UTICA, NY - The Pioneers looked to keep their winning wave going after the high of defeating UCHC rival Nazareth sudden death overtime this past Saturday. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ice, SUNY Canton looked to notch yet another ranked upset after defeating current #5 Adrian and current #11 SUNY Cortland for their two wins on the year. The Pioneers, who would be heading down to Florida right after this matchup, would not fall victim to the trap, swatting away the Kangaroos by a 5-0 score on Tuesday night from the Nexus Center.
 
Five different Pioneers scored during the action, with Jordan Kowalski (Chicopee, MA/Plattsburgh State (NCAA DIII)), Jordan Hancock (Albuquerque, NM/Belle Tire), Kendall Best (Troy, MI/Troy (Belle Tire)), Carly Stefanini (Framingham, MA/Brooks School), and Hailey Modlin (Phoenix, AZ/Boston Shamrocks) all finding the net in that order.
 
Madison Novotny (Wesley Chapel, FL/Northwood School) and Tess Barrett (Tewksbury, MA/St. Mark's) recorded multi-assist nights during Tuesday's contest, with each player notching two playmakers.
 
Kaci Ryder (Shrewsbury, MA/Shrewsburg (Lady Flames)), Riley Calhoun (New Hartford, NY/Plattsburgh State University (NCAA DIII)), and Madison Richman (Scituate, MA/North Shore Vipers) accounted for the remaining assists during the action, with each player grabbing one apple.
 
Angela Hawthorne (Santa Clara, CA/Meijer) stood unmatched in goal once again, recording her sixth shutout of the season, with four of those six occurring at home. Hawthorne picked up 28 saves during the match, shutting out the Kangaroos at every opportunity.
 
The Pioneers outshot Canton by a 40-28 margin, and also won the faceoff battle by a 30-24 margin. The Kangaroos hung around early, but fell victim to a couple poorly timed penalties that allowed the Pioneers to take advantage of power play scenarios.
 
Utica improved to 8-1 on the season, and 6-0 within the walls of the Nexus Center. They'll hit the road and head down to Florida for a post-Thanksgiving tournament that includes powerhouse programs Adrian, Norwich, and Trinity.
 
Game Summary: The Kangaroos, who had felled a few ranked foes before this matchup, hung around with another top-10 side in the Pioneers during the first period.
 
Canton survived two early Pioneer power plays, salting away the clock on the first one before causing a Pioneer penalty during the second penalty kill to initiate a rare 4-on-4 battle. The visitors managed a couple good attempts during the middle stages of the opening 20, forcing Pioneer goalkeeping guru Hawthorne to employ a blocker and pad, warding off the two dangerous Canton attempts.
 
Despite hanging on for the initial 15 minutes of the matchup, the Kangaroos eventually gave in to a relentless Pioneer offense. Barrett fired in a shot from the point which found the stick of a Canton defender early in flight, bouncing and eventually landing at the feet of Calhoun. The New Hartford native tried to bash it in, but met the pads of the Canton goalkeeper who knocked the puck back post where a waiting Kowalski knocked it home.
 
All the momentum shifted the Pioneers way after breaking the ice, as they doubled their advantage directly after notching their first score. Richman drove up the right side of the boards, hitting a trailing Hancock who found some space in the middle of the slot, firing home a shot upper right for a 2-0 lead.
 
To add insult to injury, the Pioneers entered another power play immediately after their second strike, taking a player advantage through the first period buzzer and into the second period of play.
 
Utica took advantage of the player-up opportunity to start the middle period of play, launching an elongated spell of possession alongside a forceful forecheck, resulting in a Kangaroo clearance ricocheting off the skate of Best and into the back of the net to extend the Pioneers' lead to 3-0.
 
The Pioneers kept pushing forward and putting pressure on the opposition during the next few minutes, tallying two even strength scores to widen the gap to 5-0 midway through the game. The fourth score by the Pioneers looked quite similar to their game-winner against UCHC rival Nazareth this past Saturday. With Ryder driving down the left side and tossing a centering pass to Stefanini. The difference on this occasion, was that Stefanini was open and able to receive the pass in open ice, netting the Pioneers fourth tally.
 
The hosts kept their foot firmly on the gas pedal, with Novotny having a go from the blue line. Modlin crashed in and picked up the rebound, creating the 5-0 lead.
 
Canton had an opportunity to strike with around nine minutes remaining in the second period, as a Pioneer cross check sent the Kangaroos to a power play. Hawthorne and a solid Pioneer penalty kill unit stood their ground though, keeping the Kangaroos' deficit at five as the two-minute penalty expired.
 
No fireworks occurred between the two sides as time expired in the second period, sending the game to the final period with the Pioneers still holding a 5-0 lead.
 
The final period of play passed by in a blur, with neither team generating any huge chances. Utica had an opportunity on their first power play since the opening period, but couldn't knock home another goal. At the end of the full 60, the Pioneers captured yet another non-conference victory, defeating the upset-prone Kangaroos by a score of 5-0.