UTICA, NY - A chill is in the air down in the Mohawk Valley, and that means that the winter sports season has officially taken over in the Utica athletics department! Women's Volleyball and Cross Country wrap up competition over the next few weeks, while Football pushes to continue their postseason aspirations. Meanwhile, basketball and wrestling are back as winter sports continue to get started.
 
Catch up on last week's action and get ready for this week's events with our Pioneer Primer!
 
To Read About a Specific Team, Click the Team Below:
Cross Country
Football
Men's Ice Hockey
Women's Ice Hockey
Volleyball
Men's Wrestling
Women's Wrestling
Women's Basketball
 
 
Pioneer Athletes of the Week:
Yael Fatiev (Kiryat Shmona, Israel/Ontario Hockey Academy) - Women's Ice Hockey
Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) - Men's Cross Country


 
This Week in Utica Athletics:
Check out the Composite Schedule for complete schedule details - Link: https://uticapioneers.com/calendar
 
Home games are bolded and highlighted in Orange:
 
Thursday, November 5th
7:00 PM - Men's Ice Hockey vs #2/2 Hobart | NBT Bank Arena
7:00 PM - Women's Volleyball at Univ. of Rochester | Louis Alexander Palestra
 
Friday, November 6th
3:00 PM - Women's Ice Hockey at RV/RV Oswego State | Marano Campus Center Arena
 
Saturday, November 7th
1:00 PM - Football at Hartwick | Wright Stadium
1:00 PM - Men's Wrestling at Onondaga CC (Dual) | Allyn Hall Gymnasium
2:00 PM- Women's Basketball vs SUNY Morrisville | Miga Court
3:00 PM - Women's Ice Hockey vs RV/RV Oswego State | Nexus Center
4:00 PM - Men's Ice Hockey at #2/2 Hobart | The Cooler
4:00 PM - Women's Wrestling at Ithaca Invitational | Ben Light Gymnasium
 
For live streaming and live stats information for all Pioneer matchups visit "This Week's Live Coverage" under the "Inside Athletics" tab at the top of the website, or click this link: https://uticapioneers.com/coverage 
 
WEEKLY PREVIEWS:
 
Cross Country - Utica's men's and women's cross country teams have a week-long break to recover from last weekend's Empire 8 Championships before traveling to Fredonia, NY on Saturday, November 14 for the 2026 NCAA Niagara Regional, hosted by SUNY Fredonia.
 
This Year's E8 Championship:
Men: The team earned a fourth-place finish out of 11 teams at the 2026 Empire 8 Championships, totaling 99 points. Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) led the Pioneers with a runner-up finish, completing the 8k course in 25:15.8, just 5.7 seconds behind the individual champion. Killian Bauer (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherill) followed with a fourth-place finish in 25:33.8, giving Utica two runners inside the top five. Timothy Jeralds (Canaan, NY/Chatham Central) placed 23rd in 27:13.9, while the Pioneers finished 14 points ahead of fifth-place Nazareth.
 
Women: The team earned a fifth-place finish out of 11 teams at the 2026 Empire 8 Championships, totaling 117 points. Marlo Townsend (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) led the Pioneers with an 11th-place finish, completing the 6k course in 22:30.2. Catherine Manna (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) followed in 16th place with a time of 23:06.2, giving Utica two runners inside the top 20. Lacey Simmons (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) (24:32.2) and Nicole Arnhold (Hampton, NY/Granville) (24:37.6) finished 37th and 40th, respectively, while Tara Fobare (Sauquoit, NY/New Hartford) rounded out the scoring five with a 49th-place finish in 25:05.7.
 
