Friday, March 8, 2024 Print Edition

Newer FAFSA causing more stress for students and their families

◊ BREANNAN O’HARA, FEATURES EDITOR

In hopes of becoming a shorter and simpler form for college students, the newer FAFSA has come with nothing but difficulties. Usually launching on Oct. 1 each year, the 20242025 academic year form was delayed until late December 2023, and has been mired with technical and administrative issues. These complications have heightened stress for many students who rely on financial aid to attend college.

According to Best Colleges, students won’t be receiving their financial aid award offers until March due to the Department of Education needing more time to adjust to changes in inflation. This delay is causing difficulties in college decision making and determining loans for students.

Jessica Nelson, supervisor and interim vice president for enrollment management, said Utica University is sensitive to this issue and anxiously awaiting for the FAFSA data to come through.

“The FAFSA delay has completely changed the normal college admissions

timeline that students and families are familiar with,” Nelson said. “This delay is adding another layer of stress to an already stressful time.”

Kaelyn Buehler, a prospective college student who is a senior at Oriskany High School, said the new form is personally causing her a lot of stress, as well as her friends in regards to choosing what colleges they will be able to attend.

Buehler said the delays are frusterating and are causing her to make last minute decisions.

“With the FAFSA delays, it is making it really hard to see if I’ll be able to choose a college in an

appropriate amount of time,” Buehler said. “How much I pay for college depends on how much financial aid I get which dictates what colleges I can choose from. If it keeps getting delayed, I might not get any financial aid at all and possibly miss the opportunity to go to my dream college if accepted.”

The FAFSA has a reputation for being a stressful aspect of college enrollment, but with increased challenges in the revised version, the application process is now even more rigorous.

Ryli Mcgorry, a freshman at Utica University, had first hand experience with the technical issues.

“The website is usually doing maintenance so a lot of the time when I was trying to fill out my forms they either didn’t save or I couldn’t call the website for help in the time that was allotted,” Mcgorry said. “I’ve been on hold with people from the site for over two hours and it’s really inconvenient if you have a job or play a sport.”

This challenge made her enrollment process extremely difficult because she did not get her full aid package, requiring her to take out a bigger loan, Mcgorry said.

As these issues persist, students and their families are still struggling, playing a waiting game for the data to be processed.

Utica University is here to help and give support through this process in any way possible, according to Nelson.

“We will be flexible with enrollment deadlines, knowing that families will need more time to review financial aid once received,” Nelson said. “To be prepared, we encourage families to create their FSA ID and submit their FAFSA as soon as possible.”

Photo from the Tangerine archive

Spring 2024 STAFF

@UticaTangerine

@Utica_Tangerine

@Utica_Tangerine

Editor-In-Chief - Isa Hudziak

Managing Editor - Diana Sidorevich

Layout Editor - Chakradhar Palli

Features Editor - Breannan O’Hara

Sports Editor - Brady Barnard

Online and Social Media Manager - Eleanor Berkhoudt

Senior Feature Writer - Charles Buckley

Senior News Reporter - Kayden Lamphere

Sports Reporter - Nick Phillips

Staff Photographer - Luke Reed

Circulation Manager - Juan Alvarez Garcia Adviser - Mary Christopher

About

The Tangerine is published biweekly during the academic year by and for Utica University students. To reach a member of the staff, email tanger@utica.edu or call 315-792-3065. All material printed in The Tangerine is copyrighted. The Tangerine was first published as the Utica College News on Nov. 6, 1946.

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The opinions and columns expressed in The Tangerine are those of the individual writers and do not represent the views of The Tangerine or Utica University.

NEWS

Campus safety Blotter

Campus parking issues: Causes and solutions

◊ BREANNAN O’HARA, FEATURES EDITOR

For many campus commuters, parking spaces have been hard to find, potentially leading students to be late to class. The campus has three main parking lots, A-C, that wrap around the academic complexes, available for commuters, faculty and staff.

These parking lots tend to fill up quickly, causing the search for an open spot longer than usual for students.

According to Shad Crowe, vice president of facilitates and emergency management, the issues surrounding campus parking are mainly due to

unused areas that seem to be “too far away” and most of us want to avoid “walking any farther than necessary” for the sake of arriving on time.

