College homecomings usually involve alumni coming back to their alma mater, featuring a sporting event.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Athletic Director Mark Molesworth and Soccer Coach Chris Bianchi are celebrating 2006 Homecoming in a different fashion.

They will bring the Pioneer men's and women's soccer teams home to their native Rochester, N.Y. Sept. 1-3.

"It will be a little different," admitted Molesworth, whose parents Jim and Betty live within walking distance of the St. John Fisher campus. "I've never been in this position before with a team. I'm not sure what to expect."

The Pioneer men play in the Flower City Classic at the University of Rochester, opening with St. John Fisher Friday at 4 p.m. EDT and playing again Sunday at noon vs. an opponent to be determined. The UWP women face St. John Fisher Sunday at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3 at Fisher.

Molesworth is in his 10th year as the athletic director at the the 5,600-student university in the southwest corner of Wisconsin. He was at the department helm for the last two of four NCAA Division III men's basketball titles won under Bo Ryan, now the head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers. Molesworth's largest claims to fame at the school, however, are the incredible upgrades to the athletic facilities. In just the last year alone, the Pioneers added a new outdoor track and a baseball field, as well as a $1 million renovation to the 10,000-seat Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium, which now houses soccer and football.

While Molesworth helped upgrade the facility to include soccer, Bianchi has been responsible for the improvements to the teams' performance on the ProGrass surface.

Bianchi, a St. John Fisher graduate, led the Pioneer women to their first-ever winning record in 2005, a 9-7-3 record. They have broken 29 school records in the last two seasons and return a majority of last year’s squad. The men also flourished under their fourth-year coach, going 9-7-4. Bianchi also took both teams to Spain in May for educational sight-seeing as well as international competition. The Pioneer men stunned many in Spain--as well as the soccer world--by playing UEFA Cup champions FC Seville to a tough 4-1 game. FC Seville had beaten soccer powers Real Madrid and FC Barcelona during the season.

Both UW-Platteville men credit their Rochester upbringings for their successes.

"My father (Angelo) started taking me to high school sectional playoff games at Spencerport High School when I was six," Bianchi said. "I remember how crazy the fans were for both schools and how exciting the games were. I also remember falling in love with the soccer facility at Spencerport. It was surrounded by trees and what I picture when I think about Section V soccer. I always caught at least one sectional match at Spencerport (usually with my dad and my Uncle Dom) for 23 years straight before coming to Wisconsin. That environment increased my love and dedication to the sport."

Molesworth's father was a long-time teacher and coach at Charlotte and Marshall high schools.

"I was always around sports, with my father and then with my playing days," Molesworth said. "I knew I wanted to be involved in some way."

He played football, basketball and ran track at Greece Arcadia, helping coach Ben Gioessfi accomplish two firsts.

"Our high school only opened in 1967, and I graduated in 1974, so it was essentially a new school when I was there," Molesworth said. "In my senior year, we had the first winning record in football, and had to win our last three games in a row to do it. Then in track, we won the Monroe County championship. Those were two pretty big things."

Bianchi, too, has vivid memories of what Rochester high school sports meant to him.

"One of the turning points in my life was when my high school (Cardinal Mooney) closed after my junior year," he said. "We returned about 20 players from that team and were most likely going to be the top ranked team in Section V. Cardinal Mooney was one of the premier soccer schools in Rochester. Several players from Mooney transferred to Bishop Kearney the following year. We were a top 10 team that year and ended up losing to Pittsford Mendon in semi-finals. Mendon went undefeated and was ranked number one in the nation that season. Over the years, my former teammates from Mooney still talk about how our Cardinal Mooney team would have been the only team that could have beaten Mendon in 1989."

Bianchi, who earned first team all-conference honors and captained Kearney, went on to play both soccer and basketball at St. John Fisher before coaching at Nazareth Academy. All those experiences helped prepare him for his roles at UW-Platteville.

"There were some striking similarities to UWP and when I took over the Nazareth Academy girls' varsity soccer program," he said. "The program never has a winning season prior to 1994. During my four years at Nazareth we never had a losing record and in 1997 we got to the semi-final for the first time in school history. It took two recruiting classes to accomplish the same thing at UWP. We changed the philosophy of the programs and put together some very tough squads.

"The key at both Naz and UWP was the support and leadership by the athletic directors. Mark Molesworth and Chris Belmont create environments where coaches can coach. They get their athletes the best equipment possible and give their staff the opportunity to create an exciting and positive atmosphere for athletes. Chris and Mark are easily the best athletic directors I have had the pleasure of working with over the past 13 years."

Molesworth will accompany Bianchi and the Pioneer soccer teams on the bus to New York, a trip both men are eagerly anticipating.

And one of the best parts of the trip? They'll be no need to ask anyone for directions. The two transplanted Rochester natives will serve as tour guides.

"I know Chris has a lot of good sight-seeing and educational things to do while we are there," Molesworth said. "I really liked Rochester. It was a great place to grow up."

Among the places the Pioneers visit include Niagara Falls, George Eastman House, Wegman's, Paetic Park, and the Port of Rochester in Charlotte.

"I think, though, we'll save the experience of a Nick Tahoe's garbage plate until AFTER all our matches,” Bianchi added.