NEW PALTZ, NY- Senior Dale Wagner (Elbridge, NY/Jordan Elbridge) and junior James Daniele (Pleasantville, NY/Pleasantville) combined for seven goals and two assists as the Utica College men's lacrosse team downed host SUNY New Paltz 9-6 in non-conference action Friday afternoon.
 
With the win, Utica improves to 2-0 on the season, marking the first time since 2014 that the Pioneers have gotten off to a 2-0 start.  UC will look to carry its momentum into a showdown at Morrisville State on Wednesday.  Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
The teams traded goals through the first half with neither gaining more than a two-goal advantage.  The score was knotted at 3-3 through the first 30 minutes of play.  The third quarter proved to be more of the same until the Pioneers finally began to pull away in the fourth quarter, scoring the game's final three goals. 
 
Wagner led the Pioneers with five goals on the day, including his team-leading second man-up goal as well as a man-down tally.  The senior midfielder now has a team-high eight points (seven goals, one assist) through two games.
 
Daniele helped Utica with two second half goals and he also dished out two assists to move into second on the team in scoring with seven points so far.
 
Jack O'Shaughnessy (Knoxville, TN/Utica Notre Dame) and Nick Litzenberger (Freeville, NY/Cortland) also scored for the Pioneers, while Litzenberger, John Avery (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford-Mendon), and Kevin O'Brien-Bruno (Goshen, NY/Don Bosco) each tallied one assist.
 
Fresh off a 14-save performance on Wednesday, sophomore Jozef Korpics (Center Valley, PA/Moravian Academy) had another strong showing, this time stopping 12 shots.  His counterpart, Nate Lindsey, made 16 saves in the loss.  Korpics currently leads the Empire 8 Conference with a .700 save percentage.