UTICA, NY- The Utica College men's hockey team scored two goals in each of the first two periods as it downed visiting Nazareth College 5-0 in UCHC conference action Friday evening.
 
The Pioneers have now won six straight at home after dropping the first two games of the season to nationally ranked Adrian College.  Utica improves to 11-6-1 on the year and 9-3 in the conference, while Naz drops to 8-5-5 and 5-3-3 in the UCHC.  The Pioneers return to action Saturday as they host SUNY Cortland.  Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
Freshman Justin Allen (Rochester, NY/Rochester Monarchs (USPHL-NCDC)) put Utica on the board just 4:04 into the game as he netted his second of the year, assisted by Gregg Burmaster (Clinton, NY/Colorado College (NCHC)) and Jamie Bucell (Garfield Heights, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)). UC extended its lead at the halfway mark of the first period when Brandon Young (Muskegon, MI/Johnstown (NAHL)) fired a shot from the point that found its way through traffic and into the back of the net.  Josh Haskin (Troy, NY/P.A.L. Jr. Islanders (USPHL)) and Tyler Dill (South Lake Tahoe, CA/Charlotte Rush (USPHL-Premier)) assisted on Young's third of the year.
 
The Pioneers extended the lead at 5:32 of the second as Jacob Gerson (Colorado Springs, CO/Hampton Roads (USPHL)) jumped out of the penalty box and right into the play as he punched in his third of the year.  Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Wakefield, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) and Daniel Fritz (Harwood, MD/Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)) were credited with assists on the play.
 
Utica added another tally at 16:07 when Tyler Pietrowski (Curtice, OH/Odessa Jackalopes (NAHL)) buried a loose puck for his first of the year.  Fitzpatrick crashed the net, drawing a defender to him and the puck squirted out to Pietrowski who fired it into the wide open net.  Gerson was also credited with an assist on the play.
 
The Pioneers made quick work of a 5-on-3 late in the third period as Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) rifled home his sixth of the year, assisted by Joey Savel (Sterling Heights, MI/Philadelphia Little Flyers (EHL)) and Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)).
 
Goalie Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) was perfect in net for Utica as he turned aside all 24 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season.  Michael Tilford and Sean Kuhn combined for 34 saves in the loss.