UTICA, NY - The #2 Utica University men's ice hockey team may be playing under a new institution name as of Thursday, but the results on Saturday were certainly familiar. The Pioneers snagged three goals each in the first and second periods as they cruised over visiting Manhattanville by a 6-2 score in a United Collegiate Hockey Conference matchup at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. 

The win propels the regular season champions to 21-2-1 overall, and 16-0-1 in conference play heading into Sunday's regular season finale against Neumann. Manhattanville falls to 9-11-3 overall, and 6-8-3 in the UCHC as their chances at home ice in the UCHC quarterfinals took a significant hit. 

The meeting was the 60th all-time, with Utica winning for the 31st time. The Pioneers have taken the win in fifteen of the last sixteen meetings against their longtime rivals. 

The Pioneers were led by forward Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)) and defenseman Jayson Dobay (Weymouth, MA/Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)), who scored two goals apiece. Mic Curran (Arlington, MA/Curry College (CCC)) and Brian Scoville (Agawam, MA/Alabama-Huntsville (NCAA DI)) logged a goal apiece, with Curran's tally also serving as his 100th career point. Curran split that milestone between his time at Curry College and at Utica. Brandon Osmundson (Virginia Beach, VA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) and Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) had two assists each. 

In his first game action since exiting the Stevenson game on January 29th, Sean Dickson (San Francisco, CA/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL-Premier)) returned to stop 22 shots and collect his thirteenth win of the season. 

For Manhattanville, Josh Fletcher and Jarod Lavallee scored the goals, while netminder Tyler Roy made 40 saves. 

The Pioneers out-shot the Valiants by a 46-24 count, and were 3-for-3 on the power play. 

It took just 1:29 for Utica to establish the lead, as Scoville banked a heavy shot off the end boards to find Curran. Curran decisively snapped the puck to the back of the net for a 1-0 lead and his 100th career point. 

Jayson Dobay (Weymouth, MA/Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)) doubled up the lead on a power play goal through traffic at 5:18. Manhattanville's Jarod Lavallee spiced up the first period with his eleventh goal of the season at the nine minute mark, but Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)) ensured a two-goal lead with his power play marker at 18:03 for a 3-1 lead at the end of the period.  

Larsson picked up where he left off with a second goal at 1:17 of the second period, and the Pioneers advanced their lead to 5-1 on Dobay's second goal, a power play tally at 7:35 with Zapata and Cameron Patton (Truro, Nova Scotia/Yarmouth Mariners (MJAHL)) getting the assists. 

As the period made a turn for the home stretch, Manhattanville's Josh Fletcher cashed in for his first power play goal of the season at the 15:08 mark, but Scoville answered back with a goal before the end of the period to help preserve a 6-2 Utica lead. 

That lead would be preserved for the rest of the game, but it was not without tension and drama. A late scuffle left the Pioneers two players short in the final two minutes of the hockey game, but the 5-on-3 penalty kill was successful in preserving the win by a 6-2 final score. 

Sunday's regular season finale begins at 2 p.m. Tickets are also on sale for Utica's quarterfinal game on Tuesday, which begins at 7 p.m.