General | 3/28/2022 4:03:00 PM
UTICA, NY - The Utica University athletic department has announced its 2022 induction class for the Pioneer Hall of Fame. This year's induction class will be honored alongside the 2020 induction class as part of the 2022 Pioneer Hall of Fame & Senior Student-Athlete Recognition event to take place on Wednesday May 11, 2022.
The Hall of Fame's induction classes highlight the prominent achievements of players who have helped define the successes of Utica University Athletics.
The 2022 class includes field hockey All-American Hannah (Mackey) Scheminger '15, men's ice hockey All-American Louie Educate '15, and the 2009-10 Utica women's basketball team.
The 2020 class includes star tight end Brian Barth '06 of the Utica football program, water polo All-American Evelyn Kurzac '14, women's ice hockey All-American Megan Myers '14, and softball All-American Meghan Matan '14.
Tickets for the event can be purchased online
HERE
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.
Class of 2022
Louie Educate '15
Ice Hockey Student-Athlete
When Louie Educate came to Utica ahead of the 2012-13 season, his arrival generated an atypical amount of buzz. The anticipation of Pioneer fans came with good reason. Educate had just led the nation with 27 goals as a freshman at Nichols College, and arrived in Utica seeking a new challenge.
Over the next three seasons, the forward would rise to that challenge while producing some of the most memorable moments in not only the context of the program's history, but moments that stand out in the sport's rich tradition in the Mohawk Valley. He led Utica to 48 wins in three seasons, including 21 victories and the program's first NCAA tournament appearance in the 2012-13 season as an at-large selection. That NCAA appearance culminated with the program's first national tournament win and a spot in the national semifinals. Educate's team-leading 18 goals that season included some of the most important goals of the campaign. He scored Utica's lone goal in the NCAA semifinals against Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and also scored the game-winning goal in a thrilling 1-0 win over Hobart that was surely influential in that year's tournament selections. The 2012-13 team was previously enshrined in the Pioneer Hall of Fame, making Educate a two-time inductee.
His 80 career points in a Pioneer uniform ranked tenth in program history entering the 2021-22 season, while his 36 goals while wearing the Blue and Orange ranked seventh on that very same list. The prolific sniper is tied for second in school history with eight game-winning goals. Prior to this season, he was fourth on the program's single season list with eighteen goals. Between his careers at Utica and Nichols, Educate had 122 career points in 108 games.
He was a two-time ECAC West All-Conference pick, and was the conference's 2013 Player of the Year. Educate was also a 2013 AHCA Division III First Team All-American, and was also named to the Division III All-USCHO team in the same year. He also won the 2015 Dick Miller award.
After playing for Utica, Educate set his sights on professional hockey. He played parts of three seasons in the Southern Professional Hockey League, and also had a short stint in the German fifth division. Educate's career helped set a new standard for the program. Since his collegiate playing days were finished, the Pioneers have appeared in the conference final in six out of the seven years that followed, and won three conference tournament titles. He was part of the Pioneers' 2017-18 conference championship while serving as an assistant coach.
He remains a huge part of the Utica hockey family to this day, serving the Utica Junior Comets organization as the head coach of their National Collegiate Development Conference squad.
A native of Chicago, Illinois, Educate earned his degree in Risk Management and Insurance.
Hannah (Mackey) Scheminger '15
Field Hockey Student-Athlete
When Hannah Mackey took the field for the Utica field hockey program in 2011, there was a prevailing feeling that she was about to be part of a bright future for the team. In hindsight, that may be an understatement. With Mackey included in the team's vibrant core, the program achieved its greatest successes. Her career spanned from the 2011 to 2014 seasons. In that time, the Pioneers made four Empire 8 tournaments, won three Empire 8 championships, and made three appearances in the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship tournament. She scored two goals in the team's 2012 NCAA opening round game against Endicott College to lift the program to its first national tournament win. In her four seasons, the Pioneers won 60 games. With Mackey's efforts included, the 2012, 2013, and 2014 teams are the highest scoring squads in program history.
With blazing speed, dazzling agility, and the ability to manufacture a scoring opportunity out of virtually any situation, Hannah's name is plastered all over the program's record books. She is the program's single season leader in goals (36), points (80), points per game (3.81), and game-winning goals (11). Her 36 goal senior season ranked ninth in NCAA Division III history at the time of her graduation and remains an Empire 8 record to this day. For her career, she holds program records in points (199), goals (84), points per game (2.43), and game-winning goals (23). She is also second on the program's list in career assists. Her 84 career goals and 199 career points were both conference records at the time, and were only just broken recently.