Trax Fax:

• Killian Bauer (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherill) made a significant jump at the Empire 8 Championships, improving from 23rd place in 2025 to fourth place in 2026. The sophomore, who earned third-team All-Conference honors during his freshman campaign, climbed 19 positions in the conference standings and crossed the finish line in 25:33.8. His fourth-place finish puts him in position to earn first-team All-Empire 8 honors for the first time in his career.
• Bennett Melita (Johnstown, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) enters the NCAA Niagara Regional looking to qualify for his third consecutive NCAA Division III National Championship. The senior earned individual bids in both 2024 and 2025, placing ninth at the 2024 regional before improving to fifth in 2025. His performance last season helped the Pioneers secure a program-best sixth-place regional finish, marking the team's first top-10 finish at the event.
• The Pioneers showed improvement in the team standings at the Empire 8 Championships, lowering their point total from 137 in 2025 to 117 in 2026. Utica maintained its fifth-place conference finish despite the field expanding from nine scoring teams to 11. Marlo Townsend (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) and Catherine Manna (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) once again led the way, finishing 11th and 16th overall, respectively, to give the Pioneers two runners inside the top 20.
• Marlo Townsend (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) returns to the NCAA Niagara Regional after earning All-Region honors in 2025 with a 30th-place finish. The senior has continued to lead the Pioneers throughout her final collegiate cross country season, most recently completing the Empire 8 Championship 6k course in 22:30.2. Townsend's performance was 25.5 seconds faster than her 2025 conference championship time of 22:55.7, although the races were held on different courses

Up Next: If qualified, athletes will compete in the 2026 NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 21 at the Bill Huyck Championship Cross Country Course in Northfield, MN, hosted by Carleton College.

Football - Football picked up a gigantic road win this past weekend, using a 35-14 drubbing of St. John Fisher to inch closer in the quest for the program's second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The team saw a pair of players pick up accolades as they continue to stack up the hardware across this two-year run of dominance. The Pioneers will head down to Hartwick this Saturday and will look to build upon their four-game win streak.
 
Last Week's Results
Vs St. John Fisher | Saturday, October 31st
            W, 35-14 (Szalkowski - 36-43, 259 yards, 4 Total TDs, Frederick - 13 rec, 120 yards, 2
TDs, Yeomas - 115 yards rushing, 1 TD, DeGroat - 2 sacks, 1 pbu, Fernand - 6 tackles,
1 pbu, 1 ff, Gentile - 6 tackles, 2 pbu)
 
Trax Fax:

• The Pioneers' 35-14 win kept them towards the top of the official NCAA Division III NPI - the determining factor for the NCAA postseason. With the victory, the team remained firmly in the postseason picture, now sitting at the #14 spot, and in line for the second-highest at-large bid if the season ended today. As of this moment, the team would also be in line to host its first-ever NCAA Tournament game at Gaetano Stadium.
• In addition to ranking highly in the NPI, the Pioneers' win over another highly-rated opponent in St. John Fisher saw them rocket back into both the D3football.com and AFCA Top 25 polls. In the D3football.com rankings, the team jumped back up to its season-high ranking of 22, while in the AFCA, the team re-entered at 24. The Pioneers have a couple of huge chances to increase that standing by the end of the regular season, with matchups against Hartwick and an extremely hot Brockport team.
• Against St. John Fisher, quarterback Tyler Szalkowski (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) put his veteran disposition on full display, earning his second Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week accolade of the 2026 season. The Rochester native had an all-time great performance, adapting to the Cardinals' tricky drop-8 coverage by racking up 36 completions, 259 yards passing, and three passing touchdowns in addition to a singular rushing score. The senior signal-caller finished just two completions short of the single-game program record, but managed to grab those 36 completions in just 43 attempts, a completion rate of 84%. His methodical passing performance helped the team hold the ball for over 37 minutes in the matchup, while also going 9-for-13 on third down and 5-for-5 in the redzone.
• Preseason All-American tight end Logan Frederick (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) also lived up to his billing, and then some, as he picked up his fifth-career D3football.com Team of the Week selection, and his second of 2026. The Pioneers' dangerous pass catcher hauled in 13 receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns, falling just one reception short of the program record. Frederick was a force in man coverage, as he provided a matchup nightmare that allowed the Pioneers to slowly work their way down field, resulting in an outstanding offensive performance.
• Linebacker Andrew Lake (Johnstown, NY/Johnstown) was heavily involved in the Pioneers' dominant defensive display on Saturday, turning in a versatile outing as he locked down the Saxon rushing attack, got involved in the pass defense, and tackled well in the open field. Lake was everywhere on Saturday, grabbing four tackles, two of which were solo, along with an interception, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hurry.
• On defense, Pioneer edge rusher Austin DeGroat (Oneida, NY/Oneida) was a game wrecker against St. John Fisher this past Saturday. The sophomore starter bagged two quarterback sacks against St. John Fisher's dual-threat star Ryan Whitney, while also adding a pass deflection along with his three total tackles. DeGroat was a major force behind a Pioneer team that collected seven quarterback hurries and seven breakups, while also allowing just 50 rushing yards on the afternoon.
• In the secondary, Pioneer safety Joseph Gentile (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) was emphatic in the team's win, helping lead a unit that grabbed seven pass breakups and seven quarterback hurries. Gentile did his part with six total tackles and two pass breakups, coming a few inches from a pair of interceptions. At the same time, Gentile was able to step up and stop the rush.

