Utica, NY (11/8/13)- The Utica College men's soccer team travels to Hoboken, NJ on Saturday in search of its first ever Empire 8 Conference Championship.  The Pioneers take on defending champion and top-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology with the winner earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament.  Game time will be at 5 p.m. at the De Baun Athletic Complex.

LAST TIME OUT: UC is coming off a 2-0 win over No. 3 Ithaca College in the semifinal match on Wednesday… Senior Kevin McAllister (Boxford, MA/Masconomet Regional) and sophomore Dennis Runikera (Gaithersburg, MD/Northwood) each scored for the Pioneers, while Alex Sheridan (East Islip, NY/St. John the Baptist) assisted on both tallies… Evan Bailey (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) and Jonathon Peterson (Bedford, NH/New Hampton) also added helpers… Senior Anthony Caruso (Easton, CT/Joel Barlow) had five saves in net for Utica. 

GAME COVERAGE: Links for live stats and video for Saturday's contest are available on the Pioneers schedule page at www.ucpioneers.com...  Live video for the match can be accessed at www.empire8.tv… Fans can also follow live updates on the Pioneers' official Twitter feed: @UCPioneers... If you are at the game, or talking about the game on Twitter, make sure to use #LetsGoUC.

McALLISTER LEADS THE WAY: Senior Kevin McAllister (Boxford, MA/Masconomet Regional) leads the team in goals (eight) and points (20)… He was recently named first team All-Conference and ranks third in the E8 in points… He is also tied with 2007 graduate Evan Dufault atop the College's career goal scoring list with 26 goals.

OTHER ALL-CONFERENCE HONOREES: Chris Perkins (Charlton, MA/Saint John's of Shrewsbury) and Greg Silvestro (West Sayville, NY/Connetquot) also earned first-team recognition, while Jonathon Peterson (Bedford, NH/New Hampton) was a second-team selection… Perkins helped lead the Pioneers' defensive unit to seven shut outs and a 1.16 goals against average this season… Silvestro registered a career-high 15 points this season on six goals and three assists… He now has 20 points in 37 career games played… Peterson made the all-conference team for the second time in his career… He has posted 13 points so far this season (four goals, five assists), and currently ranks third all-time at UC with 52 career points.

CARUSO STANDING TALL IN NET: Anthony Caruso (Easton, CT/Joel Barlow) has the third-best goals against average in the Empire 8 Conference at 1.13... That figure ranks second among playoff-eligible goaltenders.

SCOUTING STEVENS: The Ducks are currently ranked fifth in the nation after compiling an impressive 15-1-1 record… They earned the top seed after finishing the regular season with a perfect 6-0 mark in the Empire 8…  Stevens is led by Empire 8 Player of the Year, Carson Pryor and 2012 National Goalkeeper of the Year, Paul Killian…  Pryor has a conference-best 27 points (12 goals, three assists), while Killian has a goals against average of .40 and a save percentage of .838. 

AGAINST THE DUCKS: The Pioneers are 0-8 against the Ducks dating back to 2008… In their previous meeting this year, Stevens downed UC 3-0… Anthony Caruso (Easton, CT/Joel Barlow) had eight saves in the loss. 


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