WILKES BARRE, Pa. - For a sixth straight year, and a ninth time overall, the Utica College men's ice hockey team is a regular season conference champion. In a battle of top ten teams, the #2 Pioneers were pushed to the brink by #9 Wilkes as they skated to a 1-1 tie through 60 minutes of regulation and a five minute overtime period.

With a tie in the books, the game progressed to a shootout for standings points. Pioneer forwards Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) and Brandon Osmundson (Virginia Beach, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) were successful on their attempts, and Bryan Landsberger (Montreal, Quebec/Nepean Raiders (CCHL)) stopped Wilkes forwards Tyler Barrow and Tyler Dill to secure two standings points and the United Collegiate Hockey Conference regular season championship. 

With the shootout result, the Pioneers lead the standings by seven points over Wilkes, and both teams have two games left to go. With a maximum of three standings points awarded per game, UC cannot mathematically lose the lead. 

The Pioneers' record progressed to 20-2-1 overall, and they are now 15-0-1 in the UCHC. The squad remains unbeaten in its last fourteen games. The Colonels are 16-4-1 overall. 

The Colonels out-shot the Pioneers 34-32. The squads were a combined 0-for-7 on the power play. 

In goal, Landsberger stopped 33 of 34 shots to earn the win. Wilkes netminder Nico Pidro took the loss with 31 saves. 

Wilkes grabbed the early advantage on an even strength goal from Dylan Kuipers at 16:26 of the first period. Tyler Barrow and Phil Erickson had the assists as the Colonels out-shot the Pioneers 17-7 in the first period while gaining the lead. 

In the second period, it was Mic Curran (Arlington, MA/Curry College (CCC)) who pulled the Pioneers even with a goal at 11:25. Brandon Osmundson (Virginia Beach, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) and Joey Berkopec (Hamilton, Ontario/Coquitlam Express (BCHL)) snagged the assists on the play as the visitors got to level terms before the start of the third period. 

The two teams turned in a scoreless third, and then blanked each other in overtime to settle for a tie after 65 minutes. That brought up the shootout, where Zapata, Osmundson, and Landsberger would seal the deal on two standings points and the regular season title. 

The Pioneers return home next weekend as they close out the regular season against Neumann and Manhattanville.