BOX SCORE

Utica, N.Y. (11/19/2010) - The Utica College men's hockey team battled from a two goal deficit to knot the score at 4-4 late in the third period but visiting Neumann University netted the game-winner with 2:08 left to lift the Knights to a 5-4 victory in ECAC Men's West Conference play in front of 3,422 fans at the Utica Memorial Auditorium Friday night. 

"I'm proud of the way our guys battled tonight against a very talented Neumann squad," said Utica Head Coach Gary Heenan. "We gave them everything we had in that final period but unfortunately they had an answer for every one of our goals.  This is one of the toughest conference's in the country for a reason and that showed here tonight."

The Pioneers (5-2, 1-2 ECAC West) fell behind 4-2 early in the third but two straight goals from junior captain Tim Coffman (Elverson, PA/Laconia (AJHL)) and sophomore forward Evan Chlanda (Islip, NY/Springfield (EJHL)), just 3:08 apart, put Utica right back in the contest. However, Neumann (3-2-1, 2-1 ECAC West) would not go down easy and the Knight's Ryan Dreger won the contest with an even strength goal with 2:08 left.  Junior forward Brent Tamane assisted on the game-winner. 

Six of the game's ten goals came in the third period of play with Dreger's game-winner turning out to be the deciding factor.  Coffman tallied a game-high four points on one goal and three assists for UC, while sophomore forward Steve Gervais led the way for the Knights with two goals and one assist.

The Pioneers opened the scoring 10:39 into the contest when freshman forward Jordan Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Northwood School), of nearby Clinton, N.Y., tallied his second goal of the season on a power-play off assists from classmate Steve Charest (Amqui, Quebec/Walpole Express (AJHL)) and Coffman.  Neumann responded with the game's next three goals, two from the stick of Steve Gervais, to take a 3-1 lead just over a minute into the third period of play. 

Freshman speedster Chris Santiago (Langley, British Columbia/Surrey Eagles (BCHL)) cut the Neumann lead to one goal, 3-2, when he scored his second goal of the season 2:40 into the third period.  Less than two minutes later the Knight's tallied a deflating goal to take a 4-2 lead and it seemed as if the Pioneers did not have the juice to battle back. 

Coffman and Chlanda had other thoughts as they netted consecutive goals to tie the score up at 4-4 with 5:07 to go in regulation. 

Dreger's game-winner, his first goal of the season, beat Utica goalie Nick Therrien (Rochester, NH/NY Apple Core (EJHL)) between the legs to put the game out of reach.  The Pioneers pulled Therrien to take a one-man advantage for the final 1:25 of the contest but they could not squeak the game-tying goal past Neumann junior goalie Ross MacKinnon.

MacKinnon stopped 21 shots on the evening while Therrien finished with 16 saves. Utica outshot the visitors 25-21 and both teams went 2-for-5 on power-play opportunities. 

Freshman classmates Jon Gaffney (Dover, NJ/Springfield Blues (NAHL)) and Trever Hertz (Jaffray, British Columbia/Quesnel Millionaires (BCHL)) also added assists for Utica.

Utica returns to the ice next Saturday for game four of a five game home stand when the Pioneers host Amherst College for a non conference contest at 7 p.m.

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