CORTLAND, N.Y. – Freshman Gabrielle Schnepp (Northville, MI/Belle Tire) scored two goals and recorded two assists to help lead the Utica women’s ice hockey team to a 6-0 win over Cortland Saturday afternoon in ECAC West action at Alumni Arena. The Red Dragons fell to 1-4-1 overall and 0-2 in the conference with the loss, while the Pioneers improved to 2-2 overall and in the league.
For Cortland, sophomore goalie Deanna Meunier (Parsippany, NJ/NJ Rockets) turned aside 47 shots. Senior goalie Jennifer Hamel (Ithaca/Northwood School) made 14 saves in recording the shutout for Utica.
Senior Vanessa Maines (Boxborough, MA/Boston Jr. Shamrocks) collected one goal and two assists for the Pioneers. Senior Kristen Beckman (Arnold, MD/Northwood School) had one goal and one assist, and junior Nicole Schwartz (Danville, CA/San Jose Sharks) and freshman Victoria Pelton (Sterling Heights, MI/Belle Tire) each tallied a goal. Junior Kelsey Dowdall (Smiths Falls, ON/Nepean) chipped in with two assists, while three others contributed one assist apiece.
The Pioneers netted a pair of goals in each period. Schnepp opened the scoring at five minutes, 48 seconds of the first with a one-time shot from the left that slid inside the right post. Beckman made it a 2-0 game at12:14 when she scored on a rebound in front. Schnepp scored her second of the game at 1:42 of the second on the power play, knocking in a rebound, and Maines pushed the lead to 4-0 with a shot through Meunier’s pads at 11:22.
Schwartz made it a 5-0 score at 2:26 of the final period on a deflection in front while Utica was on the power play. Pelton finished the scoring with the first goal of her career at 6:32, getting a wrist shot past Meunier from the right circle.
