Utica (0-0) vs. Misericordia (0-0) - Season Opener
Game Details	Saturday, Sept. 6| Dallas, Pa. | 12 p.m.  Mangelsdorf Field | Directions
Game Coverage	All Access: Audio (Utica) | Live Video | Live Stats Radio: WTLB 99.1 FM/1310 AM - ESPN Radio Tweet #LetsGoUC
Utica Links	News | Roster | Schedule | Printable Game Notes | Video Preview
Misericordia Links	News | Roster | Schedule

Utica, NY (September 2, 2014) – The Utica College football team opens up its 2014 campaign on the road Saturday at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pa.  The contest was originally scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. but it has been moved up one hour and will now begin at 12 p.m.

BROADCAST INFO:  All Utica College football games will be broadcast on the radio locally at WTLB 99.1 FM/1310 AM (ESPN Radio) by play-by-play man Dave Peroni and color analyst Fred Miller … Live streaming audio can also be accessed on WTLB's website, www.espnur.com.

GET THE APP: All UC football radio broadcasts on WTLB 99.1 FM can be heard on the My Hometown Sports App. available in the Google Play store and on Apple ITunes ... It's a free Application so download today!

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 ... Fans can also follow the Pioneers on Instagram: UCPioneers. 

LETS LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE: Utica will play just two non-conference games this season against Misericordia and Union College to start the season … SUNY Brockport is entering its first season as an Empire 8 Conference affiliate and the Pioneers will now play eight conference games … Utica will play six road games and four home games … In 2013 the Pioneers played six home games … Three of the Pioneers scheduled opponents are ranked or receiving votes in the D3football.com preseason poll, including No. 9 St. John Fisher, No. 23 Ithaca and Salisbury (receiving votes) …  Fisher and Ithaca both advanced in the NCAA Tournament last season …  The Pioneers will play St. John Fisher at Gaetano Stadium this season on Homecoming and the game will be broadcast on Time Warner Cable Sports. 

INTERNATIONAL TRIP: The Utica College football team topped host Levis Lauzon 47-3 in an international exchange game in Levis, Quebec on May 25, 2014 ... The trip provided student-athletes a unique cultural opportunity as well as a chance to experience a French speaking culture first hand … NCAA Division III teams are allowed to play an international game once every three off-seasons … UC is now 3-0 all-time in international contests.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING:  Senior running back Jesse Baldassare (Mt. Sinai, NY/Mt. Sinai) is one of four backs in program-history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a career … He currently has 1,081 yards and needs 66 yards rushing to move into fourth place on the College's all-time list … He needs one rushing touchdown to tie Paul Hart '05 for fourth on the College's all-time list with 10 … Senior quarterback Connor Butkiewicz (Southington, CT/Southington) needs 128 completions to tie Nick Martin '06 for second on the College's all-time list; he currently has 263 … Buttkiewicz currently has 2,581 career passing yards and needs 1,517 yards passing to move into second place on the College's all-time list … Senior receiver Anthony Acevedo (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) is the school-record holder with 2,484 yards receiving and he looks to extend his all-time lead over Jeremy Meier '12 who wrapped up his career with 2,477 yards receiving … Acevedo needs 11 catches to break Meier's all-time record for receptions in a career; he currently has 177 … Acevedo has 17 career touchdown catches and would need 13 this season to tie Meier's record of 30 … Acevedo needs 692 all-purpose yards to surpass Cody Elliot '09 for the school's career record; he has 3,078 career all-purpose yards … Junior kicker Thomas Woodburn (West Islip, NY/West Islip) needs six points to become just the sixth player in program history to score 100 or more points in a career … Woodburn currently ranks second all-time with 49 extra points made and needs 13 this season to break Casey McNulty's '09 school-record of 61 … Woodburn has made 15 field goals in his career and needs two to set the College's all-time record … Sophomore Jerred Beniquez (Port Ewen, NY/Kingston) totaled 615 return yards last season and needs 76 more return yards to surpass teammate Jesse Baldassare (Mt. Sinai, NY/Mt. Sinai) for third on the all-time list … Senior safety James Lenahan (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) ranks second on the College's all-time list with 10 career interceptions and he needs seven this season to tie the school-record of 17 set by Jon Klosner '06.

