Utica, NY – The Utica College men's soccer team will be at home on Saturday for an Empire 8 contest against Nazareth. The game is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.
 
Last Time Out: In their last appearance, the Pioneers lost to the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences by a score of 1-0. UC outshot its opponent 13-8 in the game, but was unable to find the back of the net. The loss puts the team's record at 5-6 overall and 0-2 in Empire 8 competition.
 
Statistical Leaders: Julian Fonseca (Rocky Hill, CT/Bridgton) is currently leading both the team and the conference with nine assists so far this season. Fonseca's collective total of 11 points is also tops on the team and ranks third in the E8. Thomas Muller (Camillus, NY/Bishop Ludden) is the leading goal scorer for the Pioneers, tallying four at this point of the year. Muller is ranked fifth in the Empire 8 in goals, while teammate Alex Purcell (Lansing, NY/Lansing)'s three scores settles him in at tenth.
 
Conference Competition: Conference play has begun as the season has passed the halfway point. With a conference record of 0-2, UC currently is in eighth place in the E8 standings. The Pioneers have five Empire 8 matchups remaining on the schedule (Nazareth, Elmira, Sage, Houghton, Stevens), beginning with Saturday's meeting against Nazareth. The team still has time left in the season to earn its way into Empire 8 Conference Tournament for the first time since 2014.
 
Scouting Nazareth: The Golden Flyers currently hold an overall record of 5-3-1 to go with their in-conference mark of 1-1. The team won its most recent contest, 4-1, over Pitt-Bradford. Mitchell Fors tallied two scores in the game for Nazareth to help earn the victory. Fors is the team's leading scorer with four goals and a total of nine points at this point in the season. Brian Wilkin is the top goalkeeper for the Golden Flyers, making 41 saves while in net.
 
Against Nazareth: Last season, the Pioneers ended the year with a 2-0 loss to Nazareth on the road. Recent graduate, Lucas Bennett, scored both goals for the Golden Flyers in the contest. UC goalkeeper, Matthew Milograno (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro), was able to make 11 stops in the game. Utica last defeated Nazareth during the 2015 season, by a score of 6-0. Bita Gazashvili (Tiblisi, Georgia/) contributed to the shutout win by recording one assist.
 
Looking Ahead: The Pioneers will be back at home on October 3^rd, for a non-conference meeting with SUNY Canton. The game is set to kick-off at 6 p.m.