UTICA, NY - The Utica University women's soccer team collected its first win at home on Tuesday evening as the Pioneers defeated the SUNY Potsdam Bears by a score of 2-0. 
 
Leading the way for the Pioneers was Amber Piersma (Cassville, NY/Mount Markham) who recorded her third multi-goal outing of the season this evening, finding the back of the net on both Pioneer goals. Piersma also managed to rifle off 11 shot attempts, with four landing on the Bears goalkeeper. Madison Wagner (Saukville, WI/Divine Savior Holy Angels), Adrianna Calabria (Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse), and Ayla Flockton (Plymouth, MA/Plymouth North) each contributed three shot attempts to the Pioneers' total of 31 on the evening, while Krista Panko (Ilion, NY/Central Valley Academy), Rylee Lamphere (Little Falls, NY/Dolgeville), Kayla Giovingo (Centereach, NY/Centereach), and Cora Kraft (Poughquag, NY/Arlington) each rifled off a pair. Lily Martin (Poland, NY/Poland), Mallory Mower (Mohawk, NY/Central Valley Academy), and Samantha Ferguson (Westmoreland, NY/Westmoreland) each recorded a shot as well. In goal for the Pioneers, Hannah Pcola (Cassville, NY/Mount Markham) recorded her second career clean sheet, making four saves in the shutout win. 
 
Utica would get the offense going early, with the first shot of the game coming off the foot of Piersma in the sixth minute that would go out over the goalkeeper's head. Piersma would then rifle off another shot that would ricochet off of a Potsdam defender, which would land right back in front of Piersma who would put the rebound into the back of the net in the seventh minute. The Pioneers would rifle off 13 more shots in the remainder of the opening frame, none of which would find the back of the net, leaving the Pioneers heading into the halftime break ahead at 1-0. 
 
Coming out of the break, the Pioneer offense would continue to fire on all cylinders, recording the first shot of the second half in the 47th minute off the foot of Lamphere that would go out to the right of the Potsdam goalkeeper. Utica would not give up its first shot of the half to the Bears until the 56th minute which would go out to the side of Pcola. It would be in the 72nd minute that Piersma would find the back of the net once more, off of a cross from Ferguson that would find Piersma who would put it into the top left corner of the net for her second of the night. Utica would remain in control of possession for the remainder of the contest, but would be unable to find the back of the net once more, closing the contest out 2-0 in favor of the Pioneers. 
 
Utica (2-2-1, 0-0 Empire 8) returns to action on Friday, September 12 as the team travels to take on the SUNY Morrisville Mustangs. Game time from Morrisville, NY is set for 4pm.