UTICA, NY – The Utica College women’s hockey team is receiving votes in the latest USCHO.com and D3hockey.com National Polls released Monday afternoon. The Pioneers are receiving five votes in the USCHO.com poll and one vote in the D3hockey.com poll.
The Pioneers have won two in a row and are now 11-5-1 overall and 7-2-1 in ECAC West play this season. They return to action this weekend as they host ECAC West Conference opponent, Neumann University. Friday’s annual Shawn Grady Memorial Fund Gold Ribbon Game will be at 7 p.m. while Saturday’s faceoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Utica’s Morgan Reed (Fort Myers, FL/Cushing Academy) currently ranks fourth in the ECAC West with an average of 1.53 points per game (14 goals, 12 assists). Junior Gabrielle Schnepp (Northville, MI/Belle Tire) ranks fifth in the conference with 1.47 points per game (eight goals, 17 assists), while reigning conference rookie of the week Lauren Patterson (Burlington, Ontario/Oakville) leads the conference in rookie scoring with an average of 1.24 points per game (six goals, 15 assists). Schnepp’s average of 1.00 assists per game is tied for fifth nationally.
Utica goalie Keira Goin (Dobbs Ferry, NY/Hotchkiss School) ranks third nationally with a goals against average of 1.07 and her save percentage of .957 also ranks third in the country. Goin’s six shut outs this season are tied for second nationally.
As a team, the Pioneers have the seventh-ranked power-play unit in the nation, scoring 11 goals in 48 power-play chances (22.9%). Utica’s combined special teams unit is also among the nations best at 58.9%.
