UTICA, NY - The Utica University athletic department has officially announced its 2026 induction class for the Pioneer Hall of Fame. Just like last year, this year's induction class will be honored during homecoming weekend, with a public ceremony planned for halftime of this fall's homecoming football game against SUNY Cortland. That game will take place on Saturday, October 3rd at Gaetano Stadium, and is set for a 1:00 PM start time. The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place the evening before that game, scheduled for 5:30 PM on Friday, October 2nd. Registration information for the event will be released in the near future, so keep an eye on our athletics website for more details!

The Hall of Fame's induction classes highlight the prominent achievements of players who have helped define the successes of Utica University Athletics.
 
The 2026 class includes the trailblazing 1970 Utica College Club Football Team, men's lacrosse all-time goals leader and nationally recognized first responder Matt Donaldson '05, and four-time all-region softball selection Alysa Russell '16.
 
The Pioneer Hall of Fame was established in 2008 to celebrate the dedicated student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and benefactors whose extraordinary achievements express the values of Utica University in the spirit of competition within a lifelong learning environment.
 
Pioneer Hall of Fame Class of 2026
1970 Utica College Club Football Team
Utica's success in NCAA Division III Football can be traced back to the legendary 1970 Utica Football Team, a squad that reached incredible heights in just its fifth year of existence. Club football at Utica was established in 1966 but did not see much success in its first few years, posting a 5-18-1 record over its first four campaigns. However, 1970 broke the mold and brought the College national recognition, thanks to the superb efforts of a "grid" program led by head coach Rich Joseph and captains Tony Joseph, Ken Circelli, and Bob Garrett. In 1970, the "Utes" rebounded from a week one loss to a Tom Couglin-led RIT squad, prompting the future Hall of Fame coach to note the Pioneers as one of his most notable opponents. Following that loss, the Pioneers would reel off five straight wins to finish the season with a stellar 5-1 record, completely shattering nearly all program records in the process. It all began with a week two upset victory over a St. Lawrence team that had beaten the Pioneers 66-0 just two years prior. In that matchup, Bill Wood would launch a 35-yard field goal in the closing seconds to seal a momentous win, which sparked the team throughout the rest of the season. Heading into their final matchup, the Pioneers would find themselves ranked 15th out of 63 nationally ranked football clubs, while also seeing a few players gain national recognition, including Stan Enoch and Bob Garrett. Enoch, a freshman at the time, gave opposing defenses nightmares all year long, as he scored seven touchdowns and rushed for 93 yards a game and 5.7 yards per carry en route to being named the team's MVP. Additionally, Enoch ranked sixth in the entire country for yards per game and eighth in the country for total points. On defense, Garrett proved to be a ballhawk, intercepting four passes in the Pioneers' week three victory over St. Michael's. This saw the captain reach the national rankings for total interceptions. This particular season is special not only for its wins but also for how it shifted the perception of gridiron football at Utica College. Prior to this season, the program had little backing and seemed a long way from becoming a varsity program. However, following the magical 5-1 campaign, the school eventually supported varsity football at Utica College, leading to the formation of the Pioneer football program as we know it today. These 36 men and their coaches were true Pioneers, paving the way for all the players, wins, and recognition that would arrive after their 1970 campaign.
 
Here is the full schedule from that season:
At Rochester Institute of Technology - L, 21-6
Vs St. Lawrence - W, 19-16
At St. Michael's (VT) - W, 29-12
At Cortland State - Canceled due to poor field conditions
Vs Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - W, 27-9
Vs Plattsburgh State - W, 14-7
At Union College (NY) - W, 20-13
 
The members of the team included:
Head Coach: Rich Joseph
Assistant Coaches: George Abdoo, Pete Pace
Captains: Tony Joseph, Ken Circelli, Bob Garrett
Team Manager: Dave Nobles
Statistician: Joe Bottini
Filmer: Bob Joseph
Players: Steve Alcala, Ronnie Barr, Dave Briggs, Joe Calabrese, Pete Caruso, Pete Cataldo, Jerry Cousins, Mark DeCotis, Pat Devaney, John DeLuca, Stan Enoch, Curt Enoch, Santo Falbo, Steve Greenberg, Bart Guglielmetti, Glenn Guzzetti, Pat Helbach, Arnie Hook, Walt Iwanyszyn, Bob Jones, Carl Klossner, Tom Luley, Jock Macdonald, Larry Maley, Barry Morgan, Kerk Moore, Herman Prince, Jim Ritzel, John Scott, Howard Smith, Tom Spellman, George Talbot, Ed Wallace, and William Wood
 
The players who helped pave the way for the 1970 team include athletes from 1966-1970, including Bert Tamer, Robert Donnelly, Gene Harris, Al Slocum, John Booth, Edward Parker, Mark Gellasch, Peter Glass, Mark Stein, Greg Donahue, Tony Tripodi, Jim Shaut, Wayne Korowitz, Fran Leone, Larry Custodero, Jerry Loftis, Walt Seminiak, Keith Haller, Don Denato, Bill Meola, Ed O'Toole, Charles Dru Eckert, Gary Rosato, Scott Healy, Michael Freeman, Ron Wargo, Bob Scott, and Onofrio Puleo.
 
