UTICA, NY - The #3 Utica College men's ice hockey team dives back into United Collegiate Hockey Conference play, while also playing its first road games since November this weekend. The Pioneers head to the Keystone State on Friday night for a battle with longtime rival Neumann at 7 p.m. in Aston, Pennsylvania. On Saturday, the Pioneers will stop in the New York metropolitan area for an afternoon matchup at Manhattanville, which begins at 3 p.m. in Rye, NY.
Follow Along: Live video and stats will be available for both contests this weekend. Friday's game can be viewed on https://atlanticeastnetwork.com/neumann/, and on the free Atlantic East Network app, which is a similar app to the one provided by the Empire 8. Saturday's game video is located at https://govaliants.com/watch/?Live=453&type=Live.
Setting The Record Straight: Utica is 11-2 overall, and a perfect 7-0 in United Collegiate Hockey Conference play this year. UC remained in the third spot in the latest US College Hockey Online poll released on Monday. The Pioneers are 3-0 when on the road this season and have outscored opponents 19-5 in those games. All three road games were conference games, with Utica not playing a single non-conference matchup on the road this year. The Pioneers recently wrapped up a six game homestand.
Goaltender of the Week: Senior Sean Dickson (San Francisco, CA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL-Premier)) was named the UCHC Goalie of the Week on Monday. On Saturday, Dickson made 15 saves to defeat No. 14 Curry College 6-2. He followed that up with a 30-save outing to pick up his program-record ninth career shutout. On the year, Dickson is 8-1 with three shutouts. He boasts the nation's top goals against average at 1.11 and he ranks ninth nationally with a .939 save percentage.
Last Time Out: Utica turned in a pair of sharp performances as they dispatched #14 Curry by a 6-2 score on Saturday, before topping an upset-hungry Cortland team 2-0 on Sunday. In the win over Curry, John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) had two goals and two assists to pave the way for UC, while Mic Curran (Arlington, MA/Curry College (CCC)) had a goal and an assist against his former club. In Sunday's win over Cortland, a third period goal by Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)) was the only tally of the game until the final minutes, when Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)) scored his first goal of the season on an empty-net goal to defuse a surge by the visitors. Sean Dickson (San Francisco, CA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL-Premier)) stopped 30 shots.
In the Drivers' Seat: Heading into this weekend's games, the Pioneers sport the nation's top offense and defense. Their average of 5.23 goals per game is atop the Division III leaderboard, and is also the best in all of NCAA men's ice hockey at this point in the season. Utica is allowing 1.46 goals per game defensively, which also is the best figure in Division III and the third lowest goals against average in all of NCAA men's ice hockey.
The Big Guns: Utica is helmed by a trio of forwards who rank in the top ten nationally in points per game. John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) has 22 points on 12 goals and 10 assists this season, and is sixth nationally at an average of 1.69 points per game. He is three goals off the national lead in overall goal-scoring at the moment. Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) and Brandon Osmundson (Virginia Beach, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) are tied for tenth nationally at 1.54 points per game. Cavanagh has eight goals and twelve assists for twenty points, while Osmundson has nine goals and eleven assists.
Who Ya Gonna Call: While a lot of his points have come on assists this season, Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)) is starting to convert his team-high 46 shots into some goal scoring. Larsson has eighteen points on six goals and twelve assists, and four of his six goals have come in the last four games consecutively. He also has two game-winning goals, including the winner in Sunday's nail-biter against Cortland. His 1.38 points per game rank 25th nationally.
Taking On All Comers: Utica's season-long penalty kill prowess continued through its opening weekend of 2022. The Pioneers killed off all six opposing power play chances last weekend, and have now turned away the opposition in 29 straight opportunities over eleven consecutive games. They have not allowed a power play goal since halloween, when they allowed the only two man-advantage goals they've conceded all season.
Back In The Saddle: After being held to just one power play goal in its previous four games, Utica got its power play unit back on the rails to start 2022. The Pioneers were 3-for-10 with the man advantage last weekend, and both game-winning goals were power play goals. For the season, the squad is operating at 22.4 percent on the power play, with fifteen goals in sixty seven appearances. Brandon Osmundson (Virginia Beach, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) has a team-high four power play goals. Their penalty kill rate of 94.7 percent is tops in the East region, and second in the nation.
Know Thy Opponent: Neumann is 6-6-1 overall, and 3-3-1-1 in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. They are on a three-game winning streak. They feature two forwards that rank in the top 15 nationally in points per game. Former West Point recruit Nick Martino is ninth in points per game nationally as a rookie at 1.54 points per game, and has scored nine goals. Veteran forward Barry Kneedler is thirteenth in points per game, and has nine goals and nine assists this season. Utica has won the last three, and nine of the last eleven against Neumann. Manhattanville is 7-4-1 overall, and 4-2-1-2 in the UCHC. They defeated Cortland 3-2 in their most recent game on December 4th. Jarrod Lavallee has seven goals to lead the Valiants, while Niko Happo has thirteen assists. Tyler Roy has six wins in nine starts in goal. Utica has won thirteen of their last fourteen games against the Valiants, including a win over them in last year's UCHC quarterfinals by a 9-0 score.
What's Next: Utica continues its road trip with conference games at Lebanon Valley and Arcadia on January 21st and 22nd. They return home on January 29th for a conference game against Stevenson.
