UTICA, NY - For the fourth year in a row, the Utica College men's ice hockey team is a conference regular season champion. The No. 3 Pioneers claimed the UCHC's top spot tonight in convincing fashion. Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) scored just two minutes in, and UC never once let off the gas pedal as they cruised to a 5-1 wire-to-wire win over No. 13 Wilkes University at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

The title is the seventh in program history, and the third straight as a member of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. The remaining four titles Utica holds were won as a member of the former ECAC West. UC captures the title with a total of 46 standings points, four ahead of second place Wilkes.

Utica will have a bye into the UCHC Semifinals, and will host the lowest remaining seed to advance past the opening round in a two game series to be played on Saturday, February 29th, and Sunday, March 1st. Game time for both is slated for 2 p.m., and fans can get tickets beginning on Monday, February 24th.

Tonight's win was Utica's 21st of the season, which enters this year's edition of the squad into the record books in a three way tie for the most wins in a single season in program history. The Pioneers have previously won 21 games in their UCHC Championship season in 2017-18, and in their NCAA Semifinalist season back in 2012-13. Utica is 21-2-2 to close out the regular season, and the team has won sixteen straight games since their last loss on December 6th. They remain unbeaten in the year 2020, and also in matchups against ranked opposition.

Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Wakefield, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) and Eric Holland (Whitby, ON/Brockville Braves (CCHL)) led the way for the Pioneers offensively with a goal and assist each. Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) built off his hat trick performance against the Colonels earlier this season with another goal at their expense, and now has six of his eighteen career goals against Wilkes. Buster Larsson (Bunkeflostrand, Sweden/Syracuse Stars (NCDC)) scored for a second straight game, and Daniel Fritz (Harwood, MD/Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)) scored his team-leading seventh power play goal of the year.

Netminder Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) stopped 28 of 29 shots to win a thirteenth straight decision. He is an impressive 15-1-2 at the end of the regular season.

Utica needed just two minutes to get on the board in the anticipated league matchup, as Cavanagh banged in his own rebound from the left wing side for a 1-0 Pioneer lead. That lead would stagnate through the end of the first period despite a pair of penalties against the Colonels. UC out-shot Wilkes 13-9 in the opening period.

The second period was where Utica would make its move this evening. At 6:05 of the second period, captain Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Wakefield, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) made a hard nosed play that epitomized his style of play perfectly as he doubled up the UC lead. Fitzpatrick threw a booming check in the left wing corner, only to be toppled by Wilkes' Nick Fea in retaliation. That induced a delayed call against the Colonels. The Utica senior quickly rose to his feet, and drilled in a feed from defenseman Justin Allen (Rochester, NY/Rochester Monarchs (USPHL-NCDC)) for a 2-0 lead. The goal was scored with the extra attacker on for the penalty.

Utica's power play unit took care of expanding the lead further, as Buster Larsson (Bunkeflostrand, Sweden/Syracuse Stars (NCDC)) struck gold with his second goal in as many nights at 7:54, and Fritz cranked home his tenth goal of the year on another power play tally at 16:27.

Wilkes would break up the shutout in the third as Division III leading goal scorer Donald Flynn canned his 26th goal of the season, but a goal by Eric Holland (Whitby, ON/Brockville Braves (CCHL)) just fifteen seconds into the final period had put Wilkes far in the rear view mirror as Utica rank the clock down on a 5-1 win.

UC is now 4-0 all-time against the Colonels, and have clinched the outright UCHC regular season crown with a win over Wilkes in back-to-back seasons.

The Pioneers will await either Elmira, Neumann, or Nazareth in their semifinal series.