Utica Pioneers Women’s Hockey Returns Seven Players for a Fifth Season

Photo credit: Scott Kinville/315 Hockey.

By Scott Kinville/315 Hockey.

The Utica Pioneers Women’s Hockey Team will return seven seniors that could have potentially left for a fifth season, the university announced on Monday. The players will be using a fifth season of eligibility that is available as a result of the covid pandemic.

The Pioneers finished the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 22-3-3 and were consistently ranked inside of the top fifteen of the USCHO Women’s Division III poll (they finished the season ranked number thirteen). They finished in second place in the UCHC with a conference record of 17-1-2 and made it to the championship game of the conference tournament before falling to the twelfth-ranked Nazareth Golden Flyers. They did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

The returning seniors are Erica Sloan, Carolyn Whitney, Abby Lillis, Ava Suda, Holly Silva, Erica Sheaffer, and Maggie Rylott.

Erica Sloan

• Position: Forward.

• 2022-23 Season Statistics: Games Played: 28 / Goals: 24 / Assists: 21 / Points: 45 / Power Play Goals: 3 / Shorthanded Goals: 1 / Game Winning Goals: 6.

• Career Statistics: Games Played: 94 / Goals: 61 / Assists: 65 / Points: 126 / Power Play Goals: 10 / Shorthanded Goals: 4 / Game Winning Goals: 8.

• Program Ranks (All-Time): Points: Tied for 5th / Goals: 4th / Assists: 6th / Power Play Goals: Tied for 9th / Shorthanded Goals: Tied for 4th / Game Winning Goals: Tied for 5th / Shots on Goal: 3rd (347) / +/- Tied for 1st (+103).

Carolyn Whitney

• Position: Forward.

• 2022-23 Season Statistics: Games Played: 28 / Goals: 8 / Assists: 18 / Points: 26 / Power Play Goals: 3 / Shorthanded Goals: 0 / Game Winning Goals: 1.

• Career Statistics: Games Played: 90 / Goals: 35 / Assists: 50 / Points: 85 / Power Play Goals: 6 / Shorthanded Goals: 2 / Game Winning Goals: 8.

• Program Ranks (All-Time): Points: Tied for 10th / Assists: 10th / Game Winning Goals: Tied for 5th / Shots on Goal: 2nd (357) / +/- Tied for 6th (+55).

Abby Lillis

• Position: Forward.

• 2022-23 Season Statistics: Games Played: 27 / Goals: 7 / Assists: 10 / Points: 17 / Power Play Goals: 0 / Shorthanded Goals: 2 / Game Winning Goals: 1.

• Career Statistics: Games Played: 91 / Goals: 12 / Assists: 27 / Points: 39 / Power Play Goals: 0 / Shorthanded Goals: 3 / Game Winning Goals: 1.

• Program Ranks (All-Time): Shorthanded Goals: Tied for 8th.

Maggie Rylott

• Position: Forward.

• 2022-23 Season Statistics: Games Played: 28 / Goals: 15 / Assists: 7 / Points: 22 / Power Play Goals: 2 / Shorthanded Goals: 1 / Game Winning Goals: 3.

• Career Statistics: Games Played: 93 / Goals: 30 / Assists: 40 / Points: 70 / Power Play Goals: 5 / Shorthanded Goals: 3 / Game Winning Goals: 3.

Erica Sheaffer

• Position: Forward/Defense.

• 2022-23 Season Statistics: Games Played: 24 / Goals: 4 / Assists: 6 / Points: 10 / Power Play Goals: 0 / Shorthanded Goals: 1 / Game Winning Goals: 0.

• Career Statistics: Games Played: 30 / Goals: 7 / Assists: 7 / Points: 14 / Power Play Goals: 0 / Shorthanded Goals: 2 / Game Winning Goals: 0.

Ava Suda

• Position: Defense.

• 2022-23 Season Statistics: Games played: 28 / Goals: 0 / Assists: 11 / Points: 11 / Power Play Goals: 0 / Shorthanded Goals: 0 / Game Winning Goals: 0.

• Career Statistics: Games Played: 92 / Goals: 3 / Assists: 27 / Points: 30 / Power Play Goals: 0 / Shorthanded Goals: 0 / Game Winning Goals: 1.

• Program Ranks: +/- 4th (+64).

Holly Silva

• Position: Defense.

• 2022-23 Season Statistics: Games Played: 28 / Goals: 5 / Assists: 11 / Points: 16 / Power Play Goals: 0 / Shorthanded Goals: 0 / Game Winning Goals: 0.

• Career Statistics: Games Played: 91 / Goals: 9 / Assists: 31 / Power Play Goals: 1 / Shorthanded Goals: 0 / Game Winning Goals: 1.

• Program Ranks: +/- 5th (+60).

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