Box Score Box Score Utica 6, Elmira 4

Elmira, NY (1-18-13) – The nationally-ranked No. 6/8 Utica College men's hockey team downed ECAC West rival Elmira College, 6-4, Friday night on the road.  Freshman defenseman Donny Olivieri (Philadelphia, PA/Bismarck (NAHL)) continued his current surge with two goals, including the game-winner, to lead the Pioneers.

UC improves to 13-3 overall while moving to 4-2 in the conference, just one point shy of tomorrow's opponent, nationally-ranked No. 3 Hobart College.  The Pioneers face-off against the 14-1-1 Statesmen Saturday night at the Cooler (Geneva, NY) in a crucial ECAC West battle.  The Soaring Eagles drop to 8-10 on the season while 3-5 in league play and will visit the Cooler next Friday, Jan. 25, to face Hobart.

The home team jumped out to a 1-0 lead, at 8:15 in the first period, as Soaring Eagle Jordan Robertson put home the opening score.  UC retaliated with five straight unanswered goals, over the next 17 minutes to take a devastating 5-1 advantage.  Junior defenseman Mike Slowikowski (Ewing, NJ/N.J. Hitmen (EJHL)) started the masquerade, at 14:15, to tie the game 1-1 before Olivieri converted a set-up from junior classmates Ridge Garbutt (Toronto, Ontario/Brewster Academy (NH)) and Steve Zappia (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJAHL)) to take a 2-1 edge into the first intermission. 

Utica continued its press opening up the second period with three consecutive scores.  Garbutt split the pipes off a Jordan Hobaica (Clinton, NY/Northwood School) feed at 2:05 before back-to-back power-play goals at 7:09 and 11:23 from sophomore Mike Baird (Oakville, Ontario/Huntsville (OJHL)) and Olivieri. Elmira would show its colors, however, flashing two late goals, just over one minute, to pull within two scores of the lead, 5-3, to enter the final bout.

EC converted a man-up advantage just over five minutes into the final 20 to cut the lead to one, 5-4, off a power-play tally from Liam Burtt, at 5:52. UC would show its rank however fending off the home squad while slipping in an empty-netter with two seconds left to take the season series.

Junior goalkeeper Nick Therrien (Rochester, NH/NY Apple Core (EJHL)) stopped 29 shots to improve his overall record to 12-2 while EC goalie Darren McDonald owned the loss and falls to 4-7 on the season.

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