Box Score WILKES-BARRE, PA - The Utica University men's lacrosse team won in thrilling fashion against the Wilkes University Colonels 9-8 on Saturday afternoon as Head Coach Sean Behan collected his first win as a Pioneer.
 
The Pioneers scored six goals in the second half compared to Wilkes's three which propelled them to the victory.
 
Sam Serrano (Stone Ridge, NY/Roundout Valley) and Caiden Frey (Accord, NY/Roundout Valley) combined for nine points and 10 shots on goal. Sam Serrano (Stone Ridge, NY/Roundout Valley) posted three goals and three assists while Frey registered three goals and one assist. Ryan Considine (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) (2g, 1a), Noah Erickson (Auburn, NY/Auburn) (0g, 2a) and Connor Costanza (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park) (1g, 1a).
 
Patrick Oswald (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park) had one of the best games of his career, posting a career-high 21 saves. Oswald collected 16 saves in the first half.  10 different players had at least one shot on net.
 
Jack Hogan (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst) went 13 for 20 and collected seven ground balls.
 
Both teams combined for 12 shots on goal in the first quarter, 10 by Wilkes and two by Utica. Patrick Oswald (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park) made some great saves in the first 15 minutes, recording seven. Utica cleared the ball at a 100 percent rate, going seven for seven. Wilkes struck first with 9:23 on the clock. Tim Hartka found Joseph Markey, giving the Colonels an early 1-0 lead. Three minutes later, Austin Seames assisted Hartka, extending the lead to 2-0. At 5:12 in the quarter, Anthony DelDuca notched Wilkes's third goal. Utica's first goal came with eleven seconds remaining as Sam Serrano (Stone Ridge, NY/Roundout Valley) found Caiden Frey (Accord, NY/Roundout Valley), cutting the lead to 3-1.
 
Two minutes into the second quarter, Serrano scored his fourth goal of the season as Utica cut into the 3-2 Wilkes lead. Both teams combined for three goals, two for Wilkes and one for the Pioneers.
 
Utica would head into the half down 5-2. The team saw three players collect at least one point while Serrano led the way with two (1g, 1a).
 
The combination of Serrano and Caiden Frey (Accord, NY/Roundout Valley) was firing on all cylinders throughout the game. With 11:09 left in the third, Serrano notched his second goal with a Caiden Frey (Accord, NY/Roundout Valley) assist as Wilkes would lead 5-3. Wilkes would score two more goals in the quarter, heading into the fourth quarter up 7-3.
 
The Pioneers scored a flurry of goals in the fourth quarter. Utica scored two goals in the first 11 minutes of play. First, Serrano scored with an assist credited to Ryan Considine (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) and about three minutes later, Connor Costanza (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park) scored his first goal of 2024, cutting the lead to 7-5. At 6:57, Frey tallied his second goal of the afternoon while Erickson collected his second assist. Utica tied the game up at 8-8 as Considine scored with 1:47 left in regulation. Utica and Wilkes would decide the winner in overtime as regulation was not enough time to do so.
 
It would take two overtimes to decide the end result. Caiden Frey (Accord, NY/Roundout Valley) scored his third goal and the game-winner with an assist to Costanza as the Pioneers would hang on and win 9-8.
 
Utica (1-2, 0-0 Empire 8) hosts Hamilton College on Tuesday, March 5 at 5 p.m.