UTICA, NY - The #10 Utica University men's hockey team began its new UCHC campaign with a big sweep of Brockport this past weekend. The team gained momentum heading into this week's double, a pair of road battles against Manhattanville, which will wrap up the Pioneers' conference schedule in the first half of the season. Following this weekend's matchups against the Valiants, the Pioneers will host their annual Thanksgiving Showcase Tournament, as well as the annual Teddy Bear Toss game. That means that this weekend's series holds some significant weight, as its the team's last chance to keep accruing points heading into the 2026 UCHC Gauntlet. Get caught up on this week's action below!
 
Meeting Manhattanville: The #10 ranked Pioneers will head down to the Playland Ice Casino this weekend for a key conference double with Manhattanville. Friday's game begins at 7:00 PM, while Saturday's matinee starts at 2:00 PM.
 
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 at Manhattanville Stream:
https://govaliants.com/coverage
 
You can follow live stats for this week's contests by heading to this link or by clicking the "Live Stats" link on our men's hockey schedule page.
 
Friday and Saturday at Manhattanville Live Stat Link: https://govaliants.com/sidearmstats/mhockey/summary
 
'Grats to Gutt: The Pioneers battled Brockport last weekend, defeating the Golden Eagles in a pair of big wins to get their conference campaign started on the right foot. Playing a massive role in both matchups was senior center John Gutt (Middletown, NJ), who took home the Co-UCHC and Co-Empire 8 Player of the Week awards, being recognized for his stellar play that helped the team start 2-0 in UCHC play. Gutt put together a four-point week, scoring two goals and assisting on a pair of other Pioneer scores to power the Utica offense. Gutt was also extremely helpful in the circle, winning 13 of his 22 total draws as he contributed to an insanely effective Utica faceoff unit that secured over 65% of its chances against the green and gold. Gutt has grown into his role nicely since becoming one of the team's three returning senior leaders, providing a big boost to the orange and blue offense. The New Jersey native is currently tied atop the team's point charts with captain Drake Morse (Grand Rapids, MI). Gutt and Morse both have three goals and three assists to lead the Pioneer offense through six games.
 
The Fight for 400: Utica's two wins during last weekend's action place the Pioneers and head coach Gary Heenan within striking distance of the monumental landmark that was mentioned during last week's pregame story. Coach Heenan now has 398 career victories, meaning that a sweep in this weekend's competition would put him in rare air. With two victories, Coach Heenan will join the 400-win club, placing himself among the premier coaches in college hockey history.
 
Blue and Orange Archive - Manhattanville University: This weekend's contests will be the 71st and 72nd all-time meetings between the Pioneers and Valiants, as the two teams have fought extensively during the course of their 25-year rivalry. The pair of programs have spent their entire rivalry as part of the same conference, starting their battles off in the ECAC West, before both joining the UCHC at the same exact time. With so much shared history, this rivalry runs deep.
 
Just last season, the Pioneers etched a new chapter into the battle's lore, defeating Manhattanville on the final day of the regular season to claim banner eight. The win also continued the Pioneers' recent stretch of success in the series, as they captured their 15th straight victory over the Valiants, dating back to November 8th, 2019. Despite losing 18 of the first 26 meetings from 2002-2010, the orange and blue flipped a switch heading into the 2010's, defeating Manhattanville in 37 of the last 44 matchups since December of 2010. The Pioneers have also captured 29 of the last 31 games, only going to overtime twice during that time.
 
The Pioneers swept Manhattanville last season, taking all four games against the Valiants during the regular season. All four of those matchups took place within just about a month, as all four games took place between January 17th and February 22nd. However, despite the Pioneers' dominance during that month or so, the black and red made it difficult for Utica to maintain its stellar streak, with three of those Pioneer victories being by only a single goal. Games one and two between the two teams last season were slow-paced affairs, as the Valiants made a last-second comeback in game one, falling short by a 3-2 final, before the Pioneers narrowly defeated the Valiants at home the following day by a 1-0 final, one of Utica's three shutout victories last season. Then, to wrap up the regular season, the Pioneers dominated in a 5-1 home victory before scoring twice in the second period during the ensuing matchup to win the UCHC Regular Season Championship by a 3-2 final.
 
In total against Manhattanville last season, the Pioneers scored 12 goals and allowed just five, also outshooting the Valiants by a 157-98 margin. At home, the orange and blue outscored their opposition by a 6-1 gap, with the road margin being 6-4 in favor of the Pioneers. Utica also managed to secure faceoffs with a winning percentage of 58.3%, taking 141 of a possible 101 opportunities. The Pioneers went 3-9 on the power play last season against Manhattanville and managed to keep themselves out of the box with crucial composure, only allowing four Valiant power plays over the four matchups. Manhattanville's biggest problem was graduate goal scorer Johnny Mulera (Rockville, MD/Salve Regina University (NCAA DIII)), who netted five of the Pioneers' 12 goals during last season's series. However, the second-highest point getter for the Pioneers is back, with Aydin Parekh (Nobleton, ON) racking up four assists during his outings against the Purchase-based program. Drake Morse (Grand Rapids, MI) was also an apple tree last season against Manhattanville, getting three assists in his four games. Parekh and Morse will play a pivotal role in this weekend's matchups, with both player hoping to secure even more career points against the black and red.
 
In total, the Pioneers returned three goals and 11 assists from their 12 total goals and 19 total assists against Manhattanville last season.
 
Scouting the Valiants: Last season, the Valiants finished with a 10-16-1 record on the year, also compiling an 8-11-1 record in UCHC play. Manhattanville managed to finish as the #3 seed in the UCHC Tournament, defeating Brockport 4-1 before falling to Geneseo by a 2-5 score in the conference semifinals, concluding their 2024-25 campaign.
 
Manhattanville will enter this weekend's series well-rested, having had two full weeks to prepare for the Pioneers. The team is currently 0-3, with losses at Wilkes (1-4), vs Cortland (3-4 OT), and vs Salve Regina (2-6). A significant reason for the team's early-season struggles has been their propensity for giving up uneven goals, as they have allowed two power-play scores and an astonishing three shorthanded goals on just four shorthanded attempts by the opposition. The Pioneers will look to take advantage of this, as they continue to attempt to increase their man-advantage numbers.
 
The Valiants are paced by a trio of three-point players, Jack Roberts (2G, 1A), Johno Hoins (1G, 2A), and Tristan D'Ella (1G, 2A). Brandon Paluszak and Corey Popowcer have the other two remaining goals for the black and red. Notably, the team does connect extremely well on offense during their scoring plays, with the Valiants having two assists on all six of their scores so far this season.
 
In net, William Billequey has received two starts, allowing eight goals and saving 63 shots while posting a 3.95 goals allowed average and 88.7 save percentage. Backup netminder Tripp Clarke has started one game for the team, allowing five goals and saving 38 shots in the team's most recent matchup against Salve Regina.
 
Following the Two-Game Set with Manhattanville: The Pioneers will return next week for their annual Delta by Marriott Thanksgiving Showcase. They'll welcome UMass Boston in the first round of the tournament, with Hamilton and Morrisville making up the other side of the bracket. Should the results fall in a specific order, the Pioneers and Continentals could potentially clash in a seismic re-awakening of one of Division III's fiercest rivalries. The two teams haven't met on the sheet of battle since November 28th, 2014, despite being mere miles from each other. Grab your tickets for next week's tournament now!
 
Tune in this week as the Pioneers continue UCHC play against Manhattanville!