UTICA, NY -- The Utica College men's hockey team jumped out to a 4-0 lead and held off a late Morrisville State charge to earn a 4-3 victory Thursday evening at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. Utica's Joel Wetmore (Horseheads, NY/Lindsay (OJHL)) led the way with one goal and two assists for the Pioneers.

The Pioneers held a convincing 4-0 lead at the 16:17 mark of the second period after senior forward Louie Educate (Chicago, IL/Aberdeen (NAHL)) netted his team-best sixth goal of the season on the power-play, assisted by line mates Justin Hogan (Val Therese, Ontario/Brooks Bandits (AJHL)) and Brent Wold (Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba/Dauphin (MJHL)). Educate, the former ECAC West Player of the Year, leads Utica with 13 points this season (six goals, seven assists)

Morrisville rallied with three goals in the first 7:43 of the third period.  Matthew Beer scored for the Mustangs 1:12 into the third period, and MJ Maerkl added a goal less than five minutes later to make the score 4-2, 6:07 into the third.  Morrisville then made it a one goal game when Robert Molinaro scored on a power-play just 1:36 later to set the score at 4-3 with less than 12:17 left in regulation. 

Utica junior goalie Dylan Wells (Nashville, TN/Bonnyville (AJHL)) and the Pioneer defense stood strong for the final 12 minutes of the contest to help UC wrap up it's five game home stand with a victory. Wells improved to 4-2-1 on the year after stopping 31 shots in between the pipes. UC is unbeaten in five of its last six outings and heads into the semester break with a 5-5-2 overall record. Morrisville snapped a three game unbeaten streak as its record moved to 4-5-3 overall on the year. 

Joel Wetmore (Horseheads, NY/Lindsay (OJHL)) played a part in the Pioneers first three goals of the game to push UC out to a 3-0 lead midway through the second period.  Wetmore netted his third goal of the season 6:02 into the first period to put Utica on top 1-0.  Wetmore and sophomore Easton Powers (South Lyon, MI/Port Huron (NAHL)) then assisted on freshman Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL))'s third goal of the season to put UC up 2-0 just over four minutes into the second period. 

Nick Miglio (San Antonio, TX/Bismarck (NAHL)), who finished the night with two points, netted his first goal of the season at the 9:48 mark of the second period to give UC a 3-0 lead.  Wetmore and sophomore Luc Boby (Chicago, IL/Kalamazoo (NAHL)) assisted Miglio.  Boby finished the evening with two assists for Utica.

Morrisville goalie Steven Dombrosky stopped 30 shots in the loss.  

Utica returns to the ice following a three week winter break on Friday, January 2 in Plattsburgh, NY for the Buck Supply Winter Classic.  The Pioneers will square off against Amherst College at 4 p.m. The following afternoon Utica will play either host Plattsburgh or New England College. Utica will wrap up non-conference play on Saturday Jan. 10 at Castleton State (7p.m.) before a stretch of 10 straight ECAC West battles.