UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's lacrosse team is set to host the Keuka College Wolves at 1 p.m. on Saturday for the team's second conference battle of the season.
Follow Along: Live stats and video for Saturday's game can be found at
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/
Last Time Out: The team opened conference play on a winning note on April 6 with an 11-10 win over Russell Sage.
John Avery (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford-Mendon) and
Sam Serrano (Stone Ridge, NY/Roundout Valley) paced the offense with three goals apiece, while Serrano also added an assist for a team-high four points. Spoto scored twice, including the game-winner.
Caiden Frey (Accord, NY/Roundout Valley) and
Connor Costanza (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park ) also added a goal each. Utica goaltender
Jon Goodspeed (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) stopped 14 of 24 shots to grab the win. Sage put the Pioneers on their heels early. Sparked by a man-up goal from Brunelle, the home team scored four times in the first ten minutes to establish an advantage. 38 seconds after the fourth Sage goal, the Pioneers responded. Avery got Utica on the board with 5:04 left, and Frey scored his fourth of the season with 27 seconds left to slash the deficit to 4-2. The Pioneers scored four of the five second quarter goals to surge into the lead by a 6-5 score at halftime.
Sam Serrano (Stone Ridge, NY/Roundout Valley) scored twice for the Pioneers including a man-up goal to lead the way. Avery and Spoto also scored to help Utica establish a lead at halftime. The Gators overturned the thin deficit with three third quarter goals to take an 8-8 score into the fourth quarter. They then took a 9-8 lead with 14:16 remaining on a goal from Jacob Peck. Utica pulled back ahead 10-9 on tallies from Costanza and Serrano. The Gators pulled level again with 4:25 to go, which set the stage for Spoto to close the deal with the winning goal at 2:42. Sage won the ensuing faceoff, but Goodspeed made key saves and the Pioneers were able to weather two late turnovers to secure the win.
Spoto For the Win: John Spoto (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) has been a key factor in creating offense for the Pioneers this season, recording 15 points on 13 goals and two assists so far. The last of those goals was the deciding factor and game winner for Utica against Sage. Spoto is an efficient scorer as well, ranking third in the Empire 8 Conference with a .464 shot percentage (13-for-28). His 13 goals are also good enough for the third-most on the team this season.
Serrano Strikes Again: Sam Serrano (Stone Ridge, NY/Roundout Valley) is the Pioneers total point leader so far this season, recording 32 points off of 19 goals and 13 assists. With 13 assists he ranks 11th in the Empire 8 in assists per game at 1.4. This season has also seen him with a plethora of multi-goal games, the most recent being his three-goal outing against Sage for his fifth of the year and third in as many outings. The sophomore has also recorded a goal in each of Utica's nine games this season.
Daniele Dimes: While
James Daniele (Pleasantville, NY/Pleasantville) leads the team with 14 assists, his mark of 1.56 per game ranks 10th in the E8. Daniele has assisted on at least one goal in all but one game this season while also having five multi-assist games under his belt. The senior has also found the back of the net as of late, recording each of his five goals on the season in three of the team's last four outings.
Scouting Keuka: The Wolves are 2-4 overall this season and 0-1 in Empire 8 play after losing their last matchup to Hartwick 17-7. The Keuka offensive attack is led by Will York, who has recorded 18 points thus far consisting of 14 goals and 4 assists. Robert Hill is high up in the conference rankings for caused turnovers per game, ranking second in the Empire 8 with an average of 2.1. The Pioneers are 7-3 all-time against Keuka with their last matchup resulting in a 16-9 victory over Keuka last season.
A Look Ahead: Utica will play its final non-conference game of the season when the team hosts the University of Scranton at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13.
