WILKES-BARRE, PA- The Utica College men's hockey team exploded for five goals in the second period to come away with an 8-3 victory over host King's College in UCHC Conference action Friday night. The Pioneers have now clinched the top spot in the upcoming UCHC Conference Tournament. UC has secured at least a share of its fourth regular season conference title in the last six years and can win the outright regular season title with a win or tie at home against Manhattanville on Saturday.  Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.

UC men's hockey season ticket holders can redeem their UCHC semifinal playoff ticket voucher, which is located in the season ticket booklet, beginning on Saturday, February 17th at the Adirondack Bank Center box office at noon. The voucher reserves the designated seat for the season ticket holder and each ticket will cost $8/Adults, $4/Students (Any College Student w/ ID) or children 18 and under. Playoff ticket tickets for the general public ($8/Adults, $4/Students or children 18 and under) will go on sale online (www.empirestatetix.com) and at the Adirondack Bank Center box office on Saturday, February 17th. 

Eight different players scored Friday evening for Utica, led by senior Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)), who had one goal and three assists.  Carter, the highest scoring defenseman in program-history, now has 33 points (10 goals, 23 assists) on the season. 
 
Utica (18-5-1, 11-4 UCHC) got things going in the first period with goals from Jacob Gerson (Colorado Springs, CO/Hampton Roads (USPHL)) and Tyler Pietrowski (Curtice, OH/Odessa Jackalopes (NAHL)) to head into the locker room with a 2-1 lead. 
 
The Pioneers came out flying with two goals in the first 3:40 of the second stanza and added three more tallies before the period was over to take a commanding 7-1 lead.  Freshman Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) started the Utica rally with his 11^th goal of the year at the 1:27 mark.  Just 1:13 later, the Pioneers lit the lamp again as senior Brett Szajner (Novi, MI/Amarillo (NAHL)) netted his third goal of the season.
 
Carter kept up the pressure with his tenth of the year at 7:04 of the second as he buried a feed from senior classmates Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) and Roman Ammirato (Williamstown, NJ/Union College (ECAC)) to make the score 5-1. 
 
McVeigh and Daniel Fritz (Harwood, MD/Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)) also tallied goals in the second period before Justin Derlago (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Selkirk (MJHL)) capped off the day with a power play goal of his own in the third period.
 
The Pioneers, who hold one of the top power play units in the country, went 1-for-1 with the man advantage.  Kings, meanwhile was 2-for-3 on the power play.
 
Senior Henry Dill (Columbus, OH/UMASS (Hockey East)) made 13 saves in the win, while his counterpart, Jake Tugnutt, had 42 saves in the loss.
 
McVeigh and Pietrowski each finished with one goal and two assists, while Ammirato and Gregg Burmaster (Clinton, NY/Colorado College (NCHC)) had two assists apiece.