”The university offers plenty of parking opportunities, but like parking everywhere, there are close spots and there are those that are not as close,” Crowe said.

Julie Savitskiy, a sophomore commuter, said when she arrives for her 8:30 a.m. classes, the parking lots are already full. She is also concerned about the presence of potholes in some of the parking areas.

“I’ve heard other people complaining that they need to park close

to the admissions office because they don’t want to take the chance to find another parking space,” Savitskiy said. “The parking lots that are open have horrible potholes and sometimes they’re not visible.”

Particularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, commuters appear to have more difficulty finding parking. Morgan Kelly, a junior commuter, said that compared to other days of the week, these days are more “busy.”

“Parking is so hectic during the week for commuters, there’s not enough spots at all,” Kelly said.

The design of the campus parking lots

allows for access to all academic buildings and complexes, although sometimes hard to map out. Crowe said after he studied the map, he was able to determine the shortest distance to buildings from almost anywhere and how to get there quickly.

“There are potentially shorter distances between parking lots and buildings that often go unnoticed or are not considered,” Crowe said. “Becoming aware of those walkways, doors, and exits that you may not have used in the past, or weren’t aware of, can definitely help ease the stress if you end up needing to park a bit farther away than you were hoping.”

In comparison to parking regulations at similar universities, Utica has relatively short walking distances and flexible parking restrictions such as not charging a fee for parking on campus. According to Crowe, there are no plans to expand available spaces for students.

“Sometimes we might have to walk a few more steps than we would like,” Crowe said. “But we are still very fortunate to have a much shorter walk to our buildings than most places.”

Overhead view of Utica University showing ways to access academic buildings and complexes from each parking lot.

/ Photo Courtesy of Shad Crowe

Q&A with Mike Galime: Utica’s new mayor outlines his vision

◊ DIANA SIDOREVICH MANAGING EDITOR

Q: What can the city of Utica expect from you as their mayor?

They can expect someone who is ultimately reachable. Like many people who have moved here or grown up here and love the city, this is where I’m from. I became involved by running for council president eight years ago. I wanted to organize the council so it was more accessible and could function for business, students, kids and everyone who lives here. In the same way, I want the administration to reflect that.

Q: You’ve been in the local government since 2015. With a background in optical engineering and business management, why did you decide to move into city politics?

In high school, I always read the paper and paid attention to what the government was doing. I always had the opinion that if we don’t keep tabs on who’s taking care of the structure around you, you could find yourself in a situation where you don’t like your surroundings any longer. I always had that vantage point.

I never owned my own business, but in 2008 I had the opportunity to open an office downtown. I was part of a business network then and helped employees get parking permits, figure out where to get other resources like office

supplies and internet, so I got a full-on view of knowing what it was like to be not only a resident but a professional as well. As a musician, I worked in the nightlife of downtown Utica, so I [had a view of what] 24 hours in the city was like.

I wanted my community to be successful, I wanted the government to reflect what the future of Utica is going to look like and wanted to make sure the council had a professional interface, so I took the personnel management mentality and the engineering and business mentality and applied it to the council when I ran for council president. I wanted to run for council president so that I could organize the council, structure the committees around the real needs of the city and create a working council rather than a political council.

Q: What are some of the problems the city faces?

Right now one of the biggest is youth violence. There is a crisis and epidemic of youth finding the wrong path and our current laws and societal structure not providing any way out of a negative direction. That’s extremely important, whether that’s providing more youth sports, internships, better working relationships with the school district, our immigrant and refugee organizations and ultimately the state, county and other participating gov-

ernments creating a joint solution to rally around this issue. It’s a huge priority for this administration.

Another problem is the financial state of the city. I want to see the city in a position where, over the long-term, we’re paying for our annual operational expenses out of our operational budget. In my opinion, we are sometimes too quick to take out debt, we don’t tend to advocate in Albany for financial components of our revenue streams appropriately and that’s why for the past two months, the chief of staff and I have been in Albany multiple times. We attended the New York Conference of Mayors(NYCOM). It’s the first time in 12 years that Utica has been represented at NYCOM by the mayor.

Q: You proposed a 16.5% property tax increase for 2025. How will that impact residents in the short and long term?

