UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's lacrosse team will play its last of six-straight road games while opening Empire 8 Conference play in Albany, NY against Russell Sage College. Game time is set for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6.

Follow Along: Fans can keep up with live stats and/or live video through https://portal.stretchinternet.com/sageathletics/. 
 
Last Time Out: Utica fell to host Kean University 19-6 in non-conference play last Saturday. Kean used seven first half goals and 12 second half goals to pull away from the Pioneers. 
Sophomore Sam Serrano (Stone Ridge, NY/Roundout Valley) led Utica with four points on the day with two goals and two assists.  Senior John Avery (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford-Mendon) had two goals while junior John Spoto (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) and senior James Daniele (Pleasantville, NY/Pleasantville) each had one goal. Sophomore Jon Goodspeed (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) and freshman Patrick Oswald (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park ) combined for 14 saves for the Pioneers.
 
Slingin' Sam: Sophomore Sam Serrano (Stone Ridge, NY/Roundout Valley) currently leads Utica with 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists) on the season. Serrano is one of the few members of the men's lacrosse team this season to score a goal/record a point in each of the team's eight contests. In the five games where Serrano has scored three or more points, the team is 4-1.
 
Pittsford's Finest: Two players on the Pioneers this season share a lot in common, both on and off the field. The attackers and construction management majors from Pittsford Mendon High School, senior John Avery (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford-Mendon) and sophomore John Spoto (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon), have been some of the most consistent on the team this season. Avery currently leads the team with 18 goals, and is second on the team with 24 points. Spoto is currently third on the team with 11 goals, and tied for fourth on the team with 13 points. 
 
Ground Ball Brothers: Seniors Kevin Parisi (Glenwood, NJ/Vernon Township) and Josh Bennett (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) have been impactful for the Pioneers' defense this season. Both players currently have 32 ground balls, which is good enough for sixth and seventh in the Empire 8. In addition to his ground ball total, Parisi has been causing turnovers more than anyone in the conference. Parisi's 19 caused turnovers is the most in the Empire 8 and is six ahead of second place. 
 
Scouting Sage: The Gators are currently 5-5 this season and are coming off a 19-9 loss against Empire 8 Conference foe Hartwick College. The team is led by seniors Hunter Brunelle (19 goals, 21 assists) and Bailey Martin (28 goals, 10 assists) who have combined for 78 of the team's 178 points this season. Utica is 2-0 all-time against Sage, with the last matchup resulting in a 16-9 Utica win on April 7, 2021. 

Looking Ahead: Utica will be back at home for the first time since March 14 on Saturday, April 9 as the team kicks off a three-game homestand against Keuka College. Game time is set for 1 p.m.