UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's soccer team readies for a pair of road Empire 8 games this week. The team will face Hartwick College on Wednesday, October 4 at 6 p.m. before traveling to clash with St. John Fisher University on Saturday, October 7 at 4 p.m.
 
Follow Along: Hartwick will provide live video here and live stats here. Fisher will provide live video here and live stats here. 
 
Last Time Out: The team picked up a crucial Empire 8 win over the Nazareth College Golden Flyers on Saturday, 1-0. Byamungu Mugushu (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Grimes) netted the lone tally in the 66th minute for what was his fifth goal of the season. Anderson Velazquez (Norwood, NY/Marble Hill) assisted on the score. Each team fired off 13 shots in the game while the Pioneers held the advantage on goal, 7-3. Mugushu was responsible for three looks on net while off the bench, James Williams (Mount Sinai, NY/Mount Sinai) got off a pair. Eduardo Paez (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) continued his solid play in goal with three saves in the shutout win. The Pioneers controlled the offensive zone through the majority of the first half of action. However, The Golden Flyers were set up in prime position with a penalty kick in the 22nd minute. With Jake Pawlika lined up, Paez made the clutch save to keep the game scoreless. In the second half, Utica applied pressure with shots by Anderson Velazquez (Norwood, NY/Marble Hill) and Noah Nassberg (Naples, FL/Gulf Coast) that each sailed wide. However, Utica broke through just before the 67th minute when a bounce allowed Byamungu Mugushu (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Grimes) to find open field. With Mugushu starting to make way downfield, the senior had defenders beat and with the Nazareth goalie charging, made a quick move to get the ball past for the lead. From there, Peaz and the Utica defense locked down the Nazareth attack with the Golden Eagles outshooting the Pioneers 6-1 over the final 23 minutes of play. However, none of which made it on goal and Utica held on for the league win. 
 
Where We Stand: The Pioneers currently sit in the top half of the Empire 8 leaderboard after an impressive home win against Nazareth University. Building from the back, Eduardo Paez (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) currently sits sixth in the Empire 8 for average goals against. Continuing his attacking form, Byamungu Mugushu (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Grimes) is tied for fifth in the Empire 8 for most goals.
 
Locked-In: Mugushu continued his fantastic season and scored a wonderful goal against Nazareth University to propel Utica to a crucial 1-0 victory over its Empire 8 rivals. The senior has been the focal point of the offense for the Pioneers with a team-leading five goals and 11 points this season. With his five goals this year, Mugushu became the fifth player in program history to eclipse the 20 goal mark. Sitting at 20 total, the senior is three goals away from moving into fourth all-time in program history With his 11 points this year, Mugushu also moved into fifth all-time in program history with 49 and is one away from becoming the fifth player in program history to reach 50 points. 
 
Shot Stopper: Eduardo Paez (Eastchester, NY/Eastchester) wrapped up a 1-1 week including a key shutout over Nazareth University to aid the team in earning its first Empire 8 victory of the season. Throughout the week the senior faced 16 shots making six saves earning himself one win and a shutout.
 
Scouting the Hawks: The Hartwick Hawks are 4-3-2 with an Empire 8 conference record of 1-1. The Hawks were on a four-game win streak where they had a combined score of 9-0 before they dropped their match against Nazareth University. Orchestrated in the midfield, both Andres Ordonez Acosta and Charlie Stewart are tied for third in most assists in the Empire 8 with three assists a piece. The Pioneers are looking to continue their three-game win streak against the Hawks. 
 
Looking at Fisher: The St. John Fisher Cardinals are 2-4-3 with an Empire 8 conference record of 1-0-1. The Cardinals are currently on a two-game unbeaten streak, dropping only one game out of their last six. Mr. Clutch, Joey Avallone is currently tied for most game winning goals in the Empire 8 and leads his team with three goals scored. On the opposite side of the pitch, goalkeeper, Christian Burkhart recorded nine saves in a monster performance against Lebanon Valley College, tying for fourth in the Empire 8 for single game highs. 
 
Up Next: The team will return home to host Russell Sage College on Wednesday, October 11 at 4 p.m.