Box Score RYE, NY - The Utica College men's hockey team made sure its stay in second place in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference lasted less than 24 hours after Friday's loss to Neumann. The Pioneers (10-6-1, 8-3-0 UCHC) jumped back into a tie for the top spot in the conference today as they dashed out to a 5-0 lead through two periods, then contained a third period surge to just two goals as they topped UCHC rival Manhattanville (8-6-3) by a 6-2 score at the Rye Playland Ice Casino.

The victory earns Utica a weekend split after a Friday loss to Neumann. The three standings points make up their deficit in the standings following the loss with current UCHC co-leader Wilkes idle today. The win also continues a significant run of success for Utica against the Valiants. The Pioneers swept the season series while winning their ninth straight outing against the Valiants. Utica has not lost to Manhattanville since November 21st, 2015. Senior defenseman Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) was the lone current Pioneer in the lineup that night and is now 9-1 all-time against Manhattanville in his career.

Defensemen Vaden McManus (Fayetteville, NC/Hampton Roads (USPHL)) and Brandon Young (Muskegon, MI/Johnstown (NAHL)) emerged as the catalysts of the Pioneer offense in the win. McManus had a goal and two assists, including the first regular season goal of his college career. Young scored twice as the two Utica rearguards both had career days offensively. Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) carried a shutout into the third period and earned the win with 40 saves on 42 Manhattanville shots.

Off the opening draw, the game exhibited a high degree of defensive intensity with minimal ice available to transition to the attack for each team. As the period evolved, Utica began to find cracks in the neutral zone offensively, including a breakaway opportunity for Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Wakefield, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) where he got spun around on the initial chance and followed up a second time only to be denied by Valiant goaltender Tyler Feaver.

The Pioneers needed the power play to score the lid-lifter, and Utica did not waste their only opportunity of the matchup. Defenseman Daniel Fritz (Harwood, MD/Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)) teed off from the right point and the shot had eyes as his second goal of the season put the Pioneers up 1-0. Shawn Lynch (Syracuse, NY/Ottawa Jr. Senators (CCHL)) and Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) had the assists on the play.

Utica had one more obstacle to navigate to escape the first period with the lead. Lynch and Tyler Pietrowski (Curtice, OH/Odessa Jackalopes (NAHL)) were both boxed on minor penalties just over a minute apart, but Baggetta was brilliant backstopping the penalty kill through the 5-on-3 and 5-on-4 segments and the Pioneers walked away from the frame up 1-0. Aided by the power play chances, the Valiants outshot Utica 15-8.

A four goal second period offensive eruption greatly enhanced the Utica effort. Fitzpatrick opened the thunderous frame by getting his due after his earlier breakaway chance was short circuited, as he netted his fourth of the season at 3:54, assisted by Joey Savel (Sterling Heights, MI/Philadelphia Little Flyers (EHL)) and Vaden McManus (Fayetteville, NC/Hampton Roads (USPHL)).

Young padded the lead further with the third Utica goal as the defenseman wired the puck in at 10:50 of the second period, assisted by McManus and Pietrowski. A Tyler Dill (South Lake Tahoe, CA/Charlotte Rush (USPHL-Premier)) boarding minor would not stop Utica from scoring their fourth goal. It was a special moment for McManus who scored his first regular season collegiate goal in shorthanded fashion at 14:30. The goal for the sophomore was unassisted. McManus previously scored during the team's preseason exhibition weekend against Endicott.

The Pioneers added one more before the period was out to make the score 5-0, and the red hot line of Lynch, Everson, and Burmaster continued their triumphant return to the scoresheet in grand style after being held off the board for the first time in six games on Friday night. Burmaster placed the puck on the tape of Lynch, who eventually shelfed the puck to the top of the net and dislodged Feaver's water bottle to put the Pioneers up by a nickel after two periods.

Manhattanville made a charge in the third period with Jarod Lavallee's second goal of the season and a point blast by Joel Knight that trimmed the lead to 5-2, but Young cashed in on an empty net assisted by Burmaster to break up the Valiants run and place the final winning tally at 6-2.

The Pioneers have notched four straight road wins at Manhattanville since an Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) goal in overtime propelled Utica to the conference title game with a 4-3 win at the Ice Casino.

Utica returns home on Friday, January 25th as they host Nazareth in a United Collegiate Hockey Conference game at 7 p.m. at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The Pioneers will be looking to even the score against the Golden Flyers after Nazareth won the first leg of the season series in Rochester by a 4-3 score in November. The home weekend continues the following day with non-conference action as Utica hosts SUNY Cortland at 7 p.m.

Utica holds a five-game home winning streak and has not been bested at home since the opening weekend of the season.