In the short term, the percentage is a lot to swallow. I don’t know where we’re going to be when the council is done with the budget. I don’t have a feel for what type of amendments they may try to make. I put this budget together based on what I believe is the strongest financial position to continue to provide the services the city provides. I didn’t add any services. We spent a lot of time over the last decade building up a fund balance and that fund balance took a large hit in the last 2.5 years. I would have liked to cushion the blow a little bit and spread a tax rise over the next couple of years, but unfortunately I was faced

Utica’s mayor Mike Galime

/ Photo Courtesy of Mayor’s Office

CONT. FROM PG 5

with putting the budget together that set the levy, which ended up being 16.5%. What’s not being discussed or reported much is that even with that, we still have to appropriate $2.2 million for (or of) the fund balance, which would account for another 10-11% of a tax increase as well, if I didn’t do that. It’s a shock, but if you look at our levy, it hasn’t changed in 6 years.

It sounds insane because it’s 16.5%, but the average assessment in Utica for a residence is around $250 for the year. Throughout inflation, oth-

er municipalities and the county have been raising taxes.

If we do this now, it allows us to adjust the levy to a point where we can sustain our fund balance which is well below the minimum recommended fund balance. When I reached out to our bond council and fiscal advisors about borrowing for a capital plan this year and getting rerated, I was concerned that our bond rating would be lowered. They looked at how I put the budget together and said we’re doing the things that need to be done to correct the problem and right the ship. Long term, this will put us

back on the right track. If we have higher interest rates because of a bond rating change, which I anticipate will have one but not as bad if we take care of it right.

Q: What hobbies and interests do you pursue on the side?

I started being paid as a professional musician when I was 15; I was classically trained on the saxophone and I play the guitar. I work on cars, I’ve done a 3-angle valve job on imported heads by hand, I build watches and I’m really involved with my kids. I have a 14-year-old and a 10-year-old and try to get them involved

in music, doing science projects, building and working on cars.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 30 years?

That’s a hard question because I’m not here because I planned on being here. In everything I’ve done, I’ve done my best until I get to a point where there’s a door or opportunity to contribute somewhere else. I don’t know what it is, but when I commit, I commit to something fully until it’s over. I’ll still be hanging out on Crestway, the street I live on, and going up north to Fourth Lake for fishing and waterskiing.

Utica University students and staff remember Chef Stephen Reynolds

◊ KAYDEN LAMPHERE SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

On Feb. 22, Utica University Culinary Lead Stephen Reynolds passed away as a result of illness after serving students and staff since 1988.

“He was more than an employee. He was our family,” Sodexo’sRetail Manager Stacy Thomas said. “When

I started working here at 20 years old, he took me under his wing, taught me how to be a leader, and worked next to me in all aspects of the business.”

“Scuba Steve” was known by many for his love of hunting, fishing, growing vegetables and animals, according to Thomas.

“His dogs were his life,”

Thomas said. “He used to train beagles as hunting dogs. He loved his chickens, which he would bring the eggs to us to share.”

Reynolds was extremely dedicated to his craft, General Manager of Sodexo Dining Services Damian Boehlert said. Everything from sports banquets to catering were prepared by him.

“He was here every day, he never missed work,” Boehlert said. “If we had a person call in, I always immediately looked to Steve. I never had to supervise him.”

According to Boehlert, Reynolds took charge of providing for students with dietary needs, giving options to those who needed them outside of the typical offerings.

“He had recently received a letter from a student to thank him,” Boehlert said, “It was really heartwarming for him to know he had im-

pacted that person in the way he did.”

Arthur Langdon, executive chef at Utica University, said how ingrained Reynolds was in the Utica University system.

“There was always a level of reliability with [Steve], he wasn’t just your average employee,” Langdon said. “He had keys, combinations to safes. If one of our managers weren’t here, he would be the guy to step into that role.”

Above all else, according to Langdon, Reynolds loved his job because of his love for Utica University.

“He enjoyed work because he was doing it for the students and the campus community,” Langdon said. “Whether it was doing things for the Heart Run & Walk, or wearing a Utica hat or shirt, Steve enjoyed being a part of this community.”

Chef “Scuba Steve” Reynolds, who served for 36 years at Utica University / Photo: Stacy Thomas

Nursing students encounter opportunities and challenges at Wynn

◊ BREANNAN O’HARA FEATURES EDITOR

Nursing students have completed clinicals at Wynn Hospital for almost four months now after the transfer from St. Luke’s Hospital on Oct. 29. Throughout the initial weeks of the transition, students encountered some difficulties with supply access and workflow with staff but say the hospital has become more organized over time.

