UTICA, NY - The Utica University women's soccer team is set for a pair of Empire 8 Conference matchups this week. The team will host cross-town rival SUNY Poly on Wednesday, October 1 with a game time set for 4pm from Laura M. Casamento Field. The Pioneers will then head west to take on SUNY Geneseo on Saturday, October 4 with a game time slated for 2:30pm in Geneseo, NY. 
 
Follow Along: Live video for Wednesday's matchup can be found here, and live stats here. Live video for Saturday's matchup can be found here, and live stats here. 
 
Last Time Out: Finding the back of the net on both Pioneer goals was Amber Piersma (Cassville, NY/Mount Markham) who netted both Pioneer goals within four minutes of each other. Piersma also led the Pioneer attacking front with four shots and two shots on goal. Adrianna Calabria (Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) also managed to get in on the offensive action with three shot attempts, while Madison Wagner (Saukville, WI/Divine Savior Holy Angels) managed two shots on goal. Natalia Bell (Cortland, NY/Groton) and Rylee Lamphere (Little Falls, NY/Dolgeville) each managed a shot on goal, while Samantha Kogut (North Adams, MA/Drury) got her name on the scoresheet with an assist on one of Piersma's goals. In goal for the Pioneers, Hannah Pcola (Cassville, NY/Mount Markham) recorded the clean sheet while only having to make three saves.
 
Defensive Player of the Week: Goalkeeper Hannah Pcola (Cassville, NY/Mount Markham) has been named Empire 8 Co-Defensive Player of the Week, for the second week in a row, as announced by the league on Monday. Pcola posted another two clean sheets this week, with a 0-0 draw against St. John Fisher and a 2-0 win over Elmira. Against Fisher, Pcola recorded seven saves in the scoreless tie after facing 15 shots. Against Elmira, Pcola recorded another three saves in the shutout win after only facing three shots. On the season, Pcola has posted a 0.71 goal against average with a .884 save percentage while making 38 saves in 100 shots faced. Her season marks are good enough to be in the conversation for the one of the top goalkeepers in the Empire 8, finding herself second in the conference in save percentage and fifth in goals against average, only allowing five goals this season to opponents. 
 
Working Overtime: Amber Piersma (Cassville, NY/Mount Markham) recorded her fourth multi-goal game on Saturday after scoring two goals, with a successful penalty kick attempt, in the Pioneers win over Elmira. Piersma tallied four shot attempts in the contest, with her two shots on goal finding the back of the net. Piersma has now recorded a shot on goal in eight out of 10 games this season. The senior forward's name can be found dotted all around the Empire 8 leaderboards as Piersma leads the conference in both goals with nine, and points with 19. The next closest player in either category has three less goals, and six less points. Piersma is also averaging the second most shots on goal per game in the conference for the Pioneers at 1.70, while averaging 2.80 shot attempts per game. 
 
Scouting Poly: The SUNY Poly Wildcats have posted a 1-7-1 record on the season, with an 0-3 record in conference play. As a team, the Wildcats have allowed 29 goals to opponents this season, with 117 shots on goal and 239 shot attempts allowed to opponents while the Wildcats have only managed to put a shot on goal 16 times this season. Brooke Bush and Kara Mertz lead the Wildcats, each with three goals on the season. Abigail Hughes and Aubree Smykia have each been able to find the back of the net once for Poly. Mertz also leads the team in shot attempts with 14 and shots on goal with seven. In goal for the Wildcats, Rylee Unebasami has done most of the work, posting a 2.43 goals against average with 17 goals allowed this season, and a .793 save percentage with a total of 65 saves. All time against the Wildcats, the Pioneers boast a 27-5-1 record, with last season's matchup at their place falling in 5-0 favor of the Pioneers. 
 
A Look at Geneseo: The SUNY Geneseo Knights have posted a 1-4-3 record on the season and are 1-1-1 in conference play. The Knights have only allowed seven goals to opponents this season, with 79 shot attempts and 42 shots on goal allowed this season. Five different Knights have managed to find the back of the net this season in Abby Dunnigan who has netted two goals, and Kirsten Shepherd, Grace Engle, Ashley Pawekczyk, and Ella Yartym who have each found the back of the net once. Yartym leads the Knights in shot attempts with 15, and is tied for the team lead with Julia Carter in shots on goal with nine a piece. In goal for the Knights, Emily McLouth has been doing the work, posting a 0.89 goals against average with only seven goals allowed, and a .829 save percentage with 34 saves this season. The Pioneers will be searching for the program's first win against the Knights, after falling by a score of 2-1 last season. All time against the Knights, the Pioneers are 0-3. 
 
Up Next: The Pioneers remain on the road, taking on the Russell Sage College Gators. Game time on Wednesday, October 8 is set for 4pm from Albany, NY.