 
Upcoming Opponents:
Hartwick

• Record: 2-6
  • At Misericordia - L, 14-42
  • Vs Buffalo State - W, 47-13
  • At #23 Cortland - L, 3-55
  • Vs SUNY Brockport - L, 11-37
  • Vs Alfred University - L, 7-27
  • At. St. John Fisher - L, 13-27
  • Vs Alfred State - L, 17-24
  • At Morrisville State - W, 17-14

Recent Matchups:

• Against Morrisville: Hartwick enters Saturday's matchup with the Pioneers after securing their first Empire 8 win of the season this past weekend, hunkering down after allowing 14 first-quarter points as they shut out Morrisville for the rest of the game to secure a 17-14 comeback win. Facing a 14-0 deficit, the Hawks would go on to log passing touchdowns in the second and third quarters, with a 29-yard second-quarter field goal ultimately proving to be the difference as the team's halftime adjustments paid off in spades. The Hawks, who were outgained by 121 yards, used a pair of turnovers and superior time of possession to wear down the visiting Mustangs.
• Against Alfred State: The prior weekend, Hartwick nearly pulled off an improbable comeback, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter before Alfred State narrowly won 24-17. Hartwick, who hadn't scored for the first 46 minutes of the contest, suddenly logged two rushing touchdowns and a 38-yard field goal, while an Alfred State touchdown with 2 minutes left proved to be the decisive score, preventing the game from heading to overtime.
• Against St. John Fisher: Hartwick also stayed close with a stellar St. John Fisher team on October 10th, tying the matchup at 13-13 late in the third quarter before two Ryan Whitney rushes of 71 and 80 yards eventually gave Fisher a 27-13 victory. The Hawks, despite being outgained by over 200 yards, kept the game close and held the Cardinals to just 2-11 on third down.

Stat Leaders:

• Offense
  • QB Ty'lyn Blackwell-Williams: 111 completions on 190 attempts, 923 passing yards, eight touchdowns, six interceptions, 58.4% completion rate.
  • RB Akil Williams: 130 carries, 514 rushing yards, four touchdowns, 4 yards per carry.
  • RB Nicholas Massaregli: 48 carries, 273 rushing yards, two touchdowns, 5.7 yards per carry; 29 receptions for 123 receiving yards.
  • WR Latrell Willis: 36 receptions, 309 receiving yards, two touchdowns, 8.6 yards per catch.
  • WR Miles Sinclair: 23 receptions, 258 receiving yards, three touchdowns, 11.2 yards per catch.
  • WR Miles Perry: 22 receptions, 233 receiving yards, two touchdowns, 10.6 yards per catch.
• Defense
  • LB Joseph Algieri: 63 tackles, four tackles for loss, one fumble recovery.
  • DL Nathan Hartman: 47 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble.
  • LB Billy O'Connor: 46 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries.
  • LB Robert Kennedy: 39 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, one fumble recovery.
  • DL Colby Phraner: 36 tackles, six tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries.