All of that output led to more awards than most Student-Athletes could ever find a place for. She is the first and only Pioneer field hockey player to be named an All-American in consecutive seasons, accomplishing the feat with third team honors in 2013, and first team honors in 2014. Mackey was a four-time first team All-Conference award winner. She was the 2011 E8 Rookie of the Year and 2014 E8 Player of the Year. She was also the 2014 ECAC North Atlantic Player of the Year, and the 2015 Empire 8 Conference Woman of the Year. She was one of the 2015 Jim Spartano award winners.
A native of Locke, NY, Mackey received her degree in Nursing from Utica.
2009-10 Women's Basketball Team
Any discussion about the great teams in Utica University Athletics history should include the 2009-10 women's basketball team. With two members already in the Pioneer Hall of Fame, this legendary squad gets its collective day in the spotlight as the fifth team to be enshrined. They are in exceptional company as the second women's basketball team to get honored alongside the trailblazers of Utica's first women's basketball team from the 1949-50 season.
The 2009-10 Pioneers had one of the program's best seasons to date. They posted a 22-7 overall record to tie the team's single-season wins record. Utica was a sparkling 12-1 at home. The squad went 12-4 in the Empire 8 Conference before going on to capture the conference tournament championship and advance to the second round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball tournament. The Pioneers made their fourth appearance in the national tournament that year.
The squad's path to the Empire 8 tournament title came down to the last second, as Pioneer Hall of Fame inductee Jess Berry scored a layup basket at the buzzer to lift Utica over top-seeded Ithaca College by a 38-37 score. From there, the Pioneers advanced to the NCAA Championships as an automatic qualifier. They battled back from a fifteen-point deficit to defeat eighth-ranked Moravian by a 64-61 score in the opening round. The squad exited the tournament with a second-round loss to Gettysburg, but nevertheless came home champions in the eyes of all who supported them.
Berry was named a D3hoops.com second team All-American and was also the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year after ranking 11th in the nation with an average of 21.3 points per game. She also finished second in the Empire 8 Conference with 9.9 rebounds per game. Berry was also named to the ECAC Upstate All-Star Team.
On the all-conference teams, Pioneer Hall of Famer Devon Croll joined Berry on the Empire 8 First Team. Croll averaged 12.2 points and led the team with 82 assists and 80 steals as a junior. She is the program's all-time leader in steals. Guard Katie McGee was named as an honorable mention selection.
Class of 2020
Brian Barth '06
Football Student-Athlete
For a growing Utica football program, Brian Barth brought versatility to the Pioneer offense while helping the team become a winner for the first time. Barth was on the roster when Utica scored its first win over an NCAA Division III program with a 22-6 win over Mount Ida in 2002, and later captained the squad to its first winning season in 2005.
Barth was a three-time Empire 8 All-Conference selection, headlined by a first team choice in 2003. He was also a 2003 ECAC Northwest Honorable Mention All-Star, and a 2004 Football Gazette Division III Preseason All-American.
Brian was noted for his toughness and durability during his time at Utica. He appeared in every game he was eligible to appear in during his college career, and started 35 of the 40 games he played. He was also a dominant receiving tight end in a Utica offense that needed that position to play a strong role in the passing game. He had 80 career catches, which stood in the top ten in program history for many years following his graduation. Off those 80 catches, Barth notched 849 receiving yards and averaged 2.29 receptions per game. He led the team in receptions in his sophomore and junior seasons.
He also helped block the edges for a productive Pioneer rushing attack. In Barth's senior season, he led the way for Mike Capra to become the leading single season and career rusher in school history.. Both marks stood for an extended period of time, with the career rushing mark remaining until 2014, and the single season mark until 2016.
Following his collegiate career, Barth participated in a regional professional football combine where he was encouraged to send out his tape to a number of professional teams. From his combine efforts, Barth was invited to attend a free agent workout at Buffalo Bills training camp under then-head coach Dick Jauron. Others have gone on to follow in Barth's footsteps with professional opportunities in recent years.
A native of Greene, New York, Brian received his degree in Criminal Justice.
Evelyn Kurzac '14, M'15
Water Polo Student-Athlete
At a time when Utica College Water Polo needed a foundational star to drive a young program forward, Evelyn Kurzac went soaring past all expectations en route to an incredible collegiate career with the Pioneers.
One of the greatest players in the history of Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III competition, Kurzac was Utica's first-ever CWPA All-American, and entered truly distinguished company by becoming a four-time All-American. She was named to the All-American honorable mention team each year. Evelyn is also a four time All-Conference selection over the course of her career, and was named to the first team on two different occasions.
