ASHTON, PA – The Utica College men’s hockey team dropped a 5-3 decision against host Neumann University in ECAC Men’s West Conference action on Friday night. Utica rallied from a 4-1 deficit, with two third period goals, but the Knights held onto its one goal lead and added an empty netter in the closing moments of the contest to earn the key conference victory.
The Pioneers drop to 3-2-1 overall and 2-2-1 in ECAC West action headed into Saturday’s conference battle on the road at Manhattanville College (7 p.m.). Utica outshot Neumann 34-21 on the afternoon and committed just one penalty all evening.
UC fell into a 1-0 first period hole after Brandon Gagne scored the contest’s opening goal for the Knights.
The game broke wide open early in the second period. Neumann took a 2-0 lead when Mike Davis tallied a goal 3:43 into the period. UC answered just six seconds later when freshman Hayden Dawes (Stony Plain, Alberta/Drayton Valley (AJHL)) tied the team lead with his fourth goal of the season to make it a 2-1 contest at the 3:49 mark of the second period.
UC’s momentum did not last long, as Neumann added it’s third goal of the game just 31 seconds later, marking the third goal scored in a span of 37 seconds.
Neumann’s Zac Lazzaro added a short-handed goal at the 14:42 marker of the second period to hand the Knights a 4-1 lead headed into the final 20 minutes of action.
Utica turned it on in the third period, beginning with Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)), who tallied his first goal of the season at 7:46 to reduce the Pioneers deficit to two goals. Junior captain Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)) then made it a one goal game when he scored his first goal of the season at the 10:03 marker to make the score 4-3.
The Pioneers earned two power-play opportunities in the final ten minutes of action, but Neumann stood strong and added an empty netter with 22 seconds remaining to seal the two goal victory.
UC’s Michael Fredrick (Lethbridge, Alberta/Brooks Bandits (AJHL)) stopped 16 shots between the pipes, while Matt Gibney improved to 4-1 overall on the year for the Knights as he stopped 31 shots.
Utica’s Nick Miglio (San Antonio, TX/Bismarck (NAHL)) led the Pioneers with two assists, while Vinny Stefan, Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) and LJ Fellows (Hyannis, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) each added an assist.
