Junior Trever Hertz netted the game-tying and game-winning goals for UC as the Pioneers improved to 4-0 for the first time in program history
Box Score Utica 3, Neumann 2 -
Box Score
Ashton, PA (11/9/2012) – The nationally-ranked No. 10 Utica College men's hockey team received two key goals from the stick of junior forward
Trever Hertz (Jaffray, British Columbia/Quesnel Millionaires (BCHL)) to rally from a 2-1 deficit and defeat ECAC Men's West Conference foe Neumann University Friday night at the Ice Works Twin Rinks in Ashton, Pa. The Pioneers (4-0, 2-0 ECAC West) remained undefeated and they are now off to their best start in program-history, having never opened a season with four straight victories. UC also snapped a ten game winless streak against a Neumann squad that has seemingly had the Pioneers number over the course of the last three years.
“This was a big one for us tonight. We haven't been able to get past Nuemann in some time and it feels great to win the first game of a weekend set
and stay out of the loss column,” said Head Coach
Gary Heenan, “Anytime we can go on the road and beat an ECAC West opponent I think it says a lot, especially since we were playing catch-up the entire game.”
The Pioneers trailed 2-1 midway through the second period of play and that's when Hertz, who entered the contest scoreless through three games, turned it up a notch. Hertz's first tally of the season knotted the score at 2-2 with less than four minutes to go in the second period and he went on to add the eventual game-winner just over five minutes into the final stanza.
UC's penalty kill unit was able to squash a five minute penalty midway through the third period to preserve the one goal lead and propel UC to its 11th win over Neumann in 33 meetings all-time.
Utica fell into an early 1-0 hole in the 14th minute of the first period but the Pioneers' leading scorer
Jon Gaffney (Dover, NJ/Springfield Blues (NAHL)) was able to tie the score up at 1-1 with his fifth goal of the year 7:06 into the second period of play. Senior
Robert Etts (Smithtown, NY/Hitmen (EJHL)) and freshman
Donny Olivieri (Philadelphia, PA/Bismarck (NAHL)) each recorded an assist on the Pioneers' first goal of the game.
Peter LaFosse (Merrimack, NH/Kimball Union Academy),
Josh Schmitt (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo (OPJHL)),
Mike Slowikowski (Ewing, NJ/N.J. Hitmen (EJHL)) and
Adam Graff (Bear, DE/Syracuse Stars (EJHL)) each garnered an assist on Hertz's two goals.
Both of the Neumann tallies were on the power-play and they were scored by Casey Rogers and Chris Bournazos.
Junior goalie
Nick Therrien (Rochester, NH/NY Apple Core (EJHL)) registered his third win of the young season after stopping 23 shots between the pipes for the Pioneers, including all six in the final period. Braely Torris made 27 saves in net for the Knights. UC earned a 30-25 shot advantage on the evening, but the home squad went 2-for-4 on the power-play compared to the Pioneers' 0-for-4 effort with a man-advantage,
The Pioneers return to the ice on Saturday night when they take on Neumann in game two of the weekend doubleheader at 7 p.m.
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