Live Audio

UTICA, NY (October 31, 2013) – The nationally-ranked No. 3/6 Utica College men's hockey team opens up regular season play on the road Friday night against ECAC Men's West Conference opponent Nazareth College at the Bill Gray's Regional Iceplex in Rochester, NY. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7 p.m.

HOME OPENER: After opening the season on the road Friday night at Naz, the Pioneers will jump on the Interstate Thruway and head right back to Utica to take on visiting Brockport State in the Pioneers home opener Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Utica Memorial Auditorium … Tickets are available at the Utica Memorial Auditorium box office or fans can purchase tickets online at:  http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/259

FOLLOW ALL THE ACTION: Utica College's student-radio station WPNR 90.7 FM will hit the road on Friday night to cover the Pioneers' season-opener … Senior Ray Biggs will call the game … Fans can also follows WPNR's live audio of the game online at https://www.utica.edu/student/activities/organizations/wpnr/listenlive.cfm ... Links for live video and live stats can be accessed on the Pioneers schedule page right here at www.ucpioneers.com, courtesy of Nazareth College athletic communications.

SOCIAL MEDIA: If you can't make it out to the game make sure to follow live updates on the Pioneers official Twitter feed, @UCPioneers … If you are at the game on Twitter, or talking about the game on Twitter, make sure to use #LetsGoUC … You can also "Like" the Pioneers on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UCpioneers.

NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED: On the heels of an NCAA Division III Championship Final Four appearance just one year ago, the Pioneers were ranked No. 3 in the D3hockey.com Preseason National Poll and they are also ranked No. 6 in the USCHO.com Preseason National Poll … UC has also been selected to finish first in the ECAC Men's West Preseason Coaches' Poll. 

BACK ON THE ICE: Utica returns 22 skaters from last year's squad, which posted a program-best 21-6-1 overall record …. UC returns their top seven leading scorers and 11 of their top 12 from last season … UC's record breaking season included an 11-3-1 mark in the competitive ECAC West and an impressive 14-3 record at the friendly confines of the Utica Memorial Auditorium … The Pioneers also won the ECAC West regular season title on its way to earning the program's first at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.

ALL-AMERICAN RETURNS: Junior forward Louie Educate (Chicago, IL/Aberdeen (NAHL)) returns to the Pioneers top offensive line after leading the Pioneers in scoring one year ago … Educate was also voted as the ECAC Men's West Player of the Year last season … In 28 games played last season after transferring in from Nichols College, Educate tallied 26 points on 18 goals and 18 assists.

MAKE IT "HERTZ" SO GOOD: Senior forward Trever Hertz (Jaffray, British Columbia/Quesnel Millionaires (BCHL)) also returns this season after earning ECAC West All-Conference accolades one year ago … Hertz now has 77 career points on 36 goals and 41 assists … He has averaged one point per game for his career.

GAFFNEY THE GRINDER: Senior forward Jon Gaffney (Dover, NJ/Springfield Blues (NAHL)) was also an ECAC Men's West All-Conference selection last season after netting 13 goals and 14 assists, which ranked second on the team … In 78 career games he has 73 points for UC.

LOCAL HERO'S: Seniors Jordan Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Northwood School) and Rob Morton (New Hartford, NY/Merrimack (Hockey East)), of nearby Clinton, NY and New Hartford, NY, both return for their final season in the blue and orange … Hobaica has played in 76 career games for UC and he has 28 points on 15 goals and 13 assists … Morton finished the year ranked fifth on the team with 22 points last season … His 12 goals last year were fourth on the team … In two seasons since transferring to UC he has totaled 34 points on 19 goals and 15 assists. 

IN NET FOR UC: Senior goalie Nick Therrien (Rochester, NH/NY Apple Core (EJHL)) is expected to start between the pipes for the Pioneers after an all-conference season one year ago … Therrien played in 25 games for UC last season and posted a 19-5-1 overall record, which included two shutouts … He registered a .921 save percentage and a 2.21 goals against average … He tallied 606 saves … Over the course of three seasons he has played in 54 games and has 33 career victories to go along with five shut outs … He has a career goals against average of 2.38. 

