UTICA, NY - For the fourth straight season, the NCAA Tournament is coming back to the Adirondack Bank Center.
 
On Monday, the Pioneers received an at-large bid to their fifth-straight NCAA Tournament dating back to pre-covid times, continuing a wondrous run that's seen them host a plethora of matchups in the big dance. Thanks to their number four spot in the NCAA Percentage Index, the Pioneers were gifted a home game in the first round of this year's tournament. Their opponent will be surprise MASCAC Champion Fitchburg State, who took down the Cinderella side MCLA by a 3-1 score to receive the conference's automatic bid. The Falcons will take their first trip to downtown Utica, with Saturday's showdown presenting the first all-time meeting between the two teams. Saturday's NCAA First Round is slated for a 1:00 PM puck drop. Get caught up on all the information regarding this weekend's main event down below.
 
How to Watch the NCAA Tournament First Round: You can watch this weekend's tournament tilt by heading to the link below or by clicking the "Watch" link under the contest in both the men's hockey schedule page as well as the athletics home page.
Stream link for Saturday's NCAA First Round game: https://www.empire8network.com/utica/?B=2243715
 
Keep Up with Live Stats: You can follow along with the live stats for this weekend's playoff fixture by heading to the "Live Stats" tab under the matchup in the Men's Ice Hockey schedule section of our athletics website. You can also follow the link below to view live statistics for the contest.
Live Stats link for Saturday's NCAA First Round game:
https://uticapioneers.com/sidearmstats/mhockey/summary
 
Looking for a Ticket?: You can purchase tickets to the contest by heading to empirestatetix.com or by clicking the link below. Tickets are $12 each!
Ticket link: https://empirestatetix.evenue.net/events/UCP
 
Setting the Stage: The big dance is on the horizon, with six 1st-round matchups getting underway this Saturday. The bracket release incited various reactions from pundits and fans alike, but the sentiment remained the same: the selection committee exceeded all expectations. Here is a look at this year's bracket courtesy of DIIIHockeyNews.com.
 
 
 
The committee defied all expectations with their selections, staying true to the NPI rankings and setting up a potential quarterfinal round full of heavy travel and crossover clashes the likes of which have never been seen before in Division III. Look no further than the Pioneers' quadrant for an example of this, as no matter who advances from this weekend's action, the ensuing quarterfinal will feature a cross-country matchup between an eastern rep and a western rep. This willingness to make teams travel has created the opportunity for many interesting first round matchups, with many teams taking extended road trips to complete their first-round contests. Here's a look at the first-round mileage traveled for each team.
 
(10) Oswego State - 513 miles - At (7) Trine
Oswego, NY - Angola, IN
 
(12) Gustavus Adolphus - 345 miles - At (5) St. Norbert
St. Peter, MN - De Pere, WI
 
(9) Hamilton - 315 miles - At (8) University of New England
Clinton, NY - Biddeford, ME
 
(13) Wisconsin Eau-Claire - 311 miles - At (3) Aurora
Eau Claire, WI - Geneva, IL
 
(11) Stevenson - 300 miles - At (6) Geneseo
Owings Mills, MD - Geneseo, NY
 
(14) Fitchburg State - 251 miles - At (4) Utica
Fitchburg, MA - Utica, NY
 
This is a significant amount of travel for most teams involved, setting up lots of interesting matchups that would normally never be seen outside of the NCAA Tournament. Things could get even more interesting in the Quarterfinal round, with the possibility of travel getting even crazier. Some of the more wild scenarios would see matchups such at St. Norbert vs Utica (928 miles) or Aurora vs Geneseo (626 miles).
 
A Look at The Field: 10 teams captured automatic bids to the NCAA tournament thanks to victories in their respective conference tournaments, while four teams gained entry to the big dance thanks to their regular season accomplishments. The NHCA conference leads all leagues with three teams in the field (Aurora, St. Norbert, Trine). The UCHC (Utica, SUNY Geneseo) and CNE (Curry, University of New England) also send two teams each to the tournament. Here's a look at the pre-tournament seedings based on the NCAA Percentage Index.
 
1: Curry (24-3-0)
2: Hobart (26-1-1)
3: Aurora (23-4-1)
4: Utica (21-4-2)
5: St. Norbert (23-5-1)
6: SUNY Geneseo (22-4-1)
7: Trine (20-6-2)
8: University of New England (18-7-1)
9: Hamilton (20-6-1)
10: Oswego State (16-8-3)
11: Stevenson (18-7-2)
12: Gustavus Adolphus (16-9-2)
13: Wisconsin Eau Claire (14-15-1)
14: Fitchburg State (15-12-1)
 
The Pioneers have played eight games against teams in the tournament field, although five of those matchups have featured the SUNY Geneseo Knights. The other three, interestingly enough, came against the other three teams who came to this season's Utica Thanksgiving Showcase, an early-season tournament in which the Pioneers emerged victorious. At the time, none of the other three teams were ranked, but with all three of Oswego State, University of New England, and Stevenson making the tournament field, the Utica Thanksgiving Showcase presented some of the greatest talent and competition that this season of Division III Hockey had to offer. Utica went 3-0 against those three opponents, defeating University of New England in a 6-5 thriller, Stevenson by a 6-1 score, and Oswego by a 5-3 final to notch a trio of high-profile resume builders.
 
