UTICA CITY FC BLUE & BLACK GAME A SUCCESS FOR FANS AND PLAYERS

UTICA, N.Y. – It was an exciting matchup at the Adirondack Bank Center on Sunday afternoon, with Blue defeating Black by a score of 5-3 and fans getting their first look at the new blue turf, Biergarten and MASL action. Joey Tavernese scored twice for Blue, electrifying the crowd as he jumped onto the boards, grabbed a beer and toasted to the fans.  

Blue dominated the opening quarter. Tavernese scored twice in the first 15 with a goal from JJ Bessie sandwiched in between. Hugues Douyon put Black on the board early in the second quarter to bring the score to 3-1.

Austin Savage cut the deficit to one with a strike five minutes into the third quarter. Uros Momic tied the game at three with a beautiful strike from outside the box. Musa Maliti regained for Blue, tapping in a pass from Tavernese. Liam Callahan blasted a shot inside the box to push their lead to 5-3 with 6:34 to go in the fourth quarter. Black fought hard to tie the game but was stifled by Blue’s defense.

“I thought the game went well,” said Head Coach Ryan Hall, who split time between the benches monitoring his players on both sides of the ball. “It definitely gave me an opportunity to see what we still need to work on over the next couple of weeks but also allowed the guys to get familiar with the stadium.”

Players took to Twitter and Instagram to express their excitement about the day. Ben Ramin, @Ben_Ramin said: “What a day! @uticacityfc Fans are incredible! Can’t wait to see everyone back for the home opener, Dec, 2nd! #jointhecity”

Liam Callahan, @Liam_Callahan reiterated the same sentiment, “Unbelievable first day with @uticacityfc and the fans. The atmosphere was top notch. Looking forward to the home opener Dec 2! #jointhecity”

The inaugural season for Utica City FC begins on the road against the Harrisburg Heat. Kick off at Pennsylvania Farm Show Arena is at 7:05 pm. The home opener takes place the following day, December 2, at the Adirondack Bank Center, beginning at 2 pm. Season and individual tickets are still available by visiting empirestatetix.com or calling the Box Office 315-790-9070.

For those outside of the area, the game can be viewed live on YouTube.

NEX

Scoring Summary

Goals

1

2

3

4

Final

Blue

3

0

1

1

5

Black

0

1

2

0

3

 

For the latest Utica City FC news visit www.uticacityfc.com or follow the team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/uticacityfc), Twitter (@UticaCityFC), Instagram (@UticaCityFC), and the Utica City FC YouTube Channel.

 

ABOUT THE MAJOR ARENA SOCCER LEAGUE
The Major Arena Soccer League represents the highest level of professional arena soccer in the world. The MASL features teams across North America, with teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The MASL is currently incorporated as a 501(c)6 not for profit corporation formed to promote the business and sport of arena soccer.