Utica, NY (2/18/2014) – The nationally-ranked No.13 Utica College men's hockey team returns to the ice for the final weekend of the regular season when it hosts ECAC West Conference foe Manhattanville College at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. Friday is "Live United Night" and Saturday is "Pucks for Posters Night" at the Aud. Both games are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

Follow All the Action: Several options are available to follow the contest if you cannot make it out to Utica Memorial Auditorium… Both games will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 99.1 FM or online at www.espnur.com… Both games will also be called by play-by-play man Ray Biggs on WPNR 90.7 FM, and WPNR's streaming audio is online: HERE...  Live stats for the game can be found online: HERE and live video for the games can be viewed at www.empire8.tv… Fans can also follow live updates on the Pioneers official Twitter feed, @UCPioneers… If you are at the game and on Twitter, or talking about the game on Twitter, make sure to use #LetsGoUC.

Last Weekend: UC won last Friday's matchup against ECAC West opponent Nazareth College at the Aud… Senior Jon Gaffney (Dover, NJ/Springfield Blues (NAHL)) recorded one goal and two assists while classmate Steve Charest (Amqui, Quebec/Walpole Express (AJHL)) had three assists… Charest's three assists were a new career high and he now has five assists in the last two games… Both of Nazareth's goals were scored by Ben Blasko… Senior goalie Nick Therrien (Rochester, NH/NY Apple Core (EJHL)) had 27 saves for Utica to help extend the Pioneers' winning streak to four games.

UC Controls Its Own Destiny: The Pioneers (14-5-4, 9-3-1 ECAC West) are currently tied for the conference lead with Elmira College ... Utica can win its second consecutive ECAC West Conference regular season title by sweeping Manhattanville this weekend … Two more Conference wins would tie UC's program-best 11 ECAC West victories set last season … UC currently owns the head-to-head tie-breaker over Elmira College.

Hosting Playoffs: Utica College has secured one of the top two seeds in the ECAC Men's West Conference Tournament and will host a semifinal game on Sunday, March 2nd … The game time and opponent are to be announced … Tickets for the playoff game will go on sale at the Utica Memorial Auditorium Box Office on Saturday, February 22nd (10:30 a.m.- 8 p.m.) … Admission prices will be: $8/Adults, $4/ Students (Any College Student w/ ID) or children 18 and under. Season Ticket Holders Playoff Ticket Information: CLICK HERE

Last Time UC & Manhattanville Met: Utica College held on to a 2-1 victory at Manhattanville on Nov. 15… Seniors Adam Graff (Bear, DE/Syracuse Stars (EJHL)) and George Lotito (Staten Island, NY/NH Jr. Monarchs (EJHL)) each netted a goal, while juniors Peter LaFosse (Merrimack, NH/Kimball Union Academy) and Louie Educate (Chicago, IL/Aberdeen (NAHL)) recorded assists in the win… Senior goalie Nick Therrien (Rochester, NH/NY Apple Core (EJHL)) stopped 24 of 25 shots… Manhattanville's Jake Mooney scored the lone goal for the Valiants… Lotito scored the game-winner with 1:23 left in the second period.

Pioneers vs. Manhattanville in the Past: The Valiants are winless (0-3-1) against the Pioneers in the last four regular season matchups… However, Manhattanville handed Utica a heart-breaking 2-1 overtime defeat in the ECAC West Conference Tournament last season.

Scouting Manhattanville: The Valiants are currently 11-10-2 overall and 4-7-2 in the ECAC West… Manhattanville looks to rebound from a three-game winless streak (0-2-1) and the Valiants are 2-5-2 in the last nine games... The Valiants are currently tied with Neumann University for the No. 4 seed in the ECAC West… Manhattanville is led by Luc Van Natter's 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists)… Four other players have over 20 points this season for the Valiants: Jake Mooney, 23 (11 goals, 12 assists); Mark Rivera, 23 (seven goals, 16 assists); Anton Racklin, 23 (seven goals, 16 assists); and Craig Simchuk (seven goals, 14 assists)… Goalie Alex Scola is 8-6-2 between the pipes this season while allowing 2.8 goals per contest... Brian Fleming is 3-4-0 in net and has allowed 3.18 goals per game this season.

