Utica, NY -- The Utica College men's soccer team is home on Wednesday to host Hamilton College for some non-conference competition. The match will begin at 7 p.m. at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.

Last Time Out: Over the weekend UC traveled to do battle with Nazareth for an Empire 8 contest. Both Tucker Marvin (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) and Patrick Hynes (Glenmont, NY/Bethlehem) registered scores, giving Utica the 2-1 victory over the Golden Flyers. With an active two-game winning streak, the win pushes the team's record up to 4-5-1 overall and 1-2 within the conference.

Miksch in Net: Sophomore goalkeeper Randy Miksch (Lake Villa, IL/Warren Township) has been the starter in net over the last two games, after not playing at all his freshman year. He made his Pioneer debut in the 1-0 overtime win against the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, recording two saves and his first career shutout. Miksch stepped up again for the team against Nazareth, making nine saves to help Utica earn the 2-1 win on the road. After the first two starts of his career, Miksch is 2-0 with 11 saves and one shutout.
 

Turning the Corner: With 10 games finished on the schedule, the Pioneers have now surpassed the halfway mark of the 2018 season and have eight regular season matches left to play. Of the remaining contests, four are Empire 8 matchups which will be vital to the team's chances of making an E8 Tournament run. UC is currently on a two-game win streak and hopes to ride that momentum heading into the second half of the season.

Conference Standings: After the weekend, Utica is currently 1-2 in the Empire 8 conference and is 6th in the standings. The complete conference standings are as follows: 1. Stevens (3-0 E8), 2. Alfred (2-1 E8), 3. St. John Fisher (2-1 E8), 4. Nazareth (1-1-1 E8), 5. Sage (1-1-1 E8), 6. Utica (1-2 E8), 7. Houghton (1-2 E8), 8. Elmira (0-3 E8). With four more E8 games left to play, the road to the conference tournament is still open.

Scouting Hamilton: The Continentals are currently holding onto an overall record of 5-4 so far this season and are 3-3 in NESCAC play. The team most recently fell, 1-0, to a 9-0 Tufts University squad that is currently ranked within the top five in the nation. Hamilton has faced two top 25 teams so far this season, losing to both Tufts and Connecticut College. Bobby Chapman and Sam Dils are tied for first on the team with two goals each, while Linds Cadwell has the best starting record for the goalkeepers (3-1).

Looking Ahead: The Pioneers will return to Gaetano Stadium on Saturday for an Empire 8 contest against the Gators from Sage. This match is scheduled to kick-off at 7 p.m.