UTICA, NY - The #2 Utica College men's ice hockey team plays host to one of the most impressive in-season tournament fields in all of NCAA Division III men's ice hockey this season as it takes part in the Utica College Thanksgiving Showcase. Games will be held on Friday, November 25th, and Saturday, November 26th at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
Follow Along: Live Video and Stats are available for all UC home games are available at portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/, and video is also available on the FREE Empire 8 app available for a multitude of streaming devices. Sports Information Assistant Ray Biggs '13 is back for an eleventh season of play-by-play with the Pioneers and will take you through all four games this weekend.
The Field: The #2 Pioneers will host previously-ranked UMass-Boston, Amherst College, and current USCHO #1 Geneseo this weekend.
On Friday, UMass Boston will battle Geneseo at 4 p.m., with Utica playing Amherst at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, Utica will play the team from the opposite matchup that matches their Friday result at 7 p.m., while the remaining two teams that did not play each other on Friday will meet at 4 p.m.
All four programs competing this weekend have appeared in at least one NCAA Semifinal in 2013 or later, and retain the same head coaches who presided over those postseason runs.
First Source "Light it Up" Night: First Source will be providing complementary LED blue and orange light up bracelets to the first 1,000 fans on Friday. Fans are also encouraged to wear white for a "white out".
NYSCOPBA "Honor Military Vets" Night: Saturday's game will be "Honor Military Vets" night, presented in association with the New York State Corrections Officers And Police Benevolent Association. As part of the game, the Pioneers are auctioning off special "Black Ops" inspired jerseys, with proceeds to benefit local veterans' charities. More information on the auction is available at https://ucpioneers.com/sports/2021/11/16/AmeriCU.aspx.
Rarefied Air: This week's tournament features the top two teams in the latest national poll. If Utica and Geneseo get the corresponding results needed to force a Saturday matchup between the two, it would mark the first regular season meeting between the top two teams in the USCHO Men's Division III poll since January 26th, 2018. That night, #1 Adrian defeated #2 St. Norbert 3-2 in overtime. St. Norbert ultimately went on to capture the 2018 NCAA Division III Championship in Lake Placid, which coincidentally is the site of the upcoming 2022 championship as well. The last time Utica played the #1 team in the USCHO poll was almost exactly three years ago, on Thanksgiving Weekend 2018 at UW-Stevens Point. UC trailed by just one goal entering the third period, but the hosts put away two tallies in the last ten minutes to go on to win, and eventually, become the first and only undefeated national champion in NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey history.
Another Huge Milestone: Friday's win over Nazareth was the 304th career win for head coach Gary Heenan. That victory ties him all-time with Phil Grady, his head coach during his playing career at Hamilton College. Heenan is the 93rd men's ice hockey coach in NCAA history to reach 300 wins.
Where We Sit: The Pioneers are 6-1 overall, and 5-0 in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. They have won their last five games since splitting a pair of one-goal games with current #3 Adrian on opening weekend. Utica started the season at #3 in the USCHO poll before ascending to the #2 spot last week. Since their lone loss of the year, Utica has run over their UCHC peers by a 40-6 margin over the last five contests.
Last Time Out: Utica grinded its way through an always challenging road matchup with a 4-1 UCHC win at Nazareth College on Friday. UC scored the first three goals of the game on the way to the win. Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) scored two goals, while Brandon Osmundson (Virginia Beach, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) and John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) each scored once. The Pioneers were 1-for-6 on the power play.
Against the Tournament Teams: Friday's game marks the sixth all-time meeting against Amherst for Utica. The Pioneers are 3-1-1 all-time against Amherst. Utica is 2-0 all-time against SUNY Geneseo, but the two sides have not met since January of 2003. Both games in that series have been settled by a score of 5-4.
When Hosting A Turkey Tourney: Utica is 4-0 all-time when hosting a Thanksgiving Weekend tournament and has claimed both tournament titles. In 2015, they topped western foes St. John's and St. Thomas. In 2019, Utica defeated Salve Regina and Plymouth State. UC has never allowed more than two goals in a home thanksgiving tournament game.
