UCFC READY TO BATTLE IN SUNSHINE STATE

QUICK LOOK: Utica City FC (2-2) heads to Florida off of two straight wins as the calendar flips to 2022. They meet the Tropics (3-1) who sit at the top of the East Division. They also hold the second best goal differential in the MASL at +8. Florida is led by Zach Reget with 7 points in his 4 games. Hugo Silva minds the net for the Tropics, with a 4.35 GAA and .733 SV% in his four starts.

WAY BACK IN 2021: Last time Utica City took the field, it was on the road in Harrisburg back on December 18th, 2021. UCFC routed the Heat from the opening kickoff. Seven different players had goals, and 10 different players tallied points. Patrick Thompson was the first star of the game with two goals and an assist in the 9-4 win. It was the second of back-to-back wins over the Heat. The night before Utica City FC battled through a 3-0 deficit against Harrisburg to earn a 5-4 win thanks to Moises Gonzalez’s goal with 20 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter. 

FLORIDA FLASH BACK: In Utica City’s home opener, Florida jumped out to a hot start, and cruised to a 7-1 win for their second straight victory. Florida opened the game with four consecutive goals, but Utica tried to rally. Nate Bourdeau tallied the lone goal for the City. He scored off a rebound to make it 4-1, and the Adirondack Bank Center was rocking. Utica City outshot Florida 30-27 including 12-4 in the 4th quarter, but ultimately lost 7-1.

WHERE THERE’S A WILK THERE’S A WAY: The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) announced on December 21st the winners of the Week 4 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week awards. Utica City FC Goalkeeper Brian Wilkin was selected as Defensive Player of the Week. Wilkin made his Utica debut and made his presence known with a pair of wins in the home and home series with Harrisburg. The Rochester, NY native stopped 26 shots in his 120 minutes of play. Wilkin heads to Florida 2-0 with a 4.00 GAA.