According to Paula Furseth, clinical skills lab and simulation coordinator, there were second thoughts among faculty on sending students to start clinical at the new hospital right away.

“The hospital was not prepared for students, let alone staff,” Furseth said. “For the first two weeks, staff was scrambling around and there was not the supplies we needed and it was not organized well, but it all worked out and is resolved now.”

The new hospital is

equipped with newer technology and an efficient layout that students have had the opportunity to work on practical nursing skills in. Furseth said students are adjusting well because it is overall “a better facility that is set up nicely” and has “bigger rooms” that provide more space for patients and medical equipment.

“The updated technology amazes me everyday because something simple like taking vitals takes time due to the patient load, but now patients

are hooked up to monitors and it’s done for you, alerting you when there’s an abnormality,” junior nursing student Arissa Rendino said.

The main issue still affecting students is the lack of parking at the hospital. Rendino said it is “frustrating” that the parking garage is yet to be completed because it makes the commute for students prolonged.

“The shuttle is one of the biggest changes for students; however, this is very common among other

hospitals,” Furseth said. “A couple other professors and myself have changed our clinical times to make sure there is always a shuttle available for students.”

The construction of a new hospital from the groundup is a rare occurrence. Most won’t have this opportunity in their whole career and the faculty and nursing students are “very fortunate” to be able to work in a new facility, Furseth said.

The new hospital shows the progression and transformation of health services and technology for current and future generations of nursing students, opening a window of opportunities.

“I think the students appreciate what a modern hospital looks like,” Furseth said.

The Wynn Hospital: new facility where nursing students clinicals are held. / Photo courtesy of Arissa Rendino

Search for provost and VP of enrollment management underway

◊ KAYDEN LAMPHERE, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

A new vice president of enrollment management is making their way to Utica University, with the job search soon coming to a close. Candidates individually appeared on campus during the last week of February.

“[The vice president of enrollment management] is such a critical position that all universities need,” Utica University President Todd Pfannestiel said. “We need a leader in that role who is going to lead our excellent team, and when Dr. Jeff Gates left for an opportunity in Florida, we launched our search right away.”

To assist in the job search process, Utica University hired RH Perry, the search firm that was utilized during the university’s recent president search, according to Pfannestiel.

“They have networks and know everyone across the country, so we know we’ll be getting the best possible candidates,” Pfannestiel said. “We actually connected and consulted with a lot of the same individuals

during this process as we did with the president search.”

In addition to the search firm, the university also formed its own search committee, comprised of faculty and staff members.

At the time of publication, there were four potential finalist candidates, according to Pfannestiel. Each candidate was given an opportunity to make themselves known to the greater Utica University community.

“While candidates are here, they are given a full day of interview time,” Pfannestiel said.

“They’ll meet with the search committee,

the employees that work in enrollment management, the other vice presidents, the president, and then there will be an open forum in the afternoon for faculty and students to speak with them. Then, we take into consideration everyone’s thoughts, and the committee meets to provide a final report to me.”

Currently, the goal is for the search committee to make their recommendation before spring break begins. If this is accomplished, Pfannestiel hopes to extend an offer to their selection by the end of March and see them start in their position as soon as possible.

The search for a new provost is behind the vice president of enrollment management search, having just gotten under way. The job listing was posted on Feb. 14.

“The advertisement is out there now,” Pfannestiel said. “A search committee has been formed for [the provost search], and we plan on getting together before spring break to talk about our process.”

The provost search has been off to a quick start, with several applicants coming in just a few days after the position was posted.

“Thus far, we have 15 potential candidates,” Pfannestiel said. “With the Provost search, there are less available positions, hence why our pool here has been bigger than that with the Vice President of Enrollment Management search.”

The Utica University provost application deadline is March 29. At publication, the provost search is looking to interview candidates in the beginning of April, with finalists coming to campus before the end of the month.

