Utica, NY - The Utica College men's soccer team heads back on the road this Saturday for an Empire 8 matchup against the Sage Gators at 5:30 p.m.

Last Time Out:  The Pioneers suffered their first conference loss of the season Saturday night as they dropped a 1-0 nail biter to visiting Nazareth College in Empire 8 action. After a scoreless first half, Naz broke the deadlock at 62:54 when leading scorer Jake Adams fired in a free kick from just outside the box that tucked inside the left post for his eighth of the year. That was all the visitors needed, as Utica was unable to net the equalizer. Sophomore Nick Spooner (Lisbon, NY/Lisbon) finished with six saves in his second consecutive start in the net for the Pioneers.

Chasing First: The Pioneers currently boast an impressive 9-3-2 overall record and are 2-1-1 in the Empire 8, which leaves them tied for second in the conference with Elmira and right behind the first-placed Nazareth. Utica held the top spot for all of last week with a big 3-2 victory over Elmira, but then dropped to second with the loss to Nazareth last Saturday.

Record Start: UC made history last week with a 1-0 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 third in the league in goals with seven, and he also shares the No. 5 spot for assists 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.

High Octane Offense: The Pioneers have the highest-ranked offense in the league, as they have tabbed a league-best 67 points on 23 goals and 21 assists.

The Clutch Gene: Four Pioneers rank in the top 10 of the E8 in game-winning goals this season: Theze is tied for first with three, and senior Tucker Marvin (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) is right behind him with two. Hynes and senior Andrew Ruyack (Chester, NY/Monroe Woodbury) have also notched one as well.

Brief History: If history is any indication, this matchup is as even as it can get. UC has accumulated a 1-1-1 overall record against the Sage Gators since the teams first played each other in 2014.

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 1100 minutes this year with 1121 and 1103, respectively.

Scouting Sage: The Gators sit at 6-6 so far this year, and they have lost their last two heading into this matchup. Sage originally had a matched scheduled for Wednesday the 16th against Castleson, but it was postponed due to weather. As a result, this matchup with UC will mark the first game for each team since Saturday the 12th. Jeaneste Pierre and Giddel Alvarado currently lead the team in points with seven. Pierre has worked his way there on three goals and one assist, while Alvarado did so on two goals and three assists.  

Up Next: UC returns home to host Hobart College in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday at 7 p.m.