UTICA, NY - The #10 ranked Utica University men's hockey team completed a big sweep over Brockport on Saturday night, defeating the visitors by a 5-2 final thanks to prolonged possession throughout the entire matchup.

The Pioneers got off to a 2-0 start in conference play with the win, picking up some momentum heading into next weekend's meetings with Manhattanville. Next weekend's double at the Playland Ice Casino will wrap up UCHC play in the first half of the season. 

The orange and blue outshot their opposition by a colossal amount, racking up 30 more shots on goal thanks to a 53-23 margin. They also continued to limit opposing opportunities via the block, stopping 15 shots at the point of impact. For the second night in a row, defensive captain Preston Brighton (Castle Rock, CO) led this effort, securing three blocks in the matchup. Numerous blocks came during the Pioneer penalty kill, which successfully shut down two opposing power plays in the outing. The team also dominated in the circle once again, capturing 48 draws while only losing 26, producing a faceoff win percentage of 64.9%. Andrew Della Rovere (Caledon East, Ontario) captured 18 of his 24 faceoff chances, as he continued to torment the Golden Eagles on the draw. 

Three Stars

1st - John Gutt (Middletown, NJ) led all scorers in the matchup, getting two goals and adding assist to secure the game's first star. He produced an efficient outing, scoring on all three of his shots during the win. He also aided in the faceoff effort, grabbing seven of his 11 faceoff chances. Gutt helped the Pioneers get out to an early lead, notching the first two scores to get the team rolling early on in the affair. He had his first multi-goal outing since last season's Delta by Marriott Thanksgiving Showcase Tournament game against University of New England, which the Pioneers won 6-5 in exciting fashion.

2nd - Nick Ahern (Chicago, IL) continued to roll after getting the game's second star during the Pioneers' Friday win at Brockport. Ahern supplied the Pioneers' fourth goal of the outing, also adding two assists to finish with three points. Ahern finished the weekend with two goals and two assists against Brockport. 

3rd - Alexander Gullichsen (Turku, Finland) gathered his first few points of the season during the Saturday win, notching a goal and an assist to get the game's third star. Gullichsen hit home on a beautiful breakaway two re-establish a two goal advantage for the Pioneers during the second period, making it 3-1. He also added an apple in what was a complete performance for the junior attacker.

Kyle Curtin (St. George, Ontario) got the start in net for the second straight night, saving 21 shots, including 19 in the latter two periods. 

The Pioneers will head to the Playland Ice Casino next weekend, battling Manhattanville in two games to wrap up the 2025 portion of their UCHC campaign. Friday's game begins at 7:00 PM, while Saturday's second contest will start at 2:00 PM.