UTICA, NY - This weekend, it's finally for real. The #2 Utica University men's hockey team officially kicks off its 25th regular season on Friday night with a matchup against #10 Adrian College down at the Adirondack Bank Center. That heated Halloween contest will begin at 7:00 PM on Friday. The two teams will also be back at it the next day, with a Saturday showdown scheduled for 2:00 PM to round out the two-game set. The annual East-West rivalry will officially begin the Pioneers' 2025-2026 campaign. Get caught up ahead of all the action by checking out the information below!
 
Friday Night Fight: Utica and Adrian will continue their annual season-opening set, playing a two-game set at the Adirondack Bank Center this weekend. Friday's game will begin at 7:00 PM, while Saturday's contest is scheduled for a 2:00 PM puck drop.
 
Looking for a Ticket? You can purchase one for $12 by heading to Empirestatetix.com or by heading to this link: https://empirestatetix.evenue.net/events/UCP
 
You can stream this weekend's games by heading to the link below, or by clicking the "Watch" link in our men's hockey schedule page.
 
Friday and Saturday vs #10 Adrian Stream: https://www.empire8network.com/utica/
 
You can follow live stats for this weekend's contests by heading to this link or by clicking the "Live Stats" link on our men's hockey schedule page.
 
Friday and Saturday vs #10 Adrian Live Stats Link: https://uticapioneers.com/sidearmstats/mhockey/summary
 
Recapping Exhibition #2 vs Skidmore: In their final of two pre-season tests, the Pioneer met a newly minted SUNYAC side in the Skidmore Thoroughbreds. Back at the Adirondack Bank Center, the #2 Pioneers looked to continue working in their new talent alongside their powerful returning corps of skaters. During the match, the Pioneers battled on level terms with the Thoroughbreds, even outshooting them by a 31-25 margin. However, the difference in synergy was apparent, as the Pioneers' individual skill was not enough to skate past the opposition, leading to a 6-3 defeat.
 
The potential of this new orange and blue unit was extremely evident, as they made high-level moves and created numerous dangerous opportunities throughout the entire game. Despite that, though, Utica's stellar new additions struggled to link up with their group of returning talent, leading to dysfunction in front of both nets on a few occasions and especially on the power play where the Pioneers went 1-for-6. Because of these missteps, a Skidmore squad that maintained its same structure from the prior season was able to connect better, ultimately leading to the final result.
 
Even with the gap in connectivity between the two teams, Utica's superior firepower kept them in the matchup until the very final moments, standing one goal from tying the game at 4-3 until two final-minute empty net goals would bring the game to its final score of 6-3. They also did well on the penalty kill, stumping Skidmore on all four of their man advantages.
 
Drake Morse (Grand Rapids, MI) would have his first multi-goal outing during the exhibition, scoring two goals, including a late score that kept the Pioneers' chances alive. Freshman Sal Cerrato (St. Louis, MO) added the third score, a scorcher from near the blue line for the Pioneers' only power play conversion of the night. Will Hilfiker (Middletown, NJ), Hunter Longhi (Collinsville, IL), Preston Brighton (Castle Rock, CO), Nich Ahern, and John Gutt (Middletown, NJ) also added assists.
 
In net, the orange and blue goaltenders saw their first real test, as senior Kyle Curtin (St. George, Ontario) and freshman Frank Murphy (Mississauga, Ontario) split time at the back. Curtin, a transfer from new conference opponent Elmira, saved 10 shots in his 33 full minutes of action, including eight saves in the initial period. Murphy got some crunch time action, playing the final half of the game while logging nine saves. Both goaltenders allowed two goals during the game.
 
The Pioneers will look to build on what they gained from the second pre-season game and move on to Adrian with more knowledge on how to maximize the potential of a loaded lineup full of talent. 
 
Final Pre-Season Tallies: As the pre-season came to a close, Pioneer Nation got a pretty good look at who to keep an eye out for this season. Topping the pre-season scoring charts was University of Vermont transfer Nick Ahern (Chicago, IL), who shot out to an explosive start against Morrisville, getting four goals and an assist before being held to just a single apple against Skidmore. The junior finished pre-season play with four goals and two assists, totaling six points in his two games of play. The former Utica Jr. Comets forward will look to notch many more significant memories over the next few years in the orange and blue.
 
Heating up near the end of exhibition play was Pioneer captain Drake Morse (Grand Rapids, MI), who scored twice in the second pre-season outing to finish right behind Ahern with three goals. He really found his footing against the Thoroughbreds, exposing their open space and slotting away rebound opportunities. He finished with three points, tied with the next two players for second on the team in exhibition play.
 
Rookie defender Sal Cerrato (St. Louis, MO) got his Pioneer career off to a great start in the two exhibition matchups, scoring a high-level goal against Skidmore while also accruing two assists over the pair of games. Senior forward John Gutt (Middletown, NJ) also demonstrated his ability to distribute, leading the team with three assists during the pre-season.
 
The other Pioneer captain, Preston Brighton (Castle Rock, CO), also led a solid defensive effort over the two exhibition matchups, as the junior picked up three key blocks against the Thoroughbreds and led a superb penalty kill effort alongside fellow top defensemen Aydin Parekh (Nobleton, ON). Both defenders tallied an assist during the exhibitions as well.
 
In the circle, Andrew Della Rovere (Caledon East, Ontario), John Gutt (Middletown, NJ), and Jagur McClelland (Havertown, PA) were the main faceoff winners for the team.
 
