Box Score UTICA, NY - The Utica College men's ice hockey team rebounded from a season-opening loss in emphatic fashion on Saturday night. After suffering a 3-2 loss on Friday to Wilkes, the Pioneers stormed to victory on Saturday. They overturned a 3-2 second period deficit by scoring nine of the next eleven goals in the game as Utica downed the Colonels by an 11-5 score at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

The game was Utica's regular season home opener, and the second game of a two game conference weekend between the two sides. Both teams now sit at 1-1 overall, and 1-1 in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference at the end of the weekend. Utica is now 7-1 all time against Wilkes.

The Pioneers were paced by a career performance by senior forwards Jamie Bucell (Garfield Heights, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)) and Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)), who each had two goals and two assists in the contest. Sophomore forward Brandon Osmundson (Chesapeake, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) had two goals and an assist, while Buster Larsson (Bunkeflostrand, Sweden/Syracuse Stars (NCDC)) and Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) posted a goal and two assists. Sophomore John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) scored a goal against Wilkes for a fourth straight game, and rookie Dylan McMahon (Kanata, Ontario/Kanata (CCHL)) had the first goal of his college career. Just five UC skaters were held without a point. Joseph Giacobbo (Deptford, NJ/Rockland Nationals (CCHL)) stopped 16 shots for his first win of the season, and he is now 4-0 in his career.

UC outshot the Colonels 40-21 and scored nine goals in the last two periods. The Utica power play was 1-of-6, while Wilkes finished 2-for-4.

Wilkes snagged the early lead in the game at 5:23 when Tyler Barrow drew the opening salvo for the visitors with his second goal of the weekend. Utica dashed into the lead with a pair of goals before the end of the first period. Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)) scored his first goal of the regular season at 10:53, and John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) polished off the period with a deflection goal on a shot by Cameron Bartkoski (Dallas, TX/Amarillo Bulls (NAHL)) as UC snagged a 2-1 lead after twenty minutes.

Wilkes began to seemingly change its fortunes in the second period as they notched two goals to draw ahead 3-2. Angelo Marquart scored at even strength, while Donald Flynn flushed a power play goal at 3:23 to put the Colonels back in command. However, that command was short lived. At the midpoint of the second period, Utica struck twice in a span of 1:10 to establish control of the game permanently. Jamie Bucell (Garfield Heights, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)) netted his first of the night, and the season to re-tie the score at 9:39, and sophomore Buster Larsson (Bunkeflostrand, Sweden/Syracuse Stars (NCDC)) was close behind at 10:49 to overturn the advantage as Utica grabbed a 4-3 lead. Before the period ended, Bucell scored a second time on the power play, and Nick Yzaguirre (Chicago, IL/Charlotte Rush (USPHL-Premier)) netted the game-winner to place Utica ahead for good at a 6-3 lead through forty minutes.

The Pioneers went on to score five times in the third period to pull away. Brandon Osmundson (Chesapeake, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) scored back-to-back goals to highlight the period, while Dylan McMahon (Kanata, Ontario/Kanata (CCHL)) scored the first goal of his career to put his stamp on the game as the Pioneers rolled through their conference rivals.

Utica will split its next weekend between two opponents. The Pioneers will host Chatham in an afternoon game on Saturday, February 27th at 2 PM, before trekking to Manhattanville the following day for a conference tilt.