UTICA, NY - The first place Utica College Men's Ice Hockey team continues its chase for a third straight conference regular season title this weekend as they play their final UCHC road games of the regular season. On Friday, the Pioneers will meet Chatham for just the fourth time in their history in Pittsburgh, and on Saturday, Utica rolls into Owings Mills, Maryland to meet the Stevenson Mustangs in a 3 p.m. matinee.

Where We Sit: Utica holds the high ground in a three way tie for first place in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference with 32 points and two weeks left to go. Elmira and Wilkes are also in that deadlock, but the Pioneers hold a tiebreaking season series win already against the Soaring Eagles, and have already beaten Wilkes once back in December. The Pioneers also have a game in hand over Elmira at their disposal and will meet Wilkes at home in their final game of the regular season. Utica is 13-6-2, and they are 10-3-1 this season in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference.

Home Ice: A playoff home game can be secured by the Pioneers this week as early as Friday through numerous different scenarios. The Pioneers can clinch an automatic top four position in the league with a win, with an overtime point coupled with an overtime point or less from Nazareth, or with two overtime points paired with two points or less from Nazareth. Utica also clinches a home ice position with a regulation or first overtime loss by the Golden Flyers this weekend. Utica clinches a bye into the semifinal round with two wins and an Elmira loss to Lebanon Valley. The Pioneers also have the possibility of clinching the UCHC regular season title with two wins and if Wilkes and Elmira were to lose all of their games this week.

Recent Stretch: Utica is unbeaten in its last five games since their road hiccup against Neumann. They are outscoring the opposition 21-5 across that stretch with regulation wins over Nazareth, Manhattanville, Cortland, and Lebanon Valley.

Last Time Against Chatham: Utica's Jamie Bucell (Garfield Heights, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)) scored the coveted Teddy Bear Toss goal in the second period, and Utica never looked back as they stormed to a 5-0 win at home. Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)), Shawn Lynch (Syracuse, NY/Ottawa Jr. Senators (CCHL)), Daniel Fritz (Harwood, MD/Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)), and Gregg Burmaster (Clinton, NY/Colorado College (NCHC)) all scored for the Pioneers while Sean Dickson (Millbrae, CA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL-Premier)) recorded the shutout.

The Series Against Chatham: Utica leads the all-time series 3-0 in Chatham's second year as a program. The Pioneers have outscored the Cougars in those meetings 26-1, and has held Chatham scoreless in the last 153:48 they've played against them going back to their first all-time meeting. Utica won the inaugural meeting in Pittsburgh 13-1, scoring a school record for goals in the contest. Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) had three goals and two assists in that game last season and Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) made 14 saves. The second meeting of the inaugural season for Chatham went to Utica by an 8-0 score. The Pioneers have not allowed a goal at home to the Cougars.

Last Time Against Stevenson: After Stevenson responded to an early Utica power play goal by Brad Becker (Howell, NJ/Binghamton Jr. Senators (NA3HL)) to tie the score at a goal apiece, Utica unleashed a mass of offensive fury with six unanswered goals as they decimated the Mustangs by a 7-1 score to give head coach Gary Heenan his 250th career win on November 30th. Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Wakefield, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) scored twice for his first goals since the 2017 Teddy Bear Toss game, after which he missed the remainder of that season due to injury.

The Series Against Stevenson: This will be the sixth all-time meeting between Utica and Stevenson, with Utica outscoring the Mustangs 24-8 through the first five meetings against the third year program. Utica has won all five meetings.

History On Friday: The Pioneers and Elmira were tied 1-1 through 65 minutes of play on Friday, bringing new UCHC league rules permitting a second overtime for an additional standings point over the opponent into the limelight for the first time. As the teams advanced to the second session, Utica's Daniel Fritz (Harwood, MD/Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)) rose to the occasion with the teams skating three aside as he scored the winning goal to give Utica the lion's share of the evening's points. The goal was the first under the conditions of the new rules in UC hockey history. The NCAA considers the game a tie on win/loss records. Tyler Pietrowski (Curtice, OH/Odessa Jackalopes (NAHL)) scored Utica's goal in regulation time to erase a 1-0 deficit. Utica outshot the opponent 38-26 in a rematch of last year's UCHC championship game, and Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) made 25 stops.


Saturday Night Domination: Utica was a steamroller in a 22 shot opening period as they scored four goals in the first 12:40 to put the game to bed early as they handled visiting Lebanon Valley at home, 6-2 in a United Collegiate Hockey Conference game. Utica's Shawn Lynch (Syracuse, NY/Ottawa Jr. Senators (CCHL)) scored two goals on the night, and got the scoring started by earning a penalty shot on a short handed breakaway. Lynch separated the pads of Dutchmen goaltender Matt Forslund on the penalty shot attempt to put Utica up 1-0 just 4:52 in. Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) scored to double the lead, which was later added to by Lynch's second goal and a power play goal from the point by Brandon Young (Muskegon, MI/Johnstown (NAHL)), and Lebanon Valley got a momentary answer from Skyler Pugh to get on the board late in the opening frame for a 4-1 score through twenty minutes of action. The teams scored once each in the second period as Cole Hepler delivered a transition score for the Dutchmen, and Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) added his ninth goal of the season on a power play strike to give Utica a 5-2 lead after two periods. The Pioneers tacked on an additional goal in the third period when freshman JT Entelisano (Rome, NY/Markham Royals (OJHL)) drilled a shot that went off the crossbar and in to roll to the 6-2 victory. Utica scored two power play goals and held Lebanon Valley to an 0-for-6 run on the power play.