What to Watch For: Hartwick enters Saturday averaging 16.1 points and 250.1 yards of total offense per game, while allowing 29.9 points and 379.4 yards per contest. The Hawks have leaned more heavily on their ground game, averaging 101.9 rushing yards per game compared to 148.3 through the air. Blackwell-Williams leads the passing attack with 923 yards and eight touchdowns, while Williams is the team's leading rusher with 514 yards and four scores. Hartwick will look to carry the momentum from its comeback win over Morrisville into Saturday's matchup.
Willis is Blackwell-Williams' top receiving target, leading the Hawks with 309 yards and two touchdowns on 36 catches. Sinclair has added 258 receiving yards and a team-best three touchdowns, while Perry has contributed 233 yards and two scores. The Pioneers will be hungry in the secondary after a Saturday showing that saw them record seven breakups, but no interceptions against the Cardinals. This weekend, the Pioneers will look to add to their nationally-recognized turnover total, but will need not to over-expand against the Hawks.
Defensively, Hartwick has recorded 25 sacks and 62 tackles for loss through eight games. O'Connor leads the Hawks with 9.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss, while Phraner has added 2.5 sacks and six tackles for loss. Algieri and Hartman headline the tackling unit, while Kennedy has made an impact in the secondary with two interceptions. The Pioneers will look to take an early lead against a Hartwick team that's provided some top-tier programs with late-game scares this season. After a comeback win against Morrisville, and extremely close contests with Alfred State and St. John Fisher, a plucky Hawk squad will enter Saturday with lots of confidence, and could be a danger the longer the game remains in question.
Series History: Saturday will mark the 25th meeting between Utica and Hartwick, with the Pioneers holding a 14-10 advantage in the all-time series. Utica has controlled the matchup in recent years, winning nine consecutive meetings dating back to 2016 and nine of the last 10 contests. The Pioneers' most recent victory came last season at Gaetano Stadium, where Utica earned a 64-7 win. The Pioneers jumped out to a 30-0 lead after the first quarter and carried a 36-0 advantage into halftime, finishing with 563 total yards compared to just 136 for the Hawks. Utica also dominated the 2024 meeting, earning a 65-7 road victory after building a 56-0 halftime lead. The Pioneers' nine-game winning streak is the longest in the history of the series, while their largest margin of victory came in 2018 with a 75-14 win over the Hawks.

Up Next: Football will wrap up the regular season the following Saturday with a senior day showing against a powerful Brockport team. The Golden Eagles are undefeated in Empire 8 play, and riding a six-game winning streak after overcoming a week two loss to Hobart. Brockport battles Cortland this weekend in a clash of Empire 8 undefeateds. Should Brockport pull off an incredible upset and defeat the Red Dragons this coming weekend, a win in next Saturday's matchup would give the Pioneers a share of their first-ever Empire 8 Championship.

Men's Ice Hockey - Men's Hockey moved up to #3 in both the USCHO and DIIIHockeyNews.com poll ahead of this week's two-game set with #2 Hobart. The Pioneers' early-season gauntlet continues with two matchups against a Statesmen side that suffered just one defeat this past season. The orange and blue, fresh off a 1-0-1 weekend against Adrian in Michigan, will attempt to increase their early-season momentum.

Last Week's Results
At #8 Adrian | Friday, October 30th

• W, 3-2 (OT) (Rogers - OT Game-Winner, Della Rovere - 1g, 19 FO Wins)

At #8 Adrian | Saturday, October 31st

• T, 4-4 (UTC Wins Shootout 1-0) (Morse - 2g, SO Game-Winner, Galnor - 2a, Modelski - 43 saves)

 
Last Week's Action:
Friday #8 Adrian: Nick Rogers got the 26th season of Utica hockey underway in dramatic fashion during a 3-2 overtime with at #8 Adrian, receiving a pass in the slot from Paul Minnehan (Cypress, CA/Pacifica) before launching a rocket into the upper left of the Bulldog net to snatch a massive season-opening win for the Pioneers. After a scoreless opening period, the teams traded goals throughout the second and third frames before Utica forced overtime with an early third-period equalizer by Della Rovere. Just 3:38 into the extra frame, last year's UCHC Tournament MVP found the back of the net to give the Pioneers a thrilling 3-2 victory and open the season with a win.
 
