UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's ice hockey team continues on its four game season-opening road trip this weekend. The #5 Pioneers are set to open conference play with a huge United Collegiate Hockey Conference doubleheader against Stevenson University. Game times are slated for 7 p.m. on Friday, and 3 p.m. Saturday at the Reisterstown SportsPlex in Owings Mills, Maryland. 

Follow Along: Live video and stats for the matchup will be available through Stevenson University Athletic Communications. Live video is located at https://team1sports.com/gomustangsports/?bfplayvid=409953, while live stats are housed at https://gomustangsports.com/sidearmstats/mhockey/summary. 

NYSCOPBA Jersey Auction Happening Now!: The Utica University men's hockey team will join forces with the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) to honor our military veterans with the Salute to Veterans Night at November 12th's home opener. The Pioneers are currently auctioning off their collector's edition game jerseys ahead of that game, with bidding set to close at the end of the second period of next weekend's home opener. More information is available at NYSCOPBA Veterans Jersey Auction - Utica University Athletics (uticapioneers.com).

In The Polls: Utica fell from third to fifth in this week's edition of the US College Hockey Online Division III Men's Top 15. 

Feels Like It's Getting Late Early: Utica and Stevenson were picked to finish as the top two of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference preseason coaches' poll. They were the only two programs to receive a first place vote in that survey. A sweep for either team could provide a significant advantage for an early clinch of the regular season title come February with enough success going forward. 

Do Not Adjust Your Set: A change to this year's conference schedule will have teams routinely playing back-to-backs against the same opponent in UCHC play this season. This marks the first time since the 2014-15 season that Utica's conference schedule is constructed this way. 

Last Time Out: The Pioneers were swept at the hands of defending national champion Adrian this past weekend with a 4-3 loss in overtime, and an 8-3 regulation loss the following day. In Friday's overtime loss, the Pioneers built a 3-0 lead early in the second period, only to have that lead vanish over the final 30 minutes as the Bulldogs forced overtime. Adrian's Matus Spodniak scored the winning goal 56 seconds into overtime. Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)), Matt Wood (Garnet Valley, PA/Richmond Generals (USPHL)), and Jakob Breault (Acton Vale, QC/Alaska-Fairbanks (NCAA DI)) scored the Utica goals. On Saturday, the Bulldogs scored the first three goals of the game, then broke open a 4-2 lead with four third period goals to dispatch the visitors by an 8-3 score. The Pioneers got goals from Brandon Osmundson (Virginia Beach, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)), Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)), and Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)) in the loss. Connor Fedorek (Bethel Park, PA/Ferris State University (NCAA DI)) had an impressive three assists. Spodniak had a hat trick for the Bulldogs. Adrian was also the last team to take two games from Utica in the same weekend, doing so on the first weekend of the 2018-19 season. 

Keep The Pucks: Connor Fedorek (Bethel Park, PA/Ferris State University (NCAA DI)) and Jakob Breault (Acton Vale, QC/Alaska-Fairbanks (NCAA DI)) led the team in points over the opening weekend, and also got their first regular season points as Pioneers in the process. Breault had a goal and two assists over the course of the Adrian weekend, while Connor Fedorek (Bethel Park, PA/Ferris State University (NCAA DI)) had three assists in Saturday's loss. Both players are experienced transfers with plenty of Division I game action behind them. Fedorek had eight career points with Ferris State in 67 games. Breault played eighteen games for Alaska-Fairbanks last season, and had three goals for the Nanooks. Defenseman Kimball Johnson (Coppell, TX/University of St. Thomas (NCAA DI)) also got his first Utica regular season point with an assist on Utica's first goal of the season on Friday. 

Keys In The Ignition: Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) has wasted no time picking up from his remarkable 2021-22 season on opening weekend. After tying the program record with 46 points en route to first team All-American honors last year, Cavanagh had a goal in both games this past weekend, including the 40th of his career, to jumpstart his final season. He is just eight points away from hitting the century mark for his career. He has six of his 41 career goals in games against Adrian. 

Recent History: The Pioneers have been fortunate to enjoy their position as one of the winningest programs in the nation over the last half decade. The team has recorded twenty wins or more in a season in their last four opportunities to do so, including two 25 win seasons, and were 8-2 during the shortened 2020-21 season. Along the way, the program has won all five United Collegiate Hockey Conference regular season championships, and has won six straight regular season titles in total dating back to the days of the former ECAC West. Utica also has recorded twelve consecutive winning seasons, with their last below-.500 finish happening in the 2009-10 season.

About Stevenson: The Mustangs split their first two games of the season against SUNY Canton this past weekend. They bounced back from a 4-3 loss on Friday, with a 4-0 win on Saturday. Aidan McDowell has a team-leading two goals, while Liam McCanney, Brendan Rylott, and Anthony Starzi have a goal and assist apiece. The Mustangs are coached by Utica native Dominick Dawes.

What's Next: The Pioneers will play their first home games of the 2022-23 season next weekend as they welcome Chatham to town for a weekend series. Saturday's game begins at 7 p.m., while Sunday's game begins at 3 p.m. at the Aud.