Matt Donaldson '05 - Men's Lacrosse - 2002-05
Donaldson was a potent offensive player during the first few years of the varsity men's lacrosse program at Utica, piling up incredible goal-scoring numbers that still top the record books. In addition to a stellar career with the blue and orange in the early 2000's, Donaldson would also gain national recognition in his post-graduate career as he was one of the first law enforcement officers to arrive at the scene of the 2017 Mandalay Bay shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. At Utica, Donaldson helped the team to some early success, achieving the program's first winning record in 2003 (8-6). The program's early wins came as a result of Donaldson's scoring prowess, as the Dexter, New York native scored over 40 goals in each of his last three seasons with the Pioneers to secure the program's all-time career points record (219) and all-time career goals record (165). Both of those marks have withstood the test of time, with each record being significantly higher than the next-closest career marks, even after over 20 years. Michael Bulger is the closest Pioneer to Donaldson's career points mark, with his 179 points still being 40 short of Donaldson's 219, while Ben Winkler stands second in career goals scored, with his 125 goals being 40 short of Donaldson's 165. Donaldson also still holds additional records, including career goals per game (2.89), career man-up goals (29), and single-season goals per game (3.36 - 2005), To cap off his tenure with the program, Donaldson was named to two consecutive Empire 8 All-Conference teams in his final two seasons. Following his playing career, Donaldson embarked on a career in law enforcement, which led him to become a detective for the Las Vegas Police Department, a role he held during 2017 when the Mandalay Bay shooting occurred. Donaldson, who was completing paperwork at the time of the attack, made his way to the hotel and joined a group of three other first responders who became the first officers to converge on the room containing the shooter. Donaldson's group breached the shooter's room on the 32nd floor, helping put an end to the attack, before returning to the ground floor to help with the rescue effort for the injured victims. Donaldson currently holds the role of Detective Sergeant with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
 
Alysa (Russell) Wotten '16 - Softball - 2013-16
Alysa led the softball program through its most successful seasons to date, including the team's first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2013. Alysa, a dominant force at the plate, was incredible over her four seasons with the Pioneers, earning NFCA All-Region honors each year while posting a batting average above .400 in each campaign. She was also an ironwoman, starting in all 153 of her appearances for the blue and orange. The superstar shortstop picked up an array of honors, including earning four All-Empire 8 selections (two first team), a selection to the ECAC Division III All-Star Team in her junior year, and the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year in her debut season. Alysa capped off her career with a slew of records, many of which still stand today. The Mechanicville, New York native still holds the program records for career slugging percentage (.682), career total bases (339), single-season slugging percentage (.868 - 2015), and single-season stolen bases (26 - 2016), while placing second for many other categories, including career stolen bases (52), career average (.425), career on-base percentage (.467), career runs scored (142), career hits (211), and career home runs (24). Throughout her tenure, the Pioneers compiled a record of 96-60, including three trips to the Empire 8 Tournament and the program's first foray into the NCAA Tournament during her raucous rookie season in 2013. During that NCAA Tournament campaign, Russell would help lead the program to its first-ever NCAA Tournament win, grabbing two hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored in a decisive 8-1 victory over Penn State - Berks. She would continue to cement her status as a big-game player in later seasons, helping guide the team to two more Empire 8 Tournaments, including a semifinal berth in 2014, and a selection to the Empire 8 All-Tournament team in 2016. Alysa currently resides in Canada with her husband, Chris, and daughters Chloe and Quinn. She currently works as an Emergency Room Nurse and continues to play softball in various recreational leagues.
 
Do you know our next Hall of Famer? Make sure to submit a nomination using the following link!
 
Pioneer Hall of Fame Nomination Form
 
As mentioned, this year's ceremony will be open to the public and will take place on Friday, October 2nd at 5:30 PM. Registration information for the event will be released in the near future, so make sure to keep an eye on our athletics website for more information!