Box Score

Utica 5, Nazareth 2 - Men's Hockey Final 

Brighton, NY (2/9/2013) – The nationally-ranked No. 3/8 Utica College men's hockey team won its third straight ECAC Men's West Conference game  against host Nazareth College 5-2 on Saturday night at the Sports Centre at Monroe Community College.  Sophomore forward Peter LaFosse (Merrimack, NH/Kimball Union Academy) netted two goals as the Pioneers won their school-record 19th game of the season.

The Pioneers now need a win and a tie in their final two conference contests to earn their second regular season ECAC West title in program-history. Utica closes out the regular season on the road next weekend at conference foe Manahattanville College on Friday (6 p.m.) and Saturday (4 p.m.).

The Pioneers, 19-4 overall and 10-3 in the ECAC West, jumped out to a 4-0 lead and never looked back as they won their eighth game in nine tries and completed the season sweep of the Golden Flyers.  League leading Hobart lost to Neumann Saturday night, 3-1, and the Pioneers now trail by just one point in the conference standings.

UC outshot first year Naz (6-16-1, 1-12 ECAC West) 46-21 on the afternoon.  Mike Slowikowski (Ewing, NJ/N.J. Hitmen (EJHL)) and Trever Hertz (Jaffray, British Columbia/Quesnel Millionaires (BCHL)) each scored two points in the Pioneer victory.

After a scoreless first period, the Pioneers exploded for three goals in the second period to shut out any hopes of a Golden Flyer upset.  LaFosse, Hertz and senior captain Evan Chlanda (Islip, NY/Springfield (EJHL)) netted third period goals.

Junior George Lotito (Staten Island, NY/NH Jr. Monarchs (EJHL)) netted his second goal of the season to push the Pioneer lead to 4-0 3:01 into the third period. 

Naz threatened with two third period goals, but LaFosse added an insurance tally with less than seven minutes to go in the contest to secure the Pioneer victory. 

Utica goalie Nick Therrien (Rochester, NH/NY Apple Core (EJHL)) stopped 19 shots in his 17th win of the season, while Nazareth goalie Ed Zdolshek stopped 41 shots in the loss. 

Rob Morton (New Hartford, NY/Merrimack (Hockey East)), Donny Olivieri (Philadelphia, PA/Bismarck (NAHL)), Steve Zappia (Buffalo, NY/Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJAHL)) and Joel Wetmore (Horseheads, NY/Lindsay (OJHL)) each tallied an assist for the Pioneers.

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