Utica, N.Y. (12/8/2010) – The nationally-ranked No. 13 Utica College men's hockey team is set to host the sixth annual New York Sash Teddy Bear Toss at the Utica Memorial Auditorium Saturday night. The Pioneers will host Buffalo State and the puck will drop at 7 p.m. Fans who bring a stuffed animal to the game will receive free admission and after the Pioneers score their first goal fans can throw their stuffed animals out onto the ice for collection by the players. The stuffed animals will be donated to local charities for distribution throughout the Mohawk Valley during the holiday season.

“The New York Sash Teddy Bear Toss is one of the fans' favorite games of the year,” said Head Coach Gary Heenan. “I am so glad that Utica College can be a part of such a great cause. To know that we are helping put smiles on these children's faces; it's a very rewarding experience for everyone involved.”

Over the course of the last five years the Pioneers have collected over 7,000 stuffed animals for distribution to local children. UC is now 3-1-1 all-time in Teddy Bear Toss contests headed into Saturday's match up against the Bengals.

UC earned national recognition this weekend by knocking off No. 8 Manhattanville, 5-3 Friday, for the first time in eight meetings dating back to 2007. On the following night the Pioneers came back and defeated Buffalo State, which was ranked 15th at the time, 4-2 on the road.

The Pioneers are led by junior captain Tim Coffman (Elverson, PA/Laconia (AJHL)) who leads the team and ranks 13th nationally averaging 1.20 assists per contest. Sophomore forward Evan Chlanda (Islip, NY/Springfield (EJHL)) is tied for second on the team with 13 points and he is tied for the top spot in the country with three game winning goals. Freshman first line forward Trever Hertz (Jaffray, British Columbia/Quesnel Millionaires (BCHL)) is the leading rookie scorer in the ECAC West and he ranks tenth nationally amongst freshman with 1.18 points per contest.

The Utica power-play unit ranks fourth in the nation having scored 18 goals in 60 opportunities (30 percent).

UC travels to No. 1 Oswego (11-0) Friday at 7 p.m. hoping to knock off the nation's top-ranked team after falling to the Lakers 3-1 at the Aud earlier this year.

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