UTICA, NY - The No. 7 Utica University men's hockey team lit up the scoreboard at the Adirondack Bank Center on Saturday evening in a thrilling 7-4 win over the visiting Manhattanville College Valiants.
The Pioneers were fueled by seven different goal scorers in
Michael Herrera (Syracuse, NY/Utica Comets (NCDC)),
Matt Wood (Garnet Valley, PA/Richmond Generals (USPHL)),
Drake Morse (Grand Rapids, MI/Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL)),
Eric Vitale (Toronto, ON/Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL)),
Jakob Breault (Acton Vale, QC/Alaska-Fairbanks (NCAA DI)),
John Gutt (Middletown, NJ/Utica JR Comets (NCDC)) and
Khristian Acosta (Port Monmouth, NJ/Mercyhurst University (NCAA DI)). Nine different players also registered at least one assist with none more than
Brian Scoville (Agawam, MA/Alabama-Huntsville (NCAA DI)) who had three. Morse,
Shane Murphy (Oriskany, NY/Danbury Hat Tricks (NAHL)) and
Domenick Evtimov (Northbrook, IL/Oklahoma Warriors (NAHL)) had two apiece as well.
In goal,
Ethan Roberts (Cary, NC/University of St. Thomas (NCAA DI)) picked up the win after a 30 save performance.
The Valiants were called for 11 penalties in the game which resulted in five Utica power play opportunities while the Pioneers were only on the penalty kill once over three penalties.
Utica also claimed 48 of 76 faceoffs with Breault accounting for 25 wins.
Early in the contest the Pioneers found themselves on the advantage on a slashing call at 1:25. A mere 12 seconds later, Herrera sent the puck in the back of the net on feeds from Scoville and
Griffen Barr (Nanaimo, BC/Vernon Vipers (BCHL)). The Valiants would end up evening the score just under eight minutes into the first while the teams went on the battle the remaining 12 minutes with nothing going, bringing the game into the second 1-1.
Opposite from the first period, the second provided plenty of spark for both sides with a combined six goals.
The first four goals of the frame all belonged to Utica thanks to Morse (1:48), Acosta (8:57), Vitale (10:23) and Wood (13:14) to jump ahead 5-1 in the blink of an eye.
However, M'Ville would not be silenced. AJ Bella scored back-to-back goals for the visitors at 13:38 and then again on a power play at 16:16 to move the game into the final period with Utica up 5-3.
In what served to be a chippy third period that saw six Manhattanville penalties, the Pioneers put the finishing touches on the game. Gutt extended the lead to 6-3 with a goal just over five minutes into the period while Brault put the finishing touches on at 11:16. Despite a Valiant goal with under three minutes to play, the game was already out of reach as the Pioneers closed out the home win.
Utica (8-2-3, 7-0-1 UCHC) will hit the road next weekend for a two game series at Neumann University. Puck drop for game one on Friday, January 12 is set for 7 p.m.
