UTICA, NY - The Utica College men's lacrosse team had a successful opening to their 2019 home schedule on Saturday. It needed a vital second half push to get the job done. With just a 4-3 lead at the halftime break, and things pulling even again at 7:46 of the third quarter, the Pioneers made their break ahead. Utica scored the next five goals and had an answer for every visiting goal the rest of the way as the Pioneers scored a 13-8 win over visiting Potsdam at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.

The win moves Utica to 2-1 on the young season, while Potsdam remains winless out of the gate at 0-2. Utica's 2-1 start is their best record through the first three games of the season since 2014. The Pioneers were efficient in their clearance game today at 24-of-26, and they narrowly outshot the Bears 26-23 on goal in their second straight win.

John Hanlon (Coconut Creek, FL/St. John Paul Academy) had a goal and three assists for the Pioneers, while James Daniele (Pleasantville, NY/Pleasantville), Tyler Giachinta (Cold Spring, NY/Haldane), Jared Smaldon (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), Dale Wagner (Elbridge, NY/Jordan Elbridge), and John Avery (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford-Mendon) each had two goals in a balanced attack for the Blue and Orange. Harrison Bower (Northport, NY/Kings Park) stopped 15 of 23 shots to earn the victory in goal. Potsdam's Josh Bradford had a hat trick.

The Bears grabbed the bull by the horns early in the first quarter with the opening two goals of the game from Tayte Murray and Josh Bradford, who scored on the man up at 9:54. Utica's man-up unit countered to get the Pioneers on the board when James Daniele (Pleasantville, NY/Pleasantville) notched his fourth of the year unassisted at 8:20. Utica went on to pull even before the end of the opening quarter on John Avery's (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford-Mendon) sixth of the season, assisted by Hanlon, and it was 2-2 after one quarter of action.

Utica grabbed their first lead in the second quarter on a Dale Wagner (Elbridge, NY/Jordan Elbridge) strike at 11:23, and Daniele's second of the game came at the end of a nearly seven minute long goal scoring drought for both teams as he made it 4-2 with just 4:31 left before halftime. Potsdam halved the lead before the break at 2:37, and Utica held a one goal cushion into halftime at 4-3.

The Pioneers staked a claim to a two goal third quarter lead just 1:15 in on the first of the season by veteran Tyler Giachinta (Cold Spring, NY/Haldane). Potsdam wiped the slate clean with the next two goals from Bradford and Huiatt before Utica began to make its critical move with the score tied at 5. In the final 5:30 of the frame, the Pioneer attack got rolling as Avery, Giachinta, Smaldon, and Wagner all scored to take a 9-5 lead into the fourth quarter.

Utica turned to its man up unit to complete their 5-0 run as Craig DiSanto (Montebello, NY/Suffern) potted the goal assisted by Dale Wagner (Elbridge, NY/Jordan Elbridge). With a comfortable lead, the Pioneers did more than enough to maintain it as Zach Duby (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt), Hanlon, and Smaldon all hit paydirt in the balance of the contest to offset the Bears offense in a 13-8 win.

The Pioneers host Hamilton on Monday in the annual Contineer Cup game. Opening faceoff is set for 5 p.m.