UTICA, NY - Utica University's men's soccer team will continue its conference play with another two games in the coming week. On Wednesday, October 15th, the Pioneers will take on Hartwick in Oneonta at 6:30 pm. The squad will return home on the weekend when Nazareth comes to Laura M. Casamento Field on Saturday, the 18th, at 1:00 pm.

Follow Along: Links to Wednesday's video stream can be found HERE, with live stats HERE. The video stream for Saturday's game can be found HERE, with live stats found HERE.

Week in Review: The Pioneers continued their schedule of one home and one road game last week. They started at home in a late and rainy matchup with the Russell Sage Gators on Wednesday, the 8th. Byamungu Mugushu (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Grimes) shone despite the conditions, scoring a hat trick in a 3-0 Utica victory. He scored his first two goals within the first 8:29, finishing his accomplishment at the 83:48 mark. The game was also Asim Gacic's (Utica, NY/Mohawk Valley Community College (NJCAA)) first full start in net. Gacic delivered on his opportunity, making three saves in the Pioneers' first solo shutout of the season.

Utica followed up their win with a high-action road match against the Alfred University Saxons. Both teams combined for 41 shots in the late-decided 2-2 tie. Mugushu scored the opening goal of the game on a penalty kick with just 11 seconds left in the first half. After two Alfred goals, the orange and blue were down late. Joseph Cavallo (Cornwall, NY/Cornwall Central) saved the day, scoring with just 4:40 left to avoid defeat and secure a draw against a competitive Empire 8 opponent. Mugushu tied the program record by scoring his 78th career point on the penalty goal, a record he will look to break in upcoming games.

Second Half Surge: The Pioneers have shown to be a second-half team so far this season. Utica has scored 15 goals in the second half, just one more than their first-half total. This has been paired with an ability to lessen the attacks of opponents, as Utica holds a 15-11 goal differential in the final 45. 

Gacic's Goal Control: Gacic has recently taken over Utica's spot as #1 goalkeeper. After playing halves in two prior games this season, Gacic took over late in the first half in Utica's 10/4 contest with SUNY Geneseo and has played the last 231 minutes straight. In his first start over that span, he earned a three-save shutout, the team's first solo shutout of the year. He followed up that performance by aiding Utica to a 2-2 tie against Alfred University. Gacic saved two in the game, with the two goals allowed coming off of a corner kick and penalty kick. His season-long metrics sit at a 1.12 GAA, .714 save percentage, and 3-1-1 record.

Hawk's Eye View: Hartwick has played to a 4-6-2 record overall this season, with a 3-3-1 record in conference. The Hawks have played strong recently, sitting at 3-1-1 in their last five, and scoring eight total goals across their last three games. They sit just behind Utica in the conference standings, totaling 10 points to the Pioneers' 12. Hartwick enters the game coming off their biggest win of the season, a 5-1 victory over Houghton.

The Hawks have been led by one key scorer, Devin Chandler. Chandler has netted three goals himself and assisted on another eight. Wilson Mount and Mathieu Six rank behind Chandler, with each having scored three goals. Hartwick has given several goalkeepers significant time in net, with Jelani Usim earning the most and maximizing his time. Usim has played to a 1.20 GAA and .758 save percentage across nearly 602 minutes.

Knowing Nazareth: The Golden Flyers have played at a level quite similar to the Pioneers, as they sit at a 6-3-2 record overall, just one tie less than Utica's record. The teams are tied in points for 4th in the E8 standings, but Nazareth ranks ahead due to their better conference record, 4-2. The team's biggest win came in early September when they defeated SUNY ESF by a score of 6-0 during the Potsdam Tournament. 

Nazareth has balanced scoring among its players, with each of their top six scorers tallying between five and 10 points. Gibson Spector and Tyler Warmington sit atop the list, with each scoring five goals. Spencer Neil ranks next with his three goals and three assists. Alexander Kobayashi leads the Golder Flyers with four assists, followed by Samuel Burton and Neil with three. 

Up Next: The Pioneers will play in two games next week, including their first out-of-conference game since September 13th. Utica will begin their week with a 7:00 pm home matchup against Hamilton College on Wednesday, the 22nd. They follow up the game by playing in conference again with a 12:00 pm road match in Brockport on Saturday, the 25th. Their SUNY Brockport matchup will be the final road game of the regular season for the team.