Offensive Juggernaut: The Pioneers lead the nation at an average of 6.57 goals per game, and also are tops in scoring margin at 4.86 goals per game over their opponents. Utica's 12 goals against Arcadia is tied for the highest single-game total by any team this year, and the Pioneers have two of the top three goal scoring performances in the nation this year. John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL))(8-6-14), Brandon Osmundson (Virginia Beach, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL))(7-7-14), and Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL))(6-8-14) lead the way with fourteen points apiece. Moncovich has a team-leading eight goals, which is tied for the national lead. Moncovich and Osmundson now carry active point streaks spanning nine straight games dating back to the abbreviated spring season. Osmundson's third period goal on Friday was his 70th career point. Forwards Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Syracuse Stars (NCDC)) and Mic Curran (Arlington, MA/Curry College (CCC)) are also off to great starts, especially as playmakers, as the pair each has ten assists. They are tied for the second-most helpers in the nation. Larsson has three multi-assist games this year.
Happy Holland-Days: Senior forward Eric Holland (Whitby, ON/Brockville Braves (CCHL)) is off to an inspired start this season. He has nine points on six goals and three assists, and leads the squad with two game-winning goals. He is tied for fourth in the nation in game-winning goals.
This Just-In: Senior defenseman Justin Allen (Hilton, NY/Rochester Monarchs (USPHL-NCDC)) is Utica's top scoring blue-liner, and is also tops in the team's plus/minus at the moment. The native of the Rochester area has eleven points on four goals and seven assists, and is tied for 20th in points among all skaters nationally this season. He is a team-best +15. Defense partner Joey Berkopec (Hamilton, Ontario/Coquitlam Express (BCHL)) is currently a +10 in his first season with the team. They have anchored the #9 scoring defense in the nation so far this season.
Between The Pipes: After being held out of action in the first three games, senior goaltender Sean Dickson (San Francisco, CA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL-Premier)) has re-emerged as his steady self. Dickson is 4-0 with a 92.2 percent save percentage and a goals allowed average of 1.25. He now has 17 career wins, with one more tying him for fifth-most in program history alongside Evan Smith and Anthony Luckow. His seven career shutouts are tied alongside Gianluca Baggetta and Adam Dekker for the most ever at Utica. Louis-Felix St. Jean (Montreal, Quebec/Salve Regina (CCC)) split his two appearances this season against Adrian and has a GAA of 2.96. Bryan Landsberger (Montreal, Quebec/Nepean Raiders (CCHL)) made his only appearance of the regular season in the Arcadia game and allowed just one goal to the Knights.
Shoot Your Shot: As of Friday's win over Nazareth College, Utica has now out-shot its opponents in 26 straight games. This season, UC has recorded an average of 41.1 shots on goal per game to opponents' 16.7 per game.
The Power Is On: The Pioneers have a power play goal in six straight games this year. UC is 11-of-41, good for 26.8 percent this season. Brandon Osmundson (Virginia Beach, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) has a team-best four power play goals, which is tied for second in the nation. Justin Allen (Hilton, NY/Rochester Monarchs (USPHL-NCDC)) also has two power play goals for UC. Opposing power plays have started by converting just two of their first eighteen chances.
Get To Know The Opposition: #1 Geneseo sports the nation's sixth-highest scoring offense at 5.14 goals per game. Forward Justin Cmunt leads the country with six power play goals and is tied for the national lead in goals with eight alongside Utica's John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) and a few others. The Knights' power play has been red hot at 36 percent, and they have outscored opponents 36-10 en-route to a 6-0-1 start. UMass-Boston is another team that can score goals, as they rank tenth in the nation in scoring offense, and eleventh in power play percentage. The defense, however, has struggled at an average of 4.00 goals allowed per game. The Beacons recently dropped out of the USCHO poll after losses to Hobart and Elmira last weekend. They are currently 4-3-1. Chris Peters leads the Beacons with thirteen points on three goals and ten assists, with his assist total ranking in a tie for second nationally. Amherst is 1-1 with a 5-1 win on Tuesday over St. Michael's. This will be their second trip to the Utica area this season, as they opened with a 5-1 loss to Hamilton on Friday, November 19th. Geneseo head coach Chris Schultz and Amherst head coach Jack Arena have each won the Ed Jeremiah Award for Division III National Coach of the Year twice, while UMass-Boston head coach Peter Belisle won as a co-winner alongside Schultz in 2016. All four coaches in the tournament have won a National Coach of the Year honor in 2015 or later.
Up Next: Another huge week lies ahead for the UC Men, as the Pioneers do battle with conference opposition at home. On Friday, December 3rd, the Pioneers welcome in conference contender Wilkes University. On Saturday, December 4th, the New York SASH Teddy Bear Toss tradition returns as the Pioneers take on King's College.
