UTICA, NY — The Utica College men's lacrosse team returns to Empire 8 Conference play as the Pioneers travel to St. John Fisher on Saturday. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
Current Record: UC is currently 6-5 overall and 2-1 in Empire 8 play. In the conference standings they are tied with Alfred University, Hartwick College, and Nazareth College for the second spot. The Pioneers have won four of their last six contests headed into four straight Empire 8 contests to close out regular season play.
Last Time Out: The Pioneers hosted cross-town rival SUNY Poly on Wednesday and came out on top 15-11. Six first half goals by senior Ryan Desveaux (Bowmanville, ONT/St. Stephen Catholic) gave the Pioneers a 9-4 lead at half time. The Wildcats pulled within three in the fourth quarter with three unanswered goals, but two back-to-back goals from Nick Yelich (Lancaster, NY/Depew) and Desveaux in a span of 58 seconds sealed the deal for UC in the rivalry game. Desveaux led the way with a season-high eight goals on 12 shots. Yelich, Dylan Dunham (Elbridge, NY/Jordan Elbridge) and John Hanlon (Coconut Creek, FL/St. John Paul Academy) each added two goals while junior Jake Bratek (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) assisted on four goals. Goalie Ryan Boshart (Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) improved his record to 4-1 in the win, saving six shots. Harrison Bower (Northport, NY/Kings Park) also saw action between the pipes, playing 33:39 minutes while collecting six saves.
Desveaux's On a Tear: With 34 goals this season, Desveaux is now just two goals away from the 100 career goal milestone. He will be the fourth player in program history to reach 100 career goals. He is also fourth on the College's all-time list with 120 career points. In the conference rankings he is now first in goals per game (3.09) and fifth in points per game (3.27).
Freshman Phenom: Freshman Dylan Dunham (Elbridge, NY/Jordan Elbridge) netted a career-high five points on two goals and three assists against SUNY Poly on Wednesday. He ranks fifth on the team with 19 points this season (11 goals, eight assists).
Bratek's Back: Jake Bratek (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) has returned from a two game hiatus and he currently leads the team with 14 assists this season. His 27 total points rank third on the team.
Scoring in Bunches: Senior Nick Yelich (Lancaster, NY/Depew) currently ranks second on the team with 29 points and needs just one more to tie his career high. Junior John Hanlon (Coconut Creek, FL/St. John Paul Academy) has had his most productive season to date with 22 points on eight goals and 14 assists.
Scouting Fisher: The Cardinals of St. John Fisher are 7-5 overall this season and hold a conference record of 1-2. They are led by Andrew Rosso, Nicholas Miller and Zach Wagner who each have over 30 points this season. Rosso leads the E8 in shots per game (8.50) this season. He is also eighth in goals per game (1.92) and ninth in points per game (2.92.) Wagner currently sits at No. 8 in assists per game (1.08).
Last Cardinals and Pioneers Showdown: In their last meeting the Pioneers came out on top 13-6. Jake Bratek (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) had three goals on four shots and added two assists in the victory. The Pioneers have won two of the last five meetings against the Cardinals, dating back to their double overtime win in 2013.
Looking Ahead: The Pioneers are set to take on the Hawks of Hartwick College on Wednesday in their final road game of the season. Game time is set for 4 p.m.
