UTICA, NY - For the second time in program history, the Utica College men's lacrosse team has won five of its first six games. Visiting SUNY Potsdam rallied out of an 8-2 deficit with a 5-0 third quarter that trimmed the game to 8-7, but the Pioneers responded by scoring three of the game's final four goals in the fourth quarter as Utica outlasted the Bears by an 11-8 score at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.

Utica rebounds from its first loss of the season and now sits at 5-1 with the non-conference win. The Bears are now 3-3 overall.

Dylan Dunham (Elbridge, NY/Jordan Elbridge) led the way for Utica with five points on three goals and two assists. Gage Fiacco (Massena, NY/Massena) had three points on two goals and an assist, while John Avery (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford-Mendon) and Chase Kaufman (Atlanta, GA/Riverside Military Academy ) had two goals apiece. Jozef Korpics (Center Valley, PA/Moravian Academy) made fourteen saves for his fifth win of the season. Defensively, Nick Alexander (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) finished with four ground balls and caused three turnovers. Josh Bennett (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) won ten of sixteen faceoffs.

The Bears were paced by a two goal, two assist performance by Cam Talcott. The loss went to Ben Fuchs after he made just five saves on thirteen first half shots on net taken by UC.

The Pioneers outshot the Bears overall by a 40-34 margin, but Potsdam was more efficient with a 22-21 advantage in shots on goal. Special teams played a minimal role in the outcome, as the Pioneers were just 1-of-6 with the extra man, while Potsdam was 0-for-2.

Utica got the early jump on the Bears by a 5-2 margin after one quarter of play, and faceoffs made a huge difference as the Pioneers won the first five draws of the game. With one of the Bears' key strengths neutralized, Utica rattled off a quintet of goals with Avery scoring twice, and Dunham, Fiacco, and Kaufman each scoring twice to outpace the Bears and snag a 5-2 lead. They outshot Potsdam 14-8 in the first quarter, and also netted the lone special teams goal of the contest before the fifteen minute mark on a tally by Avery.

The momentum continued into the second quarter, where the Pioneers kept complete control with a 3-0 frame heading into halftime. Fiacco and Dunham both scored, and with time winding down, defenseman Kevin Parisi (Glenwood, NJ/Vernon Township) brought a loud end to the half. The junior long pole took possession of the ball deep in UC territory, then took it the distance and scored on Fuchs for his third career goal and an 8-2 halftime lead.

The Bears had total command of the third quarter to get back into the game. The visitors strung together five goals in the quarter, two of which came from Henry Reber, to slash their deficit to 8-7 after three quarters.

With the visitors holding the wind at their backs, the Pioneers needed a decisive answer. That answer came shortly after the start of the fourth quarter to defuse the dangerous Potsdam run. 56 seconds in, Dunham spun into a precise behind-the-back pass to Kaufman, who was waiting to bury a shot on the doorstep and re-expand the lead to two goals. Dunham and James Daniele (Pleasantville, NY/Pleasantville) each tacked on a goal to provide insurance, and the Pioneers survived a thriller with an 11-8 win.

The Pioneers will host St. John Fisher on Saturday. The game is set for 3 p.m. at Gaetano Stadium.