UTICA, NY - Utica's first meeting with Trine went all the way down to the wire, but Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) found a way to send the fans home happy. After 65 minutes of play resulted in a 2-2 tie, Zapata scored the only goal of a three round shootout to take the shootout by a 1-0 score for the #4 Pioneers against visiting Trine at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The game was played as part of the Delta Hotels Thanksgiving Showcase.

Per the NCAA rulebook, the contest will be officially marked as a tie. New rules were implemented this offseason to allow for non-conference shootouts in accordance with the home team's league policy. 

Utica snaps a seven game winning streak but remains unbeaten for an eighth straight outing. They are now 7-2-1 overall heading into their final Fall Semester regular season game against Oswego. Trine remains at the .500 mark at 4-4-1.

Shots for the game were 32-24 Pioneers as Utica held an edge in that category over the opposition for a ninth straight game. The power play finished the night 1-for-5, while the penalty kill unit held Trine to 0-for-3.

Lucas Herrmann (Elma, NY/University of New Hampshire (NCAA DI)) and Jakob Breault (Acton Vale, QC/Alaska-Fairbanks (NCAA DI)) scored for the Pioneers, with Herrmann also tacking on an assist for a multi-point night. Connor Fedorek (Bethel Park, PA/Ferris State University (NCAA DI)), Remy Parker (Montclair, NJ/University of Maine (NCAA DI)), and Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)) all added assists. Newcomer Chris Carroll (Islip, NY/New Jersey Titans (NAHL)) won five of nine faceoffs in just his third appearance of the season.

Tim Organ and Garrett Halford scored for Trine. 

In net, Bryan Landsberger (Montreal, Quebec/Nepean Raiders (CCHL)) stopped 22 shots for Utica, while counterpart Christian Wong-Ramos turned away 30 for Trine as the Thunder stayed out of the loss column for a second straight meeting with a ranked opponent. 

On the heels of an early second period power play, the Thunder cashed in for a 1-0 lead through their own persistence. Defenseman Tim Organ shot the puck from the blue line, then got another opportunity from the left wing off the retrieval. Organ bounced the puck through the five hole of Landsberger for a 1-0 lead. 

2:02 later, the Pioneers countered with the equalizer. A long attempt towards goal by Connor Fedorek (Bethel Park, PA/Ferris State University (NCAA DI)) split between teammates Mic Curran (Arlington, MA/Curry College (CCC)) and Lucas Herrmann (Elma, NY/University of New Hampshire (NCAA DI)), and Herrmann redirected it in to tie the game at one. The goal was Herrmann's fourth of the season. 

A power play opportunity left the door open for the Pioneers to jump in front at 11:50. With Trine's Brett Tierney attempting to clear the puck for the Thunder, pressure from Herrmann led to an interception by Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)). Larsson fed the puck to the back door for an easy finish by Breault, and the Pioneers led 2-1 after two periods. 

Trine netted the equalizer on a breakout gone wrong in the third period. Trine's Garrett Halford intercepted the puck and immediately shot it past Landsberger to tie the game at two and force overtime. The unassisted counterattack goal was scored at 6:09. 

Shots were four apiece for the five minute, three-on-three overtime before a shootout provided the stage for Zapata's heroics. 

The Showcase concludes on Sunday as Trine meets Plymouth State at the Nexus Center. That game begins at 4 p.m. 

The Pioneers will host regional rival Oswego State for the 2022 edition of the New York SASH Teddy Bear Toss. The closing game of a seven game homestand for the Pioneers begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.