The Cynkus Family Welcome Center, location of the offices of enrollment management

/ Photo: Utica University

FEATURES

Newly-formed Cricket Club hosts first match, featuring President Pfannestiel and Provost Nesbitt

◊ DIANA SIDOREVICH, MANAGING EDITOR

On Monday, March 4, newly-formed Utica Cricket Club hosted their first match at Casamento Field. President Todd Pfannestiel and Provost Stephanie Nesbitt broke in the cricket bats on opposing teams and drew a small crowd of viewers, including international students and faculty members.

The cricket club was formed in January by graduate students Vernon Dcunha and Rahul Rishi. Dcunha serves as the club’s

president and said he and other students were passionate about the sport but felt disconnected from it due to a lack of organized activities. The club gained momentum when Director of Academic Business Development Elizabeth Nassar donated cricket equipment to the international students.

“This act of kindness not only provided access to necessary gear but also symbolized the inclusive spirit of our club, fostering a sense of belonging among diverse student communities,” Dcunha

said.

A deep-rooted love for cricket and the desire to create a vibrant community drove Dcunha to start the club, which has more than 42 active participants including students from different groups and backgrounds and faculty members. About 65% of the club’s members are from India where the sport is very popular, and they displayed a welcoming attitude at the match by inviting spectators to join in, several of whom did.

The diversity of the club’s

members and spectators playing together

“enriches our club’s culture and strengthens our collective bond, creating a vibrant community united by our shared passion for cricket,” Dcunha said.

Team Todd won the match by 12 runs, and all players left the field in high spirits.

The Cricket Club’s president said support from the International and SLCE office were instrumental in organizing the event and invited the community to join the club for future matches.

President Pfannestiel and Provost Nesbitt join the Cricket Club for their first game on Casamento Field / Photos courtsey of Adrienne Smith/Utica Marketing & Communications

Thousands attend America’s Greatest Heart Run & Walk on campus

◊ NICHOLAS ROBINSON STAFF WRITER

America’s Greatest Heart Run & Walk celebrated its 50th anniversary on Saturday, March 2 with nearly 2,000 participants at Utica University. Just over $500,000 was raised for the American Heart Association and will help fund research to end heart disease and stroke.

The damp and cold weather didn’t deter walkers and runners from all over New York to come out and support the American Heart Association.

Utica University’s women’s lacrosse team was one of many groups from campus who participated in the event. Members from the campus radio station WPNR played music and

encouraged participants to finish strong.

The run/walk had three options for participants, including the 18mile run that began in Barneveld, and the 3-mile run and 3-mile walk that started in front of Utica University and ended on Utica’s campus.

Every race had a strong turnout and the events afterwards such as the expo and people on the sidewalks no matter where you were cheering you on and playing music was a perfect sight to see. After the events, walkers and runners could go back inside Miga Court to warm up and talk with others about why they were there and the significance the event had to them.

According to the American Heart Association website, this year’s top fundraisers were:

• NYCM Insurance, $63,553.44

• Albert Pylinksi, $61,809

• ES Community Teams, $55,249.53

• Treadmill Challenge, $23,968.21

• Friends of Heart, $20,187

Particpants at the 50th annual Hear Run & Walk / Photos: Nicholas Robinson

Utica University Film Series remains a cultural stronghold for campus and local community

◊ CHARLIE BUCKLEY SENIOR FEATURES WRITER

Utica University’s Film Series is a longstanding class and event that began in 1964 by Jurji Savyckj, a student of the class of 1966.

“Jurji and a couple other students were annoyed by the fact that you couldn’t find European films anywhere in Utica,” said Jeff Miller, communications and media professor and director of the Film Series since the spring of 2000.

“There were a lot more movie theaters in Utica at the time as well.”

Miller said Jurji and the students made weekly trips to New York City in order to see foreign films and took notes on them so that when they returned to Utica, they could rent the film and show it on campus to other students.

“After he graduated, many different clubs attempted to keep the film series going until around 1974 when Scott MacDonald, a former English teacher took over the film series,” Miller said.

Miller described MacDonald as a leading American film scholar who wrote a large number of books pertaining to independent film. MacDonald ran the Film Series for about 24 years.

When Miller arrived at Utica in 1997, his advisor for his dissertation told him how amazing of an opportunity it was that he was going to be working with MacDonald.

“It convinced me the first semester I was here to actually sit in on MacDonald’s classes,” Miller said.

