UTICA, NY - Droves of Pioneer fans packed the Nexus Center on Friday night to watch the men's hockey team battle to reach heights that have never been attained so far in the storied history of the program. Thanks to some stellar goalkeeping and resilience, the orange and blue pulled through, with Eric Vitale (Toronto, ON/Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL)) netting an overtime game-winner to send the Pioneers into their first ever national championship game.
 
The Pioneers clashed with Curry for the right to fight two-time reigning champion Hobart in the season's final game. The Colonels, led by AHCA Coach of the Year Peter Roundy and AHCA Player of the Year Shane Soderwall, entered the matchup on an unbelievable win streak, carrying lots of momentum into what was their first Frozen Four appearance.
 
Curry looked poised early, but couldn't push one across in the first period thanks to the solid play of Pioneer netminder Ryan Piros (Hartland, MI/University of Dubuque (NCAA DIII)). Piros, who found himself starting in the national semifinal in just his first ever season of collegiate hockey, played lights out and put to rest any questions about how he would fare in his first Frozen Four matchup. The mid-season transfer made 19 impactful saves, each one more important than the last, as he held the top NPI side to just one goal in the game.
 
The Colonels started off with the momentum in the matchup, edging out the hometown team in first period shots by a 9-7 margin. In the second though, the Pioneers flipped a switch, registering 19 shots in a frame that they dominated end-to-end. Curry hung around though, with Soderwall shutting down all of Utica's attempts to keep the game deadlocked at 0-0. It was an unassuming shot that would break the tie though, as freshman phenom Anthony Bax (Parkhill, ON/Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL)) sent a puck in from the blue line in the waning seconds of the period to finally give the Pioneers a lead. Soderwall had a tough time finding the shot as he was screened by friends and foes alike, with the puck sailing just inside the far post to put the Pioneers up 1-0.
 
As the final period got underway, the Pioneers were tenacious, trying to find a second score and produce a multi-goal gap. The Colonels stayed strong though, snuffing out many good opportunities including two key penalty kills in the period to keep the Pioneers vaunted advantage unit out of the net. They were rewarded for their efforts with their first power play of the game at around the 10 minute mark of the third period. After failing to break through on the first few attempts, the Colonels found a clutch goal courtesy of Shane Carr to tie the game at one apiece.
 
Despite Curry leveling the game on their power play, Piros had still excelled in even-strength scenarios up to that point and he stood pat over the final few minutes of the third period to send the game to overtime.
 
This incredible play in net allowed the hero of the night to notch the biggest moment in Pioneer program history so far.
 
With the score tied at 1-1 and a sudden victory overtime period on the horizon, the Pioneers looked to lock in and finish out the night in front of a fantastic crowd full of orange and blue supporters.
 
The fans wouldn't have to wait long for the signature moment, as Vitale got in on net and slotted away a rebound off of Soderwall to end the proceedings and place the Pioneers in the national championship matchup. Vitale has had a knack for producing in the biggest moments, and there was no bigger moment than center stage in the national semifinal. The goal granted the Pioneers entry into their first ever national championship.
 
Captain Brian Scoville (Agawam, MA/Alabama-Huntsville (NCAA DI)) secured an assist on the game's deciding goal, also getting on on Bax's breakthrough to finish with a multi-point outing. Another Pioneer veteran, Jakob Breault (Acton Vale, QC/Alaska-Fairbanks (NCAA DI)), rounded out the point-getters by adding an apple in the action.
 
The Pioneers improved to 24-4-2 on the year, and punched their ticket to the Division III National Championship. They will face the reigning champs Hobart on Sunday evening with puck drop slated for 7:00 PM at the Utica University Nexus Center.
 
Pioneer Scoring Summary:
2nd period | 19:00 | Bax (Scoville, Breault) - 1-0 Utica
OT 1 | 4:25 | Vitale (Scoville) - 2-1 Utica