UTICA, NY - Utica University's men's soccer team played host to its first of two senior nights, honoring seven of the 16 seniors prior to a matchup with the Houghton University Highlanders. In a tough matchup that could prove vital to postseason seeding at the end of the month, it was the Pioneers that stood tall, scoring the middle three goals in a 3-2 win. Despite losing the possession battle, Utica won with efficiency, attempting more shots at a more accurate rate than the Highlanders.
Felix-Assa Loselose (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham), the only Pioneer with multiple goals, extended his lead, doubling his season total with a brace in the early second half. Senior captain
Joseph Cavallo (Cornwall, NY/Cornwall Central) netted another Utica score, additionally assisting on a Loselose goal.
Braeden Arias (New Milford, CT/New Milford) and
Carter Cookinham (Poland, NY/Poland) also earned assists, the second of the season for both, while
Henry Schweitzer (Clinton, NY/Clinton) earned his first of the season.
Asim Gacic (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor), among the senior night honorees, pulled the start in goal, making the most of the opportunity in a two-save win.
Houghton controlled the play after opening kickoff, taking each of the first three shots within eight minutes, each off target to the right side of the net. Utica fired back with a three-shot flurry of their own between 10:28 and 13:24. Just minutes later, the Highlanders attacked back, earning a corner kick, taken by Houghton's Samuel Edwards, who found the head of Daniel Da Costa in the box and put the visitors up 1-0 after 18:32. The Pioneers fought back, though, attempting three more shots on target before Cavallo evened the score at the 31:44 mark. After a Utica corner kick was headed away by a Houghton defender, Cavallo sent home a shot from the top corner of the penalty area. Houghton got one more shot on target with 1:05 left in the half, but a Gacic save sealed a 1-1 halftime draw.
The second half is where the Pioneers pulled out the win, attempting 12 shots before the Highlanders took their first. Arias put one on target just over a minute into the half before a Utica corner during the 55th minute was awarded. Taken by Cavallo, Arias received the ball and headed it toward the back post, finding Loselose and directing it into the goal at the 55:18 mark. The offense wasn't done, though, as Loselose found the back of the net again just 4:16 later. Cookinham carried the ball into the box, passing to Schweitzer, who made a quick tap to Loselose, finding the bottom-right corner of the goal.
The Pioneers had more serious attempts, but added no more to their goal total. It was the Highlanders that struck back next, with Ethan Cruz netting a free-kick goal to bring the score to 3-2. Houghton flipped the script on their hosts, attempting each of the final five shots in the game, but other than the goal, only one more went on target, which was saved by Gacic in the 88th minute.
Utica men's soccer continues a mid-season home stretch next Wednesday, October 7th, against St. John Fisher University. Opening kickoff at Casamento Field is set for 7:00 pm. The team will recognize its remaining Senior Night honorees next Saturday, October 10th.
