UTICA, NY - For a third time this season, the No. 3 Utica University men's hockey team went into an extra frame; this time against league rival Stevenson University. While the Pioneers and Mustangs battled out to a 2-2 tie, Stevenson went on to win the shootout 1-0 to earn an extra point in the UCHC standings.  
 

For the Pioneers, Drake Morse (Grand Rapids, MI/Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL)) notched his first collegiate goal and Kimball Johnson (Dallas, TX/University of St. Thomas (NCAA DI)) recorded his first of the year on the team's second tally of the night. Eric Vitale (Toronto, ON/Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL)) and Austin D'Orazio (Vaughan, ON/Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL)) each had one assist while Jakob Breault (Acton Vale, QC/Alaska-Fairbanks (NCAA DI)) assisted on both goals.  
 

In net, Ethan Roberts (Cary, NC/University of St. Thomas (NCAA DI)) totaled 34 saves including a handful of pivotal ones in the 3rd period and overtime.   
 

After a few early opportunities, including three shots in the first 1:30 of play, Drake Morse (Grand Rapids, MI/Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL)) put the Pioneers up 1-0 with what was his first career goal. Utica took advantage of a loose puck in the neutral zone and after passes from Eric Vitale (Toronto, ON/Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL)) and Jakob Breault (Acton Vale, QC/Alaska-Fairbanks (NCAA DI)), Morse sent the puck to the back of the twine for the early lead.  
 

However, the Mustangs struck back 13 seconds later on a goal by Zach Egber, who snuck one just past the off-glove side of Ethan Roberts (Cary, NC/University of St. Thomas (NCAA DI)), to even the score at 1-1.  
 

With just 28 seconds left in the period, Kimball Johnson (Dallas, TX/University of St. Thomas (NCAA DI)) made sure to send Utica into the locker room with a lead. Immediately off a face-off won by Breault, Johnson received the puck and fired it past Ty Outen for his first goal of the year.  
 

Stevenson went on to even the score once again though at 7:06 in the 2nd period. On a two-on-one break, Liam McCanney of the Mustangs put himself in position to put one on net. In doing so, the puck bounced off of the well positioned Roberts and trickled to the back of the goal to make it a 2-2 contest.  

From there, the Pioneers missed on each of its next 25 shots on goal while Roberts provided Stevenson with the same treatment as the game was deadlocked at 2-2. Neither side budged throughout regulation as the game shifted into an extra frame: Utica's third of the year in as many games. In the OT period, Roberts stopped each of Stevenson's three shots while Utica's lone look by Griffen Barr (Nanaimo, BC/Vernon Vipers (BCHL)) was also saved. The clock expired to shift the game into a shootout.  

Eric Vitale (Toronto, ON/Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL)) attempted the first shot of the shootout and was denied by Outen. Roberts also said no to Stevenson's attempt while both team's second shots were also stopped. Alexander Gullichsen (Turku, Finland/Aberdeen Wings (NAHL)) attempted the Pioneers' third but once again, Outen came through with the stop. After another Stevenson and utica miss, Frank Vitucci of the Mustangs ended the shootout on the team's fourth try to pick up the extra point in league standings.  
 

Utica (1-0-2, 0-0-1 UCHC) and Stevenson will complete the two-game set at 2 p.m. on Saturday for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Day.