OLIVIERA HAT TRICK FUELS UTICA CITY COMEBACK WIN

Ontario, CA — In a high-scoring contest at Toyota Arena, Utica City FC triumphed over the Empire Strykers with a commanding 9-6 victory. The match featured relentless offense and standout performances, including a hat trick from Kelvin Oliveira, who sealed the win with three fourth-quarter goals.

The Strykers opened the scoring early at 2:06 in the first, but Barbaro Shelier leveled the game at 8:35 with a tenacious effort, battling the goalkeeper to pop the ball into the net. Jayce Berger followed up at 11:08, driving down the left side to score far post, giving Utica a 2-1 lead.

After trading goals in the second, Gordy Gurson’s creative backheel equalized at 12:27 to tie the game at 3-3, before Empire’s Abdul Mansaray restored their lead, ending the half 4-3.

In the third quarter, Keaton Woods tied it at 5:37 with a shot from the top of the box, and Logan Roberts capitalized on a precise setup from Nilton de Andrade at 13:35, narrowing Empire’s advantage to 6-5 entering the final frame.

Utica’s dominance came in the fourth, starting with Woods’ long-range strike at 1:25 to tie the game at 6-6. Kelvin Oliveira then took over. He converted a penalty kick at 3:17, scored a stunning header from a Gurson assist at 5:06, and capped the night by stripping a defender and finishing in highlight-reel fashion at 11:44. Oliveira’s natural hattrick sealed the 9-6 win for the City.

Utica City FC now looks forward to building momentum in their next matchup tomorrow night against the San Diego Sockers. They are still prepping for the home opener on December 29^th at 3pm. Tickets are available now at ucfctickets.com