UTICA, NY - The Utica University's men's soccer team will host the Hartwick College Hawks on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. under the lights on Pioneer Field. The team will then travel to face Elmira College on Saturday at 2 p.m. to continue Empire 8 play.
 
Follow Along: Those unable to attend Wednesday's home match can tune in with live video and stats via https://bit.ly/2wtxUV5. For Saturday's contest, Elmira will provide live video and stats through https://bit.ly/2xvMiwx. 
 
Last Time Out: The Utica University's men's soccer team fell to the St. John Fisher Cardinals 2-0 on Saturday Afternoon. The first half started at a slower pace as both teams played a bit conservatively to start the game. Utica started to push the pace as a pair of shots by Byamungu Mugushu (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Grimes) were just wide. The Pioneers continued to press the gas as Brandon Pender (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) sent a shot just wide of the left post in the 17th minute. Utica continued to press and try and breakthrough as the team outshot Fisher 10-4, yet could not find the back of the net. Play opened up in the second half as both teams would be much more physical resulting in more fouls and free kicks. Both teams started to attack the sidelines to try and create more opportunities for the offenses as the teams combined for 20 shots in the second half. Utica would register six corner kicks in the half, and solid shots by Cody Baker-Green (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley), Noah Nassberg (Naples, FL/Gulf Coast ), and Brandon Pender (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian), yet could not score. After a nice poke by goalkeeper Foti Xidias (Carteret, NJ/Carteret), Fisher was able to regather the ball and a well-timed pass would lead to a goal for Fisher in the 82nd minute. Utica would respond with three great shots off of a corner kick, yet were blocked by the Cardinal defense. The Cardinals would score again in the 86th minute as a shot bounced off of Utica for an own goal. The Pioneer's offense played well today yet could not get that goal they were searching for. Utica continued to fire plenty of shots as Nico Leonard (Long Beach Township, NJ/Southern Regional ), Pender, Baker-Green, and Mugushu all recorded at least four shots this afternoon. In net, Xidias played well with two saves and had great awareness all game as he was able to pry the ball away from Fisher a few times during critical moments. 
 
Where We Stand: The Pioneers dropped to fifth in the Empire 8 after their loss to St. John Fisher on Saturday however, the team remains in striking distance of first as two points separates the team from a share of the league lead. The team is 2-1-1 in Empire 8 play and 5-4-1 overall this season. Utica's offense still remains elite as it continues to lead the Empire 8 in shots per game with 18.30. The team remains in third for goals per game and third for points per game. 
 
Leaderboard Caliber: The biggest part of the team's success has been its facilitating as it is second in the Empire 8 in assists with 14. The team has three of the top ten assists leaders in Cody Baker-Green (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley), Byamungu Mugushu (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Grimes), and Brady Barnard (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool). All three of these players look to keep their playmaking top tier and keep generating goals for the Pioneers as the season progresses.
 
Scouting Hartwick: The Hawks are 3-6-2 this season and are 1-2-1 in Empire 8 play. Hartwick dropped its most recent match against Medaille 3-1 on Saturday. The offense is led by Jim Mahoney who leads the team with five goals and 11 points thus far. Jake Zona has also been a force as he has three goals and two assists this season. In net, the Hawks have a pair of goalies as Jackson Gilstrap and Aden Razukiewicz have both played significant time in net. The pair both sport over a .600 save percentage and more than 11 saves this season.
 
Elmira Outlook: The Soaring Eagles are 7-3-2 this season and 1-2 in Empire 8 play this season. On Saturday, Elmira picked up a 1-0 win over Keuka College to pick up its first Empire 8 win of the season. The Soaring Eagles have two of the top goal scorers in the Empire 8 as Martin Harguindey and Lutho Mlunguza both have six goals and over 14 points on the year. In net, Zachary Raffino has seen the bulk of the time with nearly 1000 minutes played, a .800 save percentage, and 52 saves on the season.

Up Next: On Tuesday, October 18 the team will host Hobart College at 4:30 p.m.