EDWARDSVILLE – Sixty minutes couldn't decide a winner in a back-and-forth affair as visiting Utica University posted a 9-8 double overtime victory over the Wilkes University men's lacrosse team Saturday afternoon in a soggy Schmidt Stadium.
 
Wilkes dropped to 1-2 overall on the season while Utica picked up its first win standing 1-2 on the year.
 
Wilkes raced out to a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter as Joseph Markey (Lebanon, NJ/North Hunterdon) began the scoring tear with his first of the season off an assist from Tim Hartka (Phoenix, MD/Calvert Hall). Two minutes later Hartka notched his third goal of the season thanks to a pass from Austin Seames (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny Regional). The opening scoring run ended with an unassisted Anthony DelDuca (Westchester, NY/Westlake) goal with 5:12 left in the first quarter.
 
After a pair of Utica goals trimmed the Colonels advantage to one, Austin Sosnovik (New Tripoli, PA/Northwestern Lehigh) recorded his fifth goal of the season dodging defenders before depositing the ball into the back of the goal early in the second frame. J'Vier Johnson (Easton, PA/Easton Area) took a pass from Colby Opromolla (Patterson, NY/Carmel) at the 3:31 mark of the second quarter for his first career goal to up the lead to 5-2 at the half.
 
In the third quarter Utica responded with a goal four minutes in before Jaylen Dixon (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) took a loose ball forty yards drilling a shot past the Pioneers goalie for his first collegiate goal as Wilkes continued to lead 6-3. The Colonels took their largest lead of the game before the third quarter ended when Dillon Kadis (McSherrystown, PA/Delone Catholic) scored on the man-advantage off a helper from Opromolla making it 7-3 with 15 minutes left in regulation.
 
From there Utica scored four unanswered goals tying the game at 7-7 with 5:14 left in the fourth. Opromolla put Wilkes back ahead with 3:35 left in regulation with his team-high seventh goal of the season. Utica responded again with a goal with 1:47 left tying the game and sending the contest into overtime.
 
The teams went scoreless in the first four-minute overtime before the Pioneers notched the game-winner :48 into the second extra session.
 
Opromolla led the Wilkes attack with three points on one goal and two assists. Hartka followed with two points on one goal and one helper. Goalie Joseph Marino (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) finished with 20 saves in the defeat. With two caused turnovers on the day, Brendan Keegan (Middletown, NY/Pine Bush) took the program lead in caused turnovers with 62.
 
Wilkes fared well on clearing attempts throughout the game finishing 33-for-38 while also garnering 41 groundballs to Utica's 38.
 
Wilkes is back in action on Wednesday when the Colonels travel to Annville, Pa. for a non-conference matchup with Lebanon Valley College starting at 4:00 p.m.