ELMIRA, NY - In a rematch of last season's UCHC Championship game, the No. 15 Utica College men's ice hockey team produced a performance that couldn't have gone more perfectly for their first road win of the season. The Pioneers scored two goals in each of the first two periods and never looked back as they moved back into a tie for first place in the UCHC with a 6-0 shutout win over host Elmira in Pine Valley, NY on Friday night.

The win improves Utica to 3-3, and 3-1 in the UCHC where they hold a tied position at the top of the standings with nine points. Elmira dropped a second straight as they went to 4-4 overall, and 3-2 in the UCHC. Friday's game was originally scheduled for Saturday evening.

Junior goaltender Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) was brilliant in his return performance since an opening night injury with a 34 save shutout for the Pioneers. It was a clean sheet he had to earn, as he thwarted multiple Elmira breakaways and kept the Soaring Eagles and an 0-for-4 clip on the night on the man advantage. Elmira managed eight shots with the extra man for the night.

Offensively, the Pioneers were paced by a two goal night by Jacob Gerson (Colorado Springs, CO/Hampton Roads (USPHL)), who produced his first points of the year on his goals that padded the lead in the second and third periods. Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)), Tyler Dill (South Lake Tahoe, CA/Charlotte Rush (USPHL-Premier)), and Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) were all credited with a goal and an assist.

After Elmira grabbed hold of the opening faceoff, the Pioneers set right to work establishing a firm early presence in the offensive zone. Utica stayed above pucks, played with pace along the boards, and won numerous key early faceoffs to set Elmira on its heels early. Utica also got a key early save from netminder Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) on a breakaway chance from Elmira's Andrew Pucci. The Pioneer efforts paid off rather quickly as Utica netted the all-important lid lifting goal just 4:38 into the matchup.

Senior defenseman Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) was the player to capitalize for the Pioneers as they opened the scoring. Freshman centerman Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) won the draw and firmly protected the puck below the circles. That opened up a pocket for Borsoi to step up down the middle of the ice, and Borsoi fired a feed from down low past Elmira netminder Jake Sabourin to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead.

Just under two minutes later, the Pioneers struck a second time off a transition counterattack. Freshman defenseman Justin Allen (Rochester, NY/Rochester Monarchs (USPHL-NCDC)) and Senior forward Shawn Lynch (Syracuse, NY/Ottawa Jr. Senators (CCHL)) entered the zone with speed, and Allen distributed the puck onto the right wing to a waiting Lynch in stride. Allen streaked to the left wing post, and a cross ice pass by Lynch was planted right on the tape of the freshman for the backdoor tap-in goal as the give-and-go play doubled up the Pioneer lead.

In the latter 10 minutes of the period, things were decidedly more balanced after early dominance by the Pioneers. Each team was granted an abbreviated power play chance with a four-on-four stretch sandwiched in between, and the Soaring Eagle top line of Matthew Cuce, Connor Powell, and Nick Ford produced a few quality opportunities, but Utica netminder Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) stopped all ten shots he saw in his first period since a third period injury in season opener and the Pioneers departed the frame with a 2-0 lead. Utica outshot the hosts 13-10.

Opportunity knocked for both teams at the outset of the second period as Elmira failed to capitalize on an early 3-on-1 rush, and Utica nearly found paydirt at the other end only to have freshman Eric Holland (Whitby, ON/Brockville Braves (CCHL)) hit the post. The forward grouping of Shawn Lynch (Syracuse, NY/Ottawa Jr. Senators (CCHL)), Gregg Burmaster (Clinton, NY/Colorado College (NCHC)), and Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) produced a lengthy possession shift to build momentum, but the Pioneers were not able to cash in quite yet.

That all changed for the Pioneers just past the midpoint of the frame as the Pioneers countered yet again out of the neutral zone. Jacob Gerson (Colorado Springs, CO/Hampton Roads (USPHL)) shelfed the puck over the shoulder of Sabourin at the 10:32 mark of the frame, with assists coming from Tyler Pietrowski (Curtice, OH/Odessa Jackalopes (NAHL)) and Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) to increase the lead to 3-0.


Elmira's Chris Moses was ticketed for a slash following the play, and the Pioneers generated numerous quality attack options over the course of the advantage. Elmira weathered the storm with a successful kill, and the Pioneer lead was stagnant for the time being.

However, the Pioneers were still clicking at even strength and the lead was doubled from two goals to four by the end of the period. To make it happen, the Pioneers relied on the services of two freshmen who were also longtime teammates with the Charlotte Rush organization prior to coming to Utica. Tyler Dill (South Lake Tahoe, CA/Charlotte Rush (USPHL-Premier)) was the player to deliver the goods.  He fired a wrist shot off the post and in with the assist coming from longtime teammate Nick Yzaguirre (Chicago, IL/Charlotte Rush (USPHL-Premier)) and Utica weathered two late power plays to lead 4-0 after two periods. Shots on goal stood at 29-25 overall in favor of the Blue and Orange after two periods.

Utica added a fifth goal early in the third as Pietrowski connected again with Gerson for the latter's second goal of the game at 3:03. Some help to the visiting cause also came from the other end a minute later, when another Soaring Eagle breakaway chance for Chris Moses was short circuited by a highlight reel sprawling save by Baggetta. Utica padded its advantage once more as Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) lit the lamp late, and Utica waltzed out of the Murray Athletic Center with a resounding 6-0 shutout victory.

The win was Utica's first in Horseheads since a 7-1 rout in November of 2016, and was the nineteenth all-time win in the series for the Pioneers.

The Pioneers return to UCHC action on Sunday as they visit Lebanon Valley at 5 p.m. The game will be played at GIANT Center, home of the American Hockey League's Hershey Bears.