CASTLETON, VT — Junior goalie Dylan Wells (Nashville, TN/Bonnyville (AJHL)) stopped 37 shots, senior Peter LaFosse (Merrimack, NH/Kimball Union Academy) tallied two points, and the Pioneers went 2-for-4 on the power-play as the Utica College men’s hockey team completed the season sweep of host Castleton State with a 3-1 victory on Saturday night. Utica jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and never looked back as the Pioneers won their second straight game.
Utica (7-5-3) is now unbeaten in eight of its last nine games headed into a key stretch of ten straight ECAC West Conference contests. The Pioneers return home to the Aud on Saturday night for Adirondack Bank Bobble Head Night when they host Manhattanville College for a conference contest at 7 p.m. Castleton’s record moved to 5-10 overall on the year.
Utica opened the scoring 7:30 into the contest on the power-play when senior forward Peter LaFosse (Merrimack, NH/Kimball Union Academy) netted his fourth goal of the season to put the Pioneers on top 1-0. Sophomore classmates Easton Powers (South Lyon, MI/Port Huron (NAHL)) and Trent Samuels-Thomas (West Hartford, CT/Omaha (USHL)) assisted on the man-up goal. Powers finished the night with two assists and he is now tied for the team-lead with 11 assists this season.
Utica took a 2-0 lead 3:39 later when freshman Vinny Stefan (Pittsburgh, PA/Kenai River (NAHL)) recorded his first collegiate goal off assists from Mike Baird (Oakville, Ontario/Huntsville (OJHL)) and Kyle Lajeunesse (South Berwick, ME/New Hampshire (EHL)). After 20 minutes of action the Pioneers held a 2-0 lead.
Castleton cut UC’s lead in half just 26 seconds into the second period when Braedan Moffatt tallied an unassisted goal to make the score 2-1.
The Pioneers answered with 36 seconds left in the second period to take a 3-1 lead after freshman Brett Szajner (Novi, MI/Amarillo (NAHL)) recorded his third goal of the year to give Utica a two goal advantage. LaFosse and Powers assisted on what proved to be the final goal of the game.
Utica goalie Dylan Wells (Nashville, TN/Bonnyville (AJHL)) and the Pioneer defense fended off 15 third period shots by the Spartans as the Pioneers earned the 3-1 victory. Utica’s penalty kill unit also held Castleton to an 0-for-6 effort on the power-play. Castleton outshot Utica 38-25 on the afternoon.
Wells improved to 5-2-2 between the pipes for the Pioneers and he now has a 2.22 goals against average this season.
Utica defeated Castleton 4-2 at home in the season opener for both teams back on November 1st. Utica is now 2-1-1 all-time against the Spartans.
