ELMIRA, NY -- The Utica College men's lacrosse team scored the game's final seven goals to rally from a 6-2 deficit to earn a 9-6 Empire 8 Conference victory over host Elmira College on Saturday. Utica's
Zack Stevenson (Elbridge, NY/Jordan-Elbridge) and
Matthew Miller (Geneva, NY/Geneva) each netted three goals as the Pioneers snapped a five game skid and improved to 7-7 overall on the season.
The Pioneers trailed the Soaring Eagles 6-2 with 10:33 left in the third quarter until Miller sparked the rally with three unanswered goals in a span of 9:30 to make the score 6-5 with 13:09 left in regulation.
Utica's
Patrick Mulligan (Commack, NY/Commack) then tied the score up at 6-6 with 9:59 to go in the contest before Stevenson gave Utica the lead for good with two straight goals in a span of 3:30 to give UC an 8-6 lead with 6:04 left on the game clock.
Sean Behan (Dewitt, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) added his first goal of the season with 5:19 left on the game clock to secure the Pioneers three-goal victory.
Mulligan finished the day with two goals for Utica while
Tyler Nicolaus (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) added one assist.
Senior goalie
Andrew DiOrio (Greenlawn, NY/CW Post) stopped ten shots in the victory for Utica. Stevenson also won 14-of-18 face-offs and picked up five ground balls. Senior defender
Tom Byrne (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster) added a team-best six ground balls and caused two turnovers.
Liam Wheatley (Rochester, NY/Webster Schroeder) also chipped in with five ground balls for the Pioneers.
DiOrio is now tied for second on the College's all-time list with 14 career victories.
Elmira's Skyler Pradelski and Eric Hallman each posted two goals to lead the home team. Nick Brown led the Soaring Eagles with a game-high seven ground balls.
Utica outshot Elmira 43-25 on the day and the Pioneers also forced 30 turnovers in the victory.
Elmira's record moved to 2-9 overall and 1-6 in the Empire 8.
Utica returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts St. John Fisher in conference play under the lights at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. The contest is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
