UTICA, NY – The Utica College football team begins its 2018 season on Friday night as the Pioneers travel to St. Lawrence University for non-conference action at 7 p.m. at Leckonby Stadium.

Broadcast Info: St. Lawrence University will provide LIVE VIDEO and LIVE STATS for Friday night's matchup.

Taking a Look Back at 2017: The Pioneers finished the 2017 season with an overall record of 3-7 and went 2-5 against Empire 8 opponents ... Five of the Pioneers' seven losses last season were by seven points or less ... Five players earned Empire 8 All-Conference selections, including first team selections Alex Damiani (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster), Anthony Bierria-Anderson and Chance Harris ... Dan Kehrer (Albany, NY/Colonie) was a second team selection, while Nicodemus Gambill (Rochester, NY/East High) was named the Sportsman of the Year for the Pioneers … Keanu Heedram (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) was named the Pioneers' Defensive Lineman of the Year after posting 57 tackles and 3.5 sacks in his sophomore season … Linebacker Kwasi Addo (Menands, NY/Shaker) was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year for the Pioneers.

Building a Winning Tradition: Utica has won at least five games in five of its last eight seasons … Head Coach Blaise Faggiano is now 47-55 entering his 11th season at the helm.

Season Opening Success: The Pioneers are 13-4 all-time in season-opening contests and they have started the year with a victory in nine consecutive seasons.

18th Year of Football at UC: The football program is entering its 18th season of existence … Proof of the program's maturation is that the Pioneers have posted a record of .500 or better in five of the last eight seasons … In 17 years, the Pioneers have racked up 65 victories, including 35 wins in the last six seasons alone.

Glance at the Schedule: The 2018 Utica College football schedule features six home games and four road contests … Three of the ten teams on the Pioneers schedule are either ranked or receiving votes in the D3football.com Preseason National Poll … Defending Empire 8 Champion Brockport State is ranked No. 6 nationally after advancing to the national semifinals last season …  Alfred and St. John Fisher are both in the receiving votes category …  The schedule features three non-conference games against St. Lawrence, Catholic and RPI … The traditional Empire 8 Conference games include matchups against Alfred, Brockport, Hartwick, St. John Fisher, Buffalo State, Cortland and Morrisville.

Experienced Defense: The Pioneers return seven starters to the defensive side of the ball and several other key contributors will see plenty of action for coordinator Will Pluff's defensive unit  … The Pioneer defense finished the season ranked third in the conference allowing an average of just 22.5 points per contest … Defensive end Robbie Schempp (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) finished the season ranked in the top 20 in the conference with 4.5 sacks … Keanu Heedram (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta), who was a national qualifier for the UC track & field program last season, returns to the defensive line and is expected to be one of the top interior linemen in the conference … Heedram and Schempp will be joined on the defensive line by projected starters Shane Walpole (Mechanicville, NY/Shenendehowa), captain Jack Derby (Fonda, NY/Fultonville Fonda) and Xyier Woodard (Albany, NY/LaSalle) … Linebacker's Ryan Oliver (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill), Dehstin Smart (Paterson, NJ/Hackensack), Kwasi Addo (Menands, NY/Shaker) and Antonio Scala (Coram, NY/Longwood) will provide experience and leadership for the defense … Oliver finished last season ranked fourth on the team with 44 tackles including 4.0 tackles for a loss … Utica's secondary is loaded with experience … Elijah Belle (Plainfield, NJ/Plainfield) and Mark Taylor (Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West) will hold down the corners, while Ben Vargas (Holbrook, NY/Sachem East), Matthew McCoy (Sherrill, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill), Anthony Beaubrun (West Hempstead, NY/West Hempstead) and Dylan Sekuterski (Depew, NY/Depew) will all likely see time at the safety position. 

Captains: The Pioneers 2018 captains include Matthew McCoy (Sherrill, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) and Jack Derby (Fonda, NY/Fultonville Fonda) on the defensive side of the ball … The offensive captains are senior running back Malcolm Stowe (Coram, NY/Longwood) and junior Peyton Miller (Chemung, NY/Waverly).

Dangerous Rushing Attack: Malcolm Stowe (Coram, NY/Longwood) will lead the Pioneers' rushing attack after posting a total of 475 rushing yards on 113 carries … Stowe ran for three scores and recorded a season-long run of 44 yards against St. John Fisher … Stowe is currently tied for sixth on the College's all-time list with 888 career rushing yards … Junior Brad Dougherty (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) will be expected to step into the spotlight this year as he will see increased touches … Junior quarterback Vinny Aloi (Chester, NY/Chester Academy) is also a threat to tuck the ball and run after finishing the season ranked second on the team with 348 rushing yards and three TD's on the ground last season. 

