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Utica, NY (11/9/2012) – The nationally-ranked No. 10 Utica College men's hockey team hits the road for the first time this season on Friday and Saturday as it travels to ECAC Men's West Conference foe Neumann University for a two game set.  Both games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.at IceWorks Twin Rinks in Ashton, PA. 

All-Time Series: The Pioneers are 10-18-4 all-time against Neumann … The Knights have been a particularly difficult opponent for the Pioneers over the course of the last two years … UC is 0-7-1 against Neumann in their last eight meetings… The Knights have knocked the Pioneers out of the ECAC Men's West Conference Playoffs in each of the last three years … The last time UC beat Neumann was in the 2009-10 season … The last time UC won at Neumann was in 2008-09. 

Four In a Row?:  The Pioneers (3-0, 1-0 ECAC West) look to open the season 4-0 for the first time in the program's 12 year history on Friday night.

Nationally-Ranked #10: UC moved up three spots to No. 10 in the latest USCHO.com National Poll released Monday afternoon … The USCHO.com Poll is compiled weekly and consists of 20 voters, including 18 coaches of Division III programs and two men's hockey writers … USCHO.com provides in-depth coverage of college hockey... Hobart (No. 7) is the only other team in the ECAC West ranked in the national poll.

Last Time Out: (11/3/12) - The Pioneers outscored ECAC Men's West Conference newcomer Nazareth College 5-1 in the third period on their way to a 7-2 victory last Saturday night in front of 3,847 fans at the Utica Memorial Auditorium …  Junior forward Jon Gaffney (Dover, NJ/Springfield Blues (NAHL)) netted his first hat-trick of the year, while six other Pioneers registered two points and goalie Nick Therrien (Rochester, NH/NY Apple Core (EJHL)) stopped 24 shots.

Last Time Against Neumann: (2/22/11) - The fifth-seeded Neumann hockey team rallied from a 3-1 second period deficit to earn a 4-3 overtime victory over host and fourth-seeded  Utica College in the quarterfinals of the ECAC Men's West Conference Tournament on at the Utica Memorial Auditorium ...  Neumann's Brent Tamane pushed home the game-winner 2:46 into the overtime period to seal the Knights come from behind victory... Forward Lou Malvasi (Lincroft, NJ/Walpole Express (AJHL)), who entered the contest with just three games played all season, netted one goal and added one assist, but it was not enough as the Pioneers finished the year with a 15-9-2 overall record...Neumann stretched its unbeaten streak against Utica to eight games.

In the National Spotlight: UC (3-0) is currently led by assistant captain Jon Gaffney (Dover, NJ/Springfield Blues (NAHL)) who is tied for second in the nation with an average of 3.00 points per game (four goals, five assists)…  Sophomore transfer Louis Educate ranks tenth nationally with an average of 2.67 points per contest (three goals, five assists)… Junior defender Steve Zappia (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJAHL)) is tied for 14th nationally in defensemen scoring (1.33 ppg)… The Pioneers scoring offense ranks third nationally with an average of 7.33 goals per contest (three games – 22 goals)... UC's defense is tied for second in the country, allowing an average of just one goal per game (three goals allowed in three games)… UC's scoring margin is also among the nation's best, ranking third as it has outscored opponents by an average of 6.33 goals per game …Sophomore transfer goalie Mike Taffe (Maple Grove, MN/Amarillo (NAHL)) leads the country in goals against average and save percentage after pitching a shutout in his only start as a Pioneer (rankings based on a minimum 33% of team minutes played).

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