UTICA, NY - The Utica College men's lacrosse team begins its 2019 campaign on Wednesday in Wilkes-Barre, PA against the Colonels from Wilkes University. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m. The Pioneers will look to make it back to the Empire 8 Conference Tournament for the first time since 2013 and it all begins with a balanced regular season schedule that includes eight non-conference games, eight conference contests, eight home games and eight road matchups.  

The Start of Something New: The Pioneers are coming off a 6-9 record in the regular season and a 2-5 record in Empire 8 play in 2018. They began their 2018 season with a 5-4 record before losing five of their last six games to end the season. UC will look to get back to its winning ways and qualify for the Empire 8 tournament for the second time in program history.

Season Openers: The Pioneers are 7-11 in program history in season opening games. Their last win in a season opener came in 2014, a 14-4 win over SUNY Polytechnic at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. Since then, the Pioneers have dropped four straight openers against highly competitive programs: two to St. Lawrence and two to crosstown rival Hamilton College.

A Seasoned Coaching Staff: The Pioneers are led by Head Coach Mike Parnell, who is entering his 14th season as the sideline general. Parnell has 85 careers victories as head coach with 50 of them coming at the friendly confines of Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. Parnell is assisted by former Pioneer Sean Behan, who enters his fourth season on the sidelines with Parnell.  Behan was a four year letter winner at UC and played a key role in Utica's 2013 conference tournament appearance. Zach Bruening enters his second year on the sidelines with the Pioneers. Bruening was a stand-out at Division II power Lake Erie College during his playing days.

Our Captains: The Pioneers will be led by senior captain Tyler Giachinta (Cold Spring, NY/Haldane) and junior captain Jared Smaldon (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), both midfielders. Giachinta might just be the Pioneers most well rounded returner after registering five goals, four assists, 34 ground balls, and 16 caused turnovers last year. For his efforts he earned and all-conference honorable mention as a short stick midfielder. He has 44 career games played under his belt and he has 66 career ground balls to go along with 29 career caused turnovers. Smaldon's sophomore campaign included six goals and 10 ground balls in 15 games played and the Health Studies major will be called upon to play an expanded leadership role in the midfield this season.

Leading The Attack: The Pioneers return three of their six leading scorers from the 2018 campaign. Sophomore attack Dylan Dunham (Elbridge, NY/Jordan Elbridge) is coming off a stellar first year and he is the top returning goal scorer after totaling 14 goals and 10 assists in 15 games as a freshman. Senior midfielder John Hanlon (Coconut Creek, FL/St. John Paul Academy) was the Pioneers top setup man in 2018 as he recorded a team-best 15 assists. He totaled 24 points of his own with nine goals and 15 assists, as well as 15 faceoff wins, good for second on the team. Hanlon has played in 42 career games at UC and he has 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) to go along with 100+ career face-off victories.

Protecting the Net: Senior goaltender Harrison Bower (Northport, NY/Kings Park) returns as the most experienced goalie for the Pioneers. Bower has played in 24 games in his career, posting a 5-7 record over the last three seasons. He has 124 career saves and 30 ground balls. Also returning between the pipes is sophomore goalie Ryan Boshart (Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) who gained valuable experience in 10 games played last year.  He posted a 4-2 record in his first season and stopped 92 shots in 330+ minutes of work.  An impressive start to his collegiate career included an Empire 8 Goalie of the Week nod.  Junior Dylan Allen (Rome, NY/Holland Patent) enters his third season with the Pioneers and provides excellent depth and experience in the crease for the Pioneers.

Expecting Big Things: Senior's Nicholas Horne (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) and Craig DiSanto (Montebello, NY/Suffern) are both well equipped to make a splash in the midfield this season. Horne is coming off a banner year which included a career-best five assists and 22 ground balls in 14 games played.  In three seasons at UC he has played in 41 games -- he has 10 points, 49 ground balls and 19 caused turnovers. DiSanto's intimidating 6-foot-5 235 pound frame is hard to miss and he will look to take the next step this season and ascend into a top tier midfielder in the Empire 8.  In 41 career games for Utica he has 17 points on 12 goals and five assists to go along with 12 ground balls.

Promising Young Defense: Defender Nick Alexander (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) enters his sophomore campaign with high expectations after an incredible freshman season that included a tie for the team lead with 59 ground balls to go along with 20 caused turnovers in 15 games played.  Junior long pole Michael Foresti (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) ranked fourth on the team last season with 13 caused turnovers and he also added 25 ground balls to his credit. Junior Tom Zegarelli (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) is as consistent as it gets and will look to have a breakout season on the defensive end after starting in all 14 games for the Pioneers as a sophomore. Alex Velazquez (Brookhaven, NY/Longwood), Hunter LaPlace (Chester, CT/Valley Regional), Mike Riva (Readington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) and Jack O'Shaughnessy (Knoxville, TN/Utica Notre Dame) will provide depth to the youthful and talented Pioneer defensive effort.

Experienced Returners: The Pioneers return a strong junior class of midfielders and defenders that look to add the depth needed to make a playoff run this Spring. Junior Zach Duby (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) hopes to step into an expanded role after playing in 13 games and posting eight points on three goals and five assists last season. Dakota Allen (Rome, NY/Holland Patent) has a pair of collegiate goals to his credit, while Carter Steinhilper (Higganum, CT/Haddam-Killingworth) continues to progress and has two full seasons of collegiate lacrosse under his belt. Trevor Pletl (Deerfield, NY/Whitesboro) is also back in the midfield for the Pioneers and Lucas Sexton (Hampton, NH/Winnacunnet) enters his third season at attack for Utica. Sophomore's Andrew Yozzo (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) and Dale Wagner (Elbridge, NY/Jordan Elbridge) will also be in the hunt for expanded roles on gameday now that they have one full collegiate season on their resumes.

Possession is Key: Jimmy Vienneau (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) was the Pioneers primary face-off man last season and tied for the team lead with 59 ground balls. He played in 14 games last year and will look to raise his face-off percentage to help the Pioneers push the action on the offensive end of the field.

Welcome To Utica: The Pioneers welcome a class of 10 freshman who look to make an immediate impact on the turf. Those players include: Jack Varian (Stanhope, NJ/Lenape Valley Regional), James Daniele (Pleasantville, NY/Pleasantville), Tyler Steinberg (Airmont, NY/Suffern), Drew Turck (Lowville, NY/Lowville), Kevin Parisi (Glenwood, NY/Vernon Township), John Avery (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford-Mendon), Tyler Crouse (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), Chris McCann (Canandaigua, NY/Marcus Whitman), Pat Kierman and Tim Finnegan (New Bedford, MA/Old Rochester Regional).

The Non-Conference Slate: The Pioneers have eight non-conference opponents on the schedule this season. They'll travel to Wilkes (2/27), SUNY Poly (3/2), Marywood (3/13), and Castleton (3/16), and coming to Charles A. Gaetano Stadium is Hamilton (3/6), SUNY Potsdam (3/9), Keuka (3/20) and Oswego State (3/27).

Empire 8 Play: Empire 8 play will begin for the Pioneers following the first seven of eight non-conference games. They will be on the road for conference play against Stevens (3/23), Alfred (3/30), Nazareth (4/6), and Elmira (4/20). They will be at home in-conference against Sage (4/3), St. John Fisher (4/10), Hartwick (4/17), and Houghton (4/27).

Pioneers All-Access: If you can't make it to the game, Pioneers All-Access is the place to be on game day, providing live video and stats for all UC home games. Pioneers All-Access is a completely FREE service provided for those members of the Pioneer nation that might not be able to make it out to the game … Make sure to check out Pioneers All-Access at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/.