Miller said MacDonald confided in him about being worried the film series would disappear when he would retire in 1999. Miller made the decision to take on the project with the help of two professors from the history department and one from the Spanish department.

“We decided that with the four of us, we might be able to replicate what one man could do before,” Miller said. “So two of us programmed the series for the fall of 1999.”

Miller took on the following in the spring semester by himself because it was too much

work for his partner.

“Since then I’ve been in charge of the film series for over 24 years now,” Miller said. “I’ve enjoyed being able to show different films that leave students feeling interested and wanting to know and find out more.”

A lot goes into the choices he makes in terms of what films are shown to the students for the film series, Miller said.

“This is not a, come see a movie and pat Professor Miller on the back, night,” Miller said. “I try to bring films that I hope will challenge the way people think of motion pictures.”

Miller said challenging the way people think of motion pictures is one of the reasons he tends to show foreign films, as

there are very little to no foreign films shown in the Utica area.

“If you go to Syracuse, you might find a foreign film. If you go to New York City you’ll find some, and you might even be able to see some in Albany,” Miller said.

One of the reasons he enjoys the Film Series so much is that it brings people together to watch a movie, instead of everyone finding a movie to watch through other means such as their phones, Miller said.

“Some films might be able to be found on a streaming service through a person’s phone but it’s not the same experience,” Miller said. “So I really do try to bring films that make people become invested and want to watch it in its entirety.”

The official poster for the Films on Thursday showings.

/ Courtesy of Dr. Jeff Miller

Op-Ed: ‘Alice in Wonderland’ delights young and old audiences

◊ ELEANOR BERKHOUDT SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Audience members went down the rabbit hole and became immersed in Wonderland during the Utica University Theatre’s presentation of “Alice In Wonderland” from Feb. 29 - March 3. Children’s laughter could be heard coming from the audience throughout the familyfriendly performance.

I attended the March 2 evening performance with family and friends. A sign outside the entrance to the Strebel Auditorium read “Caution Rabbit Hole” with an arrow pointing towards the door. In the middle of the stage in Strebel Auditorium stood a wooden house, surrounded by an array of colorful flowers. The auditorium had playing cards strung along its walls and a checkered path led the way to the stage.

Director Rachel Wolfe took full advantage of the possibilities of a live setting by decorating the walls of the auditorium and having the characters interact with the audience.

“It was a great production for kids and

had fun interactive activities for both kids and adults,” senior Corrine Bush said. “I hope the theater department does more interactive performances.”

Wolfe made the show a fully immersive experience by encouraging the audience to participate in the performance. Before taking a seat, everyone received an audience participation kit. It included a teacup to join in the Mad Hatter’s tea party, a white rose to paint with a red marker while you are waiting for the show to start, bubbles for any time you want,

but especially during the caterpillar scene, and a flower to hold up and be part of the garden. Throughout the performance, the characters ventured out into the audience multiple times. One of my favorite parts was when the characters searched the auditorium to find a young audience member to come up on stage and fill time when a cast member was changing. The interactive component set this play apart from others I’ve seen and it was fun to watch the kids enjoy the spotlight.

Wolfe said the actoraudience interaction “gives the impression

that you’re there with the characters which is something that I think live theater can really do well.”

Since “Alice in Wonderland” is a children’s play, this is somebody’s first experience with attending live theater, according to Wolfe. She wanted it to be different from watching a movie and decided to make it an interactive performance to show off the possibilities of what you can do when you’re telling a story in a live setting.

“Since our culture is very screen oriented I sort of wanted to open up people’s imaginations,” Wolfe said.

Grace Monaco as Alice during the production.

/ Photo by Nicolas Leonard

‘Alice in Wonderland’ gallery by Nico Leonard

Pioneers trample Yeshiva University in weekend games

◊ ETHAN ROBERTS STAFF WRITER

The Utica University men’s baseball team’s trip to Yeshiva University proved successful with a total of 40 runs scored in two games.

In the first doubleheader game on March 6, the Pioneers lit up the scoreboard putting up 16 runs with a final score of 16-3.

Twelve runs were scored in the 6th inning. Sophomore Jack Scanlon led the offense, going four for five with five RBI. He would end the game with two doubles and a triple. Seniors Dom Fasolo and Jason Story

also registered multiple hits. Graduate student Joe Crossley was able to get on base with each of his five attempts at bat with one hit and four walks.

