DELHI, NY - Utica University's men's soccer team continued their season with a 3-1 victory over the SUNY Delhi Broncos. A late first half score by Utica tied the game entering halftime before the Pioneers scored twice in the first eight minutes of the second half. Their newfound lead held for the remainder of the game to earn Utica their first win of the season, evening their record to 1-1. Delhi will continue to search for their first victory, falling to 0-2 in the early season.
Utica tallied 16 total shots in the outing, split between nine different players. Of those nine players, four of them ended the game with at least one point.
Noah Scranton (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) and
Henry Schweitzer (Clinton, NY/Clinton) each scored their first goal of the season, with
Carter Cookinham (Poland, NY/Poland) assisting on Schweitzer's goal.
Noah Nassberg (Naples, FL/Gulf Coast) scored the first goal of the season for Utica on a penalty kick.
Zachary Accetta (Rocky Point, NY/Rocky Point) started in net for the Pioneers, saving seven of his eight shots seen.
Delhi shot a total of 17 times, putting nine of them on target. Their second-highest shooter, Aidan Gaughan, found the back of the net for Delhi's lone goal of the game. His score was assisted by Matt Serrao. The Broncos' goalkeeper, Salvatore Meloni, faced 12 shots on goal in the match, saving nine of them.
Delhi scored first in their home opener. During the 31st minute, Serrao crossed the ball in from the left side. Accetta attempted to collect the ball, but it instead found its way to the foot of Gaughan, who put it home.
Ten minutes later, Utica's scoring sequence began with two quick saves by Meloni. The second save knocked the ball out of bounds, giving Utica a corner kick opportunity. On the corner attempt, a handball inside the box by a Delhi defender gave the Pioneers a penalty kick chance to tie the game.
Noah Nassberg (Naples, FL/Gulf Coast) stepped to the dot and found pay dirt, scoring and tying the game with just over four minutes left in the half.
Utica scored the eventual game-winning goal just three and a half minutes into the second half. After an
Evan Smith (Baldwinsville, NY/Baker) shot to the top-right part of the net was saved,
Noah Scranton (Utica, NY/Whitesboro) found the ball in the box, and netted the Pioneers' second goal of the game.
Utica's third goal came just over three and a half minutes later. Schweitzer found control of the ball following an assist from Cookinham, and tallied his first goal on a shot high in the goal.
The Pioneers will wait until next weekend to play again, when the team faces off with Marywood University in the squad's home opener. The match is set to begin at 3:00pm on Saturday, September 6th.
