UTICA, NY - The #3 Utica University men's ice hockey team will take on one of its toughest opponents of the season, while continuing one of the region's most valued holiday traditions on Saturday. The Pioneers will take on #7 Oswego in the 18th edition of the New York SASH Teddy Bear Toss. The non-conference matchup begins at 7 p.m. at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
Follow Along: For an eleventh consecutive in-person edition, this event is sold out. Luckily, fans have a wide range of options to follow the action.
The game will be televised on WKTV NewsChannel 2 in Utica, with longtime Pioneer voice Ray Biggs '13 pairing up with WKTV Sports Director Spencer Davidson. That telecast will be available locally over-the-air on WKTV 2.1 and on local cable systems. It will also be available online at wktv.com/livestream and on the free WKTV NewsChannel 2 streaming app available for Roku, Amazon Fire, and AppleTV Devices.
WPNR 90.7 FM will also be on-site and available on local airwaves, at pioneerradio.org, and over live video at portal.stretchinternet.com/utica. WPNR advisor Doug Croft and Utica student Jeff Kopek will bring fans that call of the game.
Time To Warm Up The Arms: At Saturday's New York SASH Teddy Bear Toss, fans will throw their teddy bears onto the ice after Utica's first goal for collection and distribution to local children. Over 50,000 teddy bears have been collected. The game is one of the largest of its kind in the United States. The efforts of Pioneer fans have helped to inspire others in the region to take up the cause, with numerous other collegiate and professional teams now participating in their own versions. The 2018 edition of the event was featured on the nationally syndicated TV Show "Inside Edition".
Teddy Bear Toss Reminders: In the spirit of getting the toys to area children as efficiently as possible, teddy bears should be new and clean. For those sitting behind the safety netting on the ends, it is prudent to remove the plastic tag hangers so that the bears do not get caught in that netting. You can bring as many as you'd like. Some fans bring them by the bagful. The occasional giant teddy bear has also been known to show up. Arrive early, as Utica has scored the teddy bear goal relatively quickly in the past. They have netted that goal within the first two minutes in two of the last four Teddy Bear Toss games to be played, including Dante Zapata's (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) record of 1:01 set in 2019. Last season, it took just over five minutes for Eric Holland's (Whitby, ON/Brockville Braves (CCHL)) unassisted goal to send them flying as the Pioneers cruised to an 8-0 win over King's College.
Jerseys Up For Bid Now!: The Utica University men's hockey team will be wearing special jerseys for this year's New York Sash Teddy Bear Toss game. The Pioneers are currently auctioning off their collector's edition game jerseys from now until their Teddy Bear Toss game on December 3 at 7 p.m. You can bid on a jersey by sending an e-mail to Director of Hockey Operations Neil Trout (nctrout@utica.edu) with your name, address and amount you would like to bid. Fans can also bid on the jerseys on the day of the game at the Utica Memorial Auditorium beginning at 6 p.m. Click here for more information!
In Teddy Bear Tosses: Utica holds a 13-2-1 record all-time in Teddy Bear Toss games, and have won their last six editions since a 1-0 loss in 2014 to eventual national champion Trinity, which marks the only time Utica has ever been shut out in the event. This is the first time since that year that the Pioneers have played a nationally-ranked opponent in this event. The lone tie in the event occurred in 2009 against Castleton. The 2016, 2012, and 2009 games all went to overtime with Utica nabbing the winner in the 2016 and 2012 games. Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) and Adam Graff scored the deciding goals in those two games respectively. Utica went on to play in a conference championship game or the NCAA tournament in both of those seasons. The event's history began in 2005 with a game against Hamilton, as head coach Gary Heenan bested mentor Phil Grady with a 4-2 win over the Continentals. Colin Kingston scored the first teddy bear goal at 7:30 of the first period in front of 1,713 fans. Kingston is one of three players to score the goal twice in the event's history, as he also did so the following year. Tim Coffman also scored the vital goal in back-to-back seasons by making the toss happen in 2008 and 2009. Ridge Garbutt accomplished the feat in 2011 and 2013, and scored both goals in teddy bear tosses played against Salve Regina. Utica has pitched three shutouts in teddy bear toss history.
Where We Stand: The Pioneers are 7-2-1 overall, and 6-0 in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. They are undefeated in their last eight games, with a 7-0-1 record since losing to then-#1 Adrian twice in the first weekend of the season. In the conference standings, they have 16 out of a possible 18 points to hold a two point lead in the UCHC standings.