ALL-AMERICAN CANDIDATE: Nine UC student-athletes earned Empire 8 All- Conference recognition last season, including returning senior Anthony Acevedo (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) who became the second player in program history to be named the E8 Co-Offensive Player of the Year … This offseason he garnered three different preseason All-American honors, including being named to the 2014 D3 Senior Classic Super Senior Watch List … Acevedo finished the 2013 regular season ranked 10th nationally and first in the Empire 8 with an average of 8.0 receptions per game … He was also 17th in the country and first in the Empire 8 with an average of 106.1 receiving yards per game … He finished the season with 72 catches, 955 yards and six touchdowns.

BALDASSARE IS BACK: Senior running back Jesse Baldassare (Mt. Sinai, NY/Mt. Sinai) returns to the backfield after missing the entire 2013 season due to injury … In 19 career games he has 223 carries for 1,081 yards and nine touchdowns … He also has 47 career catches for 395 yards. 

LOADED BACKFIELD:  The Pioneers have a lot to be excited about with several weapons to choose from out of the backfield … In addition to the return of Baldassare, the Pioneers welcome back sophomore Ryan Burnett (Mount Vernon, NY/Arch Bishop Stepinac), who carried the ball 113 times for 470 yards and four touchdowns last season … Also joining the varsity backfield will be sophomore speedster Nicodemus Gambill (Rochester, NY/East High) who had tremendous success on the junior varsity team one year ago … Freshman J'Von Evans (Utica, NY/Proctor) from nearby Proctor High School will also push the upperclassman for touches after a highly touted high school football career here in the Mohawk Valley.

UNDER CENTER: Senior quarterback Connor Butkiewicz (Southington, CT/Southington) and sophomore transfer Will Kassar (Lattingtown, NY/Glen Cove) have jockeyed for the top quarterback spot on the depth chart throughout camp … Butkiewicz has the most experience with the UC offense having spent the last three years with the program …  In 14 career games played, Butkiewicz has completed 263 passes for 2,581 yards and 15 touchdowns … Kassar, who poses a threat with both his arm and feet, comes to Utica from NCAA Division I FCS Sacred Heart University, where he spent his freshman campaign.

LENA-HANDS: Guiding the defense will be senior safety James Lenahan (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac), who was an honorable mention pre-season All-American by USA College Football … He was an Empire 8 All-Conference honorable mention for the first time in his career last season after finishing the regular season ranked 18th nationally and first in the conference with an average of 0.6 interceptions per game … He has totaled five interceptions in each of the past two seasons and he currently ranks second all-time at UC with ten career interceptions … He also recorded a career-best 50 tackles last season, to go along with 11 passes defended, which ranked fifth in the Empire 8 … Over the course of 21 career games Lenahan has 90 career tackles, 18 passes defended and four fumble recoveries.

OFF THE EDGE: 6-foot-5 junior defensive end Nick Woodman (Utica, NY/Proctor) finished his sophomore campaign tied for the team lead with 2.5 sacks … He led all defensive lineman with 51 tackles (34 solo) and he also tallied 3.5 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup.

ROAMING THE SECONDARY: Junior safety Mike Sullivan (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) finished his first year with the Pioneers ranked seventh on the team with 45 tackles … He was tied for second on the team with five pass break ups and he added one interception, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble … He also returned 15 kicks for 262 yards (17.47 average per return).

MEET THE CAPTAINS: Senior wide receiver Joseph Gerbino (Mahwah, NJ/Mahwah) and tight end Mike Russo (Hicksville, NY/Holy Trinity) will serve as the offensive captains, while senior linebacker Jon Treen (Ilion, NY/Ilion) and senior cornerback Rob Alexander (Dobbs Ferry, NY/Dobbs Ferry) will captain the defense.

