RYE, NY - The #3 Utica College men's ice hockey team may have cruised to a win Friday, but Saturday's matchup against Manhattanville was far from a walk in the park. The host Valiants halved a 3-1 deficit to one goal in the second period, and the Pioneers nursed a one-goal lead for the final 32:38 of the game as they hung on to win 3-2 in a United Collegiate Hockey Conference game at the Playland Ice Casino. 

The win was Utica's sixth straight. The Pioneers improved to 13-2-0, and a perfect 8-0 in UCHC play. Manhattanville falls to 7-5-1 overall, and 4-3-1-2 in UCHC play. 

The Pioneers out-shot the Valiants 39-16. The squads were a combined 0-for-3 on the power play. Utica won 35 of 63 faceoffs. 

Cameron Patton (Truro, Nova Scotia/Yarmouth Mariners (MJAHL)), Remy Parker (Montclair, NJ/University of Maine (NCAA DI)), and Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) had a goal each for UC. All three players also scored in Friday's game. With an assist, Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)) improved his point streak to six consecutive games. 

In goal, Sean Dickson (San Francisco, CA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL-Premier)) and Bryan Landsberger (Montreal, Quebec/Nepean Raiders (CCHL)) combined to make 14 saves. Landsberger came in after the second Valiant goal and presided over an eight-save third period to close out the victory. 

It was Patton who opened the scoring when he netted his second career goal at 4:38 of the first period. Defenseman Brian Scoville (Agawam, MA/Alabama-Huntsville (NCAA DI)) shot the puck through a maze of traffic in front of Manhattanville's Reid Robertson, and Patton got the necessary re-direct to put the Pioneers in front. The hosts responded before period's end as Artem Mateichenko leveled the score with a goal at 16:26. 

The Pioneers posted two goals in a span of 1:07 to get some breathing room in the second period. Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) pulled the Pioneers ahead at 3:45 of the second period, with Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)) and Eric Holland (Whitby, ON/Brockville Braves (CCHL)) snagging assists on a tic-tac-toe passing play. At 4:42, it was Parker's turn, as he lit the lamp with the eventual game-winning goal with Justin Allen (Hilton, NY/Rochester Monarchs (USPHL-NCDC)) and Jamie Bucell (Garfield Heights, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)) recording the helpers. 

Manhattanville's Jamie Dorsey scored on a deflection at 7:22 in the second to pull the game back within a goal, but no further progress was made. The sides went the rest of the distance in a scoreless stalemate, with Landsberger making the stop on a last-ditch effort at the final buzzer to preserve a 3-2 win. 

The Pioneers will battle Lebanon Valley on Friday, January 21st. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. in Hershey, Pa.