A Tip Of The Cap: Utica has received votes in both national polls this week, but remains outside the top 15. The Pioneers acquired 13 votes in the D3hockey.com Men's Top 15, and added another six votes from the US College Hockey Online poll.

On The Road: Utica is 4-4-1 when away from the Aud this season. Most recently, they split their last road weekend with a 4-3 loss to Neumann, and a 6-2 throttling of Manhattanville on January 18th and 19th. Utica is outscoring conference opponents on the road 24-17.

Three Is A Magic Number: Utica is undefeated this season when allowing less than three goals over the course of a game. Utica has not lost a game where they've allowed two goals or less in over a calendar year, a streak that has lasted since a 2-1 non-conference loss to Adrian on January 8th, 2018 at Arrington Arena in Adrian, Michigan.

He's From Hockeyville: Clinton, NY native Gregg Burmaster (Clinton, NY/Colorado College (NCHC)) continues to lead the team in total points with 23 on eight goals and fifteen assists. His fifteen assists are also a team best.

Bors Is A Force: Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) has five of his team-high nine goals this season in the last six games he's played. The recent stretch is highlighted by a two goal night against Cortland. He has totaled 19 points on ten goals and nine assists, and also has a team-high five power play goals. He is on pace to potentially set a new Pioneers record for games played at his current rate. If he plays in every remaining regular season game and the semifinal round of the playoffs, he would tie the school record of 108 games played, and would surpass it with a trip to the conference finals where he could play in 110 games through that point due to the new UCHC playoff series format.

The Landy Man Can: Sophomore forward Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) rides a three game point streak into this weekend's games as he had a goal against Lebanon Valley. This season he has seven goals and six assists for thirteen points, and two of his seven scores have come at the hands of Lebanon Valley. Landrigan burst onto the scene last year at the site of Friday's game when he unleashed a five point night against Chatham on three goals and two assists. He was named UCHC Rookie of the Week for the first time in what became a UCHC Rookie of the Year season.

Forever Young: All four of Brandon Young's (Muskegon, MI/Johnstown (NAHL)) goals this season, and four of the five overall for his career have come within the last five games for the Pioneer defenseman.

In Goal: Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) has made the last five starts in the Utica net and has excelled in all of them with a 4-0-1 record across that span and two shutouts. He has not allowed more than two goals in any of those appearances. For the season Baggetta has a save percentage of 94.3 percent and a goals against average of 1.65 while compiling nine wins in 63 percent of the minutes this season. He has not lost a start since November 24th against the nation's No. 1 team, UW-Stevens Point. 

Winning Eleven: The Pioneers are eleventh in the nation in scoring offense at 3.90 goals per game, and also eleventh nationally in scoring defense at 1.90 goals allowed per contest. The Pioneers are eighth in the nation in scoring margin.

Special Teams Update: Utica's penalty killing unit is up to 88 percent and ranks thirteenth in the nation. Opponents have not scored in their last sixteen appearances on the power play against Utica. The Pioneer power play is back inside the Top 50 nationally at 17.7 percent, and was 2-for-5 in Saturday's win.

About Chatham: The Cougars are 5-14-2, and 3-10-1 in their second season under head coach Mike Callan. They have lost four of their last five games, with the exception being a win over King's College, and have a win in just one of their last eight games. The Cougars' signature win of the season came on December 7th when they routed Elmira 5-1. Chris Lutz leads the Cougars with thirteen points on eight goals and five assists. Michael Lamison has also added seven goals. The Cougars hold a solid power play at 19.8 percent. They are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs with a loss.

About Stevenson: The Mustangs are 9-12-0, and 6-8-0 in the UCHC under the direction of Utica native Dominick Dawes, who was an assistant at Utica for a brief time in the fall of 2008 before becoming the first year head coach of eventual NCAA champion Neumann. Defenseman Aaron Murray leads the squad with fourteen points on three goals and eleven assists, and Nick Gray has a team-best eight goals. Goaltender Riley McVeigh has a goals against average of 2.39 and has been the top option for Stevenson in goal as a freshman. The Mustangs were swept by a pair of one goal losses to Neumann and Manhattanville last weekend.

Up Next: Utica returns to the Aud to host King's College and Wilkes University in the final weekend of the regular season on February 15th and 16th. Both games start at 7 p.m.