UTICA, NY- The Utica College men's soccer team will play host to Empire 8 Conference rival Ithaca College when it returns to action on Saturday. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Last Time Out: Utica traveled to Wells College for a non-conference matchup on Tuesday. The Pioneers fell 2-1 to the Express for just the second time in program-history. Prior to 2014, the Pioneers defeated Wells seven consecutive times; outscoring them 24-5. Marcel Dupuis (Hannacroix, NY/Greenville) scored the lone goal for Utica, but Wells responded with two second half goals of their own to earning the non-conference victory.

Heating Up: Senior forward Marcel Dupuis (Hannacroix, NY/Greenville) is currently second on the team in points with five (two goals, one assist). Dupuis has surpassed his performance from last season of one goal and one assist, and looks to be more aggressive nearing the end of his senior year.

Spreading the Wealth: Dupuis isn't the only Pioneer who's trying to improve during the second half of the season. Joseph Hunter (Plymouth Meeting, PA/Plymouth-Whitemarsh) has been more aggressive, taking six shots in the Pioneers tilt against Wells. The defense as a whole is also showing signs of improvement. In the past two games, the Pioneers have not allowed more than two goals. 

Scouting Ithaca: The Bombers are currently sitting at 4-4 on the season, and 2-0 in conference play. Ithaca's record is 1-4 on the road so far this season. The Bombers are led by Nathan Schoen and Sam Boylan who each have six points, respectively. 

Against Ithaca: The Pioneers last defeated Ithaca in the 2013 Empire 8 Conference tournament as they ended the Bombers' season with a 2-0 victory. Since then, Ithaca has defeated Utica in three consecutive meetings, winning twice in 2014 and once in 2015.

Looking Ahead: Utica will travel to New Jersey to take on Stevens Institute of Technology in Empire 8 play next Saturday. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Follow the Game Live: Live video and stats for Friday's contest will be available at Pioneers All-Access: portal.stretchinternet.com/Utica  

Get The App: Utica Athletics recently launched a fan rewards program to promote fan engagement for all 26 of UC's intercollegiate sports… Powered by SuperFanU, the "Pioneer Pride Points" Fan Rewards app uses GPS tracking to recognize where fans are located at specified home games… Points are earned by attending and "Checking In" to UC athletics games, participating in a variety of contests and interacting with social media platforms through the app… The app is available on all IPhone and Android devices by searching 'Pioneer Pride Points' in the Apple App Store or GooglePlay Market and is free to all Utica College students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and fans.

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 or Snapchat by searching UCPioneers.