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The Utica College men’s hockey team led 4-3 midway through the third period, but host Hobart College rallied to earn a 5-4 overtime decision in ECAC West Conference action Saturday afternoon. Four different Pioneers scored in the loss, including Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)), Luc Boby(Chicago, IL/Kalamazoo (NAHL)), Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) and Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)). Carter netted his second goal in as many nights and he headed into the weekend leading the nation in defenseman scoring.
The Pioneers exploded with four goals in the second period after falling being 1-0 in the first. Freshman Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) netted his first collegiate goal on the power-play for the Pioneers to knot the score at 1-1 at the 8:02ledger of the second period. Hobart then added two straight goals in a span of 1:24 midway through the second to take a commanding 3-1 lead. UC rallied with an incredible three goals in a span of 3:38 late in the second period to take a 4-3 lead. Sophomore Luc Boby(Chicago, IL/Kalamazoo (NAHL)) cut the Pioneers lead to 3-2 at the 14:14 ledger off an assist from Joel Wetmore (Horseheads, NY/Lindsay (OJHL)) and Nick Miglio (San Antonio, TX/Bismarck (NAHL)). Sophomore defender Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)) tied the game at 3-3, 1:12 later when he scored his first of the season off an assist from freshman Brett Szajner (Novi, MI/Amarillo (NAHL)) and Valenti. Carter then gave the Pioneers a 4-3 lead with 2:10 left in the second stanza when he added his third goal of the season on the power-play at the 17:50 marker. Freshman Kyle Lajeunesse (South Berwick, ME/New Hampshire (EHL)) and Justin Hogan (Val Therese, Ontario/Brooks Bandits (AJHL)) assisted Carter for his third point of the season. Hobart tied the game up at 4-4 midway through the third period off a goal from Tommaso Traversa to send the contest into overtime. The Statesmen then added the game winner 1:34 into the overtime period to earn the key conference win. Utica is now 1-3-1 overall and 0-3-1 in ECAC West play, while Hobart has now won three in a row and improved to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in the ECAC West. Utica’s Mike Taffe (Maple Grove, MN/Amarillo (NAHL)) made 35 saves in net for the Pioneers. Hobart outshot UC 40-32 on the afternoon. The Pioneers return to the ice on Friday night when they host Neumann for a fifth straight conference contest before traveling to Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome on Saturday to take on Oswego as a part of the Frozen Dome Classic at 3 p.m.
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