UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's soccer team will hit the road this week as the Pioneers travel to Russell Sage College on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The team will then return home to close out Empire 8 play and their regular season as they square off against Houghton University on Saturday October 22, at 12 p.m. for senior day. 
 
Follow Along: Sage will provide live video through https://bit.ly/33ute4L and live stats via https://bit.ly/3SEtJge. Those unable to attend Saturday's home game can tune in for live video and/or stats at https://bit.ly/2wtxUV5. 
 
Last Time Out: Last weekend, the Pioneers fell to the Keuka College Wolves, 3-2 after a fast paced first half effort, where both teams combined for 18 shot attempts. Utica pushed up the field quickly and Noah Nassberg (Naples, FL/Gulf Coast ) registered a shot within the first minute of the game. Keuka was able to push the ball up the field and find the back of the net in the 7th minute, putting them at a 1-0 advantage. The Pioneers continued to keep the pace, but could not find the back of the net. In the 48th minute, Utica's Cody Baker-Green (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) sent a scorcher past Keuka's goalkeeper off of an assist from Noah Nassberg (Naples, FL/Gulf Coast ) to even the score at 1 apiece. Just two minutes later, Nicholas Theimer (Flagstaff, AZ/Flagstaff) was able to keep the momentum for the Pioneers, netting his third of the season to put the Pioneers on top. In the following minute, Keuka was able to find the back of the net to secure the tie, and eventually netted the game winning goal by Owen Thorpe of the Wolves for his second of the contest. Utica played well, as the team was able to out shoot the Wolves 18-14, with Foti Xidias (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) had a solid outing recording six saves. 
 
Senior Day: Prior to Saturday's game against Houghton, the Utica men's soccer team will take a moment to honor its four seniors: Michael Bernardo (Bayshore, NY/Bayshore), Brady Maloney (Ellisburg, NY/Bellville Henderson), Nick Webster (Maple Valley, WA/Tahoma), and Fred Holmes (Newmarket, NH/Newmarket HS). 
 
Where We Stand: With a 4-2-1 record in the Empire 8, the Pioneers have clinched their second straight postseason berth. Utica can finish in the conference as high as first, with a pair of wins this week paired with two St. John Fisher losses, and as low as fourth, meaning the team will play at least one home playoff game. Utica holds head-to-head conference tiebreakers against Elmira and Nazareth, so even if all teams finish with 13 points, Utica will remain ahead. The opening round for the Empire 8 Playoffs is slated to begin on November 1. 
 
The Grass is Always Greener: Cody Baker-Green (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) has dominated this season, currently sitting third on the Empire 8 leaderboard in goals scored with 10, as well as fourth in shots, shots on goal, and points with 24. The junior midfielder also holds the team lead in goals, game-winning goals, and points. 
 
The Foti Way: Foti Xidias (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) has been solid between the pipes for the Pioneers. Appearing in all 14 games so far this season, the junior has posted a 1.74 goals against average, which puts him at 8th on the Empire 8 leaderboard. Xidias has also posted a .742 save percentage, with 66 saves on the season, and two shutouts. He has also been the recipient of two Empire 8 weekly awards for defensive player of the week. 
 
About Sage: The Russell Sage Gators are 7-6-2 overall this season and 4-3 in Empire 8 play. Their last game was decided by a 2-1 score in their loss to St. John Fisher. John Locicero netted the lone goal for the Gators in the 82nd minute on a penalty kick for his first of the year. El Hadji iba sy currently holds their team lead in goals with six, and Andrew Kraszewski sits at the top of the team leaderboard in assists with four. The Pioneers are 2-3-1 all time against the Gators, with Utica coming out on top in their last matchup, 2-0. 
 
Scouting Houghton: The Houghton University Highlanders are 3-11-2 on the season, and are 1-4-2 in conference play. Houghton fell to Medaille in a major blow on Saturday, with a score of 6-1. The Highlanders found the back of the net in the 5th minute, but could not hold on as Medaille netted the equalizer just two minutes later and maintained momentum for the remainder of the game. Kyle Thyssen and Iann Dominic are currently tied for the Highlander lead in goals with three each, while Andy Loomis has the team lead in assists with three. The Pioneers are 1-6-4 all time against the Highlanders, with their last matchup ending in a 4-3 loss in 2021. 

Up Next: The Pioneers will be preparing for the Empire 8 Conference playoffs. Their matchup is to be determined.