Last Time Out: The Pioneers finished the Utica Thanksgiving Showcase with a record of 1-0-1 over the weekend. On Friday, the Pioneers netted a hard-fought 5-3 win over Plymouth State. Plymouth rallied out of a 4-1 deficit to trail 4-3 before Mic Curran (Arlington, MA/Curry College (CCC)) netted a late insurance goal to seal the deal. Curran and Khristian Acosta (Port Monmouth, NJ/Mercyhurst University (NCAA DI)) had two goals apiece. On Saturday, the Pioneers tied Trine with a score of 2-2, before prevailing in a shootout.
By The Numbers: The Pioneers are seventh nationally in scoring offense at 4.40 goals per game, but will be looking to rebound from a season-low two goals in the tie against Trine. Utica is tied for 45th nationally in scoring defense as they currently concede 3.10 goals per game, but that number should continue to trend in a positive direction as the Pioneers have held opponents under that average for the entirety of their eight game unbeaten streak. On the power play, a 13.2 percent conversion rate is good for a tie for 56th nationally, while the penalty kill sits at 74.2 percent.
Mic The Slick: Graduate forward Mic Curran (Arlington, MA/Curry College (CCC)) is off to an outstanding start for the Pioneers this season, as he occupies the team's co-lead in points with 11. He has three goals and eight assists, had a five game point streak come to an end on Saturday. Even so, he had five shots and won both of his faceoffs. His average of 1.22 points per game ranks 43rd nationally, while he is 21st in assists per game at an average of 0.89.
The Fedorek File: Senior defenseman Connor Fedorek (Bethel Park, PA/Ferris State University (NCAA DI)) has brought a lot to the table in his first season with the Pioneers. The transfer blue liner from Ferris State has a team-best 11 assists that also tie him for the team points lead at this point in the season. His average of 1.10 points per game ranks fourth nationally among defensemen, while his assist total is tops among the nation's blue liners. He also leads the country in total assists.
Filling It Up When It Matters: In four of Utica's seven victories this season, the Pioneers have gotten their hands on the game-winner from one of two forwards. Josh Kagan (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Powell River Kings (BCHL)) and Lucas Herrmann (Elma, NY/University of New Hampshire (NCAA DI)) lead the UCHC and rank third nationally with two game-winning goals apiece. Jayson Dobay (Weymouth, MA/Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)) and Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) have scored overtime winners for the Pioneers this year, while the only regulation game-winner not to come from any member of that group belongs to John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)).
Rambling About Regen: Graduate forward Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) has had another solid start to the season in his final campaign with Utica. Through ten games, he's averaging a point a game with four goals and six assists, and he recently recorded his 100th career point.
Who's Up Next: With Cavanagh and teammate Brandon Osmundson (Virginia Beach, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) both over the 100 career point mark this season, the attention now shifts to Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)). The Utica captain has nine points on three goals and six assists, and is currently parked at 90 career points in 77 career games. Zapata is the only Teddy Bear Toss goal scorer on Utica's active roster at the moment.
Between the Pipes: Sophomore netminder Bryan Landsberger (Montreal, Quebec/Nepean Raiders (CCHL)) has started every game for the Pioneers this season. The first year starter is 7-2-1 with a 2.76 GAA, and a save percentage of 90.1 percent. He has twelve career wins to his name.
The Series: This will be the twenty-seventh all-time meeting against Oswego for Utica. The Pioneers hold a 7-14-5 record all-time against their Central New York rivals. Four of the last seven meetings have ended in a tie. In the most recent regular season meeting on January 10th, 2020, the Pioneers won 4-3 at the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena in Oswego. Conor Landrigan had two goals and an assist, while Brandon Osmundson (Virginia Beach, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) had two assists. Last year, the Pioneers won 6-4 in an exhibition at Oswego. Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) scored twice including the game-winning goal for the Pioneers. Jared Nash, Alex DiCarlo, Shane Bull, and Travis Broughman had the Oswego goals.
About Oswego: The #7 Lakers are 7-2-0 overall, while maintaining a perfect 5-0 record in SUNYAC play. They most recently took a 4-1 loss against current #15 Skidmore at the Skidmore Thanksgiving Invitational in Saratoga Springs. Junior forward Shane Bull sets the team's scoring pace with ten points on five goals and five assists. Tommy Cahill, Alex DiCarlo, and Thomas Rocco have nine points apiece. DiCarlo leads the SUNYAC with his average of 0.86 goals per game, and he also has two game-winning goals. In net, Cal Schell has emerged as the starter for the Lakers with a 92.8 percent save percentage.
What's Next: The Pioneers will complete Fall semester play with a high profile exhibition game. Utica heads to Plymouth, Michigan to take on the US Under-18 Team at USA Hockey Arena on Saturday, December 10th.
