WILLIAMSTOWN, MA - Pioneer Women's Hockey took the ice for the first time in the new calendar year, traveling to Massachusetts for a meeting with the Williams College Ephs. In their debut match of 2025, the visitors showed minimal rust, as they rushed past a Williams squad that was receiving votes in this week's USCHO poll. Utica used two late goals from Jordan Hancock (Albuquerque, NM/Belle Tire) to achieve a six goal outing, defeating their NESCAC opposition by a final score of 6-3.
 
Hancock led the Pioneers with her two late scores, getting the 5th and 6th goals of the night in a game where the offense looked dangerous despite being on break for nearly a month.
 
Kaci Ryder (Shrewsbury, MA/Shrewsburg (Lady Flames)), Riley Calhoun (New Hartford, NY/Plattsburgh State University (NCAA DIII)), Jordan Kowalski (Chicopee, MA/Plattsburgh State (NCAA DIII)), and Carly Stefanini (Framingham, MA/Brooks School) rounded out the scoring for the Pioneers, with each player logging one goal apiece.
 
Calhoun, along with Ally Nolan (Westford, MA/Chatham University (NCAA DIII)) and Tess Barrett (Tewksbury, MA/St. Mark's) slotted in as the Pioneers' premier playmakers on the night, with each skater adding two assists during the action.
 
Ryder and Stefanini also racked up one assist each in addition to their goals and Madison Novotny (Wesley Chapel, FL/Northwood School) along with Kendall Best (Troy, MI/Troy (Belle Tire)) each recorded one assist to round out the Pioneer point-getters.
 
Novotny also proved disruptive on defense against Williams, blocking four Eph shots during her first match of 2025.
 
The Pioneers, despite their overwhelming offensive influence, were not devoid of rust. Utica gifted Williams five power plays during the last 30 minutes of play, spending most of the latter half of the game facing a player-down disadvantage.
 
Conversely though, the Pioneer power play was as effective as it's been all season up to this point, with the Orange and Blue going 2-for-3 on their power play opportunities and racking up 15 shots during their player-up time.
 
 The Pioneers also managed to outshoot the Ephs 39-37 during the contest.
 
Scoring Summary:
 
1st | 3:24 - Kowalski (Ryder) | Power Play Goal | 1-0
1st | 19:04 - Calhoun (Barrett) | Even Strength | 2-0
2nd | 15:53 - Stefanini (Novotny, Calhoun) | Power Play Goal | 3-0
3rd | 1:29 - Ryder (Calhoun, Stefanini) | Even Strength | 4-1
3rd | 8:12 - Hancock (Nolan, Barrett) | Even Strength | 5-2
3rd | 12:23 - Hancock (2) (Nolan, Best) | Even Strength | 6-3
 
 
 
 
Game Summary:
 
The Pioneers returned to form in quick fashion during Tuesday's tilt against the Ephs, taking advantage of an immediate penalty on Williams. Utica exorcised its power play demons, as they put together a quality power play opportunity, coming away with an early goal to go ahead 1-0 less than four minutes into the matchup. Nolan gathered in front of net, sending a stray shot past the cage which was found by Ryder along the boards. Ryder then executed a beautiful pass behind the net to connect with Kowalski who slipped it by a shifting Ephs goaltender for the go-ahead goal.
 
Kowalski's score was a very welcome sight for a Pioneer squad who went 0-for-3 on the power play in their last outing against Hamilton. That game, however, was way back in December, and the Pioneers' early conversion proved that they'd been putting in some good work during the holiday break to address any weaknesses in their playstyle.
 
The NESCAC side settled in though, as the two teams began alternating shots throughout the heart of the first period.
 
Late in the first frame, the hosts picked up their second penalty of the opening 20 minutes, with a slashing call sending the Pioneers to yet-another player-up advantage. Division III's 12th ranked team looked to make it 2-for-2 on the power play, organizing the troops for another advantage attack at 14:15 of the first period.
 
The Pioneers circled around the Ephs defensive zone, looking for any avenue towards net. The Ephs defense kept their shape though, not breaking formation and even getting some good possession during the Pioneers' two minute penalty spell. Williams even saw a very threatening opportunity late in the penalty time, but Hawthorne was alert and snuffed out the breakaway attack to keep the Pioneers' lead at 1-0.
 
Utica's power play came to an end with the Pioneers being kept out due to a strong defensive effort by Ephs. The visitors, however, were down to battle at even strength as well, with Barrett and Calhoun connecting to double the Pioneers' advantage right at the end of the first period.
 
Hancock forced a loose puck in the neutral zone, which Barrett collected and took up the right side of the Ephs defensive zone. Barrett proceeded to pick out a pinpoint pass, threading the puck across the crease to find Calhoun on the back post for an easy score. The beautiful display of awareness by Barrett gave the Pioneers a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
 
Williams pushed back heavily as the second period got underway, but despite their best efforts, the Pioneers would be the first team to score in the middle period, with a Novotny shot ricocheting off of a defender and landing at the skates of Stefanini who slammed it away for the Pioneers' third goal of the game.
 
The Ephs would attempt to pull themselves back, responding with a power play goal to reduce the gap to two.
 
The scoreline would remain 3-1 entering the third period. The final period of play was full of fireworks, with Williams trying to mount a comeback and the Pioneers attempting to find a decisive score to put the game out of reach.
 
Ryder would strike first in the third, taking advantage of a scrum inside the opponent's crease to restore the Pioneers' three goal advantage.
 
Williams would work the lead back down to two, grabbing another power play score to make it 4-2 at the seven minute mark of the third period.
 
Hancock halted the Ephs progress though, as the game's next two scores would belong to her, creating a four-goal deficit that was too steep for the Ephs to overcome.
 
Williams scored a late goal to bring the game to its final score at 6-3, with the final buzzer sounding shortly after and signaling a big win for the Pioneers to lead off the 2025 portion of their season.