SCHENECTADY, NY – Junior midfielder
Tripp Pietrak (Amherst, NY/Canisius) scored a goal and assisted on another to lead Union to a 3-0 non-league men's soccer victory over Utica College Wednesday night at College Park.
The Dutchmen improved to 9-4-3 on the season while the Pioneers fell to 5-9-2.
Pietrak picked up an assist when he fed
Luke LaBella (Middletown, CT/Taft School) just 9:29 into the contest. LaBella, one of the five seniors playing in their final regular season home game, notched his first of the season from about six yards out in front of Pioneer keeper Andrew Miller (Clinton, NY/Clinton).
Other seniors in their final home contest for Union were defender
Craig Williams (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa), defender
Brendan Keinath (Wilbraham, MA/Minnechaug), midfielder
Hugo Fernandez-Davila (Latham, MA/Shenendehowa), and forward
Brian Wade (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville).
Pietrak notched his seventh goal of the year straight out in front from a crowd at 53:12, and freshman
Ryan Banagan (Albany, NY/Bethlehem Central) closed out the scoring with 63:52 elapsed. Banagan broke in open on the right side of the Utica net and scored his sixth of his rookie campaign.
Miller made nine saves for the Pioneers, while
Rob Shirley (Wrentham, MA/King Philip) made one save in over 67 minutes of play for the Dutchmen.
Rob Kramer (Westport, NY/Staples) played over 22 minutes in the Union nets but did not get called upon to make a save.
Union outshot the Pioneers, 22-4, including 8-0 in the first half. Union had 13 fouls to Utica's 11, while both teams had five corners.
Union closes out the regular season Saturday for a non-league game at Nazareth at 3 p.m. Utica wraps up the season Friday, as the Pioneers host Oswego State for a non-league contest at 7 p.m.
