Wolves Rally to Win Season Opener

Keuka outscored Alfred State 11 to 3 in the 2^nd half to rally from a 7-4 halftime deficit to earn a 15-10 victory in the lacrosse season opener for both teams.

Seth Bush scored 35 seconds into the game to give Keuka their only lead in the first three quarters of the game. The Pioneers answered with three straight goals, two by Teddy Alvarado (Hilton) and one by Joe Johnson (Churchville Chili). Kasey Gallina scored in the final minute to make it 3-2 after the 1st quarter.

AJ Soto (Churchville Chili) scored 11 seconds into the 2nd quarter but Keuka tied the game with goals by Andrew Burns and Tyler Andrews. The Pioneers bounced back and scored the next three, Cole Reuben (Basom/Akron), Alvarado, and Johnson scored, to hold a 7-4 lead at half.

Alvarado made it 8-4 1:47 into the 3rd, before Keuka started their comeback with four next five goals. Craig Gerhardt scored twice, Bush scored on a man-up situation, and Andrew Burns cut the lead to 9-8 following Rueben's second goal of the day.

Andrew Burns and Seth Burns led the charge in the 4th quarter. Burns and Bush combined for five goals in just under a three minute span to make it 13-9. Soto scored with 3:18 remaining in the game to cut it to 13-10 but the Wolves got insurance goals by Bush and Gerhardt to seal the victory.

Alvardo finished with four goals to lead the Pioneer offense while Soto and Reuben both finished with two goals and an assist. Johnson scored twice while Ian Grana (Greece Odyssey), Eric Passeck (Thomaston, CT) each had an assist. Chris Williams (Watertown/South Jefferson) led the team with eight ground balls.

Bush and Burns both finished with five goals while Gerhardt had three goals and four assists.

Nikoli Biljanoski played the final forty minutes of the game and made nine saves to earn the victory for the Wolves while Matt Cobb (Churchville Chili) made 12 saves in net for the Pioneers.

Keuka held a 44 to 33 shot advantage and a 32-30 advantage in ground balls. The Pioneers won five of the six face-offs in the 1^st quarter but the Wolves rebounded and won 16 of the next 20 opportunities. The blue & gold was 4 for 12 with the extra man while Keuka was 3 for 11.

The Pioneers head on the road for the first time of the season on Wednesday when they travel to Wells for a 6 p.m. opening face-off.