UTICA, NY - Utica University's women's lacrosse team is set for an active week, taking on three opponents over the coming week. The orange and blue will start off at home against a non-conference opponent, the University of Rochester, tomorrow, April 14th. The following day, Utica will return to the Empire 8 competition with a road matchup against Russell Sage College, followed by another road contest against Alfred University on Saturday. Opening draw for both Tuesday's and Wednesday's games is set for 4:00 pm, while the contest against Alfred is set to start at 1:00 pm.

Follow Along: The video stream for all Utica home events can be found HERE, with live stats for all home women's lacrosse games HERE. For the matchup with Russell Sage, the video is available HERE, and live stats are available HERE. For the game against Alfred, the video is available HERE, and live stats are available HERE.

Last Week's Recap: Utica split a pair of E8 matchups last week, opening with a dominant 20-5 win over SUNY Poly before being tested in a 9-4 road setback at Brockport. In the midweek victory, Maria Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) powered the offense with a 10-point outing on five goals and five assists, while Alyssa Specchio (Chenango Forks, NY/Chenango Forks) poured in seven goals as the duo combined to factor into 15 of the team's 20 tallies. Jessica Marciano (Churchville, NY/Churchville Chili) added four goals and one assist, and Alexis Alteri (Clinton, NY/Clinton) chipped in a hat trick as Utica jumped out to an 11-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back. The Pioneers controlled all phases, outshooting SUNY Poly 36-14 and holding a 19-8 edge in draw controls, while Makayla Purdy (Shirley, NY/William Floyd) secured the win with five saves in net.

The weekend contest presented a different challenge, as Brockport used timely scoring runs and a strong second quarter to pull away. Stuhlman once again led Utica with three points (1g, 2a) while adding five ground balls and two caused turnovers, with Alyssa Specchio (Chenango Forks, NY/Chenango Forks), Meghan Brennan (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug), and Belicia Biette (Troy, NY/Columbia) each finding the back of the net. Defensively, Ella Jentsch (Rosendale, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) and Olivia Grant (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) contributed two caused turnovers apiece, and Purdy recorded 12 saves to keep Utica within striking distance. The Pioneers held a 2-2 tie after the opening quarter but were limited to just two goals over the final three frames, as Brockport capitalized on extra-man opportunities and finished with a 24-19 shot advantage to secure the win.

Rochester Roundup: The University of Rochester Yellowjackets are 8-4 in 2026, with a 5-2 Liberty League record. The team should present a challenge, carrying wins over tough E8 opponents such as Nazareth (17-4), St. John Fisher (10-6), and SUNY Geneseo (13-11). Of the team's four losses, three were by a one-goal difference, with the lone exception being a 19-12 loss on April 4th to William Smith College, which is currently ranked 7th in the nation. The game against Utica marks both the first matchup ever between the programs and the final non-conference contest of the 2026 regular season for both squads.

The Yellowjacket offense has been led by two key players: senior Alyssa Gorny and junior Anna Rogers. Gorny leads the team with 46 goals and 60 total points, followed by Rogers with 38 goals and 12 assists. Allison Weiden leads the squad with 20 assists, adding 16 goals. Rose Bunting has recorded 18 goals and 12 assists as another key contributor. Junior Jenna Ufberg has been a major defensive force for Rochester, leading both the caused turnovers (28) and ground balls (40) counts. Gorny additionally leads the team around the center circle with 48 draw controls, followed by both Bunting and sophomore midfielder Sara Mendelson with 31. Sophomore Isla Ablin has led the team in net, playing 574:41 in net, posting a 10.23 goals allowed average and a .481 save percentage.

Get To Know the Gators: The Russell Sage Gators have posted a 1-6 overall record in 2026, including a 1-4 mark in the E8. The team began the season 0-6, then earned a 15-6 win over Keuka College in its most recent matchup on April 11th. During the loss streak, the Gators played competitively with Alfred University, losing 13-9, but no other game finished with a goal differential of less than 10.

Russell Sage's offense has been highly focused at the top, as just six players have recorded a point. Of the six, only three have more than two total points, all of them at 16 or more. Junior Gianna Geraci sits at the top with 17 goals and four assists, followed by graduate student Samantha Shafer (15g, 3a) and junior Alexis Crossman (10g, 6a). Abigail Koennecke has scored twice, while both Maia Hunter and Mackenna Huestis have netted one. Crossman has been a dominating force on the Gator defense, leading the team in caused turnovers (16), ground balls (28), and draw controls (25). Two sophomore goaltenders have operated in tandem for Russell Sage: Keegan Long and Zoe Gravina. Long has posted a 17.05 goals allowed average and a .324 save percentage in 256:53 of play, while Gravina has played to an 18.02 goals allowed average and a .222 save percentage.

Scouting the Saxons: Alfred University has started the 2026 season by going 5-5 overall and 2-3 in the Empire 8. The team has played streaky, starting 0-2, before a five-game win streak, which has been soured by a three-game loss streak in their last three. The team's win streak was highlighted by back-to-back wins of 18-0 over Elmira and 17-1 over the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. In their recent matchups against St. John Fisher, SUNY Brockport, and Hartwick College, the team has lost by differentials of 13 or more. Ahead of the team's senior day matchup against the Pioneers, they will additionally take on Nazareth.

The Saxons have used a balanced offensive unit throughout the season, with eight point scorers, six of whom sit between 15 and 25 total. Freshman Jordan Genant leads the team with 25 points, achieving them via nine goals and a team-high 16 assists. Behind her is senior Kylee Bedette with a balanced 11 goals and 13 assists. The team's leading goal scorer is sophomore Sydney Angelo, who has netted 19 and assisted four as the final Saxon above 20 points. Angelo additionally leads the team in both caused turnovers (23) and ground balls (40). Sophomore Lauren Sfeir leads the squad with 25 draw controls. Junior Molly Howlett has played all 589:00 in net this season, posting an 11.10 goals allowed average and a .391 save percentage.

Up Next: Next week marks the end of the regular season for the Pioneers. They will conclude with home games against Hartwick College and SUNY Geneseo, on Wednesday the 22nd and Saturday the 25th, respectively. If the Pioneers can retain a spot in the top six in the E8, they will continue into the postseason, earning a bye with a first- or second-place finish and a home game in the first round with a seeding of three or four.