CANTON, NY - Utica University's men's soccer team kicked off its 2026 season by traveling north to take on the SUNY Canton Kangaroos. In a physical, tightly contested bout, the Pioneers stood tall, winning their season opener 1-0. Both teams attempted seven shots and put three on target, but a clean sheet victory brings Utica's all-time record against Canton to 5-1-1.
Freshman forward
Mao Nkurunziza (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham) was the lone player in the game with a point, making his mark in his collegiate debut. Senior captain
Joseph Cavallo (Cornwall, NY/Cornwall Central) accounted for the orange and blue's other two shots on target.
Zachary Accetta (Rocky Point, NY/Rocky Point) earned the start in the season opener, saving all three shots on target in his third career clean sheet.
Canton matched Utica's shot profile, taking three shots on target across two players. Freshman Brody Sparks notched two of the attempts, while sophomore forward Demetrius Blake Jr. booted the other. Freshman Braydn Bovee minded the net for the Kangaroos, getting in front of two out of three shots on goal.
Both squads played a contested first half, holding each other scoreless through 45 minutes. Additionally, they had identical shot lines, attempting four shots each, but both put just one on target. Sophomore defender
Justin Clarke (East Setauket, NY/Ward-Melville) was responsible for two of the attempts, using his 6-foot-4 frame to get the first touch on two free kicks. Both were just a touch too high, one even hitting the crossbar. Cavallo booted the lone shot on target of the half. Fellow senior captain
Mason Bucher (Rocky Point, NY/Rocky Point) took the first shot of the year just over a minute into the season.
It took 23 minutes of play for Utica to take a shot attempt in the second half, during which time Canton attempted two, one on target. Cavallo again tested Bovee to bring the shot count to a 6-5 Canton lead. However, just a minute and a half later, the Pioneers broke through. Breaking out of their own defensive half, the ball found its way to sophomore midfielder
Chase Abbott (Penfield, NY/Penfield), who chipped the ball up to Nkurunziza. Nkurunziza touched the ball near the top of the penalty area, cutting away from two Kangaroo defenders. He fired the ball toward the upper middle part of the net, sneaking the ball between the crossbar and the goalkeeper.
The next shot came off the foot of a Canton player with just over 10 minutes remaining. Blake Jr. took a shot directly off a free kick, which was promptly saved by Accetta before it could find its way into the lower left corner. Five and a half minutes later, a Pioneer free kick gave Utica a chance, including a shot by
Carter Cookinham (Poland, NY/Poland) from close to the net, but it could not find the net. The game closed with a flurry of set pieces, including back-to-back Utica corner kicks, but no further attempts at the net were made.
The Pioneers return to action this weekend in a road matchup with a local rival. On Saturday, September 5th, Utica will challenge Hamilton College at Hamilton's Love Field. Opening kickoff is set for 1:30 pm.
