UTICA, NY - The Utica University field hockey team battled St. John Fisher on Wednesday afternoon at Gaetano Stadium during the team's finale regular season home contest, but came up short in a 4-1 Empire 8 setback. Despite the result, the Pioneers remain on the inside track to secure a conference tournament berth for the first time since 2023 as they look to close out the regular season strong.
St. John Fisher would find two skillful scores, as they quickly got out to a 2-0 lead by halftime. However, the Pioneers' mounted their attach at the onset of the second half, but saw their momentum dry up despite a big score from Delaney Reilly (Marathon, NY/Marathon), who picked up her third goal to cut into a late Cardinals' lead
Reilly's response came in the fourth quarter, as the freshman found the back of the cage at 48:06. Reilly finished off a pass from Adele Crayton (Hudson, NY/Taconic Hills), who continued her own run if stellar recent play, cutting the deficit to 3-1 and giving the Pioneers a spark in the closing minutes.
Utica continued to push for another goal, nearly pulling to within one thanks to a flurry of shots, but St. John Fisher added one more at 55:41 to restore its three-goal cushion and secure the 4-1 victory.
Defensively, Ryleigh Johnson (Camden, NY/Camden) recorded a defensive save in the opening quarter, while goalkeepers Alannah Nole (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) and Sophia Weiss (Huntington, NY/Huntington) combined for seven saves. Despite the pressure, the Pioneers continued to compete and found a second-half scoring opportunity through Reilly and Crayton.
With the loss, Utica moves to 4-10 overall and 4-4 in Empire 8 play. The Pioneers remain in prime position to pursue their first Empire 8 Tournament appearance since 2023 and will look to clinch playoff action in next Wednesday's season finale against Hartwick. That game will take place in Oneonta next Wednesday, with a starting time set for 4:00 PM.
