PITTSBURGH, PA - The Utica College Men's Ice Hockey team will be officially starting the postseason at home, and took a step closer to a third straight regular season title while they were at it on Friday night. The first place Pioneers remained undefeated for a sixth consecutive game as they built a 3-0 lead in the first 27:26, and outscored their hosts 2-1 the rest of the way in a 5-1 United Collegiate Hockey Conference win over Chatham at the Frozen Pond Ice Arena in Pittsburgh.

The win keeps Utica atop the United Collegiate Hockey Conference alongside Wilkes University at 35 points, and maintains that pace at a crucial time with just three games left to go for both co-leaders. Elmira was tied with Utica and Wilkes entering the evening, but fell off the leading pace because they were idle this evening. Utica's win also assures the Pioneers that they mathematically can finish no lower than fourth in the UCHC standings and will be guaranteed to play a playoff game at home. The top two teams in the standings receive a bye into the semifinal series, while the third and fourth place teams play at home in the single elimination opening round. A win and an Elmira loss tomorrow would cement Utica into one of the two semifinal byes.

Gregg Burmaster (Clinton, NY/Colorado College (NCHC)) paved the way for the Pioneers with two goals, while Shawn Lynch (Syracuse, NY/Ottawa Jr. Senators (CCHL)) and Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)) each scored a goal and added two assists. Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) stopped 32 of 33 shots to remain unbeaten in his last 10 starts. Baggetta has not dropped a decision since a loss to No.1 UW-Stevens Point on the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Utica's power play did not score in their lone opportunity on the night, while the Cougars failed on all four of their opportunities. The Utica penalty kill has now eliminated the last 20 opposing power play chances, and 25 of the last 26 they've faced.

The Pioneers mounted heavy pressure throughout the opening period of play, and it paid off with the all-important first goal. Utica grabbed the advantage through persistence in their transition attack. Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)) was slowed up on the right wing as he attempted to gain the blue line and enter the Chatham zone. As he circled back in the neutral zone, linemates Lynch and Burmaster both hit the line to his left, and Everson placed a perfectly timed pass on the tape of Lynch. Lynch swept the puck across to Burmaster, who promptly rifled it by goaltender Ricardo Gonzalez for the 1-0 advantage. That lead held through the end of the first period as the Pioneers out-shot the Cougars 13-5. The lid-lifting goal was Burmaster's ninth of the season.

Chatham seemed to be off to a much better start in the second period. They briefly controlled possession on the opening shift, but Utica rapidly took to deflating Chatham's hopes of evening the score. Utica recovered the puck high in the defending zone, and it was quickly transitioned ahead to Lynch, who carried the zone and slipped the shot past Gonzalez inside the right wing post to double the Utica advantage.

Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) was boxed on an interference minor at 6:14 of the second period, but that was far from enough to keep Utica from opening up a bigger cushion. Everson netted a short-handed goal at 7:26 of the second period with defensemen Daniel Fritz (Harwood, MD/Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)) and Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) notching the assists. The relentless siege on the Chatham net continued for the rest of the period, but the Pioneers were not able to pad their lead further as they waltzed away from the second period with a comfortable 3-0 lead.

The Cougars mounted a sizable push in the third as the teams registered a high volume of shots on goal. Chatham out-shot the Pioneers 20-13 in the last frame and got a breakthrough on Dan Bellafiore's unassisted goal at 6:22. That would be the only glimmer of hope Chatham found as Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) made 19 third period saves, Tyler Dill (South Lake Tahoe, CA/Charlotte Rush (USPHL-Premier)) scored at 11:47, and Burmaster scored on an empty net late as Utica improved to 4-0 over Chatham all-time with a 5-1 win.

The Pioneers continue their road weekend as they meet Stevenson University on Saturday. Puck drop is at 3 p.m. in Owings Mills, Maryland.