Utica, NY (November 9, 2014) – The Utica College women’s hockey team completed the weekend sweep of ECAC West new addition William Smith College Sunday afternoon with a 6-3 victory in its season-opener at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
The Pioneers move their overall season mark to 2-0 as well as in the Women’s West Conference and are back on the ice Fridaywhen they open up a home-and-home series at Oswego. The puck is set to drop at 3 p.m. on Friday, in Oswego, and 3 p.m. Saturdayat “the Aud”.
William Smith falls to 0-4 on the season including a 0-2 mark in the conference and returns to action next weekend in Potsdam, NY for a pair of league games against the Bears.
UC came right out of the gate and put home two quick scores just three seconds apart at 16:24 and 16:27, both even strength.Morgan Reed (Fort Myers, FL/Cushing Academy) netted the first score of afternoon off a dish from Nicole Schwartz (Danville, CA/San Jose Sharks) for her first season goal followed Jennifer Art’s first score of her collegiate career, just three second later, off a pass from Mackenzie Roy (Clinton, NY/Clinton).
Utica would go up 3-0 four minutes later, at 12:27, as Samantha Pucci (Pearl River, NY/Connecticut Polar Bears) converted a cross from Gabrielle Schnepp (Northville, MI/Belle Tire).
William Smith’s Morgan Bayreuther would get the visitors on the board late in the third with her first season score, unassisted, with.21 left in the first period.
The Pioneers extended their lead to four goals early in the second as they worked two goals just over three minutes apart. Reed and Schwartz partnered up again for their second give and go of the afternoon, at 18:01, followed by an unassisted tally at 14:29 fromMackenzie Roy (Clinton, NY/Clinton) giving UC a commanding 5-1 lead.
The Herons wouldn’t go down however as they closed out the second with back-to-back scores at 9:02 and 1:15 headed into the final intermission.
UC would cushion its lead halfway through the final period as Roy rattled off her second consecutive score to give Utica a 6-3 lead and the eventual weekend sweep.
Each squad had six penalties and faired even on the face offs with a 32-30 edge going to UC however the Pioneers outshot the visitors 41-14 on the afternoon.
UC goalie Marissa McNamara (Camillus, NY/Lysander Lightning)stopped 11 shots as she her first win of the season while Heron goal minders Maggie Salmon and Megan Messuri combined for 35 saves in the loss.
