Lady Pioneers Beat Potsdam to Advance in Playoffs

Sophomore forward Morgan Reed (Fort Myers, FL/Cushing Academy) recorded her first career hat-trick as the fourth-seeded Utica College women's hockey team defeated visiting SUNY Potsdam 4-1 in the ECAC Women's West Conference Tournament quarterfinals on Sunday afternoon. The Pioneers will now travel to top-seeded and nationally-ranked No.1 Plattsburgh on Saturday to take on the Cardinals in the semifinals.

UC, making its 12th post-season appearance in the program's 13-year history, improved to 17-8-1 overall. The Pioneers are now 6-7 in playoff games since 2005-06 and they have defeated Potsdam in the quarterfinals at home in two consecutive seasons.

Senior All-American Megan Myers (Las Vegas, NV/LA Selects) assisted on all three of Reed's goals and added a tally of her own early in the second period. Her 19th goal of the season tied the school-record for goals in a career. Myers tied former UC All-American and 2006 graduate Deana Wiegand for the school-record for goals in a career with 74. Myers also ranks second on the College's all-time list with 143 career points (74 goals, 69 assists). Myers and Reed played a part in all four of the Pioneer goals on Sunday.

Utica got on the board early when Reed netted her ninth of the season just 2:56 into the contest to give UC a 1-0 lead. Myers scored what proved to be the game-winner when she put the Pioneers on top 2-0, 38 seconds into the second period.

Potsdam's Brittany Lucky cut Utica's lead in half 1:53 into the second period when she netted her fourth of the season off assists from Jessica Silveira and Jenn Crawford. Lucky's power-play goal was all the Bears would get as senior goalie Jennifer Hamel (Ithaca, NY/Northwood School) stopped 23 shots. Hamel's 35th victory tied Jill Doherty '10 the school-record for wins in a career.

Reed put the game away with two more goals over the course of the final 35 minutes of action. She has now netted five goals in two career playoff games against Potsdam. Reed is also the first player in program-history to score a hat-trick in a playoff game.

17 wins for UC is the most since the Pioneers went 18-9 back in 2008. Freshman Emily Coope (Phoenix, AZ/Colorado Tigers) was also credited with an assist on Reed's first goal of the game.

The game time for next Saturday's semifinal game at Plattsburgh is to be announced.