UTICA, NY – Freshman Michael Bulger (Watertown, NY/Immaculate Heart Central) netted a season-high five goals as the Utica men's lacrosse team defeated visiting St. John Fisher College 12-9 Saturday in Empire 8 Conference action at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.

The Pioneers close out their 2007 campaign with a 6-8 overall record and two conference victories. The Cardinals are now 9-4 overall and 3-3 in conference.

Senior attacker Steve Schoen (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro), who ranks fifth all-time in career points at UC, opened the scoring at 9:54 when he swung out from behind the net, jumped in the air and drilled a shot top left corner past Fisher goalie Brian Cummings (West Genesee/Camillus).

Fisher answered right back when junior Mike Cortina (Binghamton/Binghamton) beat UC goalie Anthony Carnevale (Seneca Falls, NY/Mynderse Academy) at 8:36, followed by Zackary Zazzara (Fayetteville-Manlius/Syracuse) connecting with freshman attacker Chris Schmidt (West Genesee/Camillus) to give Fisher a 2-1 lead.

UC scored two straight goals to take a 3-2 lead. Bulger netted his team-high 24th goal of the season and Dave Misiaszek (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) scored less than two minutes into the second quarter. Schoen assisted on Misiasek's ninth goal of the season.

Fisher tied the game up at 12:14 when freshman Dave Malone (Penfield/Penfield) found a streaking Dennis Bell (Penfield/Rochester) who beat Carnevale.

The Pioneers took a two goal lead after consecutive goals 13 seconds apart from Bulger and Schoen at 7:41 and 7:28 respectively.

Fisher out scored UC 2-1 in the final seven minutes of the half, but the Pioneers took a 6-5 lead into intermission. Bulger netted his third goal of the game with 4:20 left, while 6-foot-6 senior attacker Matt Hargather (Fairport/Fairport) scored both of the goals for the Cardinals.

Cortina opened the second half scoring just like he did in the first half for the Cardinals to tie the game at 6-6. The equalizer came just 1:06 into the second half. The lead changed hands again when Malone connected with freshman midfielder Jeff Price (Honeoye Falls Lima/Lima) to give the Cardinal's a 7-6 advantage.

Freshman attacker David O'Connell (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Ludden) beat Cummings over the left shoulder with 6:34 left in the third quarter to tie the game up. Corey Boulio (Carthage, NY/Immaculate Heart Central) scored 58 second later to give UC its fourth one goal lead of the game. The Pioneers took a two goal lead into the fourth quarter.

UC took a commanding four goal lead after Boulio and Schoen scored the first two goals of the fourth quarter. The Cardinals' Michael Paul-Solamon (West Genesee/Camillus) scored his fourth goal of the season to cut the Pioneers lead to 11-8.

UC and Fisher then exchanged goals when Bulger netted his fifth of the game and Hargather scored his third goal of the game with 2:15 left in the contest.

Carnevale made 11 saves in net for the Pioneers, while Cummings stopped 10 shots in goal for Fisher.

The Cardinals are still fighting for a shot in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament and will take on visiting Nazareth College Tuesday at 4 p.m.

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