OWINGS MILLS, MD - The No. 3 Utica College men's ice hockey team finished off a sweep of its longest regular season road trip on Saturday. While Friday's 10-1 win was a wire-to-wire affair, Saturday's game involved quickly breaking the will of some upstart opposition. Host Stevenson took the early lead on a goal 11:14 into the contest, but Utica's Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) evened the score just 18 seconds later. Cavanagh's goal sparked a Utica run in which they scored five of the next six goals, and the Pioneers went on to win by a 5-3 score in a United Collegiate Hockey Conference matchup.
The Pioneers improved to 5-1 with a fourth straight win, and remain perfect at 4-0 in United Collegiate Hockey Conference play.
The forward line of Eric Holland (Whitby, ON/Brockville Braves (CCHL)), Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Syracuse Stars (NCDC)), and Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) paved the way for the Pioneers in the afternoon matinee. Larsson had an impressive four assists, Holland had two goals and an assist, and Cavanagh posted a goal and an assist. The trio combined on the first two Pioneer goals to establish a Pioneer lead by the end of the first period.
Forwards Brandon Osmundson (Virginia Beach, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) and John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) also had a goal and an assist. Defenseman Justin Allen (Hilton, NY/Rochester Monarchs (USPHL-NCDC)) was a +3, and goaltender Sean Dickson (San Francisco, CA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL-Premier)) stopped 20 of 23 shots to improve to 3-0 between the pipes.
Utica out-shot the Mustangs 38-23 and have now recorded more shots than their opponent in 25 straight contests. Osmundson scored the lone power play goal of the contest for either team, as the Pioneers went 1-for-4.
Cavanagh quickly answered an early Stevenson goal when he canned his sixth goal of the season. Holland put the Pioneers in front before the end of the first period when he recorded an even strength tally at 18:29 for a 2-1 advantage at the end of the first.
Each team netted one goal each in the second period, with Utica preserving a one goal lead heading into the third. Osmundson struck pay dirt on the power play at 2:42, and Frank Vitucci scored Stevenson's second goal at even strength with just over five minutes left. Utica led 3-2 after two.
UC pulled away for good in the early stages of the third, with two goals in the first six minutes. Holland lit the lamp just 19 seconds into the period for the game-winner, and John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) added additional insurance at 5:48. Stevenson finished the scoring off on an extra attacker goal from Chad Watt with two seconds remaining, but Utica walked out of the Reisterstown Sportsplex with a 5-3 win in hand.
Utica will continue a three-game road swing with a trip to Nazareth on Friday, November 19th.
