UTICA, NY - The No. 9 Utica University (8-0-2, 5-0-2 UCHC) women's hockey team defeated the visiting Neumann University Knights, 10-0, on Friday night from the Utica University Nexus Center. The Pioneers were red-hot on offense, outshooting Neumann 72-5 in the contest. Utica also won the faceoff battle 36-19.
Rachael DeLong had a career game scoring her first goal as a Pioneer before adding another goal in the third period as well as an assist in the contest. Kaci Ryder and Erica Sloan each recorded a pair of goals with Hailey Modlin, Kelsey Elliott, and Maggie Rylott each scoring one goal with one assist. Erica Sheaffer had one goal with Ava Suda, Madison Novotny, Holly Silva, Jordan Kowalski, and Tess Barrett each tallying two assists. Cortney Staniszewski, Carolyn Whitney, Emma Corbett, and Carly Stefanini each added one assist.
Angela Hawthorne was terrific in net recording another shutout on the season and making five fine saves to keep Neumann off the scoreboard. She added to her program shutout record with the 16th of her career.
The Pioneers got off to a scorching start leading 5-0 after the first period and outshooting Neumann an incredible 27-1. Kaci Ryder got the party started, scoring at the 5:31 mark off a beautiful feed from Ava Suda and Cortney Staniszewski to give Utica a 1-0 lead. Not even two minutes later, Rachael DeLong scored her first goal as a Pioneer via a Tess Barrett dime with Emma Corbett earning the secondary assist to increase the lead to 2-0.
Maggie Rylott found the back of the net at the 8:38 mark via a Hailey Modlin and Ava Suda assist. Modlin then scored at the 12:17 mark off a pass from Holly Silva to increase the lead to 4-0 with Carolyn Whitney on the secondary assist. Erica Sloan scored the final goal of the period at the 14:59 mark with Carly Stefanini and Jordan Kowalski earning the assists to give Utica a 5-0 edge heading into the first intermission.
Kelsey Elliott continued the barrage finding the back of the net at the 6:18 mark with Holly Silva and Rachael DeLong getting the assists, increasing the Pioneers lead to 6-0. Utica remained in the attacking zone with Erica Sheaffer scoring at the 11:27 mark off a feed from Rylott and Novotny mounting the Utica lead to 7-0. Neumann started to find its groove registering three times as many shots in the frame with its goaltender and defense only allowing the sole Utica goal. The Pioneers took a 7-0 lead into the final period of play.
The scoring slowed down in the third period with DeLong finding the back of the net at the 8:40 mark off a dime from Madison Novotny and Kelsey Elliott to increase the Utica lead to 8-0. The final period saw the team's fighting for the puck in the neutral zone with Erica Sloan capitalizing and scoring at the 17:35 mark with Kowaslki and Barrett earning the assists. Ryder closed out the game scoring with just 12 seconds to go off a fast break to make it a 10-0 lead which was the final score of the contest.
Utica will remain home and host Neumann University again on Saturday, December 2 at 2 p.m. while honoring its seniors before the game.