Quarterback Competition :  Junior Vinny Aloi (Chester, NY/Chester Academy) will get the nod under center for offensive coordinator Joe Gerbino's offense against St. Lawrence in week one on the road … Aloi took over the starting role last season and completed 113 passes for 1,108 yards to go along with nine touchdowns through the air … Junior Peyton Miller (Chemung, NY/Waverly) will begin the season at wide receiver, but he could also see time under center after winning the starting role at quarterback at the beginning of last season … Miller completed 47 passes for 472 yards through the air and he also rushed for almost 100 yards … Miller also added 22 catches for 189 yards and a touchdown last year … Freshman Logan Wilcox (Utica, NY/Proctor) is currently listed second on the depth chart at the quarterback position and transfer Ryan VanGalen (Clifton Park, NY/Shenedehowa) will be prepared to step in at any time as well ... VanGalen is the younger brother of former Pioneer quarterback Teddy VanGalen '16 who finished his career ranked second on the College's all-time list with 5,472 career passing yards.

Offensive Line:  The Pioneers' offensive line features a core group of veterans who helped guide the Pioneers to an average of 156.90 rushing yards per game last season … Senior's Patrick Gagan (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford) and Dan Busold (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) will hold down the left side of the line while junior Michael Brancato (Staten Island, NY/Saint Peters) and Matthew Nell (Vernon, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) have secured the first spot on the depth chart at right guard and right tackle … Red shirt freshman Nick Badalamente (Scranton, PA/Abington Heights) is expected to start at the center position.

Aerial Attack: Senior Imani Vincent (Brooklyn, NY/Sheepshead Bay) returns to the lineup this season alongside Josh Connor (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills West) and Peyton Miller (Chemung, NY/Waverly) at the wide receiver position … Donovan Brunson (White Plains, NY/White Plains), Josh Hood (Oneida, NY/Oneida) and Marquis Simpson (Middle Island, NY/Longwood) will also see targets for the Pioneers … Brunson led the team with 36 catches for 377 yards and four touchdowns last year … Josh Hood (Oneida, NY/Oneida) caught 21 balls for 232 yards and three touchdowns … Tight end Alex Damiani (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster) is also expected to play an important role in the passing game … Damiani finished the season with 18 catches for 201 yards last season. 

Special Teams: Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) returns as the Pioneers place kicker after an excellent freshman campaign … Medici led the team in points scored with 51 after converting 10 field goals and 21 extra points in 2017 … Brandon Few (Lockport, NY/Lockport) returns as the Pioneers' punter after averaging 41.04 yards per punt last season … He booted ten punts over 50 yards and also placed nine punts inside the 20 yard line for the Pioneers … Dan Tette (Rochester, NY/West Irondequoit) is expected to take the kick off duties, while Tim Hogan (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) and Zach Steele (Herkimer, NY/Herkimer) are at the top of the depth chart for kick returning. 

All-Time Against St. Lawrence: Friday's matchup marks the sixth season opening contest and seventh meeting overall between the two programs … The Pioneers are 4-2 all-time against St. Lawrence … UC topped the Saints 20-7 in the opener last season at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium … Utica has outscored SLU 60-14 in the last two meetings …  The Pioneers also defeated SLU 48-35 back in 2011 ... UC has defeated St. Lawrence in four straight meetings ('17, '12, '11, '10).

Scouting St. Lawrence: The Saints are a young team this season, with 37 first-year players and 33 sophomores compared to just 16 juniors and eight seniors … Sophomore Aaron Ruthman is listed as the probable starter under center for the Saints in week one… Ruthman made one start as a rookie, going 14-for-23 passing for 192 yards and a touchdown in a 24-21 loss to Buffalo State ... He earned Liberty League Rookie of the Week honors after that game and finished the year 21-for-38 passing for 253 yards in three games played … Travis Marnell had a breakout year last year with 44 receptions for 653 yards and a team-best seven touchdown receptions … The Saints had the second-best passing defense in the Liberty League last season and were also second in total sacks and yards lost by sacks … Captain Tyler Mirabile will anchor the defensive line … A First-Team All-Liberty League selection last season, Mirabile had a breakout year as a junior, ranking second in the league with 8.5 sacks and fourth with 16.0 tackles for loss … John Byrne, who started nearly every game last season, will lead the linebacker corps, and Jamal Williams, who got 31 carries as a running back last year, will have an opportunity to get in the game on the defensive side of the ball this year after moving to linebacker in the spring.

Home Opener: Utica will host Catholic University in the Pioneers' home opener on September 8th at 12 p.m. … It will be the First Source Federal Credit Union Home Opener Orange Out and the first 250 fans will receive a free orange rally towel at the gates ... We are asking the Pioneer nation to wear ORANGE to the game to cheer on your Pioneers.