OWINGS MILLS, MD – The Utica College men's hockey team secured the top seed and home ice advantage in the upcoming ECAC Men's West Conference Tournament as the Pioneers topped host Stevenson University 5-0 on Friday night.  The Pioneers improved to 11-1 in conference play and have earned at least a share of the ECAC West regular season title for the fourth time in the 16 year history of the program. UC has now won at least a share of the regular season title in three of the last five seasons.

Utica still has two regular season contests remaining and the Pioneers will travel to ECAC West opponent Lebanon Valley College on Saturday at 5 p.m. Utica has now tied the program-record for conference wins in a single season (11).  UC has now won six straight games and improved its overall record to 16-7.

Utica has guaranteed itself a quarterfinal round bye in the ECAC West Conference Tournament and will host a semifinal game on Saturday, February 25th at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The last time the Pioneers won the ECAC West regular season title was back in 2013-14 when the Pioneers finished conference play with a 10-4-1 record.

Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) paced the Pioneers with two goals and one assist on the evening, while freshman goalie Patrik Virtanen (Vantaa, Finland/Lincoln (USHL)) stopped 26 shots, earned his first collegiate shut out, and fifth straight victory. Easton Powers (South Lyon, MI/Port Huron (NAHL)) exploded with three assists and defender Vince Stefan (Pittsburgh, PA/Kenai River (NAHL)) added one goal and one assist.

The Pioneers jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead just 1:34 into the first period when Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) netted his fifth goal of the season to give the visitors an early lead, assisted by Powers and Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)). Kyle Lajeunesse (South Berwick, ME/New Hampshire (EHL)) gave Utica a 2-0 first period lead when he tallied his first of the year, off assists from Vince Stefan (Pittsburgh, PA/Kenai River (NAHL)) and Luc Boby (Chicago, IL/Kalamazoo (NAHL)), with less than seven minutes to go in the first.

Both teams were held scoreless in the second period, but the Pioneers put the game away with three goals in the first 7:32 of the third period to take a convincing five goal lead.  Alex Brissette (Atlanta, GA/Hampton Roads (USPHL)) got the Pioneers going in the third period as he netted his third of the season, assisted by Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)) and Easton Powers (South Lyon, MI/Port Huron (NAHL)).

McVeigh added his second of the night and sixth of the year on the power-play to hand the Pioneers a 4-0 lead 5:54 into the third period. Stefan then punched in an insurance tally less than two minutes later to give the Pioneers a commanding 5-0 lead. Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) and McVeigh assisted on Stefan's sixth goal of the season.

Stevenson's record moved to 9-12-2 overall and 4-8-1 in the ECAC West. Utica needs one more win in its final two regular season contests to earn the outright regular season title and break the program-record for conference wins in a single season.

The Pioneers out shot the Mustangs 28-26 on the afternoon and went 1-for-5 on the power-play. Jacob Caffrey stopped 23 shots in the loss for Stevenson.