UTICA, NY – The nationally-ranked Utica College men’s hockey team landed a league-best five players on ECAC Men’s West All-Conference teams and two Pioneers were named to the all-rookie team in a release by the conference office on Tuesday. Junior forward Roman Ammirato (Williamstown, NJ/Union College (ECAC)) and freshman goalie Patrik Virtanen (Vantaa, Finland/Lincoln (USHL)) were selected to the first team, while junior defender Vince Stefan (Pittsburgh, PA/Kenai River (NAHL)) was named to the second team. Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) and Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)) were named honorable mention, while Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Wakefield, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) and Patrik Virtanen (Vantaa, Finland/Lincoln (USHL)) earned all-rookie team status.
Utica (18-8) won the ECAC West regular season title and will host Hobart College in the conference tournament championship game on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Pioneers finished the regular season with a program-best 12-2 ledger in conference play. UC dominated in conference play this season, outscoring their opponents 57-28. Their only two conference losses of the season came against Nazareth.
Ammirato, a junior transfer from Division I Union College, leads the team with 35 points on 12 goals and 23 assists. He ranks second in the ECAC West with an average of 1.35 points per game. He has 11 multi-point games headed into Saturday’s conference tournament championship game. His 35 points are the most points scored by a Pioneer in a single season since All-American Louie Educate registered 36 points (18 goals, 18 assists) back in 2013.
Virtanen has had an impressive first year with the Pioneers. He finished regular season conference play ranked first in the league with a 1.76 goals against average, .940 save percentage and a 9-1 record in league games. He has 13 total wins and one shut out to his credit this year, to go along with a .919 save percentage in 18 games played.
Defenseman Vince Stefan (Pittsburgh, PA/Kenai River (NAHL)) was selected to the all-conference second team for the first time in his career. In 26 games this season, he ranks fourth on the team with a career-high 19 points on eight goals and 11 assists. His 19 points ranked him fourth overall in the conference among defenseman. Five of his goals this season came in league play and he also has two game-winners to his credit.
Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)), the team captain, has eight points for the Pioneers on two goals and six assists in his senior season with the team. He also ranks inside the top-25 in the conference for defenseman scoring. His 107 career games played ranks second all-time at Utica. He now has 30 career points in the blue and orange (eight goals, 22 assists).
McVeigh, who led the Pioneers in scoring last season, is currently third on the team with 21 points by way of seven goals and 14 assists. Utica is 16-3 in games where McVeigh has earned at least one point. He ranks inside the top-25 in the conference for total points on the season. 16 of his 21 total points came in conference play and he netted three power-play goals. In 75 career games he has totaled 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists).
Freshman forward Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Wakefield, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) was selected to the All-Rookie Team in his first season at Utica. He was a four-time ECAC West Rookie of the Week selection this season. Fitzpatrick has 11 goals and seven assists on the year for a total of 18 points. He ranks seventh in the conference for total points among rookies. His nine goals in conference play led the team this season. He also ranks second on the team with 11 total goals.
Utica’s 18 wins are the second most wins in a single season in program-history and the Pioneers have now won eight of their last nine contests. Utica is advancing to its third ECAC West title game in the last four years and fifth overall in the program’s 16-year history. The Pioneers will host the Statesmen on Saturday in search of their first conference tournament title in program-history.
The last time Utica won over 18 games in a single season was back in 2013 when the Pioneers won 21 and advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship Semifinals in Lake Placid, NY.