Despite the Pioneers' familiarity with a majority of the tournament field, the Pioneers will see no familiar faces until at least the Frozen Four. Even with history against teams such as Curry, Hobart, SUNY Geneseo, Hamilton, University of New England, Oswego State, and Stevenson, the Pioneers' quadrant will plunge them into uncharted territory. Among the three teams in direct competition with Utica for a coveted spot in the Division III Frozen Four, none of them have ever met the Pioneers on the ice, with the orange and blue never suiting up opposite the likes of Gustavus Adolphus, St. Norbert, or their first-round opponent, Fitchburg State. Here's what to expect from the Falcons when they voyage to the Adirondack Bank Center this Saturday.
 
Featuring the Fitchburg State Falcons: Don't let the Falcons' record fool you, this team can score with the best of them. The MASCAC Champs, exactly like Utica, possess six players with 20 or more points. The Fitchburg offense is spearheaded by a pair of double-digit goal-getters as Hunter Dunn and Nicklas Millhorn share the sugar with 12 goals each to lead the team. Fitchburg's other top net-finders include Elowan Orme Lynch, who ranks third on the team for goals scored with eight, followed by a pair of players with seven scores each in Jack Johansen and Jeremy Maillet. Orme Lynch and Johansen also are tied for the second-most points on the team, with each player holding 23 points on the season.
 
The Falcons also share the puck extremely well, with their top six point-getters all owning double-figure assist numbers as well. Samuel Rennick leads the way with 17 playmakers, followed by Johansen and the other Orme Lynch, Matteo, who have each accrued 16 apples.
 
The Falcons have scored 90 goals on the year. For a frame of reference, Utica has 119 goals and ranks third in scoring offense in Division III. This goal total gives Fitchburg the 30th ranked offense in the nation, an above average mark. The team has reached the four-goal threshold in eight games this season, showcasing a propensity to put away lots of scores on their best nights. The Falcons' offense is nothing to scoff at, and their status as conference champions should give them all the credibility that they deserve as a top-tier opponent.
 
The Falcons are no slouch on defense either, allowing just 11 more goals than the Pioneers this season and posting a total goals allowed average of 2.79 per game. Frederick Soderberg holds the most games played in goal this season for the team, although it was Max Macchioni who got the call during each one of the Falcons' postseason victories. Macchioni has the superior numbers, posting a 2.18 goals allowed average and an indomitable 94% save percentage. Soderberg has supplied some spectacular defense at points this season though, posting a 2.95 goals allowed average and a 90.4% save percentage.
 
This team is a recently resurgent one as well, claiming their first MASCAC Championship since 2018 and ending the five-year reign of previous Pioneer tournament opponent Plymouth State, who fell in the opening round of the MASCAC tournament to eight seed MCLA. The championship win creates lots of energy and momentum for the team heading into this matchup.
 
The Coaching Clinic: Someone who knows exactly how to create momentum is 41-year head coach Dean Fuller, who entered his fifth decade as skipper of the Falcons this season. Coach Fuller has led the Falcons into battle more than 1,000 times, compiling a career record of 605-366-67. He's seen it all as the leader of the Falcons, that is, except for the Adirondack Bank Center, as Coach Fuller will lead his team into the Pioneers' den for the first time in their history this Saturday. Fuller currently ranks third in career wins among all-active Division III coaches and 15th all-time among the Division III coaching ranks. His .616 career winning percentage is also an extraordinary mark, showcasing his stability over his many decades of service at Fitchburg.
 
Saturday will be an excellent tactical tussle between two of Division III's premier coaches, as Fuller's counterpart resides within the top 50 for all-time winning percentage in Division III. Pioneer coach Gary Heenan possesses a record of 393-184-54 over his 24 seasons as the lead man of the orange and blue. Coach Heenan's career winning percentage sits at 67% entering Saturday's matchup, which places him 41st all-time according to USCHO's coaching statistics. Along with St. Norbert skipper Tim Coghlin, the lower left pod of the bracket may hold the highest amount of combined coaching wins and combined coaching seasons, with the three coaches combining for 1,681 career wins in 2,598 career games and 95 total seasons coached. Despite all these games, the Pioneers have never met either team on the ice, with lots of mystery surrounding all potential matchups for the team in their quest for another Frozen Four appearance. 
 
The Pioneers do possess an anomaly though despite all this mystery surrounding their opponent, as one of their players is quite familiar with the Falcons. Mid-season transfer Collin Patterson (Rockledge, FL/UMass Dartmouth (NCAA DIII)) actually suited up against the MASCAC champs earlier this campaign during the end of his tenure with the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs. Back on November 21st, 2025, Patterson put away an overtime goal to defeat the previously unbeaten Falcons. In the game, the Florida native netted a hat trick in addition to a single playmaker. Patterson proved to be the difference in the early-season matchup, and with his recent string of success over the past few games, it will be interesting to see what he brings to the table against his former MASCAC foe.
 
After the NCAA Tournament First Round Matchup: It is now officially win or go home for the Pioneers. Should they advance in the big dance this Saturday, they will move on to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal, where they'll meet an interesting western opponent in either Gustavus Adolphus or St. Norbert. The Gusties and Green Knights will begin their first-round tilt at 7:00 PM this Saturday.
 
The tournament is HERE! Grab a ticket or tune into Saturday's NCAA First Round action!