ALBANY, NY - The Utica University men's lacrosse team pulled out a big 12-9 conference win against the Russell Sage Gators on Wednesday. Nolan Shea (Williston, VT/Champlain Valley Union) led the Pioneers with six points off three goals and three assists. He has 19 points in four consecutive games and has a steady 15 goals and 15 assists on the season.
 
Point production: Noah Erickson (Auburn, NY/Auburn) notched three goals and one assist. Ryan Hollenbeck (Baldwinsville, NY/Charles W. Baker) (two goals and one assist), and Ryan Considine (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) scored twice and now has a point in all 12 games this season. Quinn Orsini (Guilderland, NY/Guilderland) and Logan Waterman (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) scored once each. 
 
Patrick Oswald (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park) made eight saves in goal, making three in the first half and five in the second. 
 
The faceoff trio of Cade Bourcy (Syracuse, NY/Skaneateles), Chase Nappi (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) and Trent Herlehy (Hamburg, NY/Frontier Central) combined for 14 wins. 
 
Gianpaul Cooper (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) was a force down low, totaling five groundballs and five caused turnovers. Andrew Sacco (New Haven, CT/North Haven) picked up four groundballs and Erickson, Considine, Aaron Bergquist (Brewerton, NY/Central Square) and Jake Loughlin (Victor, NY/Victor) had three each. 
 
Erickson scored the first goal with 4:40 remaining in the first quarter to give Utica a 1-0 lead. The Gators would rattle off four straight to take a 4-1 advantage into the second quarter. 
 
Erickson totaled his second goal with 12:44 in the second quarter, cutting Sage's lead to 4-2. Sage would score two more and Utica would answer back with a goal from Hollenbeck as Utica would trail into halftime, 6-3. 
 
Utica played lockdown defense in the second half, allowing only three goals. 
 
Utica scored four goals in the third quarter compared to Sage's two. Waterman got the scoring started with a man-up tally with 13:26 left in the quarter. Sage scored only 20 seconds later and the Pioneers would end the third with three goals from Shea (two) and Considine (one). Sage entered the fourth quarter with an 8-7 lead. 

The Pioneers closed out the game with three straight goals between the 7:02 and 1:21 mark from Considine, Hollenbeck and Orsini. 
 
Utica (6-7, 3-3 Empire 8) travels to Alfred University on Saturday, April 19. Faceoff slated for 1 p.m.