UTICA, NY- The Utica College men's hockey team scored three goals in the third period to earn a 5-3 come-from-behind victory over visiting SUNY Potsdam in non-conference action Saturday evening.
 
With the win, Utica improves to 11-7 on the year.  The Bears, meanwhile, drop to 6-10-2.  UC returns to action next weekend with an ECAC West Conference road trip.  The Pioneers will take on Neumann University on Friday and Mahattanville College on Saturday.  Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. both days.   
 
The Pioneers opened the scoring at 16:41 of the first period as sophomore Justin Derlago (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Selkirk (MJHL)) netted his first of the year.  Junior Roman Ammirato (Williamstown, NJ/Union College (ECAC)) tallied his team-leading 14^th assist of the season, while Kollin Schultz (Buffalo, NY/Bay State (USPHL)) tallied his first helper of the year.
 
Potsdam evened the score at 2:13 of the second as Mike Sweeney scored his third of the year.  Dylan Vander Esch assisted on the power play tally.  The Pioneers responded just 1:28 later when Ammirato took a bounce off the end boards and fired a shot over the shoulder of Potsdam goalie Nate Skidmore for his tenth goal of the year.  Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) and Connor Schmidt (Monroe, MI/Arizona State (D1-Ind.)) tallied assists on the go-ahead goal. 
 
Potsdam added two more scores in the second period, both off the stick of Vander Esch to take a 3-2 lead into the third period.
 
The final frame was all Utica as the Pioneers netted three goals in the final 7:28 to come away with the victory.  Derlago sparked the comeback with his second of the night at 12:32 to even the score.  Then, just under four minutes later, Vince Stefan (Pittsburgh, PA/Kenai River (NAHL)) wristed in a shot from the point for the game-winner.  Derlago and Ammirato assisted on Stefan's fifth of the year. 
 
Junior Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) capped off the scoring with an empty netter in the final minute of play to seal the victory. Mikhail Bushinski (Woodbury, MN/Kenai River (NAHL)) and Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) assisted on the insurance goal.
 
Junior Henry Dill (Columbus, OH/UMASS (Hockey East)) made 25 saves to pick up his fifth win of the year, while Skidmore made 34 stops in the loss.  Utica was 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Bears were 1-for-3.