UTICA, NY – The nationally-ranked No. 7/7 Utica College men's hockey team netted three goals in each of the second and third periods Friday night to cruise to a 6-0 win over visiting Bryn Athyn at the Adirondack Bank Center. Utica co-captain Mikhail Bushinski (St. Paul, MN/Kenai River (NAHL)) led the way for the Pioneers with one goal and two assists as the Pioneers improved to 14-3-1 overall on the year.

Utica returns to the ice on Saturday night as it travels to United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) rival Elmira College. The contest is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

After a scoreless first period, Bushinski got the Pioneers on the board with his fifth goal of the season as he skated up the left side, beat a Lion defender, and slid the puck past McKenzie Chalmers to hand the Pioneers a 1-0 lead at 7:33. 

Senior Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) put the Pioneers on top 2-0 when he netted his fifth goal of the season at 12:11 off assists from Daniel Fritz (Harwood, MD/Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)) and Bushinski. As time winded down in the second period Utica freshman Tyler Pietrowski (Curtice, OH/Odessa Jackalopes (NAHL)) threw a shot on net that beat the Bryn Athyn goalie with less than one second on the clock to give the Pioneers a commanding 3-0 lead headed into the third and final period. Brett Szajner (Novi, MI/Amarillo (NAHL)) and Shawn Lynch (Syracuse, NY/Ottawa Jr. Senators (CCHL)) were each credited with an assist on the Pioneers' third goal.

Senior Roman Ammirato (Williamstown, NJ/Union College (ECAC)) then gave the Pioneers a 4-0 advantage with his team-best 16^th goal of the season early in the third period as he skated through four Lion defenders and found the back of the net.  Bushinski and Carter were each credited with an assist on Ammirato's Division III leading ninth power-play goal of the season.

Freshman Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)) added his fourth goal of the year to give UC a 5-0 lead, before classmate Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) capped the scoring on the night with his eighth goal of the year at 16:05. Gregg Burmaster (Clinton, NY/Colorado College (NCHC)) and Gerson assisted on UC's final goal.

Sophomore goalie Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) improved to 4-0 on the year and registered his second shutout of the season as he stopped eight shots for Utica. UC outshot the visitors 45-8 on the evening. Chalmers made 39 stops in net for the Lions.