FAST START EARNS UTICA 6-4 WIN OVER HARRISBURG

UTICA, N.Y. – Utica City jumped out to a quick two-goal lead and got six goals from five different players to carry them to a 6-4 victory over the Harrisburg Heat Sunday afternoon at the Adirondack Bank Center. Andrew Coughlin made nine saves in the win.

Ben Ramin struck first for City, punching a rebound off the post and in. Liam Callahan doubled the lead three minutes later with a beautiful strike off a set piece.

Tavoy Morgan got Harrisburg on the board two minutes into the second quarter, sneaking a shot past Coughlin. Mohamed Kenawy regained Utica’s two-goal lead after an excellent steal and run from Darren Toby. Danny DiPrima cut into Utica’s lead just two minutes later. The teams traded chances down the stretch but were unable to find the net and City would take a 3-2 lead into halftime.

A slow start to the third quarter saw Utica control possession, but had few chances. Slav Ubiparipovic made it 4-2 Utica with a left-footed strike on the power play. Domenico Vitale made it 5-2 minutes later, finishing a great feed from Kenawy. Tom Mellor scored late in the third quarter to bring Harrisburg’s deficit to 5-3 after three quarters.

After a handball in the box, Ubiparipovic blasted a penalty kick to extend City’s lead to 6-3. Patrick Thompson scored with the sixth attacker on to make it 6-4 with four minutes to go. Utica clamped down defensively in the last four minutes to secure the victory.

Fans by the hundreds flooded the field after the game for a special post-game Kid’s Day hosted by Captain Bo Jelovac. There was an inflatable bounce house, free autograph cards and every player available for signatures and photos.

Utica City FC returns to home play on Sunday, January 27. Kick-off is at 2 p.m. and tickets are available on www.empirestatetix.com.

Scoring Summary