UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's lacrosse team defeated SUNY Poly 18-5 on a special day for the program as they honored former men's lacrosse coach, Mike Parnell.
 
Sam Serrano (Stone Ridge, NY/Rondout Valley) (3g, 2a) Caiden Frey (Accord, NY/Rondout Valley) (2g, 3a) and John Spoto (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) (4g, 1a) tallied five points each. Ryan Considine (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) (2g, 2a), Lucas Donahue (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills Ballston Lake) (2g, 1a), Connor Costanza (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park) (1g, 2a) had a multi-point games. Four other players notched at least one goal.
 
Patrick Oswald (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park) started in net, collecting seven saves in 53 minutes. Utica's defense played a huge part in Oslwad's success, not letting Poly get their hands free and forcing them down the ally. Jake Bowen (Williston, VT/Champlain Valley Union) finished off the last seven minutes, making three saves.
 
Ethan Brown (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Forks), Chase Rorick (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) and Aaron Bergquist (Brewerton, NY/Central Square) locked down Poly's attack, causing five turnovers and scooping up six ground balls.
 
Utica cleared the ball at a 100 percent rate going 22 for 22.
 
Utica's offense was firing on all cylinders in the first half, putting up nine goals compared to Poly's two. The Pioneers scored five goals within the 13:56 and 4:21 mark, jumping out to an early 5-0 lead. Poly would end the first quarter with a goal cutting the lead to 5-1 heading into the second.
 
The attack trio of Serrano, Considine and Spoto registered Utica's only four goals in the second quarter. Serrano was responsible for two, Spoto and Considine each had one. Poly would score one time in the second quarter as the Pioneers went into halftime with a 9-2 advantage.
 
Poly responded with back-to-back goals at the start of the third quarter, cutting the lead to 9-4. Utica would answer back with five unanswered as the teams would go into the fourth with a 14-4 Pioneer lead.
 
Utica scored four goals in the fourth quarter between the 13:05 and 5:38 mark and the Wildcats answered with 4:54 to play. Utica's defense was relentless in the middle of the field, giving Poly headaches and causing turnovers. The Pioneers would go onto win 18-5.
 
Utica (6-9, 1-4 Empire 8) hosts St. John Fisher for Senior Day on Saturday, April 27 at 1 p.m.