UTICA, NY - Utica University's men's soccer team is set to begin Empire 8 Conference play after a week off. Now sitting 3-2 on the season, the Pioneers will face off against the Houghton University Highlanders on Saturday, the 20th. 

Follow Along: The video stream for Saturday's game can be found here, with live stats found here.

Week in Review: The Pioneers split in their two games last week. They started the week battling with Hobart College, falling by a score of 1-2. Utica opened the scoring just before the 15-minute mark in the game, but heavy pressure by the Statesmen caught up with Utica as the game progressed. They responded to the Hobart game by defeating SUNY Morrisville 2-0. Utica found success by putting more shots on target, recording six shots on goal compared to Morrisville's two, despite Morrisville totaling more shots overall.

Back to Form: Graduate student Byamungu Mugushu (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Grimes) has picked up right where he left off in the 2023 season. After scoring two goals in his debut on the 6th, Mugushu recorded a point in each game last week to start his season with a three-game point streak. Senior captain Noah Nassberg (Naples, FL/Gulf Coast) also recorded one goal and one assist last week, tying with freshman Henry Schweitzer (Clinton, NY/Clinton) for second-most points on the team with five.

Scouting Houghton: The Highlanders have struggled out of the gate. Houghton has played to a 1-3 record, being held scoreless in each of their losses. Their win came in a 4-1 contest against the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, giving them a 4:11 goal differential. Six different Highlanders have recorded at least one point, led by James Fay with two goals and Nata Souza with two assists. Freshman goalkeeper Stephen McLamb has played in three games for Houghton, leading the team with a 1.91 goals allowed average and a 0.500 save percentage.

Up Next: Utica will play in two games next week. On Wednesday the 24th, Utica will travel to Rochester for a 7:00 pm road match with St. John Fisher. The Pioneers return to Laura M. Casamento Field on Saturday, the 27th, hosting Elmira College in a contest set for 4:00 pm.