UTICA, NY - Utica University women's hockey team is set to complete its home schedule for the 2025-26 season this coming weekend in a two-game home set against the Manhattanville University Valiants. Puck drop for game one is set for Friday, the 13th, at 4:00 pm. The following day, action at the Nexus Center is scheduled for 1:00 pm.

Follow Along: The video stream for both events can be found HERE, with live stats located HERE.

SJF Series Summary: The Pioneers found success last weekend in a home-and-home set against first-year program St. John Fisher. Utica jumped out with a big 5-1 win on home ice in game one, before shutting out the Cardinals in a 2-0 road win the following day. Sophomore goalie Alex Venning (Courtice, ON/) proved crucial for the Pioneers, turning away 54 of 55 shots over the weekend, including an 18-save third period to preserve her first collegiate shutout. Her .982 save percentage through the two wins propelled Venning into conference weekly honors, being named the Empire 8 Goalie of the Week, and UCHC Co-Goalie of the Week.

In addition to Venning's stellar play, freshman contributions were a major storyline of the weekend. Freshman defender Veronica Houk (Richboro, PA) led the team with three points in the two games, good enough to take home the UCHC Rookie of the Week award. Out of the seven Pioneer goals scored, six of them came from first-year players. In addition, of Utica's 13 total point scorers, 8 of them are in their first season with the program. While only Houk reached three points, just four players both scored and assisted on a goal, each of them a freshman. The young squad will look to continue to grow in the final games of this season, carrying the experience into upcoming seasons.

UCHC Tournament Check In: With two UCHC weekends left, the top of the table is largely in place. Nazareth (30 points), Elmira (23), and Albertus Magnus (20) have already clinched tournament berths, while the middle remains a seeding fight with Utica (15) holding fourth and St. John Fisher (13) and Manhattanville (13) tied behind them. Over the final four games, that 4-6 cluster will be shaped by several matchups, including St. John Fisher at Albertus Magnus (Feb. 13-14) and Manhattanville at Utica (Feb. 13-14), before Utica closes with two at Chatham (Feb. 20–21) and Manhattanville finishes with Elmira at home (Feb. 20–21). Nazareth will close their season with two home games against Albertus Magnus, potentially opening a door for Utica to climb in the seeding in the final stretch of the season. In a tournament where higher seeds host throughout and the first round is 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5, every point over these two weekends carries real weight, both for who hosts on Feb. 25 and who lands in the more favorable semifinal paths.

Valiant Valuation: Manhattanville has struggled out of conference, holding a 4-16-1 overall record, with their UCHC play standing at 4-6-0. The team's first two wins came in back-to-back road 2-1 wins over Chatham in late November. Their next two wins came in the final two days of January, when the Valiants hosted Hilbert College for two home games. Manhattanville took the games by scores of 6-0 and 8-0, the exact same scorelines as the Pioneers' games against Hilbert in mid-November. In their most recent game, the Valiants fell to Albertus Magnus on home ice via a quick overtime goal.

Just two Manhattanville players have reached 10 points: sophomore Colby Cantor and junior Danika Aubin. Cantor has tallied four assists and six assists through 21 games, while Aubin has reached the metric with two goals and eight assists. Jada Mackinnon is the final Manhattanville player with more than seven points, as she currently has four goals and five assists on the season. Catrina Chinetti leads the team with five goals, while Aubin is the only player with more than six assists. Sophomore Olivia Cimorelli has played the entirety of the season as the backstop for Manhattanville, holding a 2.58 goals allowed average and a .920 save percentage through 1257:45 time in net.

Up Next: The Manhattanville games finish Utica's home slate of the 2025-26 season. The team will finish their regular season in a two-game road set at Chatham University. The Pioneers' final two games of the year are set for February 20th and 21st at the Alpha Ice Complex in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Puck drop on Friday, the 20th, is set for 4:00 pm, before a 1:00 pm start time the following day.