UTICA, NY- The Utica College men’s hockey team opens up its 2015-16 campaign on Friday night when the Pioneers host Castleton University at the Utica Memorial Auditorium at 7 p.m.
ESPN Broadcast Info: Several Utica College men’s hockey home games will be broadcast on the radio locally at WTLB 99.1 FM/1310 AM (ESPN Radio) by Dave Peroni and UC alum Ray Biggs … Live streaming audio can also be accessed on WTLB’s website, www.espnur.com… Fans can also download the free ESPNUR app on their Iphone or Droid device by searching “ESPNUR” in their respective app store.
WPNR Broadcast Info: Utica College home games are also broadcast over the air and online by Utica College’s student radio station, WPNR 90.7 FM.
Pioneers All-Access: Make sure to catch live video, audio and stats on Pioneers All-Access: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/ … Audio is provided by WPNR 90.7 FM.
Social Media: Make sure to follow live updates of the game on the Pioneers official Twitter feed: @UCPioneers… If you are at the game and on Twitter, or talking about the game on Twitter, make sure to use #UCMoose… You can also “Like” the Pioneers on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UCpioneers … Fans can also follow the Pioneers on Instagram: UCPioneers.
Against Castleton: In the season opener on November 1st last season, UC jumped out to 3-0 lead over the first two periods and never looked back as it went on to take a 4-2 opening day win against Castleton … Later in the season, on January 10th, the Pioneers posted a 3-1 victory over host Castleton … In four matches dating back to the 2009-10 season, the Pioneers hold a 2-1-1 advantage headed into Friday’s contest.
Meet the Coach: Head Coach Gary Heenan, the only coach in program-history, is entering his 15th season with the Pioneers after finishing last season with an overall record of 11-10-5 … Heenan has led UC to 12 ECAC West Conference Tournaments from 2003-2015, making it to the conference championship game three times … Heenan has also guided the Pioneers to three ECAC West Conference regular season championships, and a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four … He has accumulated an overall record of 192-136-38 in his career at UC.
Best Fans in the Nation: The Pioneers once again led the nation in home attendance for the ninth consecutive season last year … Utica’s average home attendance of 3,695 fans per game ranks second all-time for home attendance in division III history, just one spot behind the 2012-13 single season record average of 3,754 set by UC … UC’s average attendance ranked 23rd nationally at all levels of NCAA hockey (DI-DIII) … The Pioneers sold out six of their 14 home games last season … UC also played a part in another record breaking event last season as the Pioneers tied Oswego State, 4-4, in the Frozen Dome Classic at Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome … Utica and Oswego attracted a new NCAA Division III hockey indoor attendance record of 7,047 fans to the Dome for the contest.
Meet the Captains: Junior defenseman Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)) will serve as the team captain while senior Joel Wetmore (Horseheads, NY/Lindsay (OJHL)), junior Easton Powers (South Lyon, MI/Port Huron (NAHL)), and sophomore Brett Szajner (Novi, MI/Amarillo (NAHL)) will serve as assistant captains … Kirisits has played in 53 career games for the Pioneers on the defensive end and he has 14 career points (five goals, nine assists) … Senior Joel Wetmore (Horseheads, NY/Lindsay (OJHL)) returns as the Pioneers most experienced player, having played in 71 career games … He is also the program’s active scoring leader with 32 career points (nine goals, 23 assists) … Easton Powers (South Lyon, MI/Port Huron (NAHL)) returns for his junior campaign after finishing the year tied for the team lead with 14 assists … Powers joins sophomore defender Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) as the Pioneers top returning scorers from a year ago (18 points in 2014-15) … Sophomore defenseman Brett Szajner (Novi, MI/Amarillo (NAHL)) played in 24 games as a freshman and totaled five points (three goals, two assists) … Kirisits, Wetmore, and Powers were all named to the ECAC Men’s West All-Academic Team last Spring for carrying a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
All-Rookie Team Pick: Sophomore defender Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) burst on the collegiate scene with 11 points in his first six games and continued his strong play on the defensive end for the rest of the season en route to earning all-conference second team status and all-rookie team honors last season … He finished the year ranked second on the team with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) … He ranked second in the league in defensemen scoring and second in the league in rookie scoring … He also finished the regular season as the highest scoring freshman defender in the nation.
Scoring Threats: Senior Joel Wetmore (Horseheads, NY/Lindsay (OJHL)) and sophomore Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) will be returning for the Pioneers after tying for fourth on the team with five goals each last season … Wetmore and Valenti also tied for sixth in assists with nine each … Easton Powers (South Lyon, MI/Port Huron (NAHL)) was sixth on the team in goals last season with four, and was tied for first with 14 assists … Junior forward Trent Samuels-Thomas (West Hartford, CT/Omaha (USHL)) will look to have a break out campaign after posting 15 points in 26 games last season.
Looking for Point Production: Senior Nick Miglio (San Antonio, TX/Bismarck (NAHL)), junior Luc Boby (Chicago, IL/Kalamazoo (NAHL)), and sophomore’s Mikhail Bushinski (Woodbury, MN/Kenai River (NAHL)), Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)), Alex Brissette (Atlanta, GA/Hampton Roads (USPHL)), Max Bartell (Rome, NY/Walpole (EHL)), Riley Egan (Lakewood, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)) and Adam Moody (Newmarket, Ontario/Cowichan Valley (BCHL)) will be called upon to pick up the point production lost by the Pioneers graduating class … Miglio has played in 49 games at UC and he has 17 career points … Boby has 37 games under his belt and has 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) … McVeigh had eight points in 21 games last season, while Brissette posted five points in 16 games.
