Utica, NY - The Utica College men's soccer team is set to host the Nazareth Golden Flyers this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. This matchup showcases the two top teams in the Empire 8, as Utica holds the top spot by a slim margin of only one point.

Last Time Out: UC notched its third-straight win on Wednesday night over Berkeley College (NY) by a score of 4-3. The Pioneers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, with goals from seniors Ethan Thomas (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa), Randy Malek (Tampa, FL/Alonso) and freshman Brady Maloney (Ellisburg, NY/Bellville Henderson) in the first half. The first two were assisted by senior Adnan Bakolovic, while the Maloney goal was assisted by senior Thomas Muller (Camillus, NY/Bishop Ludden). The second half took a different turn, as the Knights battled all the way back to even the score at three in the 83rd minute. Freshman Jhonny Theze (Bronx, NY/Claremont International) then forced a penalty kick in the 89th minute, which he knocked in to secure the victory for the Pioneers.

Conference Battle: Last Saturday, the Pioneers showcased an impressive 3-2 comeback victory over Elmira to advance to 7-2-2 on the season. Facing a 1-0 deficit coming out of the half, Muller found the back of the net off a centering pass from junior Patrick Hynes (Glenmont, NY/Bethlehem) to even the game at one. Sophomore Jahren James (River Vale, NJ/Pascack Valley) took the first lead of the game for the Pioneers 1:43 later, sneaking a goal in the top right corner on a free kick from 25 yards out. Playing from behind for the first time all afternoon, Elmira responded in the 83rd minute when Nick Provost scored off of a corner kick to even the score once again at two. Utica responded again five minutes later, when James notched his second goal of the game to give the Pioneers a 3-2 lead that they would hold for the rest of the game.

Top Spot: The Pioneers are currently atop the Empire 8 standings with a 2-0-1 conference record and 9-2-2 overall record.

Chasing History: UC made history on Monday night with its win over Purchase, notching eight wins in the first 12 games for the first time since 2010 and only the second time in program history. The win over Berkeley on Wednesday night marked the best start to a season in program history, as the Pioneers won nine of their first 13 games for the first time ever.

Conference Leaders: Freshman Jhonny Theze (Bronx, NY/Claremont International) is currently tied for second in the league in goals with seven, and he also shares the No. 5 spot for assists in the league with junior Patrick Hynes (Glenmont, NY/Bethlehem) with four each thus far. Senior Adnan Bakalovic (Utica, NY/Proctor High School) sits one spot ahead of Theze and Hynes with five assists. Theze also has the third-most points in the E8 as well with 17, making him the only Pioneer to appear in the top 10 of this statistical category.

Deep History: Utica has notched wins against Nazareth in only four of its 19 matchups with the Golden Flyers, but the Pioneers did win the last time these two teams played by a score of 2-1. Senior Tucker Marvin (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) and Hynes both recorded a goal in this match, while Muller added one assist in the effort.

Quiet Contributions: Outside of senior goalkeeper Randy Miksch (Lake Villa, IL/Warren Township), Hynes and junior Daniel Varsames (Gansevoort, NY/Saratoga Springs) are the only Pioneers to log more than 1000 minutes this year with 1031 and 1013, respectively.

Scouting Nazareth: The Golden Flyers are right behind the Pioneers in the empire 8 with a 9-2-1 overall record, going 2-0-1 in conference. Junior Jake Adams and sophomore Sam Smyth lead the team with 15 points, but they each took a very different path to get there. Adams has totaled a team-high seven goals while adding one assist, and Smyth has added four goals and a team-high seven assists.

Up Next: The Pioneers will head on the road for another E8 matchup against the Sage Gators next Saturday at 5:30 p.m.