UTICA, NY – The Utica College men's lacrosse team is seeking its first win of the season, as it looks to take care of business with SUNY Poly at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Last Time Out: The Pioneers dropped their first contest of the season to Wilkes University on Wednesday, in a thrilling 12-11 decision. UC outscored Wilkes 6-3 in the final quarter, with the shot that would have tied things up ringing off the post with five seconds remaining in the contest.
 
Dylan Dunham (Elbridge, NY/Jordan Elbridge) led his squad's offensive efforts with four points on a trio of goals and an assist. The junior posted five shots on-goal. Also having multi-goal games were Dale Wagner (Elbridge, NY/Jordan Elbridge) and John Avery (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford-Mendon), who each netted two. James Daniele (Pleasantville, NY/Pleasantville) had three points on two assists and one goal. Freshman Jozef Korpics (Center Valley, PA/Moravian Academy) earned his first collegiate start in goal, making 10 saves.
 
Take it to the "X": The Pioneers dominated on faceoffs in their season-opener, going 19-for-26 at the "X". Josh Bennett (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) won a team best 13 on faceoffs, picking up six ground balls in the process. Senior Jimmy Vinneau collected the squad's other six wins, rounding up three ground balls of his own.
 
Shooters Shoot: The Pioneers outshot the Colonels 44-40, including 16 shots in the fourth quarter alone. A squad that averaged 37.2 shots per game last season, UC is on track to aggressive offensive showings in the upcoming games.
 
Scouting SUNY Poly: The Wildcats kicked off their season with a 12-4 win over SUNY Canton last Saturday. Sophomore Shane Wyman had a team-best four goals, while three other athletes had multi-goal games, collecting two apiece. Ryan Mead, who had a goal and an assist, had game-highs in faceoff wins and ground balls, posting marks of seven and six, respectively. Credited with the win in goal, Jared Laird was perfect in the first half, making seven saves on seven shots faced.
 
Against the Wildcats: UC has gone undefeated against SUNY Poly since the pair first met in the spring of 2000, earning 12 wins. The Pioneers are currently averaging 17.5 goals per game against the cross-town foe. In their meeting last year, the Pioneers earned a 13-12 victory. Dylan Dunham (Elbridge, NY/Jordan Elbridge) led the way with four goals and one assist, while Kevin Parisi (Glenwood, NJ/Vernon Township) got it done on the defensive side of the field, collecting team-highs in ground balls and caused turnovers, posting five in both categories. Ryan Boshart (Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) made 23 saves in his first start of the season.

Looking Ahead: The Pioneers will hit the road for their first road contest of the season, as they travel to Hamilton College for the 10^th Annual Contineer Cup, slated for a 5 p.m. start time on Wednesday.