Utica University athletics have a huge weekend ahead as the men's basketball team is primed to play in the program's first Division III NCAA Tournament game in 17 years, and both the men's and women's hockey teams are playing for conference tournament titles.

The men's basketball team enters the field of 64 at 22-4 and will take on Babson in opening round action Friday at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ.

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A dominant 17-1 regular season run through the Empire 8 earned the Pioneers a top-seed in the conference tournament, however, Utica would be upset by No.4 seed St. John Fischer in the semifinals. The Cardinals were also responsible for Utica's regular season conference loss, as the teams split their two meetings - and would go on to win the E-8 tournament. Fischer is playing in NCAA Tournament action on Friday, as well.

Babson - in Wellesley, MA - posted a 19-8 overall record this season, playing in New England's NEWMAC conference. Tip time for Pioneers vs Bears game is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.

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On the ice, with a chance to host NCAA Tournament games, Utica men's hockey remains unbeaten since a pair of opening-season losses to the former No.1 team in the country - Adrian. However, the Pioneers (24-2-1) now are now the nation's No.1 ranked team in all of D3 hockey for the first time in history and will to host the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Tournament Championship on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. at the Adirondack Bank Center, facing No.2 Nazareth.

The Utica women will also skate in the UCHC Championship on Saturday, playing at host Nazareth. In two matchups this season, the Pioneer women played to a tie and an overtime loss to Golden Flyers - who are ranked 13th overall in the country. The Pioneer women are ranked No.12 nationally. The puck drops at 4:00 p.m. Saturday.

World's Largest Dish of Pasta, and a Wedding - Utica, NY, Feb 14, 2004

The Guinness Book of World Records affirmed in 2004, that the World's Largest Dish of Pasta was made in Utica, NY with the Keeler Show. Now with WIBX, Keeler worked with Tony's Pizzeria and other to create a dish of pasta weighing over 7,000 lbs. and the event included an actual wedding. The dish of pasta weighed 7,355 lbs. (3,336 kg) and lasted in the Guinness Book for several years. The dish was assembled and the wedding was held at Sangertown Square in New Hartford, when Keeler was hosting a 6 night a week television show, The Keeler Show, on FOX 33 TV in Utica and FOX 68 in Syracuse.

New Photos of the new Downtown Utica Wynn Hospital (February 2023)

Just eight months before it's scheduled to open, MVHS officials took WIBX's Bill Keeler and Jeff Monaski, along with Photo Journalist Nancy L. Ford through the new Wynn Hospital in Utica. The new downtown hospital is expected to open in November.