UTICA, NY- A program record five members of the Utica University men's hockey team were named All-Americans by the American Hockey Coaches Association, announced Thursday.
 
Seniors Justin Allen (Hilton, NY/Rochester Monarchs (USPHL-NCDC)) and Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) as well as junior Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) were named first team All-Americans, while Jayson Dobay (Weymouth, MA/Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)) and Buster Larsson (Malmo, Sweden/Utica Jr. Comets (NCDC)) were second team selections.  Utica had the most selections out of any team, followed by Adrian College, which had four selections.  Utica has now had 13 players earn All-American status in program history.
 
Allen, who is the highest scoring defenseman in program history, finished fourth on the team this year with 40 points.  His 32 assists set a new single-season program record.  He wrapped up the season ranked third in the country with 1.14 assists per game.  He has totaled 87 points (14 goals, 73 assists) in 97 games played.  His 73 assists rank second in Utica's career record book.  Allen also led the team with a +35 plus/minus rating. 
 
Cavanagh enjoyed the best season of his career as he finished tied for the team lead with 46 points (20 goals, 26 assists). Cavanagh is now tied for first in Utica's single-season record book for points and he is second in goals (20). Cavanagh finished the year tied for fifth nationally with 1.64 points per game.
 
Zapata, the UCHC Player of the Year, is a finalist for the Sid Watson Award, given annually to the best NCAA Division II-III men's ice hockey player in the country.  Zapata finished third on the team with 43 points and his eight powerplay goals ranked fifth nationally.  He ranks 13^th in the country with 1.54 points per game and he is 12^th nationally in assists per game (.96).
 
Dobay becomes the first Pioneer to be named All-American as a sophomore after a standout year that saw him tally 35 points.  Five of his seven goals this year came on the powerplay, which helped Utica achieve the best powerplay percentage in the country.  Dobay finished the year ranked eighth nationally with an average of 1.00 assists per game. 
 
Larsson finished tied for the team lead with 46 points, a mark that ties the program's single-season record.  Larsson's 30 assists this season tied for second all-time at Utica in a single year.  He ranked fifth nationally in points per game (1.64) and sixth in assists per game (1.07). 
 
The Pioneers won their third UCHC title in the last five years and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history.  Utica lost in the NCAA Quarterfinal to University of New England 2-0.