UTICA, NY – The nationally-ranked No. 12/15 Utica College men's hockey team snapped a seven game win streak on Friday night as the Pioneers dropped their regular season finale at home against Nazareth, 4-1. 

Utica (17-8, 12-2 ECAC West), which has secured its third ECAC West Regular season title in the last five years, will host a conference tournament semifinal game at the Aud on Saturday, February 25th. Tickets for the contest are currently on sale at the Utica Memorial Auditorium Box Office and online at www.empirestatetix.com.

Linemates Dominik Gabaj and Justin LaCorte led the visiting Golden Flyers with two points each. Gabaj opened the contest with an unassisted goal after a Pioneer turnover in their own end just 1:45 into the first period of play to hand the Golden Flyers an early 1-0 advantage. LaCorte gave the visitors a 2-0 lead midway through the second period when he registered his ninth goal of the season. 

Utica freshman forward Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Wakefield, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) tied the team lead with his 11th goal of the season to cut the Pioneers deficit to 2-1 at the 12:44 marker of the second period. Senior captain Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)) registered an assist on senior night, while junior Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) also added a helper on the Pioneers' lone goal of the evening. Valenti now has 15 assists this season. 

Nazareth went on to add another goal before the end of the second period to take back a two goal lead and the Golden Flyers added a short-handed empty-netter with 1:38 remaining in the third period to seal the three goal victory.

UC freshman goalie Patrik Virtanen (Vantaa, Finland/Lincoln (USHL)), who has earned ECAC West weekly accolades for three straight weeks, stopped 26 shots on the afternoon.  Nazareth freshman goalie Michael Tilford added 18 saves in his fourth victory of the season.

Naz outshot the Pioneers 30-19 on the evening and the Golden Flyers also went 1-for-5 on the power-play while holding the home team to an 0-for-5 effort with a man advantage.

Utica's 12 ECAC West wins this regular season are a new program-best.  The Pioneers are also ranked No. 8 in the most recent release of the NCAA East Regional Rankings published Tuesday by the NCAA Division III Men's Hockey National Committee.