Saturday at #8 Adrian: The #6 Pioneers delivered a remarkable rally on Saturday afternoon to escape #8 Adrian undefeated, overcoming a four-goal third-period by Adrian before ultimately prevailing in a shootout, 1-0, to earn a hard-fought win over the Bulldogs. In his first collegiate appearance, freshman goaltender Michael Modelski (New Boston, MI/Connections Academy) was spectacular between the pipes, turning aside all four Adrian shootout attempts, including a penalty shot in overtime, while Michigan native Drake Morse (Grand Rapids, MI/East Grand Rapids) delivered the decisive shootout goal to send the orange and blue home with a shootout victory, and remain undefeated through the two-game set in Michigan.
 
This Week's Schedule:
Vs #2 Hobart College - Thursday, November 5th, 7:00 PM | NBT Bank Arena - Utica, NY
At #2 Hobart College - Saturday, November 7th, 4:00 PM | The Cooler - Geneva, NY
 
Trax Fax:

• The Pioneers rebounded in a major way from last season's set with Adrian, as the orange and blue led the Bulldogs for a majority of last weekend's set, including leaving with a win and a shootout win to remain unbeaten.
• In years' past, the Pioneers would put together their biggest wins by outpossessing the other team and holding the puck in their offensive zone to put pressure on the opponent. However, this past weekend was a major reversal, as the Pioneers displayed clinical finishing ability to outscore Adrian 7-6 while being outshot 80-45 over the two matchups. This bodes extremely well for the program, as they normally prefer to play with possession, but could be even more dangerous this season if they can find success without holding the puck for as long as the opponent.
• Senior captain Drake Morse (Grand Rapids, MI/East Grand Rapids) was a major force behind the team's excellent finishing ability, taking home the UCHC and Empire 8 Player of the Week award for his opening weekend heroics at Adrian. The Michigan native contributed two goals, one assist, and a shootout winner to help the orange and blue escape Adrian undefeated. In the opening contest of the weekend, Morse tallied an assist on the Pioneers' third-period equalizer by Andrew Della Rovere (Caledon East, Ontario/St. Michael's Catholic), as the captain made a nifty move and found his fellow senior in the slot to send the game to overtime, where the visitors would ultimately win. Morse's magnum opus came in the second game, though, as he tore through the Bulldog defense, scoring two goals, one of which was a power play tally. In addition to his pair of goals, Morse also came up clutch in the eventual shootout, beating the Adrian goaltender glove-side to give the Pioneers a huge shootout victory.
• The team also saw a pair of strong performances in net. On Friday, senior goaltender Mitchell Day (Kirkwood, MO/Kirkwood) held the Bulldogs to just two goals on 31 shots across his 63 minutes of play. Day also held well in overtime, racking up three saves to keep the game in question before Rogers' winner.
• On Saturday, freshman goaltender Michael Modelski (New Boston, MI/Connections Academy) had a stellar start in his first-ever collegiate appearance, going toe-to-toe with an excellent Adrian offense. In a hostile environment, Modelski made stops at a rapid rate, racking up 43 saves in his first-ever start. In the third period alone, Modelski made 16 saves, showcasing his ability in clutch time. To cap off the afternoon, Modelski would make a well-timed poke check to stop a penalty shot in overtime, before stopping all four Adrian attempts in the eventual shootout to solidify a shootout win for the visiting Pioneers.
• On Saturday, the Pioneers will have a chance to upend the Statesmen's 70-game home winning streak at The Cooler.

 
Upcoming Opponents:
#2 Hobart College

• Record: The No. 2 Statesmen opened 2-0-0 with a home-and-home sweep of Elmira, winning 2-0 at home on Friday before earning a 4-1 road victory on Saturday. Hobart also won both of its preseason exhibition games against King's College and Wilkes.
• Leading Skaters: Adam Mendelson leads Hobart with three points on one goal and two assists. Connor Lally recorded a goal and an assist, while Christian Kocsis and Easton Ryan each contributed two assists during the opening weekend. Each of Hobart's goals on opening weekend was scored by a different player.
• Goalie Leaders: Connor Shibley stopped all 15 shots he faced in Friday's 2-0 shutout, while James Norton made 20 saves in Saturday's 4-1 victory.
• What to Watch For: Hobart outshot Elmira 83-36 across the two games, including a 44-21 advantage on Saturday. The Statesmen scored three second-period goals in Saturday's win and allowed just one goal throughout the weekend. Hobart went 0-for-8 on the power play but killed all five of Elmira's opportunities. The Statesmen also extended their home winning streak to 70 games with Friday's shutout victory.

