GENESEO, NY - On Friday night in the Genesee Valley, a new UCHC rivalry was born. The #3 ranked Utica University Pioneers, a perennial conference power in the UCHC, traveled to Geneseo for a battle with the #4 ranked SUNY Geneseo Knights, the new biggest threat to their conference crown. In a gritty and penalty filled contest, the two teams played to a total standstill in their first meeting as conference foes. Each team notched a score in the second period but failed to find net over the rest of regulation and even overtime, seeing the much-anticipated debut matchup between the two new rivals end with a 1-1 tie. Despite the draw, the duo of New York powers had a shootout after the overtime buzzer which the Pioneers took 1-0 after a stunning stand by Bryan Landsberger (Montreal, Quebec/Nepean Raiders (CCHL)) in net. Landsberger stopped seven Knight penalty takers before Andrew Della Rovere (Caledon East, ON/Georgetown Raiders (OJHL)) slotted home the shootout winner to bring an end to the first chapter in this soon-to-be historic rivalry.
 
Jakob Breault (Acton Vale, QC/Alaska-Fairbanks (NCAA DI)) scored the Pioneers' lone goal in regulation, with Morse and Parekh each getting an assist on the play. Parekh and Morse connected near the blue line on a swing pass before Breault received a dish from the point and slotted away the game's first score midway through the second period.
 
Breault's goal was scored on the power play, the only goal in the entire contest to be of the advantage variety. This comes as a shock due to the sheer number of player-up chances both teams had, giving credit to a wonderfully played defensive game by both sides. The Pioneer penalty kill was spectacular in Friday's matchup, shutting out the Knights over their 10 minutes of power play time. The Pioneers pressured the Knight power play unit on every occasion, only allowing five total shots in their five player-up opportunities.
 
A big part of the Pioneers' penalty kill success was Utica's surging stopper in Landsberger. The Senior goalie allowed just one score in the UCHC bout, picking up 29 saves including three huge stops in overtime.
 
Every other metric between the two teams was almost identical, with Geneseo holding a 30-28 edge in shots and the Pioneers taking a 32-29 advantage in the faceoff wins department. This fact bodes very well for the excitement factor of tomorrow's New York Sash Teddy Bear Toss, the second matchup between these two teams this weekend.
 
Utica moved to 9-1-1 with the tie, and picked up a point in UCHC play. They'll have a chance to secure the driver's seat in the UCHC heading into winter break when they welcome Geneseo to the Adirondack Bank Center tomorrow night at 7:05 PM.
 
Game Summary: The match began with the Pioneers heading to a crucial penalty kill early on in the proceedings. After a minute of solid defensive play, the hole grew deeper as another call forced the visitors to undergo a 3-on-5 disadvantage. Utica was up for the challenge though, utilizing a solid triangle formation to survive a minute of double player down time with a couple clutch clearances. They then managed to salt away the remaining time, coming up with a massive opening statement on defense as they survived a major offensive opportunity by the Knights.
 
The Pioneers returned to full strength with about 14 minutes left in the first period and began to organize some attacks of their own.
 
Utica began to find some opportunities, immediately ripping off a pair of shots on goal which were deflected by the Knights goalkeeper. The game took on a much faster pace with both teams at full strength, as end-to-end action began to pick up midway through the first period.
 
Just as the Pioneers were settling in, a Geneseo defender took down a rushing Pioneer forward, resulting in Utica's first man-up opportunity of the matchup with about seven minutes remaining in the first period of play. The Knights continued to fling the puck out of their offensive zone, launching an array of quick line changes as they'd been doing frequently to begin the contest.
 
Right at the end of the Pioneer advantage, the visitors produced their biggest chance yet, with only a sprawling Geneseo netminder keeping them off the board as they saw a pair of opportunities deflected wide. On the ensuing counterattack, a Knight Forward found himself behind the Utica defensive line, drawing the Pioneers' third penalty of the first period.
 
Back on the penalty kill, the Pioneers pushed back once again, with Landsberger making a few nice stops to salt away the disadvantage. Right as the Pioneers' penalty time expired, Landsberger dove on a loose puck showcasing his superior range to bring the game even once again. The Pioneers' Senior stopper made some solid saves as the first period drew to a close.
 
Geneseo ended the period with an 11-shot advantage due to their continued pressure on the Pioneers' penalty kills. Utica looked for a cleaner frame during the middle 20, as they played up to par with the Knights during their even strength ice time.
 
