UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's lacrosse team readies to travel to SUNY Canton on Saturday, March 16 at 1 p.m.
 
Follow Along: Live video for SUNY Canton can be found here along with live stats here.
 
Last Time Out: The team took down the Castleton University Spartans 8-6 on Saturday, March 9. Sam Serrano (Stone Ridge, NY/Roundout Valley) led Utica with two goals and three assists along with four shots on goal. Ryan Considine (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) scored his first career hat trick and collected three ground balls. Noah Erickson (Auburn, NY/Auburn) scored twice and Kevin O'Brien-Bruno (Goshen, NY/Don Bosco) tallied one goal to cap off the scoring. Patrick Oswald (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park) played stout in net for Utica posting seven saves. Defender Ethan Brown (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) used his size and skill to take care of business on the defensive end, collecting four caused turnovers and four ground balls. Utica won the ground ball battle, 36-34. Erickson tallied Utica's first goal 46 seconds into the first quarter as he dodged down the ally, giving Utica an early 1-0 lead. At 11:50, Serrano notched Utica's second goal on a man-up opportunity with a beautiful assist from Considine. With 10:16 on the clock, Ethan Brown (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) got his stick in the lane, deflecting a Castleton attackman's stick; O'Brien-Bruno collected the ground ball which turned into a successful clear. Castleton would answer back with 5:55 left to play in the first as Hunter Sarro found the back of the net, cutting the lead to 2-1. Considine would score one more goal for Utica with 36 seconds left, notching his sixth goal of the season as Utica would head into the second quarter up 3-1. Castleton scored the only two goals in the second quarter making it a 3-3 game entering halftime. Utica and Castleton combined for five goals in the third quarter, three from Utica and two from Castleton. Serrano scored with 13:49 on the clock, giving the Pioneers a 4-3 lead. Five minutes later, the Spartans struck back evening the game at 4-4. Serrano struck again at 5:25 to play, and two minutes later, Erickson scored, extending Utica's lead to 6-4. Castleton would score one more goal to close out the third quarter, and Utica would head to the fourth quarter with a 6-5 lead. Utica scored 57 seconds into the fourth quarter on a man-up opportunity. Serrano found Considine who notched his third goal of the game giving Utica a 7-5 lead. With 5:55 left, O'Brien-Bruno registered his first goal of the season along with four ground balls and three caused turnovers. The Pioneers would hang on and win 8-6.
 
Dynamic Duo: Sam Serrano (Stone Ridge, NY/Roundout Valley) and Ryan Considine (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) are proving to be the team's primary goal scorers as they've combined for 16 goals and nine assists in five games. The duo connected early in the fourth quarter against Castleton on March 9 on a man-up opportunity, which seemed to be the icing on the cake. Serrano fed Considine who buried the ball in the net, giving Utica a two-goal cushion down the stretch. Serrano currently ranks in the top 10 in the league with 3.20 points per game and has cemented himself in the Pioneer career record book with 55 goals, tied for 14th all-time and 93 points, which is 13th all-time. Considine ranks as the only attackman in the conference with over 21 ground balls, ranking sixth in the Empire 8 behind five face-off specialists.

Caused Turnover Galore: Ethan Brown (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) has been a menace on the defensive end, causing the opposing team's top attackmen headaches. His massive 6'3" frame has been a problem for opponents trying to skip the ball through the middle, as he has 12 caused turnovers in five games, which is second in the league. Long-stick midfielder Andrew Sacco (New Haven, CT/North Haven) is right behind Brown with eight caused turnovers.
 
Man Down, No Problem: Utica's man-down unit looked the part as they held Castleton to 20 percent (2-10) on man-up opportunities. In the first half, Utica committed eight penalties and held the Spartans to just one goal.  The team has a .774 penalty-kill percentage, allowing only seven goals on 31 opportunities. 
 
Brick Wall Oswald: Patrick Oswald (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park), the two-time Empire 8 Goalie of the Week has been nothing short of impressive. He ranks second in the conference with a .523 save percentage and third in saves per game, averaging 11.40.
 
Scouting SUNY Canton: The Canton Kangaroos are 0-1 overall and have not played an NAC game yet. The team is coming off a 21-8 loss against Plattsburgh State on February 28. In 2023, Canton went 6-9 overall and 4-4 in league play. Austin Mesler and Alex Jacobs led the Kangaroos, combining for 100 points. Mesler posted 26 goals, 32 assists and eight man-up goals. Jacobs recorded 34 goals, eight assists and led the team with 61 shots on goal. Jacobs and Mesler both return in 2024. Mesler scored six goals in Canton's season opener against Plattsburgh while Jacobs had just one assist. Hayden Todd returns in goal for Canton after going 5-5 in 2023. He registered a .613 save percentage and an 11.37 goals-against average.
 
Up Next: Utica heads to Scranton, PA for a matchup against Marywood University on Saturday, March 23 at 1 p.m.