UTICA, NY - Friday night featured a fight between the two UCHC heavyweights, as the #6 Pioneers attempted to lock up their ninth straight UCHC regular season title against a tough #13 SUNY Geneseo team which was fighting to stay in the title hunt. After an exhilarating opening period that left the score tied at 2-all, it was the Ice Knights who used a pair of wacky scores in the middle frame to gain a 4-2 lead, using physical defense down the stretch to secure a 5-3 win and keep the race alive. 

The Pioneers saw their 11-game win streak be snapped on Friday night, taking their first loss in 77 days with their last stumble coming at the hands of Hamilton back on November 29th. They would fall to 16-6 on the season, also dropping to 12-1 in UCHC play. Geneseo would improve to 15-6-1 on the year, also moving to 10-3 in UCHC play. 

The affair was a frustrating one for the Pioneer faithful, as despite the result, the Pioneers held the puck in their offensive zone for what seemed like ages. They would outshoot the Ice Knights by a 35-16 margin, however, the visitors would be efficient on those 16 attempts, netting five goals despite the low shot volume.

The game would begin with back-and-forth highlights, as Geneseo would take leads of 1-0 and 2-1, but would then see the Pioneers respond on both occasions to leave the game at 2-2 entering the first intermission. In the second period, a series of odd turnovers led to an ugly Ice Knights goal, before the visitors launched a breakaway moments later to grab their second straight and make it 4-2. With about 30 minutes remaining, the Ice Knights shifted their defensive focus, playing a pesky man style of defense and not allowing the Pioneers any attacking lanes in their offensive zone. Geneseo's physical play allowed them to hang on, as they would receive two penalties but would shut the orange and blue down on each attempt. Utica attempted to launch a comeback, making it 4-3 in the final few minutes, but an empty net score for the Ice Knights would secure them a 5-3 win and put the UCHC Regular Season Title back in play. 

Three Stars:

First Star - Drake Morse (Grand Rapids, MI): The Pioneers' offensive captain would remain hot in this matchup, logging the opening goal for the orange and blue, along with a late score to inject some energy into the Aud crowd during a final offensive push. Morse would finish with those two goals, along with being a +2 on the night as the Pioneers' top line kept them in the contest. Morse sustained his points streak in this matchup, now having appeared on the scoresheet in nine straight matchups, and 18 of his last 20 games. 

Second Star - Andrew Della Rovere (Caledon East, Ontario): The Pioneers' top-line center was involved in each of the hosts' goals last night, grabbing a trio of assists in the game along with taking 16 of a possible 28 faceoff wins. His great play on the draw led to the opening two scores for the Pioneers, with his pair of assists coming directly from faceoff victories. Della Rovere paired up with Morse to deliver a solid top-line performance, also ending up as a +2 on the night. 

Third Star - Will Hilfiker (Middletown, NJ): Hilfiker got the call to feature as a first line defender last night, pairing up with Preston Brighton (Castle Rock, CO) as the two upperclassmen delivered some heavy play. Along with contributing to the team's fierce physicality, Hilfiker also appeared in the scoresheet, grabbing his first career goal as a Pioneer to knot the game up at 2-apiece in the first period. Hilfiker would receive a pass from his D-mate in Brighton, proceeding to send a rocket from the blue line into the far corner of the net, restoring balance to make it 2-2. The veteran blue liner also grabbed two blocks in the contest,. 

The trio of Brighton, NIcholas Rogers, and Anthony Bax (Parkhill, Ontario) contributed the remaining assists for the Pioneers, rounding out the orange and blue point getters.

The Pioneers gave Frank Murphy (Mississauga, Ontario) the start in net, but after some unlucky bounces, they turned to Kyle Curtin (St. George, Ontario) in relief during the third period. Murphy would grab five saves, while Curtin was solid, logging six saves and not allowing any late scores for the Ice Knights. 

Utica will have another chance to clinch the UCHC Regular Season Championship tonight, heading down the thruway to face the Ice Knights at the Ira S. Wilson Ice Arena. Opening puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM tonight over in Geneseo.