Between the Pipes: Senior Dylan Wells (Nashville, TN/Bonnyville (AJHL)) returns as the Pioneers most experienced goalie after playing in 18 games last season and recording a 9-5-3 overall record to go along with a 2.39 goals against average … Wells transferred into Utica College from Southern Maine, and has played in 32 career games while posting a 2.77 career goals against average … Sophomore Cory Simic (Whitby, Ontario/Smith Falls (CCHL)) and freshman Michael Fredrick (Lethbridge, Alberta/Brooks Bandits (AJHL)) will pressure Wells for the starting role … Simic played in five games as a freshman and posted a 1-2 record to go along with a 3.40 goal against average … Fredrick Played in 139 games over four seasons for the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL… He had 13 shutouts, 3,082 saves, and a save percent average of .909.
On the Defensive End: Junior Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)) will guide the Pioneers defensive unit alongside sophomore’s Brett Szajner (Novi, MI/Amarillo (NAHL)), Vince Stefan (Pittsburgh, PA/Kenai River (NAHL)), Kollin Schultz (Buffalo, NY/Bay State (USPHL)) and Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) … UC will look for leadership out of this group after the graduation of blue line staple Mike Baird (Oakville, Ontario/Huntsville (OJHL)).
Key Losses: The Pioneers lost their top two scorers from a season ago to graduation, along with three other graduates … Louie Educate (Chicago, IL/Aberdeen (NAHL)) was two-time ECAC West All-Conference team pick after earning first team status twice and player of the year honors as a sophomore … Over the course of four collegiate seasons the former All-American played in 107 career games and posted 120 points (62 goals, 58 assists) … Peter LaFosse (Merrimack, NH/Kimball Union Academy) was second on the team in goals last season with eight … Lafosse finished his four-year career at UC with 19 goals and 22 assists … Justin Hogan (Val Therese, Ontario/Brooks Bandits (AJHL)) finished last season tied for seventh on the team in goals with four, and third in assists with 13.
Meet the Freshman
Shawn Lynch (Syracuse, NY/Ottawa Jr. Senators (CCHL))
Played in 110 career games for the Ottawa Junior Senators of the Canadian Junior Hockey League … Registered 38 goals and 54 assists for a total of 92 points in two seasons … In 2014-15 he posted a career-best 54 points (23 goals, 31 assists) … Netted 13 power-play goals and added seven game-winners in his career.
Hayden Hanson (Chagrin Falls, OH/Lonestar (NAHL))
Played 166 games over that last three seasons on two teams … His first two seasons were spent with the Kemptville 73’s of the CCHL and his third season was on the Lone Star Brahmas of the NAHL … Hansen registered nine goals and 40 assists for a total of 49 points in three seasons … Last year with Lone Star he posted 16 points in 52 games played.
Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL))
Played in 194 games over four seasons on three teams… His first three seasons were spent with the Sherbrooke Cougars and his fourth season was spent with the Pembroke Lumber Kings and the Gloucester Rangers… He totaled 99 points off of 25 goals, and 74 assists over four seasons… He finished the year with Gloucester last season as an assistant captain and posted 25 points in 31 games (six goals, 19 assists).
Luke Formica (Sterling Heights, MI/Northern Cyclones (EHL))
Played the majority of last season with the Northern Cycles of the EHL … Played in 27 games and posted seven points and 90 penalty minutes … In ten playoff games with the Cyclones he registered two points.
LJ Fellows (Hyannis, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL))
Played in 118 career games for the Northern Cyclones and registered 79 career points … Was named captain last season … Posted 12 points in 22 career post season contests.
Kris Melna (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Welland (GOJHL))
Played in 222 games over seven seasons on six teams… He totaled 180 points off of 82 goals and 98 assists…He had 21 points off of 10 goals and 11 assists in the postseason … Last season he played for the Welland Jr. Canadians where he registered 39 points (17 goals, 22 assists) in 48 games … He tallied six points in ten post season games last year.
Justin Derlago (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Selkirk (MJHL))
Played in 187 games over five seasons with the Selkirk Steelers in the MJHL … Derlago registered 53 goals and 44 assists for a total of 97 points in five years … In his best season he scored 26 goals and had 21 assists for 47 points.
Alex Roberts (Burnaby, British Columbia/Brooks Bandits (AJHL))
Played in 155 games over four seasons on three teams…He played for the Brooks Bandits for three seasons (2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015), the Coquitlam Express one season, and the Flin Flon Bombers one season… He totaled 92 points off of 44 goals and 48 assists… In postseason play he had 20 points off of 13 goals and seven assists … Last season he played in 59 games for Brooks and posted 53 points (25 goals, 28 assists).
Hayden Dawes (Stony Plain, Alberta/Drayton Valley (AJHL))
Played in 37 games for the Drayton Valley Thunder of the AJHL last season … Posted 26 points on 10 goals and 16 assists for the Thunder … Prior to his time with Drayton he played on the Fort McMurray Oil Barons and the Flin Flon Bombers … Played in 59 games for Fort McMurray of the AJHL and posted 48 points … Also spent seven games with the Calgary Canucks of the AJHL last season.
Michael Fredrick (Lethbridge, Alberta/Brooks Bandits (AJHL))
Played in 139 games over four seasons for the Brooks Bandits… He had 13 shutouts, 3,082 saves, and a save percent average of .909 over four seasons.
