UTICA, NY – The Utica College men's lacrosse team jumped out to a 3-2 first quarter lead, but visiting Oswego held the Pioneers to just two goals in the final 45 minutes of the contest as the Lakers earned a 9-5 victory at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. 

UC freshman John Avery (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford-Mendon) led the way with three points on two goals and one assist for the Pioneers. Avery now has six goals in his last three appearances and he ranks second on the team with 16 goals this season. Senior John Hanlon (Coconut Creek, FL/St. John Paul Academy) added one goal and one assist for the Pioneers. Hanlon has 15 points in his last four contests and leads UC with 25 points on 11 goals and 14 assists this season.  

The Pioneers have dropped two in a row and saw their record fall to 4-5 overall on the season. The contest against Oswego marked the final non-conference matchup of the season for Utica and the Pioneers return to action on the road this weekend when they travel to Alfred University Saturday to take on the Saxons at 1 p.m. Saturday's contest at Alfred begins a key stretch of seven straight conference games as the Pioneers work towards positioning themselves as a conference tournament participant.

Dale Wagner (Elbridge, NY/Jordan Elbridge) and Jared Smaldon (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) each added one goal for the Pioneers. UC goalie Harrison Bower (Northport, NY/Kings Park) matched his career-best as he stopped 18 shots and he also added nine ground balls for the Pioneers. 

Oswego jumped out to a 1-0 lead until the Pioneers rattled off three straight goals to take a 3-1 advantage with 3:06 left in the first quarter. Wagner opened the scoring for UC with his team-best 18^thgoal of the season.  Smaldon then added his ninth goal of the year, assisted by Avery, to hand the Pioneers a 2-1 lead.  Avery scored just 1:07 later to give Utica the 3-1 lead.  

Oswego netted two straight to knot the score at 3-3 with 13:19 left in the second quarter.  John Hanlon (Coconut Creek, FL/St. John Paul Academy) then netted his 11^thgoal of the year at the 12:40 marker of the second quarter to give the Pioneers the lead right back, 4-3. 

Oswego went on to net six consecutive goals to take a 9-4 lead midway through the fourth quarter.  Avery added a late goal for UC down the stretch, but it proved to be too late as the Lakers came away with a 9-5 victory.

Kevin Parisi (Glenwood, NJ/Vernon Township), Tyler Giachinta (Cold Spring, NY/Haldane) and Nicholas Horne (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) each posted three ground balls for the Pioneers, while Tyler Crouse (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) added two ground balls and two caused turnovers. 

Oswego's Tim Schof and Dan Doolan each posted three points to lead the way for the Lakers.  Kevin O'Donnell stopped six shots in the victory.