UTICA, NY - The Utica men's ice hockey team needed overtime, but took a big step out of the gate against another national contender on Saturday. Down 2-0 late in the second period, the Pioneers overhauled the deficit to force overtime. Junior forward Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Syracuse Stars (NCDC)) netted the game-winner with 1:35 left in overtime to finish off a come-from-behind win over visiting Adrian College by a 3-2 score in a non-conference game at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
Utica improves to 1-0, while Adrian falls to 0-1. The teams will meet again for the second leg of a weekend series at 3 p.m. Sunday, as part of NYSCOPBA Halloween Night.
The win was the first over Adrian at home for Utica. The Pioneers have won three straight against the Bulldogs, and have now tied the all-time series at three games apiece. Head Coach Gary Heenan picked up his 299th career win.
Utica out-shot the Bulldogs 30-23, and won 42 of the 71 faceoffs in the game. The two sides were a combined 0-for-9 on the power play in a physical game.
Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) continued to haunt the Bulldogs as his output led UC to the win. The senior forward scored a goal in a third straight game against Adrian, and also added an assist on the tying goal. Larsson and John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) had the other UC goals. Graduate forward Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)) had an assist to stretch out a five-game point streak that began last season.
Adrian's goals were scored by Chase Spencer and Matthew Rehding.
Goaltender Louis-Felix St. Jean (Montreal, Quebec/Salve Regina (CCC)) had 21 saves for his first win in a Pioneer uniform. Adrian netminder Nic Tallarico made 27 saves in the loss.
Utica dictated the pace for much of the front half of the first period, but Adrian was in the right place at the right time to take the early lead and turn the momentum of the frame. At 11:48 of the first period, Adrian gained the offensive blue line with speed, and Spencer arrived late into the zone and was left with an open shooting lane. The Adrian sophomore fired a long shot past St. Jean for the lone goal of the first period. Utica held a 12-6 advantage in shots after the first.
Adrian doubled their lead in the second as Matthew Rehding found the back of the net from tight quarters. The sophomore slipped a loose puck into the right side of the cage at 11:03 of the second period for a 2-0 lead.
Utica spent the latter half of the second period trying to find a way to solve Tallarico, and they found their answer in a reliable source. Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) continued his strong play against Adrian with the Pioneers' first goal of the season. Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)) looped down the left wing and slid a pass to the high slot, which was one-touched along by Bucell onto the tape of Everson, who snapped it home to halve the deficit through two periods.
A key third period faceoff win set the table for Utica to tie the game. At 8:29 of the third period, Osmundson won a left circle faceoff, and John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) was hanging back at the top of the circle. Off a clean win by the junior, Moncovich buried an accurate shot from distance to tie the game and ultimately, force overtime.
Utica dictated the terms of battle throughout the overtime, and that possession led to numerous opportunities to gain odd-man rushes and favorable personnel matchups. Off a key takeaway by Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)), the Pioneers rushed ahead and immediately re-set their attack in the neutral zone upon entry. The tactic worked, as Zapata entered on the right wing, and all three Adrian players got caught watching the puck carrier. That left a wide open Larsson, who tucked the puck behind the pads of Tallarico for the winner.
