UTICA, NY - The Utica College men's ice hockey team returns from a brief layoff this weekend as it plays Nazareth College in a home-and-home series. The Pioneers will play at Nazareth on Friday, and the two teams will converge at the Aud on Saturday. Both games will start at 7 p.m.

Follow Along Friday: Live video and stats will be made available at portal.stretchinternet.com/nazareth, courtesy of Nazareth College Athletic Communications.

Follow Along Saturday: Per existing COVID-19 protocols, no spectators will be permitted on the premises at any Utica College Athletic event until further notice. Live video and stats for all UC Home Games are available at portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/. In addition, radio coverage of home games is generally available on WPNR 90.7 FM and PioneerRadio.org. Sports Information Assistant Ray Biggs '13 brings fans the home play-by-play for a tenth season, and will be joined by students from WPNR-FM throughout the season. Fans can also view home games on the free Empire 8 apps available for Roku, Amazon Fire, and AppleTV devices.

The Series: These will be the 25th and 26th all-time meetings between Utica and Nazareth. Utica has won seven straight against the Golden Flyers, and is 16-5-3 since their opponents from Rochester started their program in 2012. The two sides have met in the UCHC Semifinals the last two years, with Utica sweeping by scores of 5-2 and 3-2 last year. John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) had two goals in that series.

In the Last Full Game: The Pioneers got two goals and two assists from sophomore forward Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) as Utica rolled to a 7-1 win over Elmira at Elmira's Murray Athletic Center on Friday, March 5th. Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) had a goal and two assists. The Pioneer power play was explosive with a 3-for-6 performance, and the Soaring Eagles were silenced at 0-for-4 with the advantage.

The Following Day: Utica and Elmira were halted after two periods on Saturday, March 6th. The game has been suspended at that point, with the Pioneers holding a 5-2 lead. Please be advised that all season statistics in this preview do not reflect that game's status, as the numbers from that game do not get added to the official totals until the game is somehow wrapped up, at which point the numbers get added. Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) recorded what will be his 100th career point during the game and has two goals and an assist through two periods. Jamie Bucell (Garfield Heights, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)) scored a pair of goals, and John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) has the remaining Pioneer goal. Joseph Giacobbo (Deptford, NJ/Rockland Nationals (CCHL)) has nineteen saves.

A Schedule Update: The suspended Elmira game will be completed at Elmira on Tuesday, March 23rd by mutual agreement between the two schools. Utica will then play this past weekend's postponed game against Lebanon Valley on Wednesday, March 24th at 5 p.m in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Where It Stands: The Pioneers are 3-1 overall and in conference. They have nine standings points out of an available twelve, good for a .750 points percentage. That slots the Pioneers into second place as of Wednesday night's Stevenson-Lebanon Valley game. Stevenson University currently holds a narrow lead, and Pioneer fans will want to watch the scoreboards closely in the coming weeks with the Mustangs not on the UC schedule.

Buckle Up: Beginning with Friday's game, the Pioneers will take the ice in game action five times in a nine day period to wrap up the regular season.

Top Shots: The Pioneers have an experienced trio leading them in points at the moment, as seniors Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)) and Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)), and sophomore Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) have eight points apiece. Everson has a team-high four goals and four assists. Landrigan has a goal and a team-leading seven assists, and Zapata has contributed three goals and five assists.

The "A" has played well…. Eh?: The scoring surge of alternate captain Jamie Bucell (Garfield Heights, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)) has been a welcome sight in this shortened season. The senior is enjoying the most consistent season of his career and currently sits at two goals and four assists.

Who You Gonna Call: Sophomore forward Buster Larsson (Bunkeflostrand, Sweden/Syracuse Stars (NCDC)) has also been humming along at a solid clip, with three goals and three assists this season. The former Syracuse Star had a nineteen point rookie campaign that included seven goals.

Between the Pipes: Sean Dickson (Millbrae, CA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL-Premier)) is 2-1-0 and has seen his numbers improve greatly after winning performances against Chatham and Elmira. He blanked the Cougars with a 24 save shutout to earn UCHC Goaltender of the Week honors. He has a save percentage of 94.2 percent and a GAA of 1.34. Joseph Giacobbo (Deptford, NJ/Rockland Nationals (CCHL)) remains 1-0 this season and was performing well in his second start of the year before the game was frozen.

On Special Teams: The Pioneers are rolling on the man advantage right now at a 5-for-19 clip, good for 26.3 percent. UC hasn't allowed a power play goal in the last two full games it has played, and the penalty kill unit is currently residing at 83.3 percent.

Still Unbeatable at Home: The Pioneers are now 9-1-1 in the last two seasons when playing at home.

A Local Connection: The Nazareth Golden Flyers feature multiple players with local ties, but the game will mark a special homecoming for Nazareth forward Johnny Jackson. The Golden Flyers rookie lives in Gloucester, New Jersey, but parents Jim and Bernie are from the Utica area. Jim has been the television play-by-play voice of the Philadelphia Flyers since 1993. Before his opportunities in Philly, the elder Jackson called 499 games for the AHL's Utica Devils and also logged seven seasons in the New York Penn League with the Utica Blue Sox.

About Nazareth: The Golden Flyers are 0-7 to start the season. Skaneateles native Ray Falso leads the team in points with three goals and three assists for six points. Goaltenders Raphael Provencher and Gage Roberts have each seen time in net, but have struggled this season with a combined save percentage of 84.9 percent.

Up Next: The Pioneers will make up the third period of their suspended game against Elmira on March 23rd.