ALEXANDER RETURNS FOR FINAL SEASON: Rob Alexander (Dobbs Ferry, NY/Dobbs Ferry) will help anchor the Pioneers secondary this season …  He played in all ten games last year and finished ranked third on the team with 60 tackles (43 solo) … In three full seasons at Utica he has played in 26 games and he has three career interceptions … His first two collegiate interceptions were both returned for touchdowns (a school-record) … He has 100 career tackles (68 solo), four pass deflections, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.   

BREAKOUT YEAR FOR GERBINO: In three seasons Joseph Gerbino (Mahwah, NJ/Mahwah), a 6-foot 185-pound wide out, has caught 22 balls for 257 yards and three touchdowns … As a sophomore he played in a career-high ten games and caught seven passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns … He played in four contests last year, catching a career-high 11 passes for 151 yards and a score.

BIG TARGET: Senior tight end Mike Russo (Hicksville, NY/Holy Trinity) had a breakout year in 2013 as he played in all 10 games and caught a career-high 16 passes for 97 yards … He caught his first career touchdown pass against Ithaca College last season … He also added a career-high seven catches for 41 yards against Salisbury on October 5, 2013. 

TREEN'S TIME: Senior Jon Treen (Ilion, NY/Ilion) will captain the line backing corps this season … He has played in 16 career games for the Pioneers and he has 48 tackles … As a sophomore he totaled a career-best 37 tackles (15 solo) … In a span of two weeks during his sophomore campaign, Treen totaled 21 tackles against Alfred and Salisbury … Last year he played in eight contests and added 11 tackles.

HUNNEWELL PROTECTS THE BLINDSIDE: Senior offensive tackle Zach Hunnewell (Nashua, NH/Nashua North), a left tackle, was an honorable mention preseason all-American ... Hunnewell was awarded the Big John O-Lineman of the Year Award last season for the Pioneers and is a two-time All-Conference selection … Hunnewell anchored an offensive line last season that allowed less than one sack per contest (0.90), which ranked 27th nationally and first in the conference …  The Pioneer offense amassed 2,598 yards of total offense (1,194 yards rushing, 2,404 yards passing) … They averaged 4.8 yards per play and 359.8 yards of total offense per game … The Pioneers ranked second in the Empire 8 with an average of 21.4 first downs per game and they also ranked second in the league in third down conversions (42.9%) … He also protected the blind side of quarterback Connor Butkiewicz (Southington, CT/Southington), who finished the year with a conference-best 244 completions

PEEL CAN PUNT: Senior punter Dakota Peel (Alden, NY/Alden), a two-time all-conference pick, returns for his final campaign after he finished last season ranked second in the conference with an average of 39.8 yards per punt … In ten games played last year he booted 50 punts for 1,991 yards, with a season-long of 57 yards … He kicked 11 punts over 50 yards in 2013 and 11 of his punts landed inside the opponent's 20 yard line …  He also added six touchbacks …  Peel ranks second all-time at UC with 3,378 career punting yards and his career average of 38.83 yards per punt ranks third all-time.

HOME SWEET HOME: UC will hit the road for its first two games of the season before returning to the friendly confines of Charles A. Gaetano Stadium … Utica has won four of its last nine games at Gaetano Stadium dating back to the 2012 season … UC is 11-10 at home dating back to the beginning of the 2010 season … The Pioneers went 3-2 at home in 2012, 2011 and 2010.

SCOUTING THE COUGARS: Misericordia is coming off a 1-9 season in 2013 … The Cougars led the MAC with 2,782 rushing yards (278.2 per game) and 29 rushing touchdowns one year ago … Misericordia set a MAC single-game rushing record in their season opener against Gettysburg with 587 yards on the ground … They averaged 24.40 points per game last season … The Cougars completed just five passing touchdowns last season … Junior quarterback Jeff Puckett returns as the team's leading rushing after carrying the ball 223 times for 1,317 yards and 19 touchdowns … The Pioneers can expect a heavy dose of the ground game from the Cougars.