UTICA, NY - The No. 1 Utica University men's hockey team will travel to Reading, PA this weekend for a pair of games at Alvernia University. The Pioneers and the Golden Wolves will meet at 7 p.m. on Friday before rounding out the series at 3 p.m. on Saturday. 
 
Follow Along: Alvernia will provide live video through https://auwolves.com/watch/?Archive=1040&type=Live and live stats at https://auwolves.com/sidearmstats/mhockey/summary for both games this weekend. 
 
Last Time Out: For a seventh consecutive season, and a tenth time overall, the No. 1 Utica University men's ice hockey team has captured a conference regular season title. The Pioneers maintained their stranglehold on the United Collegiate Hockey Conference regular season title as the only team to win one as well, as they notched their sixth as a member of the league with an overwhelming 6-2 win over visiting King's College in a United Collegiate Hockey Conference game at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The Pioneers improved to 18-2-1 overall with four games left in the regular season. They have 46 standings points, which is clear of the maximum point total for any other UCHC team, by way of a 16-0-0 league record. Utica has won eleven straight games and is unbeaten in its last nineteen contests. Program history was in the cards for Utica as well. The Pioneers recorded a program-record 96 shots on goal, while defenseman Justin Allen (Hilton, NY/Rochester Monarchs (NCDC)) stepped on the ice for his 111th career game to set a new mark for games played in a Utica Pioneers uniform. Utica out-shot the Monarchs by a 96-20 clip, while both teams scored a power play goal. John Moncovich (Wilmington, NC/Hampton Roads Whalers (USPHL)) and Remy Parker (Montclair, NJ/University of Maine (NCAA DI)) each scored twice for the Pioneers to set the pace. Connor Fedorek (Bethel Park, PA/Ferris State University (NCAA DI)) and Regen Cavanagh (Chesapeake, VA/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)) scored one goal apiece. Jayson Dobay (Weymouth, MA/Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)) had three assists, while Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) logged a pair of helpers. Moncovich now has a point in eight consecutive games, while Parker's point streak resides at twelve games in a row. Bryan Landsberger (Montreal, Quebec/Nepean Raiders (CCHL)) stopped 18 of 20 shots to earn the win. In net for King's, Ismael Ralsten made a remarkable 90 saves. Denys Arkhypenko and Casey Gerstein scored for the Monarchs.The Pioneers have earned the right to host in every round of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference tournament, provided they advance.
 
In the Poll: The team held out at No. 1 in this week's US College Hockey Online Men's Top 15. The poll was released Monday by the national college hockey website. Utica remains in the No.1 spot after receiving 292 points this week including 13 first place votes. No. 1 Utica improved to 18-2-1 overall this season after two wins this weekend increasing the team's point streak to 19 games after 11-1 and 6-2 wins against King's College. The full Division III men's hockey rankings can be found at https://www.uscho.com/rankings/d-iii-mens-poll/. 
 
Same Story, Different Year: Six seasons in the UCHC, six outright conference titles. The Pioneers secured yet another UCHC regular season conference championship on Saturday following its win over King's. The win gave Utica its 46th point in league play which was good enough to secure the top-seed in the UCHC Conference Tournament as second-place Stevenson can cap out at 45 points. Utica is primed to host all three rounds of postseason play, barring the team advances, with Quarterfinals on February 22, Semifinals on February 25 and the Championship on March 4. Times and opponents are TBD. 
 
Dialed in: You can't talk about playmakers without placing Remy Parker (Montclair, NJ/University of Maine (NCAA DI)) and Jayson Dobay (Weymouth, MA/Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)) into the conversation. Parker is in the midst of a 12-game point streak dating back to November 26 against Trine. In fact, Parker has recorded at least one point in 17 of 21 games he's played in this season. Dobay is also in the middle of a nice point streak as he just hit eight straight games after Saturday's win over King's. After recording five points in his first 13 games of the season, Dobay has registered 20 over his eight-game streak that began on January 13 against Neumann. Dante Zapata (Huntington Beach, CA/Austin Bruins (NAHL)) is another who has caught fire, recording a point in five of his last six outings for a total of 10 over that stretch. Out of 20 games, Mic Curran (Arlington, MA/Curry College (CCC)) has had a point in 16 of those games for a team-high 27 on the season.  
 
Allen Approaching: With one career milestone down, Justin Allen (Hilton, NY/Rochester Monarchs (NCDC)) is on the doorstep of yet another. With two more points he will become the seventh member in program history to join the 100 point club while being the first defenseman to do so. Allen's career mark of 98 points has come by way of 84 assists, which itself is a program all-time record, and 14 goals. Allen will have four more attempts to hit the centennial mark in regular season play before postseason action begins. 
 
About Alvernia: The Golden Wolves are 7-12-2 this season and sport a 5-10-1 record in conference play which has them seventh in the UCHC. The team beat Albertus Magnus College in its last outing on Sunday, February 5 4-3. Alvernia is led by Logan vande Meekrakker who has a team-leading 19 points and team-leading 12 assists. Isaac Chapman and Jason Finan are two other top playmakers as both have scored at least seven goals with at least six assists. The team's leading goaltender is Brandon Daigle who has 288 saves this season with a .903 save percentage and a 3-7 record. Yet, goalie Colin Cain has also seen significant time in net as he has appeared in 10 games with 234 saves, a .893 save percentage, and 3-3-2 record.
 
The Series: This will be the first all-time meeting(s) between the teams as Alvernia is competing in its inaugural season at the NCAA Division III level. 
 
Up Next: No. 1 Utica will conclude its regular season next weekend at Arcadia University on February 18 and 19.