UTICA, NY - In a battle of conference unbeatens, something had to give. The Utica College men's ice hockey team was not the side to give in with first place on the line against previously unbeaten Wilkes. Graduate forward Jamie Bucell (Garfield Heights, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)) broke a 2-2 tie with under ten minutes to play, and the #3 Pioneers survived a late power play push by the #11 Colonels to win 3-2 in a United Collegiate Hockey Conference game at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
Utica improves to 8-2, and 6-0 in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. Wilkes takes its first loss of the season at 9-1, and they are 6-1 in the UCHC. Utica holds a one point edge over the Colonels in the conference standings with a game in hand. The Pioneers remain undefeated at home against the Colonels all-time.
Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) and Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Syracuse Stars (NCDC)) each had a goal and an assist for the Pioneers. Jamie Bucell (Garfield Heights, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)) added a goal, while Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)) and Khristian Acosta (Port Monmouth, NJ/Mercyhurst University (NCAA DI)) added assists.
Sean Dickson (San Francisco, CA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL-Premier)) stopped 23 of 25 to earn the win and out-duel Wilkes netminder Michael Paterson-Jones, who made 19 saves. The Wilkes goals were scored by Phil Erickson and Jay Gallagher.
For the first time in 29 games, Utica was out-shot in a game by a 25-22 margin. Both teams combined to go 0-for-8 on the power play.
Utica netted the lone marker of the first period as they capitalized on a broken play coming out of the neutral zone. Defenseman Mattias Dal Monte (Nanaimo, BC/Amarillo Bulls (NAHL)) pushed the puck through center to the left side of the blue line for Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)). Cavanagh stayed strong on the puck coming down the wing, and fed it across to Larsson for the lone goal of the first period and a 1-0 lead.
The Colonels pulled even in the second period at 3:55 as Tyler Barrow fired a heavy shot off the pads of Dickson. Veteran forward Phil Erickson found the rebound and flushed it for his seventh goal of the season and a tie game. Utica answered back less than five minutes later, as a turnover at the Pioneer blue line turned into numbers the other way. Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)) made a patient pass off the zone entry to find Cavanagh, and Cavanagh finished off the chance for a 2-1 lead that held through the second intermission.
Wilkes re-tied the score at 4:32 of the third period on a goal by senior Jay Gallagher, but a tenacious play by Khristian Acosta (Port Monmouth, NJ/Mercyhurst University (NCAA DI)) set the stage for the game-winning goal for the Pioneers. On the heels of an unsuccessful power play, Acosta torched a shot off the side of the Wilkes net. Undeterred, he darted after the loose puck behind the net, wrapped around, and fed a pass across the crease to a waiting Bucell for the game-winner at 12:49. Wilkes made their extra attacker push after receiving a power play in the final minute, but Dickson made a key save on a 2-on-1 with five seconds to go, and an additional flurry on the ensuing faceoff proved fruitless as Utica walked away with the win.
Utica hosts King's College on Saturday in the 17th edition of the New York SASH Teddy Bear Toss.
