UTICA, NY- The nationally ranked No. 9/11 Utica College men’s hockey team improved to 5-0 for the first time in program history as it downed visiting Lebanon Valley College 4-1 in ECAC West Conference action Saturday afternoon. Senior Easton Powers (South Lyon, MI/Port Huron (NAHL)) led the way for UC with two goals.
Utica is now 3-0 in the conference and will look to keep its momentum rolling as it takes on Stevenson University Sunday afternoon. Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Powers netted his first of the day just over the halfway point of the opening period as he put in a rebound from freshman Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Wakefield, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) for his first goal of the year. Fitzpatrick gathered a puck just inside the blue line and fired a shot from the right faceoff circle that deflected off goalie Joel Eisenhower and went up into the air. The puck dropped down at the top of the crease where Powers hit it into the open net to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead. Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) also registered an assist on the play.
Powers notched his second of the day at 17:28 as Vince Stefan (Pittsburgh, PA/Kenai River (NAHL)) capitalized on a poor line change by the visitors. Steffan played the puck off the boards and rushed down the left hand side of the ice. Just before reaching the goal line, he pulled up and dished it to Powers who fired a shot inside the right post to give Utica a two-goal cushion. Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) tallied the secondary assist on Powers’ second goal.
After sustained pressure towards the end of the second period, junior Roman Ammirato (Williamstown, NJ/Union College (ECAC)) was finally able to break through as he netted his team-leading fifth of the season. Sophomore Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) sent a puck from the point down to Mikhail Bushinski (Woodbury, MN/Kenai River (NAHL)) on the half wall. Bushinski one-timed a pass to Ammirato who was waiting at the far post for the tap in to stretch the Utica lead to 3-0.
Lebanon Valley was able to get one back at 11:49 of the third period as Cole Hepler beat Utica Goalie Patrik Virtanen (Vantaa, Finland/Lincoln (USHL)) up high on the glove side to spoil the shutout. Travis Hall and Brett Johnson assisted on Hepler’s third of the year.
UC responded just over a minute later as senior Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)) fired a shot from the point that deflected off traffic in front and in for his first of the season. Ammirato and Alex Brissette (Atlanta, GA/Hampton Roads (USPHL)) assisted on the play.
Virtanen finished with 27 saves, while Eisenhower had 45 saves in the loss. Each team was 0-for-4 on the power play.
