ROCHESTER, NY - The Utica University women's lacrosse team traveled down the thruway today to kick off the Empire 8 portion of their 2025 schedule. During a rainy affair, the Pioneers saw their recent streak of three straight wins snapped due to a tough first quarter showing. Despite battling hard over the next 45 minutes, the orange and blue couldn't bridge the gap as they dropped their Empire 8 opener to the Golden Flyers by a 19-9 score.
 
The Pioneers saw four different players each record a pair of goals, with Grace Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), Maria Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), Alexis Alteri (Clinton, NY/Clinton), and Kendall Best (Troy, MI/Troy HS / Belle Tire) each recording two scores in the contest.
 
The Stuhlmans also got it done on the draw, with the two attackers combining for 18 draw controls on Saturday afternoon. Grace held the majority with a game-high 13 as she out-controlled the entire Golden Flyer draw unit, edging out Nazareth's team total of 12.
 
Bella Kolb (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) rounded out the scoring for the team, with the New Hartford product notching her first score of the season.
 
Three Pioneers each recorded a single playmaker in the outing, with each Stuhlman getting an assist along with Alyssa Specchio (Chenango Forks, NY/Chenango Forks) who grabbed one herself to round out the point-getters.
 
In the end, the Pioneers got themselves many opportunities due to their aptitude on the draw control, but saw their shot numbers suffer due to an array of turnovers. After Nazareth held a 5-0 advantage after the first quarter, the Pioneer held serve but couldn't make up any ground, sending them to their defeat.
 
The team fell to 3-4 on the season and will head home and prepare for a ranked battle against a tough St. John Fisher team that's slated for this coming Wednesday. Fisher is currently ranked #18 and presents an excellent opportunity for the Pioneers to test their mettle against one of the best teams in New York. That game will begin at 4:00 PM at Gaetano Stadium.