 
Up Next: The Pioneers will open UCHC play next weekend with a pair of matchups against SUNY Brockport. The Golden Eagles will head to The Aud on Friday, November 13th, before the two teams move back towards Rochester on Saturday, November 14th.
 
Women's Ice Hockey - Women's hockey split its season-opening home-and-home series with William Smith, bouncing back from a 4-2 home loss with a 2-0 shutout in Geneva. The Pioneers enter another non-conference home-and-home this weekend, visiting Oswego State on Friday before hosting the Lakers on Saturday.
 
Last Week's Results
Vs William Smith | Friday, October 30th

• L, 4-2 (Goldie - 1g; Weatherred - 1g; Sheahan - 22 saves)

At William Smith | Saturday, October 31st

• W, 2-0 (Fatiev - 40 saves, shutout; Best - 1g; Dobrzynski - 1g)

 
Last Week's Action:
Friday vs William Smith: Utica built a 2-0 lead in its regular-season opener, but William Smith scored four unanswered goals to take a 4-2 victory. Freshman Meghan Goldie (Rothesay, NB/North America Hockey Academy) opened the scoring with a first-period power-play tip-in goal, and transfer Kyler Weatherred (Eagle, CO/Ralston Valley) added her first as a Pioneer early in the second. Kiernan Ledoux (Shoreline, WA/Shorecrest), Julia Chedel (Haverhill, MA/Kimball Union Academy), Penny Saich (Norwell, MA/Norwell), and Maya Jerome (Belleville, MI/Huron) each recorded an assist. Katie Sheahan (Oak Lawn, IL/North American Hockey Academy) made 22 saves before Yael Fatiev (Kiryat Shmona, Israel/Ontario Hockey Academy) stopped both shots she faced in relief.
 
Saturday at William Smith: Fatiev turned away all 40 shots she faced in her first collegiate start, leading Utica to a 2-0 win and a series split. Kendall Best (Troy, MI/Troy) scored the eventual game-winner at 8:38 of the second period, assisted by Veronica Houk (Richboro, PA/Council Rock South). Samantha Dobrzynski (Garnet Valley, PA/Garnet Valley) added an unassisted power-play goal in the third, while the Pioneers killed all five Heron power plays.
 
This Week's Schedule:
At Oswego State | Friday, November 6th | 3:00 PM | Marano Campus Center Arena
Vs Oswego State | Saturday, November 7th | 3:00 PM | Utica University Nexus Center
 
Trax Fax:

• Fatiev stopped all 42 shots she faced across her two appearances against William Smith, including 19 third-period saves in Saturday's shutout.
• Utica converted two of its four power-play opportunities during the opening series and killed all eight William Smith chances.
• Four Pioneers scored one goal apiece over the weekend: Goldie, Weatherred, Best, and Dobrzynski.
• Utica won 57 of 96 faceoffs (59.4%) in the series. Dobrzynski led the team with 24 wins in 36 draws, while Best won 19 of 32.
• Houk blocked a team-high six shots across the two games, including four in Friday's opener.
• For her heroics in the win against William Smith, Fatiev was named both the UCHC's and Empire 8's Goaltender of the Week. It is a remarkably familiar scenario to fellow netminder Katie Sheahan's (Oak Lawn, IL/North American Hockey Academy) start to her freshman season. Both goalies earned both UCHC and E8 Goalie of the Week honors after their first week of collegiate play. For both, their claim to the honors was staked when they each completed a 40-save shutout to earn their first collegiate wins and Utica's first win of each season. Additionally, in both contests, the goaltending only improved over the game, each making progressively more saves each period.