The Pioneers opened the second period with a couple good opportunities. Morse had a go from the slot after corralling a loose puck but saw his shot get the blocker of the Geneseo goalkeeper. Brighton followed up that chance by flinging one in from the point, but the ensuing redirect trickled just past the back post of the Geneseo goal, leaving the game at 0-0.
 
An aggressive Geneseo press gave Utica the first player-up advantage of the second period. The Knights, who had been playing an aggressive and hard-hitting brand of hockey so far in the match, picked up their second call in as many periods.
 
With 13 minutes left in the second period, the Pioneer power play unit began their second shift, swinging the puck around and finding an extended period of solid possession.
 
It was during this power play chance that the Pioneers struck, with Breault receiving a Morse pass from the point and sending the puck right under the Geneseo goalkeeper at point-blank range for the 1-0 lead.
 
Play restarted with a now irate Ira crowd making their presence known. The Pioneers tuned out the noise and went right back to work, attempting to find a second score via a high volume of shots from the blue line. The navy-clad visitors found much more success on the forecheck in the second period, spending much more time in the Knights' defensive zone.
 
Geneseo made the most of their few counterattacks though, with some good puck movement resulting in an equalizer. The hosts found their first score with about seven minutes left in the second period. The Knights continued to push their advantage, immediately receiving their third power play opportunity following their leveling goal.
 
Another two-minute spell of standout defense and a stalwart formation resulted in the Pioneers' third successful stretch of penalty kill time. They were rewarded for their stop with a power play chance of their own, matching the Knights with their third player-up opportunity of the game. The Pioneers looked to once again make a mark during the 4-on-5 as they had earlier in the period, but couldn't find the back of the net as time expired in the second frame with the score still knotted up at one apiece.
 
The Pioneers would still have an advantage to start the critical third period though, as around one minute still remained in their power play at the time of second period buzzer.
 
As the third period got underway, the Pioneers rattled off a few attempts but saw their power play time expire without a conversion. Both offenses began to churn, with each team experiencing some prolonged possession, but not finding any super threatening offerings.
 
Geneseo received their fourth power play of the matchup, with the Pioneers' Captain Scoville being sent to the penalty box around four minutes into the third frame. The Pioneers' penalty kill unit was unfazed once again though, as they managed to dominate the player-down period despite being without the aid of their most reliable defender.
 
The penalty-ridden matchup stayed on script, with Geneseo getting yet another penalty. Utica had a plethora of opportunities in front of the net during their fourth power play chance, but found their forwards flying a little too close to the Knights' netminder as he extended out of the crease to thwart many of the visitors' best looks. 5-on-5 action returned with just over 10 minutes left in the third period of play.
Play was pretty even as the clock ticked down, with both teams pressing well along the boards and not allowing an organized attempt by their opposition. The game entered the final stages of regulation, as the clock ticked under the three-minute mark.
 
With just over two minutes left, the Knights picked up their fifth penalty of the proceedings, sending the Pioneers to a gigantic power play chance. Utica looked for a redirect in front of the net but saw a couple chances bounce wide. Geneseo returned to full strength with only seconds remaining but couldn't make anything happen as the regulation buzzer sounded with the game still tied 1-1.
 
With both teams' undefeated UCHC records on the line, a massive overtime got underway in Geneseo. The two top-5 ranked squads went back and forth, with each side trying to induce odd-man rushes and find a big game winner. As the snow settled, the five-minute extra period passed by in a blur, with neither team managing to find a signature moment as the game stayed 1-1 through the overtime.
 
Due to the draw, both teams received a point in UCHC play. However, both teams participated in a charged shootout to determine who would gain momentum heading into tomorrow's Teddy Bear Toss matchup.
 
The Pioneers struggled to score in the shootout, sending up player after player but coming away empty each time. Landsberger though, had other ideas, as he stuffed seven-straight penalty shot attempts by the Knights, including snatching a puck right off the stick of a Geneseo penalty taker with nothing between his glove and the net.
 
Last weekend's Thanksgiving Showcase MVP closed the curtains on matchup #1 between the two UCHC powerhouses, dangling the Geneseo goalkeeper and slotting away the shootout-winning score with a smooth backhand. The Pioneers gained some momentum with the shootout win and will look to carry the energy into tomorrow's New York Sash Teddy Bear Toss.