BALTIMORE — Utica City FC opened the 2022-23 season with a seven-goal performance against the Baltimore Blast, but it was not quite enough as the team fell 8-7 on Saturday night.

The game began with Utica City tallying three quick goals to open the first quarter. Ronaldinho Diniz sprinted the length of the field and buried a goal off of his right foot with 9:27 left in the quarter.

Not even a minute later, Logan Roberts tallied another after a deflection off of Christian Segura. Gordy Gurson netted his first in blue and white with an overhead kick to make it 3-0. After Baltimore’s Tony Donatelli got on the board a minute later, Joey Tavernese responded to regain UCFC’s three-goal lead. Baltimore got goals from Jonatas Melo and Lucas Roque before the quarter came to an end, and Utica City led 4-3 at the first break.

Roque scored again to start the second. Bo Jelovac found a rebound in front to score at 10:29 of the period to make it a 5-4 game. Donatelli evened things up before the half came to a close.

The Blast took the lead for the first time in the game with goals from Donatelli and Roque, widening the margin to two in favor of the Baltimore.

UCFC nearly completed the comeback as Gurson scored on a penalty kick, but Melo notched a goal halfway through the fourth quarter to give the Blast a two-goal lead.

Gurson’s third goal of the game was not enough to bring UCFC to level, falling just short by a final of 8-7.

UCFC plays its home opener at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 11, against the Harrisburg Heat.