Utica, NY – The Utica College men's hockey team lost at home to SUNY Cortland on Friday, as its record drops to 8-3. Cortland improves to 4-5 overall on the season with the final score, 4-2.
 
Cortland took an early 1-0 lead, scoring seven seconds into the game. Utica was unable to tie the game up before the end of the period despite outshooting the visitors 16-11 in the first.
 
The visiting team then scored two more goals in the first four minutes of the second period to make the score 3-0, with 16:38 remaining in the period. Four minutes later, Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) scored on a power play to put Utica on the board, making the score 3-1. Alex Roberts (Burnaby, British Columbia/Brooks Bandits (AJHL)) and Connor Schmidt (Monroe, MI/Arizona State (D1-Ind.)) received assists on the goal.
 
Cortland scored a power play goal of its own with 1:27 remaining in the second period taking a 4-1 lead going into the locker room. The Pioneers outshot their opponents 15-12 in the second.
 
Mikhail Bushinski (Woodbury, MN/Kenai River (NAHL)) netted a power play goal for UC with just 31 seconds remaining in the game, to cut the lead to two. Brett Szajner (Novi, MI/Amarillo (NAHL)) and Roman Ammirato (Williamstown, NJ/Union College (ECAC)) assisted on the play, extending Ammirato's point streak to 11 games. The Pioneers did not have enough time remaining in the game to make a comeback. Utica outshot Cortland 40-32 over the course of the game.
 
Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL))'s goal in the second period was his third of the season and he now has a total of eight points this year. Mikhail Bushinski (Woodbury, MN/Kenai River (NAHL))'s goal was also his third on the season, boosting his point total up to 12. Both of Utica's goals were earned on power plays as the team finished 2-6 in power play situations.
 
Roman Ammirato (Williamstown, NJ/Union College (ECAC)) has recorded an assist in two consecutive games. Ammirato now has 11 assists this season, as he increases his team-leading point total to 20. Connor Schmidt (Monroe, MI/Arizona State (D1-Ind.)) recorded his eighth assist of the year in the game. Alex Robert now has a total of three assists while Brett Szajner (Novi, MI/Amarillo (NAHL)) tallied his fifth assist of the year.
 
Darren McCormick netted two goals for SUNY Cortland in the game. The Red Dragon's other two scores were recorded by Paul Fregeau and Wilson Vershay.
 
Goaltender Patrik Virtanen (Vantaa, Finland/Lincoln (USHL)) made eight saves in the first period, while Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) recorded a career-high of 15 saves in relief.
 
The Pioneers will be on the road for their next game as they take on Morrisville State. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on December 9^th.