OWINGS MILLS, MD – After falling into an early 2-0 hole the nationally-ranked No. 8/9 Utica College men's hockey team answered by outscoring Stevenson 6-2 in the final 45:21 of the contest to earn a 6-4 victory in United Collegiate Hockey Conference action on Friday night.  Leading scorer Roman Ammirato (Williamstown, NJ/Union College (ECAC)) netted his second hat-trick of the season to pace the Pioneers, who are now tied for first place in the conference standings with Lebanon Valley.  Ammirato also set a new program-record for goals in a single season with 20, surpassing former Pioneer All-American Tim Coffman who netted 19 goals back in 2010.

Utica (17-4-1, 10-3 UCHC) has now won three in a row and remains in a first-place tie with Lebanon Valley College in the UCHC standings with 20 points.  Utica has three regular season conference games left, beginning with a matchup at Neumann University Saturday night at 7 p.m. The Pioneers can clinch the top-seed in the UCHC Tournament and the outright regular season title with two wins and a tie in its final three games. Utica's 17 wins this season are tied for third on the College's all-time single season list.

Daniel Fritz (Harwood, MD/Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)) registered two assists for Utica, while Kyle Lajeunesse (South Berwick, ME/New Hampshire (EHL)) continued his three-game goal scoring streak. Ammirato now has 69 points in just two seasons in the blue and orange.

Ammirato got the Pioneers on the board with his fourth short-handed goal of the season with 5:21 to go in the first period to make the score 2-1 in favor of the Mustangs.  Fritz earned an assist on the Ammirato goal.

Utica sophomore Devin Warfield (Cary, NC/Carolina Eagles (USPHL)) then knotted the score at 2-2 at 8:30 of the second period. Tyler Pietrowski (Curtice, OH/Odessa Jackalopes (NAHL)) and Jacob Gerson (Colorado Springs, CO/Hampton Roads (USPHL)) assisted on Warfield's goal. Just 3:21 later the home team took the lead back when Christian Ripley scored his third of the season to give Stevenson a 3-2 lead midway through the second.

UC opted to pull starter Patrik Virtanen (Vantaa, Finland/Lincoln (USHL)) after the third Mustang goal as he was replaced in net by classmate Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)).  Virtanen's evening finished with 13 saves.  Baggetta came on and shined in relief, posting 19 saves and allowing just one power-play goal with 3:07 left in regulation.

The Pioneers went on to score the game's next three goals to take a 5-3 lead.  Ammirato got UC going with his second short-handed goal of the night with 6:01 left in the second period.  The score was knotted at 3-3 headed into the third and final period of play.

UC took control early in the third period, beginning with Lajeunesse, who netted his fifth of the year just 40 seconds into the final period.  Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) and Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) assisted on Lajeunesse's third goal in as many games.

Justin Derlago (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Selkirk (MJHL)) added an unassisted tally, which proved to be the game-winner, at the 6:01 mark of the third period to give UC a 5-3 lead.

Stevenson senior Mike Davis made the game 5-4 with 3:07 left, but the Pioneers answered when Ammirato completed the hat-trick with an empty-netter with 1:05 left to secure the two-goal victory. Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) and Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) assisted on the Pioneers' final goal of the contest.

Utica's big 20 shot second period led to a 39-36 shot advantage in the contest, while Stevenson went 2-for-8 on the power-play.