UTICA, NY - Utica University's men's lacrosse team opened its 2026 season by hosting the SUNY Potsdam Bears in a non-conference matchup. The visitors jumped out to an early lead, riding out the early pressure through a tightly contested last 45:00 minutes. The Pioneers will look to right the ship in a home matchup against Farmingdale State College this coming Tuesday. Opening faceoff is set for 4:00 pm.
Utica's offense saw balanced scoring in the outing, as each goal was netted by a different player. The attacker core of
Ethan Hunt (Skaneateles, NY/Skaneateles),
Ryan Considine (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee), and
Nolan Shea (Williston, VT/Champlain Valley Union) each pocketed a goal, with junior midfielder
Lucas Donahue (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) scoring the remaining tally. Hunt, Considine, and Shea each recorded an assist as well, joined by senior captain
Noah Erickson (Auburn, NY/Auburn) with one. Hunt led the team with 11 ground balls, followed by
Ryan Hollenbeck (Baldwinsville, NY/Charles W. Baker) with eight, and Considine,
Chase Nappi (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna), and
Aaron Bergquist (Brewerton, NY/Central Square) with four each. Donahue was the sole Pioneer to reach a second caused turnover. Senior netminder
Jake Bowen (Williston, VT/Champlain Valley Union) played between the pipes for the orange and blue, stopping 14 shots.
Potsdam's scoring was led by Rowisonkies Barnes and Preston Daniels, who each scored two goals. Braydon Goddard led the team with three points, a product of one goal and two assists, the only two the Bears recorded in the game. The remaining visitors' goals were split between Billy Kozloski, Tyler Gould, Ronin Oakes, and Nick Long. Senior netminder Saka Thompson was critical to Potsdam's success, stopping 20 of Utica's 24 shots on target.
The visitors controlled the first 15 minutes, scoring four consecutive goals to enter the second quarter up 4-0. Donahue netted the opening goal of the game for Utica, and the team's first of the season, 2:19 into the second quarter. Potsdam responded with two goals within the next 2:10 of play, before Shea netted a man-up goal with 1:33 left in the half to close the first 30 minutes with the Bears up 6-2. Neither squad could find the back of the net in the third quarter, as Bowen and Thompson recorded five and six saves, respectively. The teams traded goals in the final quarter, beginning with Considine scoring for the Pioneers just 36 seconds after play restarted. Kozloski responded for the Bears 20 seconds after Considine's goal, before Hunt scored the team's final goal of the game in his debut with the program. Potsdam added an even-strength goal with 8:21 left, and a man-advantage goal with 5:59 left to close the game 9-4.
The Pioneers return to action in just a few days when they host the Farmingdale State College Rams on Tuesday, March 3rd. Opening faceoff in the contest is set for 4:00 pm.
