UTICA, NY - After over 300 days away from game action, the Utica College men's ice hockey team looked right at home in their first game of the 2020-21 season. In an offensive showcase that featured over ten goals scored between two high octane lineups, it was the Pioneers who prevailed late. With the game tied 5-5, senior forward Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)) canned a wrist shot from the slot for the game-winning goal on the power play, and Utica waltzed away with a 6-5 win over the United States Under-17 National Team at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

The game was the first of two games between the Pioneers and their non-NCAA counterparts. Game two will be played on Friday evening at 7 p.m. inside the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The win was Utica's first against the Under-17 team, and their third win overall against a squad from the National Team Development Program. The Pioneers have now won three straight against NTDP representatives.

It was Everson who shined on the score sheet for Utica beyond his clutch goal, as he finished the night with a goal and two assists. Sophomore Buster Larsson (Bunkeflostrand, Sweden/Syracuse Stars (NCDC)) scored a pair of goals as well, with one each coming in the first and third periods. Sophomore forward Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) and rookie defenseman Blake Holmes (Apple Valley, MN/Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL)) each had a goal and an assist. Jayson Dobay (Weymouth, MA/Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)) and Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) each had two assists each. Sean Dickson (Millbrae, CA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL-Premier)) made 36 saves to snag the win in goal.

Isaac Howard had a hat trick for Team USA. Frank Nazar had three assists.

Utica shined on special teams, as they finished 2-for-5 on the power play. That unit scored the deciding goal. They also held the Stars and Stripes to an 0-for-5 clip of their own, including an instrumental two minute five-on-three penalty kill in the third period.

Utica raced out to an early lead in rapid fashion. Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) kicked off the scoring by making Team USA pay for an early penalty with his power play strike at 2:09. The lead doubled in scope with an even strength goal from Jamie Bucell (Garfield Heights, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)) at 4:13. Team USA made repeated bids to draw closer as star forward Isaac Howard scored a pair of goals, but Utica remained ahead 3-2 after one period on the weight of a goal scored by Buster Larsson (Bunkeflostrand, Sweden/Syracuse Stars (NCDC)).

The second and third periods were evenly drawn between the two sides, as the squads scored a goal each in the second, and two each in the third. Team USA's Maddox Fleming scored on a highlight reel finish at 11:22 of the second period to tie the game at 3-3, but the answer for Utica came from Blake Holmes (Apple Valley, MN/Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL)), who jumped up from his blue line post to score a goal at the front of the net and carry a 4-3 lead into the third. Larsson netted his second for a two goal Pioneer lead to begin the third, only to have USA claw back and tie the game on even strength goals by Isaac Howard and Seamus Casey. That set the stage for Everson's game-winning heroics with 2:01 left, as he wristed a shot in off excellent puck movement late in the game's final power play to secure the 6-5 win.

Team USA outshot the Pioneers 41-34.