ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The SUNY Oneonta men's lacrosse team defeated Utica University, 11-5, in the 2024 season opener Sunday afternoon. Freshman
Thomas Hnis (Smithtown, N.Y./Kings Park) scored the game-high four goals in his first collegiate game and senior
Matthew Krieg (Port Jefferson Station/Comsewogue) recorded two goals and two assists. The Red Dragons improved to 1-0 the season while the Pioneers dropped to 0-1.
Hnis broke the scoreless tie at 11:29 in the first with a sidearm shot near the top of the restrain line. Utica tied the game at 7:23 with a goal by Ryan Considine, but Oneonta regained the lead a minute later when sophomore
Jamie O'Neil (Bath, N.Y./Haverling) wrapped around the goal and passed it to an open senior
Evan Kelly (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) for the score. At 3:14, senior
Matthew Krieg (Port Jefferson Station/Comsewogue) gained possession from behind the Pioneers' net, used a screen from sophomore
Anthony Munro (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) to create space from his defender, and fired it into the back of the net as the Red Dragons went into the second period ahead 3-2.
Oneonta scored three goals in the second to go up 6-2 at halftime. O'Neil spun and flattened his defender for an open shot in front of the net, Hnis scored on a man-up opportunity with an assist from Krieg, and Munro recorded his first Red Dragon goal with a sidearm shot off a pass from junior
Vincent Tirino (Port Jefferson Station/Comsewogue).
A minute into the third period, Krieg scored his second goal of the game then Hnis recorded his third to give Oneonta an 8-2 lead at 13:20. The Red Dragons got one more in the third when sophomore
Daniel Macchiarella (Guilderland, N.Y./Guilderland) received a pass in the left side of the attack zone from sophomore
Brian Zecchini (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot) and ripped it into the top of the net. Utica's Sam Serrano scored twice in the third, yet the Pioneers trailed 9-4 heading into the fourth.
Hnis netted his fourth goal at the start of the final period in another extra-man opportunity. Freshman
Ryan Lussier (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills) recorded his first collegiate point with 12:51 left after he cleared the ball himself and passed it back towards the restraining line to senior
Ben Konak (South Salem/John Jay) who fired it in for Oneonta's last goal. Senior
Harrison Boukas (North Massapequa/Plainegde) stopped six shots in the final period as the team cruised to the 11-5 final.
Boukas finished with 15 saves and five ground balls while Patrick Oswald finished with 17 saves for Utica.
Oneonta had 10 players record a point as O'Neil and Macchiarella each had a goal and an assist. Defensively, seniors
Jesse AlfanoStJohn (Westhampton Beach/Westhampton Beach),
Ray Raefski (Pleasantville, N.Y./Pleasantville), and junior
Colin Weick (Manorville/Eastport-South Manorville) caused three turnovers apiece.
Serrano ended with three goals for the Pioneers and Considine had two.
The Red Dragons are back in action Wednesday for a road game against Skidmore at 4 pm.
