Statesmen rally past Pioneers

GENEVA, N.Y.-The Hobart College soccer team scored three unanswered goals as it rallied past Utica 3-1 on Cozzens Field this afternoon. With the win the Statesmen are now 7-6-2 overall. Hobart had the game's first scoring opportunity in the ninth minute. Off a free kick near midfield, Junior Binjo Emmanuelserved a ball into the box that fellow junior Nick Wigglesworth got his head on. The Pioneers goalie stopped shot. Utica (5-11-1) opened the scoring at the 15 minute mark of the first half. Thomas Muller collected a loose ball near the top of the box, danced around a defender, and fired a shot into the upper right corner of the goal. It was his second goal of the season. The Statesmen answered two and a half minutes later. Emmanuel intercepted a Pioneer clearing attempt and sent a through ball to sophomore Pete Critchlow. Critchlow dribbled the ball into the box and around a diving Randy Miksch. He took the ball nearly to the end line before centering it in the box. Sophomore Kyle Mangold ran onto the end of the crossing pass and headed it into the empty cage. The goal was Mangold's team-leading fourth of the season. First-year Nick Kriak nearly scored his first collegiate goal in the 46th minute. His shot from point blank range was stuffed by Miksch. Utica's best scoring opportunity of the second half came in the 68th minute. Muller broke into the attacking box all alone and attempted to send a shot inside the left post. Hobart goalie Brian Salazar made a last second kick save to keep the game tied. Hobart took a 2-1 lead in the 74th minute on sophomore August Martini's first collegiate goal. On a free kick, Martini skipped a shot along the grass into the right corner of the cage. Junior Ben Orr capped the scoring in the 84th. He redirected a Jack Bizub shot past Miksch. The goal was Orr's first of the season. Salazar made two saves in his first collegiate start and victory for the Statesmen. Miksch made nine saves in goal for Utica. Hobart finished the game with a 20-4 edge in shots and a 9-3 edge in corner kicks. The Statesmen will complete their regular season on Saturday, Oct. 27, when they travel to Canton, N.Y. Saturday's match against St. Lawrence is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.