UTICA, NY - Pioneer Field Hockey finally returned to Gaetano Stadium on Saturday for a meeting with the team that knocked them out of last year's Empire 8 Tournament. The game was a very closely contested one, with both teams registering over 10 shots in the conference bout. Ultimately, it was the Cardinals who capitalized on their chances, sending the Pioneers to a 4-1 conference defeat despite being out-shot by Utica on the day.
 
Utica pelted the Cardinals goalkeeper with shots but couldn't find a couple potentially momentum-changing breakthroughs. The Pioneers put 16 shots on St. John Fisher, with 10 of those being on goal. Despite the powerful pressure that the Pioneer put on display in the game, they only managed to sneak one score across courtesy of Alyssa Pisano (Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington) near the end of the first half.


Pisano had the biggest share of chances for Utica, sending in 5 shots, with 3 of them being on goal and 1 of them breaching the cage for the Pioneers' lone score. Pisano's goal occurred just a few moments before halftime and was helped on by Utica Senior Mackenzie Mix (Camden, NY/Camden) who procured an assist on the play.
 
Mix and fellow Pioneer Jocelyn Spiezio (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) each had 3 shots, with the former logging 2 on goal and the latter getting all 3 on goal.
 
Utica also gained 12 corners in the match, 1 less than the Cardinals 13 corner opportunities.
 
Game Summary: The Pioneers started off hot during their first home game since August, recording 3 corners and firing off 4 shots before the Cardinals could blink. The Pioneers couldn't push any of their chances across, but the opening attack from the home side shifted the momentum heavily in their direction after only 5 minutes of play.
 
Fisher responded to the opening pressure with some dangerous play of their own, launching a run of 3-straight corners and 3-straight shots over the span of the next 10 minutes. The final activity of the opening frame involved Fisher pushing an initially controversial goal across with 0's on the scoreboard. However, due to the nature of corners in Field Hockey, the play continued despite the first quarter horn sounding, meaning the goal was counted.
 
The buzzer-beating goal gave some momentum back to the visitors, who looked to have an edge entering the second quarter. However, it was the Pioneers who turned the tide to start quarter number 2, once again recording 4 shots and 2 corners with minimal Fisher interference to start off the period. The Pioneers couldn't find the equalizer and eventually allowed a second Fisher score that was very against the run of play.
 
Staring down a 2-0 deficit, the Pioneers continued to push back and create chances in front of the opposing cage. With time ticking down in the first half, Mackenzie Mix (Camden, NY/Camden) sent a ball into the middle of the Fisher circle. Alyssa Pisano (Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington) received the pass and put it past all the Cardinals' defenders for her second goal of the season. The goal cut the deficit in half and sent the game to halftime with Fisher leading 2-1. The halftime break provided a momentum reset for both squads, with both teams showing promising passages of play in the first 30.
 
The second half began with the teams' alternating corners and shots, a trend that would continue for the rest of regulation. Play was relatively even for the remaining 30-minutes, with only a couple key moments separating the Pioneers and Cardinals.
 
The key moments in question were a pair of Fisher goals that put the matchup out of reach, with the Cardinals putting away a penalty stroke in the 41st minute, followed by a final goal in the 53rd minute that all-but ended the proceedings.
 
Utica still had a couple chances to drag the Cardinals back into the matchup, with Jocelyn Spiezio (Greenwich, NY/Greenwich) launching 2 shots on goal that required timely defense from Fisher to keep the Pioneers out of the cage.
 
As the final buzzer sounded, the Pioneers lost a 4-1 decision to Fisher despite playing well-above the scoreline. Next week, Utica will look to re-capture the momentum that they produced early in the matchup as they welcome a pair of foes to Gaetano Stadium on Wednesday and Saturday. Wednesday's contest will be a non-conference test against Keystone. The Pioneers will return to conference play next Saturday as they host Keuka College.