Aston, Pa. - The Utica College men's ice hockey team had its six game unbeaten streak snapped on the road on Friday. The Pioneers rallied out of a 3-1 deficit to tie the score with just under two minutes to go, but a Tom Mansbridge goal in the final minute pulled the Knights back ahead and the host Neumann Knights prevailed over Utica by a 4-3 score in a United Collegiate Hockey Conference game in Aston, Pa.

The loss removes Utica (9-6-1) from their previous tie for first place with Wilkes University. The Colonels are now in sole possession of first with 24 points after a win over Lebanon Valley earlier in the day, while the Pioneers are now second with 21 standings points. The loss is Utica's first since a November 24th loss to No. 1 UW-Stevens Point in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and breaks up a four game United Collegiate Hockey Conference win streak that spans back to November 30th.

The Knights picked up their first conference win of the season and improved to 2-12-3. They are unbeaten in their last three.

Freshman forward Joey Savel (Sterling Heights, MI/Philadelphia Little Flyers (EHL)) impressed in his collegiate debut, which coincidentally happened in the home rink of his Junior A team, the Philadelphia Little Flyers. Savel scored two goals, including the team's first goal and the game-tying goal in the third period. He was an impressive Junior A player with Philadelphia who scored 96 points last season, but had his collegiate debut delayed due to an injury at the start of the season.

Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) had a goal and assist for the Pioneers, and Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) recorded points in a third straight game with a pair of assists.
 

The Utica power play unit scored twice in six appearances and Utica out-shot the Knights 39-33 in the losing effort. Goaltender Sean Dickson (Millbrae, CA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL-Premier)) stopped just 29 of 33 Neumann shots in the loss.

The Knights got an opportunistic start to grab the early lead, as they scored on two of their first four shots on goal in the game.  The first came just 93 seconds in on the first Neumann shot when Clayton Boyd netted even strength goal assisted by Connor Annett. The lead doubled at 9:53 of the first period on their second shot when Chatham University transfer Dan Cangelosi scored his sixth goal of the season. The Pioneers out-shot the Knights 15-6 in the first period and had two power play chances.

The Pioneers offense halved the deficit as the clock approached the middle point of the second period. In a four-on-four sequence that followed a major penalty to Neumann's Chris Caldwell and a later minor for slashing to Utica's Shawn Lynch (Syracuse, NY/Ottawa Jr. Senators (CCHL)), the Pioneers took advantage of the open ice. Savel was the man to puff the back of the net, as his first career goal cut the deficit to 2-1. Borsoi and Landrigan had the assists.

The Knights re-opened a two goal lead by the end of the period on a power play goal by Zac Boyle, which set the stage for Utica's third period comeback.

Just past the middle of the third period, freshman Eric Holland (Whitby, ON/Brockville Braves (CCHL)) put the Knights on the power play with a crosschecking minor at 11:03. Shortly after the penalty expired on a successful Utica kill, the rally was on. Thirteen seconds after Utica returned to full strength, Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) delivered the goods with his fifth goal of the year assisted by Tyler Pietrowski (Curtice, OH/Odessa Jackalopes (NAHL)) and Jamie Bucell (Garfield Heights, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)) to trim the deficit to 3-2. With just under two minutes left, Savel made the Knights pay for a bench minor for too many men with his second of the game to tie the game at three.

However, victory was not to be for the Pioneers. After Utica surged to tie the game, the Knights began to press into the waning moments until Mansbridge scored with fifteen seconds to go to snap the tie. The Pioneers came in with two more shot opportunities in a last ditch effort, but those chances went wide and the Knights turned in the stunning upset.

The Pioneers are back in action tomorrow as they trek to Rye Playland to meet the Manhattanville Valiants at 3:30 PM. Utica won the first meeting in the season series, and has not lost to the Valiants since November of 2015.