ALBANY, NY - The Utica University men's lacrosse team dropped its Empire 8 matchup 16-7 against Russell Sage College on Saturday afternoon. Caiden Frey (Accord, NY/Rondout Valley) led Utica with three points on one goal and two assists.
 
Sam Serrano (Stone Ridge, NY/Rondout Valley) and Ryan Considine (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) had one goal and one assist each. John Spoto (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon), Connor Costanza (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park), Lucas Donahue (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills Ballston Lake) and Ethan Brown (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) tallied one goal each. 11 players notched at least one shot on goal.
 
Patrick Oswald (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park) started in net for Utica, playing the first 30 minutes of action. He made six saves on 10 goals allowed. Jake Bowen (Williston, VT/Champlain Valley Union) entered in the second half, allowing six goals on six saves.
 
Ethan Brown (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks) had a dominant day, recording four ground balls and five caused turnovers.
 
Sage got the first goal just under three minutes into the game and at 10:56, Costanza took a step-down bouncer which found the back of the net, tying the game at 1-1. With 8:52 to play, Considine muscled through the Gator defense, giving Utica a 2-1 advantage. Sage went on a six-goal run to finish the first period as they would head into the second up 7-2.
 
Both teams played a competitive second quarter, as Utica and Sage scored three goals each. First, it was Spoto at the 14:53 mark making it a 7-3 game. Six minutes later, the Gators answered back, taking a 7-4 lead. C. Frey tallied his first goal of the day cutting Sage's lead to 8-4. Sage scored two more goals within the 4:19 and 3:25 mark, going up 10-4. Brown recorded his first goal of the season with 2:54 left, as Sage would head into halftime with a 10-5 advantage.
 
Sage scored five goals in the third quarter, taking a 15-5 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
Serrano got the scoring starting in the fourth quarter at the 7:19 mark, making it a 15-6 game. The Gators answered back and at 3:44 Donahue tallied Utica's seventh goal as Sage would hold on and win 16-7.
 
Utica (4-9, 0-4 Empire 8) heads home for a conference matchup against Keuka College on Wednesday, April 17 at 7 p.m.