MARCY, NY – Junior Alex Purcell (Lansing, NY/Lansing) found the back of the net with just 3:49 left in regulation to lift the Utica College men's soccer team to a thrilling 1-0 season opening victory on the road at SUNY Polytechnic on Friday night.  Purcell's game winner was his first goal as a Pioneer and it was assisted by Patrick Hynes (Glenmont, NY/Bethlehem) and Julian Fonseca (Rocky Hill, CT/Bridgton).

Utica improved to 1-0 on the season for the first time since 2014.  Sophomore transfer Jonathan Side (Plattsburgh, NY/Plattsburgh) stopped six shots in net, including a key first half penalty kick save, to earn his first shutout in the orange and blue. 

The Pioneers were outshot 6-5 in the first half but they were able to keep the pressure on the Wildcats in the second half, earning an 8-4 shot advantage in the final 45 minutes.  The Pioneers also earned an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks on the evening.

The 86th minute is when the game was decided. After a SUNY Poly corner kick was deflected by Utica's defensive unit, Patrick Hynes (Glenmont, NY/Bethlehem) gathered the deflection for Utica and sent it up field to Julian Fonseca (Rocky Hill, CT/Bridgton) who placed a fantastic through ball to junior Alex Purcell (Lansing, NY/Lansing). Purcell gathered the ball, beat one defensemen and knocked a grounder at the net past a hard charging Alexander Gigliotti. The shot snuck just under the outstretched body of Gigliotti and found the lower right corner of the net for what would be the game winning goal.

Purcell led the way with seven shots, while Thomas Muller (Camillus, NY/Bishop Ludden) and Daniel Varsames (Gansevoort, NY/Saratoga Springs) each added two shots for the Pioneers. 

SUNY Poly goalie Alexander Gigliotti stopped two shots on the afternoon. 

Utica returns to the pitch on Sunday when the Pioneers travel to SUNY Cobleskill to take on the Fighting Tigers at 1:30 p.m.