ROCHESTER, NY - The No. 5 Utica College men's ice hockey team continues to roll over, around, and through its competition in 2020. That was evident throughout Friday's game, as the Pioneers scored an astounding eight goals in the final 40 minutes on their way to a 9-1 victory over host Nazareth College in a United Collegiate Hockey Conference game at the Bill Gray's IcePlex in Rochester.

The squad has now won a program record ten straight games, and improves to 15-2-2, and 9-2-1 in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. They remain two points back of Wilkes and Stevenson, who are tied for first. Utica completes a season sweep of the Golden Flyers. This is the team's best performance through nineteen games since a 16-3 start in their national semifinalist season.

Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) led the way for the Pioneers with a dazzling two goal, two assist performance. Defenseman Daniel Fritz (Harwood, MD/Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)) tacked on three assists from the blue line for Utica. Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) and Justin Allen (Rochester, NY/Rochester Monarchs (USPHL-NCDC)) each had one goal and one assist, and Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)), Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)), Eric Holland (Whitby, ON/Brockville Braves (CCHL)), Vaden McManus (Fayetteville, NC/Hampton Roads (USPHL)), and Jamie Bucell (Garfield Heights, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)) rounded out the goal scoring for Utica.

Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) stopped 29 of 30 shots for one of his best outings of the campaign between the pipes. He is now 9-1-2 in twelve appearances this year. Utica outshot the Golden Flyers 46-31. UC was 2-of-5 on the power play, and held the Golden Flyer man advantage to a scoreless 0-for-4.

The shot margin was tight throughout the opening period, and the onset of the Pioneer attack would comparatively have to wait, save for one goal that gave the Pioneers the lead for good. Landrigan scored his eighth of the season at 9:42, with the assists coming from Fritz and Brandon Osmundson (Chesapeake, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) on the play. Shots on goal were 11-10 in favor of Utica at the end of 20 minutes of play.

With 40 minutes left, a one goal lead can be too close for comfort. The Pioneers set right to work ensuring that they would have more than enough insurance to finish their hosts off.

The fun started on a four goal second period at 5:07 of the second period when Cavanagh scored the game-winning goal, assisted by Kasper Kjellkvist (Vaxjo, Sweden/Curry College (Commonwealth Coast Conf.)) and Cameron Bartkoski (Dallas, TX/Amarillo Bulls (NAHL)). The goal was Cavanagh's team-leading fourth game-winning goal of the season. The Pioneers kept the heat on with 20 total shots in the frame, and produced three more goals as Zapata struck on the power play, and Allen and Bucell scored even strength tallies. That aided Utica in outpacing a single Nazareth goal to build a 4-1 lead after two periods.

Another four goal flurry followed in the third, as Landrigan hammered in his second goal, and Holland, Everson, and McManus each scored their only goal of the evening to close the deal on a dominant 9-1 win.

The Pioneers continue on a three game UCHC road trip next weekend with games against Lebanon Valley and nationally-ranked Elmira.