UTICA, NY - The #2 Utica University men's ice hockey team completed the regular season in style on Sunday, February 20th. The Pioneers rattled off ten goals in the first two periods, and went on to tie their largest scoring output of the season with a 12-1 win over visiting Neumann University in a conference game at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
The Pioneers complete the regular season at 22-2-1, and they finish regular season conference play undefeated at 17-0-1. The 22nd win of the season makes this the winningest regular season in program history. Utica is unbeaten in its last sixteen games.
The regular season champions of the UCHC now set their sights on a third conference postseason championship. They begin the single-elimination UCHC men's ice hockey championship tournament by hosting eighth-seeded Lebanon Valley in a quarterfinal on Tuesday, February 22nd at 7 p.m. Tickets are available now.
The Pioneers out-shot the Knights 47-24 in the matinee thrashing. Utica was 3-of-4 on the power play, and rounded out the weekend at 6-for-7 with the man advantage over the two games. The Blue and Orange won 41 of 65 faceoffs, led by an exceptional 11-of-12 performance by Mic Curran (Arlington, MA/Curry College (CCC)).
Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)) led the way with five points on a goal and four assists for Utica. Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)) had two goals and two assists. With a four assist outing, defenseman Justin Allen (Hilton, NY/Rochester Monarchs (USPHL-NCDC)) has tied the program's record for points in a career by a defenseman, standing on level terms with All-Americans Dalton Carter and Daniel Fritz at 82 career points heading into the playoffs.
Eleven different Pioneers scored a goal, with Jayson Dobay (Weymouth, MA/Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)), Eric Holland (Whitby, ON/Brockville Braves (CCHL)), Curran, Remy Parker (Montclair, NJ/University of Maine (NCAA DI)), Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)), Cameron Patton (Truro, Nova Scotia/Yarmouth Mariners (MJAHL)), Khristian Acosta (Port Monmouth, NJ/Mercyhurst University (NCAA DI)), Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)), and John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) adding goals to the output of the above top performers.
Evan Hoey scored the lone goal for Neumann.
Bryan Landsberger (Montreal, Quebec/Nepean Raiders (CCHL)) made 23 saves to record the victory, while Neumann employed all three goaltenders in uniform in the loss.
Two five-goal periods put the game well out of reach through 40 minutes. Patton, Cavanagh, Moncovich, Parker, and Larsson scored in the first, while Larsson, Everson, Zapata, Dobay, and Curran scored in the second. Acosta and Holland padded the lead further in the third.
