UTICA, NY - The Utica University men's soccer team opened its Empire 8 Conference play this afternoon with a 1-1 draw against Houghton University. 
 
Noah Nassberg (Naples, FL/Gulf Coast) was the one to break the scoreless tie for the Pioneers, also tallying five shots in the contest. Assisting on the Nassberg goal was Anderson Velazquez (Norwood, NY/Marble Hill) and Maximillian Pawlowski, who both recorded one shot each on the afternoon. Martin Mendoza (Walden, NY/The Mount Academy) recorded four shots, one of which fell on goal, while Gavin Baxter (Ellenville, NY/Ellenville), Felix-Assa Loselose (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham), and Joseph Cavallo (Cornwall, NY/Cornwall Central) each tallied two shots. In goal for the Pioneers was goalkeeper Foti Xidias (Carteret, NJ/Carteret), who tallied five saves in the effort. 
 
The opening frame would see the Pioneers slightly out possess the Highlanders, putting forth eight shots to their seven, as well as recording two corner kicks in the half. Houghton would be the one to get the offense going in the first half, recording the first shot of the game in the eighth minute. Utica's Mendoza would rifle one off shortly thereafter, but his effort would go slightly right and out of bounds. The end of the opening frame would be where the Pioneers shined as Utica would put forth six shots in the final 15 minutes of the half, only one of which would fall on goal courtesy of Baxter. Despite the offensive efforts by the Pioneers, they would go into halftime scoreless. 
 
The second frame would see an offensive onslaught by the Pioneers, starting with Cavallo recording a shot less than three minutes into the frame at 47:04. Utica would then go on to have three straight corners, with Carson Rother (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) able to make a jab at the Highlanders goalkeep on the second of three, but to no avail as the shot went just left of the goal. It would not be until the 64th minute where Noah Nassberg (Naples, FL/Gulf Coast) would break it open for the Pioneers, finding the back of the net on feeds from Anderson Velazquez (Norwood, NY/Marble Hill) and Maximillian Pawlowski to break the scoreless tie. 10 minutes later, Houghton was awarded a penalty kick on a foul by Noah Scranton (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) for the opportunity to tie the game then and there, but Utica goalkeeper Foti Xidias (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) was able to remain stout to allow Utica to hold its lead. The Pioneers would put forth several opportunities to double the lead and put the game on ice late in the second half, but it would be the Highlanders that would come up fruitful after a shot from Caleb Bailey would squeak by Xidias to tie the game at 1 apiece in the 88th minute. 
 
Utica (1-2-4, 0-0-1 Empire 8) remains home to take on St. John Fisher University in another conference matchup. Game time on Wednesday, September 25 is slated for 7pm at Casamento Field.