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Utica, N.Y. (1/26/2011) - The nationally-ranked No. 14 Utica College men's hockey team has won eight out of its last ten games headed into a key two game set against ECAC Men's West rival and nationally-ranked No. 13 Hobart on Friday and Saturday night at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7 p.m. for both contests. Both games will be broadcast live on WIBX 950 AM.

Friday night will be the Dunkin Donuts Children's Miracle Network Night. This year's festivities will include a stick auction where fans can bid on the Pioneers game used hockey sticks. All proceeds will benefit the Children's Miracle Network. Also highlighted on Friday night will be the 2011 Miracle Children, Marc and Peter Allen – Utica, NY, Raymond Gallo – Boonville, NY, Audrey McMurray – Frankfort, NY, and Isaac Paz of Sherrill, NY.

Utica is now 13-5 overall and 2-3 in conference play headed into the weekend. Most recently, the Pioneers snapped a five game winning streak when they traveled to Elmira College, and lost 5-1, on Friday night. They are returning from a three game road trip and look to rebound against the Statesmen on Friday night.
In the first contest of the three game season series Utica defeated Hobart 3-2 in Geneva, N.Y. on Nov. 5.

The Pioneers were able to jump out to an early 2-0 lead and fended off a late Statesmen rally to earn the one goal victory. This time around the Pioneers, who are averaging 3,220 fans per home game, will be on the ice at the friendly confines of the Aud where they have posted an impressive 9-2 record in front of the nation's largest crowd. The Pioneers' ECAC West victories have come against Manhattanville and Hobart, while losing to Elmira twice and Neumann once.

The Pioneers will be led into the crucial weekend series by junior captain Tim Coffman (Elverson, PA/Laconia (AJHL)). Coffman recently snapped a five game point streak but he still leads the team with 26 points (eight goals,18 assists). Coffman needs just two points to become the second player in the program's ten year history to score 100 or more points. The current record of 129 is held by All-American Jimmy Sokol '05. Freshman Jordan Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Northwood School), of nearby Clinton, N.Y., has five points in the last five games and the Pioneers have eight players with ten points or more so far this season. That list includes freshman Jon Gaffney (Dover, NJ/Springfield Blues (NAHL)) and sophomore Evan Chlanda (Islip, NY/Springfield (EJHL)), who have 19 points apiece.

Hobart (12-4-1, 2-2 ECAC West) has played very well as of late, winning four straight non-conference games, and ten of their last 11 contests. Their conference victories came over Elmira and Neumann earlier this year, while falling to Utica and Manhattanville. The Statesmen are led by senior forward Matthew Wallace's 22 points (14 goals, eight assists). Sophomore goalie Nick Broadwater has been a rock in net this season and he currently boasts a goals against average of 2.12.

After this weekend's series against Hobart, the Pioneers will be left with five conference games to close out their regular season schedule. UC will have a home and home series against Manhattanville on Feb. 4 and 5 before traveling to Neumann for two games on Feb. 11 and 12. The Pioneers will wrap up their regular season schedule at home against Elmira on Feb. 19.

The ECAC West Conference has lived up to the hype so far this season with all five teams either being ranked in the nation's top 15 or receiving votes for the national poll. All five teams earn an automatic bid into the conference tournament and at this point the conference is up for grabs in terms of playoff seeds.

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