Men's Soccer | 10/23/2021 8:19:00 PM
ALBANY, NY - The Utica College men's soccer team picked up a crucial Empire 8 win over the Russell Sage Gators on Saturday night, 2-0. The win helps the Pioneers keep pace with Houghton College as both teams will enter the final week of the regular season fighting for the second seed in the Empire 8 Conference Tournament.
Neither team scored through the game's first 45 minutes. Sage entered the break with an 8-7 shot advantage over Utica while the Pioneers held a 4-3 shots on goal advantage over the Gators at the half.
Gian Rodriguez gave the Pioneers a 1-0 lead in the 55th minute with his second goal of the season after rebounding a header attempt and lofting a rainbow over and out of the reach of Sage goalkeeper, Nolan Murphy. Rodriguez's goal came from roughly 10 yards out.
In the 76th minute, Michael Bernardo iced the game with his first goal of the season after Brady Barnard and Rodriguez broke down the defense to find Bernardo crashing in near the net for an easy score past a diving Murphy. Bernardo and Rodriguez were each credited with an assist on the score while Rodriguez's header to Bernardo was the finishing touch.
Jacob Sherline led the Pioneers with four shot attempts, followed by Ramazani Juma with three and Austin McCarthy with two. Foti Xidias recorded his fourth shutout and eighth win of the season after picking up seven saves. Xidias, with the help of defenders Daniel Varsames and Colin McCarthy as well as midfielders Cody Baker-Green and Nick Webster, helped keep the Gators off of the board despite 18 Sage shots and six corner kicks.
UC (8-5-1, 5-2 Empire 8) will take its four-game winning streak on the road at 4 p.m. on October 26 against non-conference opponent Hobart College.