The Official Athletics Site of SUNY Canton

Canton, NY – Braydn Bovee stood tall in his first start in goal and Brody Sparks led the Roos with a pair of shots on goal, but a goal in the 70th minute proved to be the difference as Utica earned a 1-0 victory against the SUNY Canton men's soccer team in the season opener for both teams on Tuesday.

THE BASICS

• Result: Utica 1, SUNY Canton 0
• Location: SUNY Canton Turf Field – Canton, NY
• Records: Utica (1-0-0) | SUNY Canton (0-1-0)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The teams exchanged scoring chances early on with Sparks the first to challenge either keeper as his shot towards the lower left was saved by Utica keeper Zachary Accetta.
• Malik Abdallah, Christopher Guallpa and Sparks all added shot attempts in the opening 25 minutes of the contest.
• Bovee made an impressive save with just over 15 minutes left in the opening half and Utica's Justin Clark rang a shot off the crossbar with five minutes remaining in the first.
• Sparks placed another shot on target early in the second half, while Gavin Barth saw a shot sail high left.
• Mao Nkurunziza got the Pioneers on the board in the 70th minute when he beat a defender at the top of the box and fired a right-footed shot in the center of the upper 90.
• Demetrius Blake Jr. had a quality chance but his shot with just more than 10 minutes to play was turned aside by Accetta.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Sparks tied a game-high with two shots on goal playing all 90 minutes, while Blake Jr. had the other Canton shot attempt.
• The game was extremely even overall with both teams registering seven total shots and three each on net. Utica held a 6-2 edge in corner kicks while committing two more fouls than the Roos.
• Braydn Bovee made two saves in his first career start, while Accetta recorded a three save clean sheet.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Roos are back in action on Saturday when they visit Bard for a 2 p.m. kickoff.
   

Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college's career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 25 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.