On the defensive side, Utica sent six pitchers to the mound, five of them pitching one inning while sophomore Kody Czternastek pitched two.

The second half of the double header was even more of a blowout, with Utica scoring 24 runs while only giving up one.

This time around sophomore Jacob Pian registered three hits. Crossley went two for

two with a pair of walks and four stolen bases. Story hit his second home run of the season while going two for three on the night. Sophomore Lance Berger finished the game with two hits and three RBI.

Crossley said the weekend was a huge positive all around.

“Offensively we had a lot of guys contributing and getting on base,” Crossley said. “We also had a lot of pitchers who threw this weekend and they threw very well.”

The team heads down to Florida on March 9, for seven games. Story is excited to head down to the sunshine state.

“I think we will really start to see the team gel as a whole as this trip progresses as guys start to get comfortable and in a groove at the plate,” Story said. “Each game in Florida will be a battle and will certainly prepare us for Empire 8 Conference play coming up when we return.”

Crossley is looking forward to his last year of collegiate baseball.

“Since this is my last year I am really just trying to enjoy every moment whether it’s the bus rides, practices, or games,” Crossley said. “At the end of the day we are playing the same game we have been playing since we were kids.”

Utica men’s exciting basketball season in review

◊ NICK PHILLIPS SPORTS REPORTER

Utica’s men’s basketball season came to an end on Friday, March 1 after a 83-54 loss against Trinity College during the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The Pioneers started their season in winning fashion against SUNY Potsdam with a 16 point victory. From there Utica kept their foot on the gas and finished the regular season with an Empire 8 best 22-3 record.

Utica clinched a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament after winning the Empire 8 Tournament on Feb. 4. They won their first game of the Empire 8 Tournament by a score of 70-61 in a close game

against fifth seeded Alfred University.

From there the Pioneers faced number 2 seed Nazareth University in the Empire 8 championship where they won by a score of 97-90. Justice Brantley had a team

high 28 points in the victory where he continued the tremendous success that he found this season, leading the team in scoring with 17.2 points per contest.

Brantley became one of just 18 players to reach

the coveted mark of 1,000 points. He reached the historic mark with a 20 point performance in a win against Houghton University on January 27.

Utica Men’s Basketball endured a tremendous season despite losing their first NCAA Tournament game to Trinity College / Photo by Kayleigh Sturtevant

CONT. FROM PG 14

The fifth year graduate student has been the leading scorer for the Pioneers over the last two seasons.

Heading into the NCAA Tournament Utica was on fire, coming off of a nine game winning streak and winners of 19 of their last 20 games. That all came crashing down in a blowout loss against Trinity College.

After trailing 35-22 against Trinity College at the half, Utica was outscored 48-32 in the second half as Trinity College shot a scorching 59.38% from the field in the second half after only shooting 41.18% in the first half of the contest. Ben Callahan-Gold led Trinity with 15 points while

Brantley had a game high of 19 points

Trinity College currently has a 28-1 record (9-1 NESCAC) at the time of publication and beat number 1 seeded Williams College in the NESCAC Tournament Championship Final by a score of 59-52 to clinch a spot in the NCAA Tournament. After beating Utica, Trinity College went on to beat Swarthmore College by a score of 83-74 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Their next game will be against Tufts University in the Sweet 16.

After falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, it is a bittersweet ending to a successful season for the Pioneers. While graduate students Brantley and Thomas Morreale

and seniors Jackson Atty, Damian Call and Luke Bourgault are ending their respective careers, Utica looks to be a contender for the E8 crown again next season with a strong core of players returning to program such as Dayion Thompson and Hagen Foley baring them entering into the transfer portal.

Some players, such as sophomore guard Ben Wittman, are using experiences from this season as motivation for next season.

“I am going to learn from the loss and try to improve by playing more physically, getting stronger, and coming back more confident to help my team win,” Wittman said. Wittman said even with

the heartbreaking loss, he still views the season as a success and wants to build on that even more next season.

“This season was down right amazing,” he said. “From start to finish the guys around me were dedicated and determined to do the things we accomplished this year. They are truly my family.”

Witman was not the only Utica player who had this mindset as freshman guard Thaddeaus Luke had a similar opinion.

