UTICA, NY- The nationally ranked No. 8/10 Utica College men's hockey team erased a two-goal second period deficit to come away with a 5-4 victory over visiting SUNY Potsdam in non-conference action Saturday evening.
 
The Pioneers, who have won nine of their last 10, improve to 12-3 on the season and 7-1 at home.  UC will look to carry its momentum into a pair of home games next weekend against Nazareth College on Friday (7 p.m.) and Oswego State on Saturday (2 p.m.)
 
Utica opened the scoring at 11:24 of the first period as Jacob Gerson (Colorado Springs, CO/Hampton Roads (USPHL)) buried a feed at the side of the net for his third of the year.  Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) and Gregg Burmaster (Clinton, NY/Colorado College (NCHC)) assisted on the power play tally.  The Bears responded with a power play goal of their own at 17:23 off the stick of Dylan Vander Esch to even the score.
 
Potsdam added a pair of goals in the second period to pull ahead 3-1, but Utica was able to swing the momentum with two goals in the final 3:34 of play.  First, Burmaster deflected a point shot from Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) of the crossbar and in to bring Utica within one.  Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)) also tallied an assist on Burmaster's sixth of the year.  Then, with just 19.7 seconds remaining in the second period, senior Mikhail Bushinski (St. Paul, MN/Kenai River (NAHL)) one-timed a pass from Roman Ammirato (Williamstown, NJ/Union College (ECAC)) for his fourth of the year.  Classmate Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) also assisted on the equalizer.
 
The Pioneers took the lead for good at 5:07 of the third period when Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) jammed in a loose puck at the side of the net for his sixth of the season.  McVeigh took a feed off the end boards from Borsoi and tried to stuff it inside the near post.  Potsdam goalie Brandon McMenimen stopped the first shot, but McVeigh was able to knock in the rebound.  Daniel Fritz (Harwood, MD/Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)) tallied his seventh assist on McVeigh's go-ahead goal.
 
Everson put the game away with 5:35 remaining as he put in a feed from Ammirato off a 2-on-1.  Justin Derlago (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Selkirk (MJHL)) forced a turnover at the Potsdam blue line, Ammirato picked up the loose puck, and slide it to a wide open Everson for his third score of the year.
 
Potsdam brought the game within one with just 45 seconds left as Vander Esch put in his third of the day, but Utica was able to hold on for the victory.
 
The Pioneers were 3-for-6 on the power play, while Potsdam was 2-for-6 with the man advantage.  Utica goalie Patrik Virtanen (Vantaa, Finland/Lincoln (USHL)) made 27 saves to improve to 8-2 on the year, while McMenimen had 32 saves in the loss.