Box l Updated stats
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Sophomore Rikesh Kotak scored two goals in a 31-second span midway through the second half to lead Nazareth to a 3-2 victory over visiting Utica in a critical Empire 8 men's soccer game. Senior Justin Stevens scored the game-winning goal for the Golden Flyers with just under 15 minutes remaining.

With three conference games to play, Nazareth improves to 6-6-2 overall and 2-1-1 in the Empire 8. Utica falls to 6-6-1 overall and 2-2 in the Conference after the loss.

The Pioneers surged to a 2-0 lead in the first 20 minutes of the game after Nazareth made defensive miscues. Utica took a 1-0 lead early in the game as Robert Stevens scored at the 1:08 mark. Stevens scored his second goal of the game at 20:05 following a corner kick. As the Golden Flyers tried to clear the ball from their penalty area, the clear was blocked and Stevens kicked the loose ball into the Nazareth net.

The score remained 2-0 in favor of the Pioneers through the remainder of the first half and the first 22 minutes of the second half. Kotak scored his first goal of the game and cut the Golden Flyers' deficit to 2-1 at the 67:53 mark. After Utica's goalkeeper, Benjamin Banker punched out a corner kick by junior Christopher Lofgren toward the top of the box, Kotak found the loose ball and ripped it into the empty net.

Kotak socred his second goal 31 seconds later after freshman Chis Mitchell was pulled down in the penalty area by a Utica defender. Kotak connected on the penalty kick by beating Banker with a shot to the lower corner of the net. Following his goals, Kotak continued to be an offensive threat as he also recorded an assist on Stevens's game-winning goal by sending a cross into the penalty area that Stevens headed past Banker and off the crossbar into the net.

Nazareth held a 19-7 advantage in shots, including a 12-2 advantage in the second half. The Golden Flyers also held a commanding 10-1 advantage in corner kicks, including a 7-0 advantage in the second half.

Banker finished with seven saves for the Pioneers while freshman Ryan Platt recorded two saves for Nazareth.

Nazareth hosts Stevens Sunday at 1 p.m. in another critical Empire 8 game.