GENESEO, NY - The #6-ranked Utica University Pioneers traveled west to SUNY Geneseo on Saturday night to wrap up their regular season series with the #13-ranked Ice Knights. In a thrilling affair, the Pioneers had an answer for every goal Geneseo scored; however, there was no response in overtime, and the hosts eventually found the sudden-death winner to take a 4-3 victory. 

The Pioneers fell to 16-7 on the season, with all seven of their losses coming against ranked opposition. They would also see their UCHC record fall to 12-2. They remained top of the league following the series and will have a chance to wrap up the regular season title with a regulation win next weekend. Geneseo improved to 16-6-1, and also moved to 11-3 in UCHC play.

For the second straight night, the Pioneers would outshoot their UCHC counterpart, taking the shots battle by a 37-32 margin. However, for the first time in a long time, the visitors would lose the faceoff battle. Despite this, they certainly gave themselves an edge by once again sustaining prolonged possession in their offensive zone for the majority of the contest.

The Ice Knights would shoot out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, getting the home crowd up and at 'em. However, the Pioneers would respond with two scores of their own - one at the end of the first period and another early into the second, to make the game 2-2 heading to a climactic final frame. Geneseo would once again grab momentum, scoring just under two minutes into the final period of regulation. Although the orange and blue would find another answer just a few minutes later from the stick of Eric Vitale (Toronto, Ontario), who beat Geneseo goaltender Jacob Torgner right up the middle to make it 3-3. No goals over the final 15 minutes would send the game to overtime, where the Ice Knights would slot away the game-winner exactly halfway through the extra period.

Gabriel Lundberg (Gothenburg, Sweden), Alex German (Colorado Springs, CO), and Eric Vitale (Toronto, Ontario) would grab the trio of goals for Utica.

Lundberg would open the Pioneers' scoring at the tail-end of the opening frame, cleaning up a loose puck just outside the crease to make it 2-1 in favor of Geneseo. Aidan Hughes (Mississauga, Ontario) and John Gutt (Middletown, NJ) would get the final two touches before Lundberg's push, as each player would finish with an assist on the night. Lundberg also procured an assist on the next goal to German, becoming the only Pioneer with a multi-point night. 

That second goal would come off a redirect just outside the slot, with German using his frame to flick the biscuit past Torgner and knot the game up at 2-2 just before the second intermission. Lundberg tossed the puck out to Davis Goukler (Cumming, GA) at the blue line, with the Alaska-Anchorage transfer taking the shot that would result in German's goal. Lundberg and Goukler would receive apples on the exchange. 

Vitale scored the third Pioneer goal, getting free just to the left of Geneseo's goal and defeating Torgner in the one-on-one to send the game to OT. Will Hilfiker (Middletown, NJ) and Stepan Kuznetsov (Yaroslavl, Russia) had the final two touches before the score, as each player was credited with an assist.

Each and every score in Saturday's overtime thriller was scored at even strength, as the Pioneers would go 0-2 on their extra-man advantages, while the Ice Knights would sputter on their trio of power play attempts, only getting off exactly one shot during each opportunity. 

Kyle Curtin (St. George, Ontario) got the start in net for the Pioneers, looking to maintain the stellar form that he showcased in relief the night before. Curtin would stop 28 shots in the matchup, holding up well against a relentless Geneseo attack. 

The Pioneers will wrap up the regular season slate next weekend against Chatham, with two home games on Friday and Saturday down at the Adirondack Bank Center. A regulation win in either of those matchups will give the Pioneers the UCHC Regular Season Championship and home-ice advantage in the upcoming UCHC Tournament. Friday's game begins at 7:00 PM, while Saturday's showdown starts at 2:00 PM.