UTICA, NY - Utica University's men's lacrosse team took the short crosstown road trip to visit the SUNY Poly Wildcats. The Pioneers defeated their hosts by a score of 17-10, jumping ahead big in the first half. Utica will now look to carry momentum in the team's upcoming home game this Saturday against SUNY Brockport. The game will honor the late Mike Parnell, a key foundational piece of the Utica men's lacrosse program

Nine separate Pioneers recorded a point in the outing, with five of them achieving multiple. Ryan Considine (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) netted four goals and tallied four helpers to lead the team with nine points. Lucas Donahue (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) added a game-high six goals and one assist. Michael Reid (Tully, NY/Tully) and Danny Dunn (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) each recorded three points, Reid via a hat trick, and Dunn by two goals and one assist. Ryan Hollenbeck (Baldwinsville, NY/Charles W. Baker) and James Morris (Clayton, CA/Clayton Valley Charter) each added one goal. Nolan Shea (Williston, VT/Champlain Valley Union) notched two assists, while faceoff specialists Chase Nappi (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) and Cade Bourcy (Syracuse, NY/Skaneateles) each had one. The Pioneers had four caused turnovers, each by a separate player, while Nappi (nine) and Bourcy (eight) held a sizable lead at the top of the ground ball count. Back at the X, Nappi won 12-of-16 draws, while Bourcy went 10-of-13. Between the pipes, Jake Bowen (Williston, VT/Champlain Valley Union) made 13 saves in the win.

Five Wildcats found their way onto the score sheet, each of them at least twice. Cooper Fitzgerald netted four goals, while Luke Taylor added a hat trick and one assist. Ryan Carroll scored twice and assisted once, with Mitchell Taylor netting one and matching the assist. Casey Ryan completed two helpers to round out SUNY Poly's point scoring. Liam Podszebka and Ajay Johnson each added one caused turnover, the only two for the team. Fitzgerald and Carroll tied for the team lead with three ground balls. Graham Genevick took all 30 faceoff draws, winning eight. Tyler Baisley started in net, stopping seven shots in 27:34 of play. Mac Fitzgerald entered in relief for the final 32:26, making 15 saves on 21 shots faced. The loss was credited to the starter, Baisley.

The Wildcats pounced first on their home turf, with Fitzgerald netting an unassisted strike 45 seconds into play. Both teams settled into play after the goal however, as neither team could break through for the next 9:56 of play. Dunn struck back for Utica with 4:19 left before a quick faceoff win and assist by Bourcy gave way to a Considine goal just four seconds later. Considine netted another two minutes later to build a 3-1 Utica lead. To close out the quarter, Dunn found Morris with 1:02 remaining, and Donahue scored an unassisted goal with 21 seconds left to enter the second frame 5-1 Pioneers.

The early second quarter belonged to Utica, and largely to Donahue who caught fire after his goal to close the first quarter. Within the first 5:15 of the second quarter, the Pioneers netted four goals, three by Donahue and the other by Considine. Dunn netted his second of the game with 8:57 remaining to end Utica's run. The Wildcats struck back with goals by L. Taylor and Fitzgerald with 8:08 and 6:31 remaining before Dunn finished a feed from Considine with 2:26 left to enter halftime with a 11-3 Utica lead.

Play again slowed down coming out of halftime, before Reid broke the lull with a strike 4:20 into the frame. SUNY Poly tried to work their way back into the game in the quarter, scoring four of the next five goals. Fitzgerald netted back-to-back goals with 8:17 and 6:10 left, while Carroll netted back-to-back goals of his own with 2:38 and 1:07 remaining. The brief Wildcat runs were split in the middle by another Donahue goal, netted with 3:38 left. After the clock ran out in the third, Utica's lead still stood tall, now 13-7.

Carroll found L. Taylor 1:25 into the quarter to reopen play, before three quick Pioneer strikes. Within a 2:40 span, Reid, Hollenbeck, and Donahue each netted goals, the latter two off feeds by Considine. Donahue's goal came last in the sequence, with 9:06 remaining, to establish a 16-8 Utica lead. With 6:15 remaining, M. Taylor and L. Taylor combined for a man-up goal for SUNY Poly. Donahue found Considine for a goal with 1:42 left in the game to close Utica's scoring. With just eight seconds left, L. Taylor netted a feed from Ryan to close the day 17-10, Utica.

The Pioneers' upcoming game will honor the late Mike Parnell, a former player and longtime head coach of the program. Facing off with Utica will be SUNY Brockport, kicking off a three-game home stretch for the orange and blue. Opening faceoff is set for 1:00 pm at Gaetano Stadium.