UTICA, NY - Utica University's men's soccer team hosted the Keuka College Wolves in the teams' final regular season games. Utica, who was ranked 5th in the conference, was expected to play well against the 1-14 Wolves, and lived up to expectations by delivering a 6-0 rout. The Pioneers took 34 total shots, 28 more than Keuka, leading the shot on goal count by 15 to 3. With the results of all Empire 8 games on 10/29, Utica has now locked into the #5 seed for the E8 Championship Tournament, with play beginning this Saturday, November 1st.
Elias Ekelund (Borås, Sweden/Bäckängsgymnasiet) and
Byamungu Mugushu (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Grimes) each scored two goals in the outing.
Noah Nassberg (Naples, FL/Gulf Coast) scored one goal, and assisted on one other, with
Luciano Barreda (Lima, Peru/West Virginia University Institute of Technology (NAIA)) scoring the final Pioneer goal.
Maximilian Pawlowski (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) and
Henry Schweitzer (Clinton, NY/Clinton) each tallied one assist.
Zachary Accetta (Rocky Point, NY/Rocky Point) and
Asim Gacic (Utica, NY/Mohawk Valley Community College (NJCAA)) each played one half in the combined shutout. Accetta started the game, making two saves in his 45 minutes, followed by Gacic with one save in his 45. Utica was able to have 31 players appear in the game in what will almost certainly be the orange and blue's final home game of the year.
The Wolves tallied just three shots on goal in the contest, each by a separate player. Corey Hamilton, Nicola Costa, and Timothy Cowin each accounted for one of the chances. Tyler Spina started the game in goal for Keuka, saving five of six shots he faced in the first half. Logan Karn entered to start the second half, saving four of nine shots that came his way.
Mugushu opened the scoring with the game-winner on a penalty kick. He was pulled down inside the box by a Keuka defender, earning himself a yellow card and awarding Utica the chance. This score came 29:36 into the game. The game remained just a one-goal game until 11 minutes into the second half. Ekelund tapped in a goal on a pass from Schweitzer. A minute and a half later, Mugushu buried his second goal of the game, this time in the lower right corner following a long ball by Pawlowski. Barreda scored Utica's fourth goal at the 67:23 mark on an assist by Nassberg, who scored his own goal 3:26 later. Ekelund scored his second, and the team's final, goal after 78:18.
With their win over Keuka, alongside the results of the other E8 games, the Pioneers have officially slotted into the 5 seed of the E8 Championship Tournament. All four round one games will occur on Saturday, the 1st, with Utica set to travel to St. John Fisher for a #4/#5 matchup. A time for the contest has not yet been determined, so be sure to check Utica Athletics platforms in the coming days for updated information as it comes in.