Della Rovere, who assumed the second center duties last season, won 30 of his 41 opportunities through the first two exhibitions, capturing 73% of his faceoff chances.
 
Behind Della Rovere were the senior Gutt, who grabbed 14 of his 24 faceoff opportunities (58%), and the freshman Jagur McClelland (Havertown, PA), who won 11 of his 16 chances (69%).

Check out the links below for highlights from each exhibition:

Exhibition #1 vs Morrisville State Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnYtcbheVfI

Exhibition #2 vs Skidmore Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u-1GZfFbFw&t=1s
 
Orange and Blue Archive - Adrian College: The Pioneers and Bulldogs have been doing their season-opening set since the 2018-2019 season, with the 2019-2020 campaign seeing the teams push back the dates a little bit, playing their series in January. Aside from that, the two teams have met in October or early November in five of the last six seasons. During that time, Adrian has led the series by a narrow margin, with a 5-6-1 record against the orange and blue. However, over the last ten meetings, the Pioneers have a record of 5-4-1, taking the edge in the most recent string of games.
 
All of this is to say that the East-West rivalry between these two powers is one of the highest-profile matchups in each season of Division III Men's Hockey.
 
This weekend, the Pioneers will aim to maintain their recent form against the Bulldogs, having produced results in three of the last four matchups, including a tie and a win in 2023, while splitting their last season's matchup at Adrian.
 
Last year's series was a story of comebacks. In game one, the Pioneers battled back from a 2-1 third-period deficit to snatch a 3-2 season-opening win, thanks to a pair of third-period goals from Shane Murphy (Oriskany, NY/Danbury Hat Tricks (NAHL)). Just minutes into the final frame, Murphy scored a shorthanded goal to bring the game level at two, before a backdoor score from the Oriskany native with under 30 seconds left would give the Pioneers a huge win over then #3 Adrian on opposing ice.
 
In game two, it was the Bulldogs who would battle back, weathering an early orange and blue onslaught to grab the last three goals in a 5-3 win.
 
Senior center Chris Carroll (Islip, NY) is the only returning Pioneer to log a goal in last season's opening series; however, Aydin Parekh (Nobleton, ON), Drake Morse (Grand Rapids, MI), and Preston Brighton (Castle Rock, CO) were all in the scoring report at some point during the weekend, with Parekh getting two assists and the other pair each notching one apple.
 
About Adrian: Adrian College finished the 2022 season with an 18-10-1 record, marking the first season under new head coach Adam Phillips. The team also concluded with a conference record of 10-7-1 in the highly competitive NCHA, with a Harris Cup Finals loss to St. Norbert ending their season. However, after a rare season of missing the NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs are geared up for a stellar campaign, returning a wealth of talent from last year's squad. 
 
Adrian returns seven of its top 10 point-getters from the 2024-2025 season, including six of its top seven. The top two pairing of Ian Amsbaugh and Bradley Somers both return after 30+ point seasons, while a strong attack-minded defenders group bolsters the Bulldog threat.
 
Amsbaugh had a raucous rookie year, piling up 13 goals and a team-high 27 assists for a team-high 40 points in just his freshman season. His fellow forward, Bradley Somers, provided an excellent second option, with the sophomore Somers getting a team-high 14 goals and 23 assists.
 
After the one-two punch is balanced sophomore Patrick Saini, who also had a good freshman year, is getting an even 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points. Frank Tafelski rounds out a good group of young forwards, as the sophomore stacked up 13 goals and eight assists to round out the double-digit scorers from last season.
 
On the defensive end, David Clarke is yet another star in what was a stacked freshman class for Adrian this past year. Clarke led all defenders with five goals and 14 assists, getting 19 points. He was flanked by Ben Loreto and Anthony Mollica, who got four goals and 13 assists, and one goal and 11 assists, respectively.
 
In goal, the Bulldogs saw the graduation of their longtime goaltending guru Dershahn Stewart, but return some young talent in junior Nolan Suggs. Suggs saw action in seven games last season, starting three and posting a goals allowed average of 3.56 to pair with an .856 save percentage. Suggs also had a 2-1 record in his three starts.

Although the other goaltender that might be in play this weekend is someone that the Pioneers are very familiar with, as last year's National Championship starter, Ryan Piros (Hartland, MI/University of Dubuque (NCAA DIII)), returned to Michigan to join the Bulldogs. Piros, now a sophomore, had a great rookie year in the orange and blue following his addition to the team over the winter break. Piros started in all 19 of his appearances, posting a goals allowed average of 1.95 and a save percentage of .926.
 
It remains to be seen who will start for the Bulldogs this weekend, with this being the season-opening contest for both teams.
 
These matchups will be an opportunity for the Pioneers to push past last weekend's struggles, though, as Adrian presents a similar challenge to Skidmore, with a solid core of returning talent that will be ready to go. The Pioneers will need to connect and find their footing, but considering all things, this series is looking stellar as always.
 
After Opening Season #25 Against Adrian: The Pioneers will get no breaks after a tough two-game set, welcoming consensus #1 Hobart College to the Adirondack Bank Center next Thursday before traveling to Geneva on Saturday to complete another multi-match series. The first National Championship rematch will also be AmeriCU Night at the Aud. Grab your tickets now for a much-anticipated game!
 
Tune in this weekend as the Pioneers open season #25 against #10 Adrian College!