“I thought we had a really good season and won the empire 8 Championship which was our ultimate goal,” Luke said. “The loss in the NCAA tournament is a good motivation tool

Men’s hockey takes home third straight UCHC title, first NCAA game on March 16

◊ ALEXIS WIMETT STAFF WRITER

The men’s hockey team continued in the driver’s seat after defeating Stevenson University 3-2 on Saturday, winning their third consecutive UCHC title and fifth overall in program history.

Jakob Breault won 20 of his 28 faceoffs in the evening to give the No. 2 Pioneers an abundance of additional possessions.

Eric Vitale led Utica with five shots on goal, one goal, and one assist. Breault and Griffen Barr each had one goal.

Preston Brighton had one assist, while Drake Morse and Kimball Johnson

both had two.

Not only did goalkeeper Ethan Roberts walk away with 28 saves, with 17 of them coming in the last minute, he was also named the 2024 Tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

“I’m just happy that I truly got an opportunity to prove myself this year and show that I can win the big games,” Roberts said. “My defense makes it relatively easy on me, so the award is more for the whole D-core than it is just me.”

Utica meant business in the opening seven minutes of the first period after a turnover. A brilliant play in the offensive zone

set up Vitale’s goal, which Utica took 1-0 lead thanks to assists from Johnson and Brighton.

“Scoring the first goal and hearing the levels of the crowd will be a memory never forgotten,” Vitale said. “Throwing my gloves and helmet off was one of the best feelings ever as it was my first league championship win in my hockey career.”

The two teams spent a large portion of the next play in the neutral zone, with each goalie stopping several great opportunities for both teams. The Mustangs, however, tied the score at 1-1 after taking advantage of a power play and a pass during a three-on-one. To

conclude the first period the Pioneers led the shooting war 11 to 8, and the score was tied 1-1.

In the second period, the Pioneers wasted no time with assistance from Morse and Vitale, Barr hit the ground running with a shot from the blue line just 37 seconds in, giving the team a 2-1 lead.

Around the 12-minute mark, Utica was awarded a power play. Despite having few good opportunities, the Stevenson defense held firm.

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Due to holding, Utica received yet another opportunity for a power play, and the Pioneers made sure to take advantage of it.

With less than five minutes remaining in the second half, scoring his tenth goal of the season, Breault blasted home a rebound off assists from Johnson and Morse to increase Utica’s lead to 3-1.

A slashing penalty gave the Pioneers their third power play of the half with two minutes left.

The Mustangs’ defense continued to stand strong, stopping Utica’s few chances to score.

The teams engaged in a possession battle in the neutral zone during the first few minutes of the final period. About five minutes into the third period, Utica was awarded another power play, but they were unable to convert.

The Mustangs’ goalie made several excellent saves to preserve the game 3-1, but the Pioneers remained aggressive and controlled the puck in the offensive zone. Stevenson continued getting closer, and at the last second, they scored a rebound goal to reduce Utica’s advantage to just 3-2.

“The crowd really carried us home,” Roberts said. “When that puck dropped they were so loud the whole rest of the game it gave me goosebumps and really flipped us into another gear to dig deep

and win a huge game for the city.”

Winning the conference championship, the Pioneers received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, which begins on Saturday, March 9 with a game between Plymouth State and SUNY Cortland. Utica will hit the ice again in the NCAA quarterfinal on Saturday, March 16 at 7 p.m. at the Adirondack Bank Center, hosting the winner of the Plymouth State and SUNY Cortland game.

“It’s the plays away from

the puck such as blocking shots, laying big hits and bringing the energy on the bench that transitions us to finding the back of the net,” Brighton said.

Head coach Gary Heenan intends to get the team ready for both scenarios. It’s about their method of play, not the team they’re playing against.

“There has been such a turnover in roster so winning the league and getting into NCAA’s was unexpected heading into the year,” Heenan said. “I’m super proud of this

young group.”

Heenan said although he is proud of the team, he understands that they will need to make some adjustments in order to succeed in the NCAA tournament.

“This validates all our team’s hard work and dedication all year,” Vitale said. “Winning created a huge positive momentum for our team and I can feel our team will be more assured in our skills and abilities which will translate to our upcoming performance.”

Photo courtesy of YSM Media