UTICA, NY- The Utica College men's hockey team skated to a 3-3 tie against visiting SUNY Canton in the Pioneers' 2019-20 season-opener Saturday afternoon in front of a sold-out crowd at the Adirondack Bank Center. 
 
Despite Utica outshooting Canton 19-6 in the first period, it was the Kangaroos who struck first at 11:29 when Tyson Bruce buried a power play tally off an assist by Jesse Farabee.
 
The Pioneers responded with 17 seconds remaining in the first period as Daniel Fritz (Harwood, MD/Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)) fired a shot from the point that found its way through traffic and into the back of the net.  Freshman Brandon Osmundson (Chesapeake, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) recorded his first collegiate point on the play, while Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) also assist on the power play tally.    
 
The Pioneers pulled ahead at 16:28 of the second stanza when Tyler Pietrowski (Curtice, OH/Odessa Jackalopes (NAHL)) found the back of the net for his first of the year, also on the power play.  Osmundson and Fritz were credited with assists on the go-ahead goal. 
 
Canton evened the score at 5:45 of the third period when Matthew Headland put in a feed from Farabee for his first of the season.  The Roos took the lead just three minutes later when AJ D'Orazio capitalized on a defensive zone turnover and scored on a partial breakaway.
 
Utica once again tied things up, this time at 13:20 of the third as transfer Donovan Ott (Lebanon, PA/Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (ECAC Hockey)) put in a rebound for his first goal in a Pioneer uniform.  John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) and Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) earned assists on the equalizer.
 
Despite each team having chances in the overtime period, neither was able to score as the game ended in a 3-3 stalemate. 
 
Senior Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) finished with 24 saves, including a number of stops from point-blank range.  His counterpart, Michael Cerasuolo made 45 saves in the tie. 
 
The Pioneers hit the road on Friday as they open up UCHC Conference play against Manhattanville College in a rematch of the 2019 UCHC Conference Championship game.  Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.