UTICA, N.Y.-The William Smith College ice hockey team defeated Utica 1-0 in a United Collegiate Hockey Conference contest at the Utica Memorial Auditorium this afternoon. The Herons are now 6-1-0 overall and 3-1-0 in conference play to start the season. The Pioneers fall to 3-2-0 overall and 3-1-0 in UCHC play.
 
First-year Laura Hill scored the game's lone goal and junior Olivia Williams made 30 saves as she earned the shutout.
 
Bria Reilly made 24 saves in 58 minutes of action for Utica.
 
At the 5:06 mark of the first period, Hill opened the scoring. Following a big save by Williams, Hill raced the length of the rink, deked around the goalie and slid the puck over the goal line. The teams exchanged chances in the closing stages of the first period but could not send another puck across the goal lines. Georgiana Santullo had Utica's best chance of the first period, but her shot from the point was smothered by Williams.
 
Neither team found the back of the net in the second period. William Smith outshot the Pioneers 13-6 in the middle period. The Herons opened the period killing off a 5-on-3 advantage for Utica. The hard work on the penalty kill appeared to swing momentum in William Smith's favor. The Herons earned a pair of two skater advantages of their own late in the period, but Reilly was up to the task and kept the Pioneers within a goal. She robbed a pair of point blank chances from first-year Mia LaPlante, who was all alone on the doorstep.
 
Utica swung momentum in its favor in the third period, outshooting William Smith 14-5. Williams made several key stops, including one on Caley Susitti in the closing minutes of the game to preserve the shutout. With the Pioneers down a skater, Susitti raced the length of the ice and tried to wrist a shot by Williams, but the goalie made a blocker save.
 
Utica finished the game with a 30-25 edge in shots on goal. Neither team found the back of the net on the power play. The Herons were 0-for-10 with the extra skater and the Pioneers were 0-for-8.
 
William Smith will be back in action tomorrow afternoon when they travel to take on Nazareth. Faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.