 
Upcoming Opponents:
Oswego State

• Record: The Lakers opened 2-0-0 with a road sweep at Arcadia, winning 2-1 in overtime on Friday and 3-0 on Saturday.
• Leading Skaters: Natalie Loncz leads Oswego with two goals and ten shots. Georgia Cunliffe and Helen Vandamme each recorded a goal and an assist during the opening weekend.
• Goalie Leaders: Mia Devivo made 20 saves in the overtime win, while Annie-Pier Gilbert stopped all 18 shots she faced in Saturday's shutout.
• What to Watch For: Oswego outshot Arcadia 62-39 across the two games and allowed one goal. The Lakers were 0-for-5 on the power play and killed all six opposing opportunities.

 
Up Next: Utica opens early-season UCHC play with a two-game road series at Hilbert College. The Pioneers and Hawks meet Friday, November 13th at 7:00 PM and Saturday, November 14th at 2:00 PM at Nike Base Ice Rink in Hamburg.

Volleyball - The Utica University volleyball team will close out its 2026 season on Thursday evening, traveling to the University of Rochester for a rematch of an early-season meeting. The Pioneers enter their finale following losses to Nazareth University and St. John Fisher University last weekend. Utica finished Empire 8 play with a 5-6 record, tied with Russell Sage, Nazareth and Brockport in the conference standings, but was eliminated from postseason contention following the conference's tiebreaker procedures.
 
Last Week's Results
Vs. Nazareth University | Friday, October 30th
            L, 3-2 (Bailey - 10k, Wright - 35d, Ancewicz - 16a)
 
Vs. St. John Fisher University | Saturday, October 31st
            L, 3-0 (Bailey - 9k, Wright - 15d, Ancewicz - 12a)

Last Week's Action:
Nazareth: The Pioneers battled through five competitive sets against Nazareth on Friday evening but ultimately fell 3-2. After dropping the opening frame 25-19, Utica responded with consecutive 25-22 and 25-21 victories to take a 2-1 advantage in the match. The Golden Flyers answered with a 25-18 victory in the fourth set to force a decisive fifth frame. Utica built a 9-4 lead in the final set behind a five-point run featuring a Megan Wright (Clay Center, KS/Clay Center Community) service ace, a Trinity Bailey (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) kill and a block from Arianna Williams (North Chili, NY/Churchville-Chili) and Elizabeth Hanba (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy). However, Nazareth rallied to even the score at 11-11 before claiming the final three points of the match to secure a 15-13 victory. Bailey led the Pioneers with 10 kills and 11 digs, while Emylie Stanton (Latham, NY/Shaker) added nine kills and 18 digs. Wright anchored the defense with a match-high 35 digs, matching her second-highest career total.

St. John Fisher: Utica closed out Empire 8 play on Saturday afternoon, falling to St. John Fisher in three sets (25-18, 26-24, 25-14) during its Senior Day matchup. After dropping the opening set, the Pioneers put together a strong comeback effort in the second frame. Trailing 21-17, Utica scored three consecutive points to pull within one before Bailey delivered back-to-back kills to even the score at 24-24. However, the Cardinals answered with consecutive kills to take a two-set advantage. St. John Fisher carried that momentum into the third set, establishing an early lead and maintaining control down the stretch to complete the sweep. Bailey led Utica with nine kills and nine digs, while Mackenzie O'Brien (Troy, NY/Lansingburgh) added six kills and a pair of blocks. Wright contributed a team-high 15 digs, and Alicia Ancewicz (Greenlawn, NY/John Glenn) recorded 12 assists.

This Week's Schedule
At University of Rochester - Thursday, November 5th, 7:00 PM | Rochester, NY

Trax Fax

• Megan Wright (Clay Center, KS/Clay Center Community) continues to lead the Empire 8 in both total digs and digs per set, recording 576 digs and averaging 6.13 per set. Wright collected 50 digs across eight sets last weekend, including a 35-dig performance against Nazareth that matched her second-highest career total. The senior will look to add to her program-record career digs total in Thursday's season finale against Rochester.
• Trinity Bailey (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) enters the final match of the season just three kills shy of reaching 300, having recorded a team-high 297 kills through 89 sets. Bailey ranks fourth in the Empire 8 with 3.34 kills per set and sixth in points per set at 3.80. She has totaled 338 points this season and leads the Pioneers with 32 service aces.

