Utica Remains Perfect on the Season against Harrisburg with 11-7 Victory

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MASL Utica City FC

Utica Remains Perfect on the Season against Harrisburg with 11-7 Victory

March 16, 2025 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Utica City FC News Release


Utica, NY - Utica City FC faced a quick turnaround after a loss to Baltimore last night-a matchup against the Harrisburg Heat the day after. In another hard-fought game between the two sides, it was a hat-trick for Gordy Gurson that pushed UCFC forwards in an 11-7 victory.

The first goal for the home team didn't take long to come. Just 34 seconds into the game, Gordy Gurson finished off his solo run with a missile into the bottom corner, giving Utica a 1-0 lead. It was a lead which would last until the 6:14 mark, with Harrisburg's Dominic Francis finding the back of the net off of a long range effort. The goal is the 18th of the season for Francis, a team high. Neither team could break the deadlock as the score read 1-1 going into the second quarter.

It would be Harrisburg who got the scoring started in the second period. At the 3:28 mark Ozzy Annang unselfishly played the ball across to Roshawn Panton, who converted his shot to make the score 2-1 in favor of the Heat. Just 24 seconds later Harrisburg would double their lead. Adriano Dos Santos won the ball and played a quick one-two before firing the ball past Andrew Coughlin. The City got one back at the 11:19 mark. Gurson grabbed his second goal off of a brilliant cross from Riccardo Orozco. The goal meant that Gurson recorded just his second brace of the season. Utica would tie the game up just over a minute later. Following a deflected shot from Barbaro Shelier, Juan Alava cleaned up the scraps and tied the game at 3. It's a scoreline which would stay the same as both teams went in for halftime.

The third quarter was more of the same for Utica. The City grabbed the lead back just 2 minutes into the second half. Harrisburg defender Thiago Freitas was caught flat footed and put the ball into his own net following a shot from Emmanuel Belliard. Eight minutes into the quarter, Kyle Genrich picked up his first MASL goal with a strike from inside of the box to push the score to 5-3 UCFC. Then, Utica converted a power play opportunity for the second night in a row, this time with Geo Alves scoring on the man advantage. With UCFC leading 6-3, the Heat found some life with Panton's second of the game at the 12:24 mark of the period. His strike pushed the score to 6-4, which would hold until the fourth.

The fourth quarter started quicker than the first quarter did, with Mehrshad Ahmadi scoring a goal just 13 seconds in. Thirty seconds later, Keaton Woods headed home a great assist from Cole Stephens to make the score 8-4 in favor of UCFC. The goalscoring continued as 20 seconds later, the Heat found a goal with Noe Favila tapping one home at the back post. At the 6:52 mark in the fourth, Gurson would complete his hat-trick, scoring from deep inside his own half over the head of Heat goalkeeper Hugo Silva. Nilton De Andrade picked up a blue card for tripping, and 5 seconds into the power play the Heat converted with a give and go from Annang to Mike Da-Silva. With the score now 9-6, Juan Alava committed a foul in the box that led to a Dom Francis penalty kick, which he converted. However, UCFC saw out the match with two late goals, one from Meny Silva and another from Shelier to close out the match and an 11-7 victory for Utica City FC.

Utica continues a home stretch with another match against the Harrisburg Heat on Friday, March 21st. Kickoff is set for 7:05 PM EDT-tickets can be bought at uticacityfc.com/tickets.

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