UTICA, NY – Junior defender
Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) ripped home the game-winner from the point 2:07 into the overtime period to guide the Utica College men's hockey team to a 2-1 victory over visiting Elmira College in ECAC Men's West Conference action on Friday night at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
Utica has now won four in a row, including two straight OT conference wins, and remains atop the ECAC West Conference standings with a 9-1 ledger. The Pioneers nine wins through ten conference games is a program-best. Utica also improved to 14-7 overall and returns home on Saturday to host nationally-ranked No. 3/5 Hobart College in a crucial conference clash at 7 p.m. The Pioneers topped the Statesmen 4-2 earlier this season. Hobart (15-2-3 overall) heads to Utica riding the highs of a 12 game unbeaten streak and they also sit in second place in the conference standings, four points behind the Pioneers.
Utica's
Roman Ammirato (Williamstown, NJ/Union College (ECAC)) and
Alex Brissette (Atlanta, GA/Hampton Roads (USPHL)) assisted on Carter's thrilling overtime power-play goal. The goal marked Carter's second of the season. Ammirato leads the team with 18 assists.
Utica's
Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Wakefield, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) earned a hard fought second period goal to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead 4:28 into the period. Fitzpatrick recognized a loose puck in front as he was crashing the net and dove to tip the puck past Elmira senior goalie Sal Magliocco. Fitzpatrick's eighth goal of the season was assisted by junior classmates
Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) and
Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)).
Elmira knotted the score at 1-1 with 2:49 left in the second period when Connor Powell pushed his team-best 12
th goal of the season past Utica freshman goalie
Patrik Virtanen (Vantaa, Finland/Lincoln (USHL)). Powell's game-tying goal was assisted by Tyler Theodoulou and Matthew Cuce.
Utica out shot the visitors 12-9 in the third period, both both goalies stood strong and sent the contest into five minutes of overtime.
Virtanen finished the night with 30 saves to earn his ninth victory of the season. Magliocco had a solid evening in net for the Soaring Eagles as he stopped 37 shots in the loss. His record moved to 3-8-1 on the season.
Utica earned a 39-31 shot advantage and both teams went 1-for-4 on the power-play.
The Pioneers completed the regular season sweep of Elmira after earning a convincing 7-1 victory on the road against the Soaring Eagles earlier this year. Elmira's record moved to 7-12-1 overall and 2-7 in ECAC West play.
