alexander (Medina, NY/Medina), will add to those looking to make a second-year leap in Deanna Jackson (Weedsport, NY/Weedsport), Ryleigh Johnson (Camden, NY/Camden), and Jocelyn Spiezio (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich).

Key Departures: The Pioneers will look to replace some key pieces from last year's squad, including offensive options Shannon Jedreicich (Deer Park, NY/Half Hollow Hills East) (17 games), Riley Cosimeno (Sherrill, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) (17 games), and Emily Frank (Johnstown, NY/Johnstown) (17 games), who combined for 8 goals and 8 assists this past season. Other players that the Pioneers will miss this season; Emilia Harring (Taberg, NY/Camden) (18 games), and Nicole Servider (Westbury, NY/W.T. Clarke) (18 games).
 
Back in The Mix: Three-time Empire 8 All-Conference selection Mackenzie Mix (Camden, NY/Camden) enters her senior campaign with hopes to compete for yet another E8 selection as well as a long postseason run. Mix demonstrated her full array of abilities this past season and was not afraid to turn on the jets while running from arc to arc. The seasoned star made a habit of blowing by her defensive counterparts, leaving defenders in the dust and allowing the Pioneers to be successful on the counterattack. She finished her season with 10 points from 4 goals and 2 assists. Mix has now been named an All-League selection in each of her three years with Utica as she was named to the third team in 2021, the first team in 2022, and the second team in 2023. She'll look to capture a truly incredible feat by attempting to go four-for-four in the Empire 8 awards section, but even more than that, will try to shoot the Pioneers towards Empire 8 glory in what will be her senior season.
 
Run it Back: Alyssa Pisano (Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington) is back for one more year after being named to the All-Empire 8 Second Team this past season, her second conference honor in a row. Pisano was an offensive focal point for the Pioneers last season. Her superior awareness inside the arc and ability to find the back of the cage proved to be fundamental in the team's success. Pisano led the Pioneers with a total of 30 points coming from 14 goals and 2 assists. In the E8, she ranked fourth in game-winning goals with a total of four clutch scores. She also finished fifth in the conference in total goals scored. The Pioneers will run it back yet again with the duo of Mix and Pisano in control of the midfield and will lean on other players stepping up and helping the team to another successful season. The return of veteran leadership, paired with impactful first year play will be a massive strength for a very hopeful Pioneer squad, and the Pisano-Mix connection will be at the forefront of that synergy.
 
All-in: Much like Mix and Pisano, Madison Ranalli (Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) comes into 2024 following a stunning senior season. Not only did the graduate student set the single-season program record with 17 defensive saves (a record she initially set in 2023), but she was also the national leader across NCAA Division I, II and III for the second year in a row. Ranalli built upon her status as the program's all-time leader in defensive saves, distancing herself from her predecessors while also cementing her squad as a mainstay in the Empire 8 Tournament field. For this colossal effort, Ranalli became Utica's first ever Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year recipient while also adding All-Empire 8 First Team honors to her resume. Ranalli will anchor the Utica defense once again in her search for the trifecta of defensive save titles.
 
Experience in Goal: Hannah Young (Jordanville, NY/Little Falls) is back as the Pioneers main goalkeeper and will look to build upon a solid 2023 campaign at the back. Young logged a solid 709 minutes in 15 games for Utica this past season, recording 69 saves and allowing only 2.2 goals per game during what was her junior year. The (now) senior will attempt to keep opponents off the scoresheet, with her jersey number (#00) hopefully reflecting the result of many standout performances by both her, and a defensive unit headlined by the previously noted Ranalli.

New Kids on the Block: The Pioneers have added twelve fresh faces to their 2024 team with eight freshmen, three sophomores, and one player returning to action after a year off. Kassidy Gloude (Blossvale, NY/Camden) returns for her junior year after taking a year off this past season. Joining her in the Orange and Blue will be rookie sophomores Keeley Savona (Kingston, NY/Kingston), Mackenzie Lyons (Clayville, NY/Sauquoit Valley), and Vanessa Leon (Riverhead, NY/Riverhead). The freshman newcomers include Lauren Durfey (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls), Sydney Baptie (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich), Alexandria Dennin (Accord, NY/Rondout Valley), Mia Benincasa (Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls), Lucy Hagan (Cazenovia, NY/Cazenovia), Emma Parker (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), Brook Champagne (Ilion, NY/Mount Markham), and Anjali Sowich (Utica, NY/Whitesboro). Freshman Ismiah ChinQuee (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) will also join the goalkeeper ranks alongside Hannah Young (Jordanville, NY/Little Falls).
 
About Oneonta: The Red Dragons ended the 2023 season with a total record of 8-10. They finished 2-4 in the SUNYAC. Last year, Oneonta averaged 3 goals per game on 13.5 shots per game with a .733 shots on goal percentage. They allowed 3.22 goals per game on 20.6 shots per outing to opponents. The team will be without its top-scorer from last year, Morgan Fleming (41 points on 17 goals and 7 assists), but will return its main distributor in sophomore Alexandra Howell (5 goals and 11 assists. Oneonta will have a reliable player in net though, as Maura Leib returns for her junior season after recording 173 saves on a .765 save percentage. The Red Dragons lead the all-time series against the Pioneers, 15-11, defeating Utica 6-1 in last year's season-opening matchup. The Pioneers have had success against Oneonta at home though, winning 7 out of 11 matchups in Utica.
 
A Look at New Paltz: The Hawks compiled a 14-5 overall record in 2023 and reached the SUNYAC Tournament Championship where they lost to #1 overall seed Cortland 1-2. New Paltz was a force in SUNYAC play, going 5-1 in conference play. They were particularly tough at home, where they managed to defeat 9 of 10 opponents. On average, the Hawks outscored opponents by nearly two goals per game, scoring 3.05 while allowing only 1.16 per every contest. The Hawks also outshot opponents on a regular basis, logging 26.3 shots per game while only allowing opponents to get off 8.8 shots per game. New Paltz will return a trio of 10-goal scorers from last year's team, with Rachel Tama (10 goals), Amanda Quenneville (10 goals), and Miranda Britton (11 goals) all suiting up for the Hawks this season. Their offensive distribution will also be on full display as they return a pair of 13-assist players in Tama and fellow captain Hannah Ackerman. Gail Comiskey will also be back in net for New Paltz after recording over 1,000 minutes and 58 saves this past season. Comiskey also amassed 13 wins thanks in large part to her .753 save percentage in 2023. The series between Utica and New Paltz is a close one, with Utica sporting a 5-7 record all-time against the Hawks.

Next Week: Field hockey will travel to Skidmore on Tuesday, September 3^rd for their first road contest of the season.

Come support the field hockey team this Friday and Saturday!