Utica College - Athletics

Athletics

UC offers 21 Division III intercollegiate sports affiliated with the NCAA, Empire 8 Conference and the ECAC.

Teams are known as the Pioneers and compete in the Empire 8 Athletic Conference along with Elmira, Alfred, Hartwick, Ithaca, Nazareth, Stevens Institute of Technology and St. John Fisher. The men's and women's hockey teams compete in the ECAC West athletic conference. The women's water polo team competes in the Collegiate Water Polo Association's Northern Division. The school's mascot is a moose named Trax. Almost 70% of the student population engages in intramural activities.

Facility use is at an all-time high as UC students, faculty, and staff pursue a healthy array of recreational opportunities in the Harold T. Clark Athletic Center. Recent renovation to the fitness center offers the UC community one of the best nautilus and free weight exercise experiences in the area.

The student body's overall interest in athletics was significantly bolstered by the addition of football and ice hockey teams in 2001. The football, field hockey, soccer and lacrosse teams play in Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. The 1,200 seat venue was completed in 2001 and has a modern field turf playing surface. The ice hockey teams compete at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The Aud, as it is commonly called, was built in 1959 and provides seating for over 4,000 fans. The men's hockey team led the nation in Division III home attendance in the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons. The basketball teams play on campus at the Harold Thomas Clark Jr. Athletic Center, which also has a pool and racquetball courts.

In November 2007, the Utica College football team set an NCAA football record, the highest combined score (142 points) by two teams, in their 72-70 loss to Hartwick College in four overtimes. In this game, Utica also set the NCAA record for most points scored (70) in a loss.

UC has had a strong Women's Basketball team in recent years. In 2008, the team won the Empire 8 Conference Championship. In 2009, they tied with Ithaca as the regular season Empire 8 champions. In 2010, they regained their Empire 8 Conference Championship title.