ON THE DEFENSE: Senior Mike Slowikowski (Ewing, NJ/N.J. Hitmen (EJHL)), a 6-foot-6 defender, returns for his senior season after earning all-conference accolades in each of the last two years … He was also named to the ECAC West All-Rookie Team as a freshman … He finished last year with 15 points, and in 77 career games he has 37 points on 15 goals and 22 assists. 

OLIVIERI BACK FOR MORE: Sophomore defender Donny Olivieri (Philadelphia, PA/Bismarck (NAHL)) was an all-conference second team selection last season, as well as an all-rookie team pick after leading the nation in freshman defenseman scoring with an average of 0.88 points per contest (five goals, 17 assists) … His 17 assists led all UC defenders and he was named the ECAC Men's West Rookie of the Week twice last year.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP: Senior captain Steve Zappia (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJAHL)) returns for his final season as a Pioneer on the defensive end …  Zappia totaled 11 points on one goal and ten assists last season and he has played in 71 career games, totaling 34 points in that span. 

CAPTAINS: Four players will wear the "C" for Utica this year … Senior classmates Jon Gaffney (Dover, NJ/Springfield Blues (NAHL)), Jordan Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Northwood School), Steve Zappia (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJAHL)) and Trever Hertz (Jaffray, British Columbia/Quesnel Millionaires (BCHL)) will all share duties as the team captains this season.

COACH HEENAN: Head Coach Gary Heenan returns for his 13th season on the bench this year after being named the ECAC Men's West Conference Coach of the Year last season … Heenan was also a finalist for the National Coach of the Year award after leading the Pioneers to the NCAA's for the first time in program-history … Heenan is the only coach in program history … He has a career winning percentage of .573 and a record of 165-119-29 in 12 full seasons on the bench. 

NOTABLES:  Other key returners include senior Ridge Garbutt (Toronto, Ontario/Brewster Academy (NH)) (10g, 17a), and classmate Adam Graff (Bear, DE/Syracuse Stars (EJHL)) (11g, 11a) … Garbutt had a break out year last season finishing tied for second on the team with 27 points … Graff had an impressive junior campaign as well, totaling 11 goals and 11 assists, while netting three game-winners. 

ALASKAN PIPELINE: Four of the Pioneers nine incoming freshman came from the same junior team, Kenai River …  The Kenai River Brown Bears are a Tier II Junior A ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's West Division based in Soldotna, Alaska … This group includes, defenseman Ryan Walker (Detroit, MI/Kenai River (NAHL)), forward Zac Lazzaro (Aston, PA/Kenai River (NAHL)), forward Mikhail Bushinski (Woodbury, MN/Kenai River (NAHL)) and goaltender Marcus Zelzer (Green Bay, WI/Kenai River (NAHL)).

OTHER NEWCOMERS: The five other newcomers include defenders Jordan Hanth, Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)) and Jide Idowu (Copper City, FL/Carleton Place (CCHL)), along with forwards Luc Boby (Chicago, IL/Kalamazoo (NAHL)) and Easton Powers (South Lyon, MI/Port Huron (NAHL)) … The three defenseman will help UC combat the loss of graduating senior defenders Robert Etts (Smithtown, NY/Hitmen (EJHL)) and Cody Adams (Duncan, British Columbia/Plattsburgh (SUNYAC)) from last year's squad.

ALL-TIME AGAINST NAZARETH: Nazareth College joined the ECAC Men's West Conference as a full-time member last season … The Pioneers defeated the first year Golden Flyers in all three of their conference meetings … UC outscored Naz 19-5 over the course of three games, including a 5-2 victory that last time they played the Golden Flyers on the road.