Upcoming Opponents:
University of Rochester

• Record: 10-13 (1-6 UAA)
• Recent Matches: Rochester split its two matches on October 25, falling to Washington University in St. Louis in three sets before rallying from a two-set deficit to defeat Brandeis University, 3-2. After dropping the opening two sets 26-24 and 25-22, the Yellowjackets responded with 25-15, 27-25 and 15-11 victories to complete the comeback.
• Stat Leaders: Myla Nover-Estes leads Rochester with 340 kills and 4.15 kills per set while totaling 364 points. Ellen Porter follows with 154 kills, while Emily Dienger has added 105. Iliana Balaskas leads the team with 360 assists, followed by Julette Azzariti with 278. Azzariti and Valeria Berrios Puig share the team lead with 37 service aces apiece, while Lydia Weeks anchors the defense with 325 digs and 3.96 digs per set.
• What to Watch For: Rochester has been productive from the service line this season, recording 203 service aces and averaging 2.42 per set. The Yellowjackets have also found success in extended matches, winning all three of their five-set contests. Thursday will mark the second meeting between the two programs this season after Rochester defeated Utica 3-1 at the Oneonta Invitational on September 4. The Pioneers claimed the opening set 25-14 before Rochester won the next three frames, 25-19, 25-21 and 25-13. Utica will look to even the season series in Thursday's finale.

Thursday's matchup against the University of Rochester will conclude the Pioneers' 2026 season.

Men's Wrestling - Utica opens its 2026-27 season under first-year head coach Pankil Chander on Saturday, visiting Onondaga Community College. A full-length season preview will be released later this week.

This Week's Schedule:
At Onondaga CC (Dual) - Saturday, November 7th, 1:00 PM | Allyn Hall Gymnasium


Trax Fax:

• Chander becomes the program's third head coach after serving as Wilkes' associate head coach. He is joined by athletic assistant Justin Fortugno, a 2026 WIAC champion and NCAA Championships qualifier at Wisconsin-Whitewater.
• Senior Rian Kirker (Red Hook, NY/Red Hook) leads Utica's returning wrestlers with 11 victories and seven pins last season. Fellow senior Matt Bonato (Syracuse, NY/Liverpool) added nine wins, including four technical falls and three pins.
• The Pioneers return 10 wrestlers who competed last season, when Utica finished 5-2 in dual meets. Marco Milankovic (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park), TJ Monahan (Port Jefferson Station, NY/Comsewogue), and Lukas Charles (Nyack, NY/Nyack) each contributed five individual victories.

 
Up Next: Utica travels to the Electric City Duals, hosted by the University of Scranton, on Sunday, November 15th. Competition begins at 10:00 AM.
 
Women's Wrestling - Utica opens its 2026-27 season on Saturday at the Ithaca Invitational. Head coach Carmela Cancelmo's squad features returning wrestlers Paityn Billard (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) and Octavia Dragotta (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) alongside freshman Cheyenne Cook (Mexico, NY/Mexico).
 
This Week's Schedule:
At Ithaca Invitational - Saturday, November 7th, 4:00 PM | Ben Light Gymnasium
 
Trax Fax:

• Billard enters her senior season after recording four victories, including one pin, last year. She is listed at 160 and 180 pounds this season after competing at 180 and 207 pounds in 2025-26.
• Dragotta returns for her sophomore campaign, listed at 110 and 117 pounds after competing at 124 and 131 pounds last season.
• Cook joins the Pioneers at 117 pounds, preparing for her first collegiate competition. Volunteer assistants Joe Stever and Brian Stever join Cancelmo on the coaching staff.

 
Up Next: Utica hosts the Utica Women's Scramble on Sunday, November 15th, at Miga Court inside the Clark Athletic Center. The start time is to be announced.
 
Women's Basketball - Women's basketball opens the 2026-27 campaign on Saturday, November 7 as the Pioneers welcome SUNY Morrisville with a tipoff slated for 2:00pm from Miga Court inside the Clark Athletic Center. A full-length season preview will be released later this week to get you caught up on all things Utica WBB.
 
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