Utica, NY – The Utica College men’s hockey team opened up a 1-0 lead off the opening face-off and never looked back as the Pioneers topped visiting Castleton University 5-2 in their home opener at the Utica Memorial Auditorium on Friday night. Utica’s Alex Brissette (Atlanta, GA/Hampton Roads (USPHL)) took a pass off the opening face-off and scored one of the fastest goals to open a game in Division III hockey history to set the tone for the contest. Brissette finished the day with two goals to pace the Pioneers. Classmate Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) added two assists of his own to help the Pioneers win their home-opener for the sixth consecutive season.
Brissette’s opening goal came quick as Valenti won the game’s first faceoff and it was tapped back to freshman defender Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) by classmate Hayden Dawes (Stony Plain, Alberta/Drayton Valley (AJHL)). Borsoi then rifled the puck into the Casleton zone off the back wall, right to the stick of the streaking Brissette. Brissette made one move to the right and scored in the lower right corner. The official box score listed the goal at seven seconds and according to the Division III hockey record book it is the second fastest goal to start a game in the history of Division III men’s hockey. The fastest goal in DIII men’s hockey history is listed at five seconds by Chris Palin from Brockport back on January 11, 1989 against Oswego State.
Charles Bando tied the game up for the visitors less than two minutes into the second period when he scored, unassisted, to knot the score at 1-1.
Utica then poured it on with two goals in just over one minute, beginning with the first collegiate goal from the stick of Hayden Dawes (Stony Plain, Alberta/Drayton Valley (AJHL)) at 3:57. Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) and junior captain Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)) assisted to give the Pioneers a 2-1 advantage early in the second. Just 1:02 later LJ Fellows (Hyannis, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) registered his first career goal, assisted by Trent Samuels-Thomas (West Hartford, CT/Omaha (USHL)) and Mikhail Bushinski (Woodbury, MN/Kenai River (NAHL)), at the 4:59 marker of the second period to hand the Pioneers a two goal lead that they would not relinquish.
Brissette then added his second of the night – shorthanded — 1:33 into the third period, off assists from Valenti and Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)), to give the Pioneers a convincing 4-2 lead.
The Spartans got an extra attacker goal to cut their deficit to 4-2 at 16:23 of the third period. Laking’s first goal of the season was assisted by Ryan O’Toole.
Utica capped the scoring on the evening when assistant captain Easton Powers (South Lyon, MI/Port Huron (NAHL)) scored an empty netter with 21 seconds to go in the contest to give the Pioneers the three goal victory. Vince Stefan (Pittsburgh, PA/Kenai River (NAHL)) and Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) assisted on the Pioneers final tally.
Utica freshman goalie Michael Fredrick (Lethbridge, Alberta/Brooks Bandits (AJHL)) earned his first collegiate victory as he stopped 26 shots, including 11 in the third and final period. Castleton goalie’s Ryan Mulder and Brody Wagner combined for 28 saves as the Pioneers outshot the Spartans 33-28.
Utica went 1-for-7 on the power-play. The Pioneers’ home opener was played in front of a paid attendance of 3,513 fans.
The Pioneers return to action on the road next Friday when they open up ECAC West Conference play against Nazareth College at 7 p.m.
