UTICA, NY - The Utica women's lacrosse team gears up for two conference matchups against No. 16 nationally ranked St. John Fisher on Wednesday, April 2 (4pm) and Keuka College on Saturday, April 5 (1pm). The game on Wednesday will be played at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.

 Follow Along: Fisher live video and stats. Keuka live video and stats.
 
Last Time Out: The Utica University women's lacrosse team traveled down the thruway today to kick off the Empire 8 portion of their 2025 schedule on March 29. 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, 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.
 
Chasing History: Grace ranks top eight in conference play with 32 points, averaging 4.57 per game. Most recently, she broke the all-time program record with 249 draw controls against Morrisville on March 25. She is third all-time in the program with 184 points, fifth all-time with 136 goals and tied sixth, posting 48 assists all in 52 games played. She has at least two points per game and 22 in the last four games. In those four games against Oneonta, Plattsburgh, Morrisville and Nazareth she has 16 goals and six helpers. Grace's play at the draw circle has been receiving national attention as she ranks seventh in Division III with 61 draw wins, averaging 8.71 per game.
 
Consistency: Maria is second on the Pioneers and 14th in league play with 24 points off 19 goals and five assists. She leads Utica and is ninth in the conference, recording 20 ground balls and averaging nearly three per game. Maria has been a force in the open field, using her speed and vision to draw slides and find the open player. She has created 11 free position shots and has converted on eight attempts which leads Utica in that category. Specchio leads all newcomers on the Pioneers with 12 points, registering at least one in all seven games. Her most goals came against Morrisville where she totaled four on four shots on goal. Alteri has eight points in her last four games, recording five goals and three assists. Her most shots on goal this season came against Nazareth where she totaled six.
 
Backend Presence: Utica's defensive corps of Ella Stanton (Macedon, NY/Palmyra-Macedon), Lindsay Pilla (Watervliet, NY/Shaker), Vanessa Leon (Riverhead, NY/Riverhead), Elliana Lasher (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) and Olivia Grant (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) have combined for 29 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers. Stanton leads the group with 12 ground balls and five caused turnovers. Purdy sports a 14.19 goals against average and a .373 save percentage on 81 saves. Angelina Borowiec (Clinton, NY/Clinton) has played three games in goal for Utica and has 13 saves and a 7.74 goals-against average.
 
About Fisher: The No. 16 ranked Cardinals enter Wednesday's conference matchup with an 8-0 overall record and a 1-0 Empire 8 record. Their most notable wins came against No. 8 William Smith College (8-5) and No. 14 Ithaca College (15-10). Fisher ranks 11th in the nation, averaging 16.25 goals per game (130 goals in eight games). The team has outscored its opponents 45 to 18 in the last three games against Ithaca, William Smith and Russell Sage. The Cardinals have played exceptional defense as of late allowing only 6.38 goals per game, which ranks 15th nationally. The team is led by veteran Sydndey Carpenter, who leads Fisher with 43 points off 23 goals and 20 assists. She also has 33 draw controls, 20 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers. Her best game this season came against Cortland where she posted six goals and three assists on seven shots on goal. Carpenter's overall presence on the field is a big factor in the dominant season Fisher has displayed thus far. Hanna Kumpf is second on Fisher with 28 points (22 goals and six assists) and Maddie Lowney leads the defensive unit, posting 16 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. Kaylee Gadol is the starting goaltender who sports a 5.95 goals-against average, which is first in the Empire 8 and ninth nationally.
 
About Keuka: The Wolves enter this week with a game against Alfred University on Wednesday, April 2 before playing Utica on Saturday. Keuka is 4-2 overall and 1-0 in E8 play. They are on a four-game winning streak, with their last win coming on March 29 against SUNY Poly (19-9). Brooke Bonetti leads Keuka and is second in the conference with 32 goals. She had 11 goals on 15 shots on goal against Poly and before that, scored at least three goals in the five previous games. Bonetti also leads the Wolves with 15 draw controls and is second on the team with 12 caused turnovers. Lainie Forde is second on Keuka with 14 points off nine goals and five assists. Brooklyn Ayers leads the way with 12 assists, totaling eight in the last two games played. Goalie Lauren Vitello has a 7.50 goals against average and a .574 save percentage.
 
Looking Ahead: The Pioneers host SUNY Poly on Wednesday, April 9 at 4 p.m.