UTICA, NY – The Utica College men's soccer team looks to stay unbeaten for a fifth straight match on Wednesday as they host SUNY-ESF at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. Match time is set for 7:30 p.m.
Follow Along: Live video and stats will be available at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/. The broadcast of Saturday's match will also be on the Empire 8 apps available through Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and AppleTV platforms. The apps make watching even easier for fans who have those devices connected to their television, and will also routinely carry Utica's away matches against Empire 8 opponents. The apps are available free of charge.
Getting Results: The Pioneers are 4-1-2 in their first seven matches so far this season. Utica is unbeaten in their last four matches, and are 2-0-2 in that span. The Pioneers have been simply smothering defensively with three straight clean sheets. They have not allowed a goal since September 8th.
In The Right Direction: The Pioneers need just one more win to eclipse last season's win total of five.
Distinguished Company: Utica is one of just four squads in the Empire 8 Conference this season to hold a winning record. The same four teams were also the quartet to escape their Empire 8 conference opener without a loss. Utica, Houghton, Nazareth, and Elmira all sit above the .500 mark.
Last Time Out: The Pioneers are coming off a 0-0 tie against Houghton College in their conference opener. It was a defensive battle throughout the afternoon, and both goalkeepers also answered the call on their way to an 110 minute, double overtime stalemate. An even-handed contest led to five saves each by Utica's Randy Miksch (Lake Villa, IL/Warren Township) and Houghton's Caleb Loew as the clubs halved the match. Jhonny Theze (Bronx, NY/Claremont International) took five total shots and drilled a pair of them to the goal mouth.
Leading the Way: Freshman Jhonny Theze (Bronx, NY/Claremont International), freshman Connor McQuillan (Rochester, NY/Brighton) and senior Tucker Marvin (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) all lead the Pioneers with two goals each on the year. Theze remains the team leader in shots on goal as he now has 14 on the year. Theze has totaled 30 shot attempts this season to also hold a convincing team lead, and he also leads the Empire 8 in that category.
Helping Out: Junior Patrick Hynes (Glenmont, NY/Bethlehem) and graduate student Adnan Bakalovic (Utica, NY/Proctor High School) each sit one assist back of the conference lead with three apiece. Bakalovic sits high on the list despite having not played since the Cobleskill match, which he left due to injury. Bakalovic's eventual return brings a great deal of potential energy to the Pioneers' attack, which stands second in the Empire 8 Conference at 1.571 goals per game.
First Strike: The Pioneers have scored the first goal on four instances in seven matches, and the side is 3-1 when they do so this season.
Saving The Day: Junior Randy Miksch (Lake Villa, IL/Warren Township) continues to impress after his third straight clean sheet. The Pioneers' keeper has an impressive shutout streak that spans 315:20 of match action this season, and he has made saves on his last nineteen shots against. Furthermore, the last goal he conceded came on a penalty kick in the Cobleskill match. He has not allowed a goal in the run of play in the last 400 minutes he's played, with the last coming on an overtime game-winner by Morrisville State on September 7th. With Miksch in goal, the Pioneers have not allowed more than two goals in a match during this campaign so far. He is tied for the Empire 8 lead with his three clean sheets, and is tied for third in the conference with 31 saves.
Last Time against the Mighty Oaks: The Pioneers last met the Mighty Oaks on the pitch in 2017. The Pioneers were relentless throughout the contest as they disappeared out of the sights of the opposition with a 4-1 win on their home ground. The man of the match was Thomas Muller (Camillus, NY/Bishop Ludden), who potted a hat trick. The hat trick was the first for Utica since alumnus Shane Ruffing did it in 2014. Paul Mitchell (Belfast, Ireland/CBS) added the other Utica goal, and Julian Fonseca (Rocky Hill, CT/Bridgton) had three assists in that match.
About The Mighty Oaks: SUNY ESF is 2-1-2 so far this season. They won their last match against the Albany College of Pharmacy in a convincing 6-0 jaunt at home. The Oaks are unbeaten in their last three following a pair of scoreless draws, and have not conceded a goal since September 4th. Owen Henkler and Luke Day had two goals apiece in the match against Albany College of Pharmacy. They are coached by second year head coach Adam Scalisi.
Up Next: The Pioneers will be on the road on Saturday, September 28th as they take on St. John Fisher in an Empire 8 Conference match.
