Utica, NY- The Utica College mens soccer team will bookend the weekend with home matches against Alfred University and Russell Sage College. Friday's match against Alfred will begin at 3:45 PM. Monday night's game against Sage will kick off at 4 PM. Both of the Empire 8 Conference matchups will be held at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. 

Live Coverage: Due to pre-existing COVID-19 protocols spectators are not allowed at Utica College sporting events. Coverage of all home games will be live broadcasted at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/.

Last Time Out: UC had an unlucky run last week as the side was unable to find the back of the net against two tough opponents in Houghton and Elmira. The Pioneers lost both contests on a second half goal by the opposition. On Friday, the Pioneers traveled to Houghton College for an Empire 8 Conference match. The game was locked tight, with neither side able to score until Houghton broke through with 20 minutes to spare and ended the match at 1-0. UC then took on Elmira at home in a back and forth affair. Visiting Elmira broke through in the second half, and was able to convert a set piece to get the 1-0 win. 

Switching it Up: Last week UC saw a few new faces on the field. Freshman goalkeeper Eduardo Paez (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) made his first career start in Friday's game against the Highlanders. Paez managed to make four stops on the night and allowed one goal. Freshman goalkeeper Foti Xidias (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) made his first appearance in a substitution in the second half of Monday's match. Xidias was able to finish the second half with one save and one allowed goal. Freshman midfielder Brady Barnard (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) also got his first career start on Monday. Barnard played a crucial role in Utica's corner kicks and delivered several well placed services.

On The Board: Ramazani Juma (Utica, NY/Proctor) continues to be a walking scoring opportunity for the Pioneers. The former Buffalo State striker leads the Pioneers with one goal, and a team-best nine shots on goal. He has attempted sixteen shots in total. He has three career NCAA goals.

Lineup Stalwarts: Mohamadou Diallo (Bronx, NY/International Community), Juma, Patrick Hynes (Glenmont, NY/Bethlehem), and Daniel Varsames (Gansevoort, NY/Saratoga Springs) have rarely left the field in the first three matches this year. Diallo and Varsames have formed the nucleus of the back line, and Diallo leads the team with 263 minutes played and has missed just seven minutes of time. Varsames has played 235 minutes. Hynes has played 248 minutes in the midfield, and Juma has logged 232 minutes up front. 

History With Alfred: The last time Utica met with Alfred was in 2019 in a road match at Alfred. Utica needed to secure a win against Alfred to secure their spot in the Empire 8 Conference Playoffs. After a scoreless first half, UC was brought to life after an early second half goal. In the closing minutes of the game Alfred converted two goals from corner kicks to give them the 2-1 win. With this memory still fresh in their heads, the Pioneers look for payback on Friday.  Adnan Bakalovic (Utica, NY/Proctor High School) scored the lone Pioneer goal in the loss. 

History With Sage: Utica has only come across Sage four times in history, but their games have been a thrill to watch. Utica trails in the series with a 1-2-1 record. There have been 12 total goals between the four matches they've played. Last season, the Pioneers dropped a 4-2 match against the Gators. 

Alfred This Season: So far the Saxons have only had one conference match, and that match was against Nazareth College. Alfred struggled against the defending Empire 8 Conference Champions in a 3-0 loss. Nazareth was able to find the back of the net twice early on in the first half, then drove the final nail into Alfred's chances with a goal in the 65th minute. 

Sage This Season: Sage played their first match of the season on Thursday night, and are 1-0 after a 2-1 overtime win over Nazareth. Senior Nathan Ficht scored the deciding goal. They had a conference record of 2-3-1 a season ago, and have 11 freshmen on the roster this year.

Up Next: The Pioneers tie up their regular season on Sunday, April 11th against Nazareth. Kick time will be 1 p.m. in Rochester.