In the National Spotlight: Utica is ranked No. 13 in the latest USCHO.com national poll … The Pioneers have been ranked in the nation's top 15 in the USCHO.com national polls since the beginning of the season … UC is also No. 13 on the D3hockey.com national poll … UC is ranked 15th nationally in scoring margin (1.14) and scoring offense (3.57 goals per game), while the Pioneers sit 18th in the country, allowing 2.35 goals against per contest.

Athlete of the Week: Senior Jon Gaffney (Dover, NJ/Springfield Blues (NAHL)) was named Utica College's Male Athlete of the Week on Monday … Gaffney had a goal and two assists in the 5-2 ECAC West Conference win over Nazareth last Friday … Gaffney's 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) ranks third on the team behind classmates Trever Hertz (Jaffray, British Columbia/Quesnel Millionaires (BCHL)) (23: eight goals, 14 assists) and Ridge Garbutt (Toronto, Ontario/Brewster Academy (NH)) (20: nine goals, 11 assists) ... Last week's Conference Rookie of the Week honoree, freshman Luc Boby (Chicago, IL/Kalamazoo (NAHL)), has scored a goal in four straight contests.

The 100 Point Club: Senior Trever Hertz (Jaffray, British Columbia/Quesnel Millionaires (BCHL)) now has 99 career points (44 goals, 55 assists) in 100 games played … He is currently third on UC's all-time scoring list after surpassing 2013 graduate Evan Chlanda (Islip, NY/Springfield (EJHL)) three weeks ago… Hertz needs one point in the final two regular season games to become the third player in program history to score 100 points in a career … All-Americans Tim Coffman '12 and Jimmy Sokol '05 are the only two players to score at least 100 points in a Pioneer uniform… Senior Jon Gaffney (Dover, NJ/Springfield Blues (NAHL)) is currently tied with Chlanda for fourth on UC's all-time scoring list with 93 points. 

Pioneers on the National Leaderboard: UC senior Ridge Garbutt (Toronto, Ontario/Brewster Academy (NH)) has two shorthanded goals this year which is tied for fourth nationally in that category… His last shorthanded tally came against Hamilton on Jan. 25… Garbutt has 20 points on the season (nine goals, 11 assists)… Senior goalie Nick Therrien (Rochester, NH/NY Apple Core (EJHL)) is tied for 12th nationally in winning percentage (10-3-2, .733), 18th in goals against average (2.11) and 24th in save percentage (.923) … Senior Trever Hertz (Jaffray, British Columbia/Quesnel Millionaires (BCHL)) and freshman Luc Boby (Chicago, IL/Kalamazoo (NAHL)) are tied for 20th with three game-winning goals this season.

Therrien Climbing the Record Books: Senior goalie Nick Therrien (Rochester, NH/NY Apple Core (EJHL)) won his fourth straight game in goal on Friday and he now has 44 career victories, just three shy of tying the program-record for wins in a career set by UC alum Adam Dekker back in 2008 … Therrien currently ranks 18th nationally with a 2.11 goals against average this season.

Veteran Leadership: The Pioneers' top four scorers this season are seniors … Adam Graff (Bear, DE/Syracuse Stars (EJHL)) (16 points) and Ridge Garbutt (Toronto, Ontario/Brewster Academy (NH)) (20 points) are tied for the team lead with nine goals each … Trever Hertz (Jaffray, British Columbia/Quesnel Millionaires (BCHL)) has a team-best 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists)… Jon Gaffney (Dover, NJ/Springfield Blues (NAHL)) is third on the team with 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists).



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