Those who had the privilege to play with or against Kurzac know she was one of the fiercest offensive players to enter the pool on a given day. She is Utica's all-time leader in goals scored at 236, and additionally holds the school record with 75 goals in a single season. The Pioneers' star could not only score, but also was a formidable distributor and defender. She had 59 assists to stand as the college's career leader in that category, and is also second in program history in career steals.
In four appearances at the CWPA tournament, Kurzac helped guide Utica to five postseason victories in her tenure with the squad. She was named to the CWPA's All-Tournament team. After her senior season, she was bestowed with the Greg Roberts Award at the 2014 edition of the Pioneer Hall of Fame Dinner.
She was also exceptional in the classroom as a three-time CWPA All-Academic Team pick. Kurzac received her Bachelors' and Masters' degrees in Health Studies and Occupational Therapy.
Meghan Matan '14
Softball Student-Athlete
Few Utica College athletes have helped to define the modern trajectory of their program the way Meghan Matan has with the softball program.
The program's first-ever All American was a major part of the program's strongest squad to date, and her three year tenure with UC has set the team on a long-term course to contend for an Empire 8 tournament spot on a perennial basis.
Matan played with the Pioneers from 2012 to 2014, and dotted herself throughout the pages of the program's record book while guiding the team to new heights. She played in 120 career games, and played primarily at the demanding third base position. The Albany area native led Utica to 78 wins in three winning seasons, including a program record 34 victories back in the 2013 season. The 2013 team went on a magical run. That season included the top seed in the Empire 8 tournament, and the team's first NCAA tournament appearance. Utica nailed down its first-ever win in national tournament play with a victory over Penn State-Berks, a game in which Matan logged a run.
In 2014, Matan set the Empire 8's highest batting average at .481, and struck out a grand total of three times for the entire season. She was later named first team All-Region, and later an All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association.
The Latham, NY native was also a multiple time All-Conference pick as she qualified for second team honors in 2013 and 2014. She was also the recipient of the college's Greg Roberts student-athlete award after her senior season.
She brought an outstanding bat to the lineup as a career .397 hitter, which stands as the fourth best mark in school history, and also has two of the top ten single season batting averages in school history. She is one of just four players in school history to score over 100 runs. She is fifth in career doubles, and fourth in career triples at Utica. Matan also had eight homers in three seasons to tie for ninth in program history. At the time of her graduation, she owned four school single-season records including hits per game, hits, doubles, and stolen bases.
Matan earned her degree in Biology and Psychology in 2014.
Megan Myers '14
Ice Hockey Student-Athlete
From the moment she first took the ice in Utica, it was easy to see that Megan Myers would set herself apart. Between her hometown of Las Vegas, where ice hockey did not yet enjoy the popularity it does today, and her skill set on the ice, it rapidly became clear that she was of a unique breed. That she was destined to blaze new trails and achieve greatness.
Myers is still doing both of those things currently, and a decorated playing career here at Utica College proved to be a vital step on her path in the game of hockey, and in life.
In four years, the 2013 AHCA CCM Second Team All-American put together one of the most offensively dominant careers in the history of Utica College Women's Hockey and the ECAC Women's West Conference.
Arguably the greatest hockey player ever born in the state of Nevada, Myers was a four-time All-Conference pick at Utica. She was named to the first team twice.
Myers routinely left onlookers stunned with a brilliant combination of skill, finesse, and energy. Myers never failed to lead the team in scoring in each of her four years, finishing with 143 points on 74 goals and 69 assists in 104 career games. She is tied for the program's all-time goal scoring lead alongside Pioneer Hall of Famer Deana Wiegand, is second all-time at Utica in career points. She led UC to 56 wins, three playoff appearances, and notched fifteen game-winning goals. The Las Vegas native was awarded the Dick Miller award at the 2014 Pioneer Hall of Fame dinner following her senior season.
After an exceptional college career, Megan has never stopped setting a superior example for the next generation of women in hockey. Following her senior year, she became the first Utica College women's hockey player to be drafted into the Canadian Women's Hockey League when she was selected by the Boston Blades. While playing alongside Olympic greats Brianna Decker, Hilary Knight, Monique Lamoureux, Kacey Bellamy, and Meghan Duggan, Myers and the Blades went on to capture the 2015 Clarkson Cup Championship. She played a total of five seasons with the franchise and became its captain. She also played on the Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association Dream Gap Tour.
Today, Myers spends her time encouraging others to grow and improve in the game she loves through coaching opportunities. She spent several years assisting fellow Utica alumna Eliza Kelley at Becker College, and is now working as an assistant coach for the new Division I hockey program at Stonehill.
Megan graduated from Utica with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation.