UTICA, NY - Utica University's men's soccer team matched up with St. John Fisher University at the midpoint of the squad's conference play, blanking the visiting Cardinals 2-0. In their third straight win, the Pioneers broke through in the early second half, adding a penalty kick goal to seal the win over a strong Empire 8 opponent. The orange and blue will look to keep rolling, with Senior Day and another strong E8 opponent in SUNY Brockport coming up on Saturday.
It was seniors getting the job done in a key conference win, with
Santiago Consalvo (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Boston College (Buenos Aires)) becoming the 10th Pioneer to score a goal this season, and
Felix-Assa Loselose (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham) extending his team-leading total to five goals, the only Utica player with multiple goals. Classmate and captain
Mason Bucher (Rocky Point, NY/Rocky Point) added an assist in a strong outing, in addition to Loselose. Fellow senior
Zachary Accetta (Rocky Point, NY/Rocky Point) turned away all five shots on target in his fourth shutout of 2026. The clean sheet allowed Accetta to cross above the .900 save percentage threshold this season, a metric he was ranked ninth in nationally before the matchup with St. John Fisher (SJF).
The contest, a rematch from last season's Empire 8 First Round, was largely a tale of two halves. SJF only outshot Utica 7-5 in the opening 45:00, but was responsible for both shots on target. In addition, the visitors were awarded four corner kicks to the orange and blue's one. Accetta was tasked with his first shot on target just before the 10-minute mark, saving another in the final minute before halftime. For an eighth time in 12 games, the squad entered halftime knotted 0-0.
The Pioneers flipped the script in the second half, outshooting their opponents 11-6, doubling SJF's shot-on-target total with six. Both teams traded early blocked shots, but the Cardinals got the first on goal 3:20 after play resumed. Play lulled after the save, but Utica got momentum flowing, breaking through with the game-winning goal at the 56:55 mark. In the offensive zone, Bucher made a short pass to Loselose, who passed across the penalty box to Consalvo. With a right-footed shot, Consalvo chipped a shot toward the upper-left corner, drifting into the sidewall of the goal.
Reenergized after the go-ahead goal, the Pioneers kept applying pressure, being awarded a penalty kick at 68:58. Loselose took the attempt for Utica, beating the keeper in the lower-right corner and improving his season count to 2-for-2. The Cardinals had a dangerous chance with back-to-back shots, one blocked and one saved, during the 76th minute, but the Pioneers accounted for six of the eight shots after the insurance goal to close out the 2-0 victory.
The orange and blue now join a quartet of Empire 8 teams with four wins in 2026. This upcoming Saturday, October 10th, the squad will challenge the lone five-win team, the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles. Utica will also host its second senior night, recognizing its nine remaining seniors who were not honored in last weekend's game. Opening kickoff at Casamento Field is set for 7:00 pm.
