ALFRED, NY - Utica University's women's lacrosse team traveled to Yunevich Stadium to take on the Alfred University Saxons. For a second-straight game, the Pioneers built a large lead from the start, this time jumping to a 13-0 lead before closing out a 16-3 final. The victory moves the orange and blue to 9-5 overall, and 5-2 within the conference. In the upcoming final week of regular-season conference play, Utica will host Hartwick and SUNY Geneseo.

Multiple players of the Pioneer offense had a stellar day, with four players scoring either three or four goals. Utica's four-goal scorers consisted of Alexis Alteri (Clinton, NY/Clinton) and Maria Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), while Alyssa Specchio (Chenango Forks, NY/Chenango Forks) and Jessica Marcino each added a hat trick as well. The Pioneers' nine assists consisted of each of Stuhlman, Specchio, and Bella Kolb (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) accounting for three. Meghan Brennan (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) and Olivia Muscatelli (Franklin Square, NY/Valley Stream North) completed the orange and blue's goal scoring. Stuhlman additionally led the team in both caused turnovers (four) and draw controls (six). Junior goalie Makayla Purdy (Shirley, NY/William Floyd) pulled the win in 55:51 of play, saving all but one of five shots and leading the team with four ground balls. Alannah Nole (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) allowed two goals in the final 4:09 of play.

Five Saxons scored a point, but none tallied a second. The team's goal scoring consisted of Megan Rinker, Sydney Angelo, and Jessica Matson, while the assists came from Paige Stansfield and Kylee Bedette. Lauren Sfeir and Harper Smith caused three turnovers apiece, while goalie Molly Howlett led the squad with five ground balls. Cassidy Primrose pulled in five of the team's nine draw controls. Between the pipes, Howlett made three saves.

The teams traded possessions to start the game, with the visitors striking first off a Specchio goal 3:13 into the game. A minute and a half later, Alteri finished a pass from Stuhlman to build on the first goal. With 2:54 and 1:55 remaining in the frame, Utica found the back of the net to close out the quarter up 4-0. Alteri scored her second of the game off a feed from Specchio before Stuhlman beat the keeper with an unassisted goal.

The early second quarter was dominated by Utica, as the team scored six goals in the first eight minutes. Brennan finished a man-up assist from Specchio 1:01 into the second before Stuhlman scored another unassisted goal just over two minutes later. With 8:44 remaining in the half, Marciano beat the keeper, completing an assist by Specchio. At the 7:30 and 7:01 marks, the Pioneers netted back-to-back strikes, the first by Marciano and the second by Specchio, both off passes from Kolb. Neither team scored in the remaining time, and the Pioneers entered the halftime break with a 10-0 lead.

The third quarter saw the hosts score their first goal, but not before the orange and blue continued their run. Stuhlman scored a man-up free-position goal 3:21 into the half before Alteri netted back-to-back man-up goals with 9:30 and 6:27 remaining. Kolb and Stuhlman added assists to close Utica's opening 13-0 run. The final goal of the quarter belonged to Alfred, as Angelo finished a pass from Stansfield to break the Pioneers' shutout hopes.

Utica opened the final frame with a flurry of goals, scoring thrice in the first 3:42 of play. Marciano began the mini-run just 24 seconds into the quarter, before Muscatelli netted a man-up goal less than a minute later off a feed from Stuhlman. The final Pioneer goal of the game came unassisted off the stick of Specchio with 11:18 remaining. To close out the contest, Alfred's Matson finished a pass from Bedette with 1:31 remaining before Rinker netted a goal in the final second. The final second ticked off with a 16-3 Utica win.

The upcoming week marks the final week of regular-season play for the Empire 8. The Pioneers will host Hartwick and SUNY Geneseo, two teams that join Utica inside the conference's top five. Opening draw on Wednesday, April 22nd, against Hartwick is set for 4:00 pm. Geneseo comes to town on Saturday in a 1:00 pm-scheduled matchup. The teams are vying for a top-six E8 finish to clinch a postseason berth, and a top-four finish to secure at least one home game in the tournament.