ELMIRA, NY – The nationally-ranked No. 7/8 Utica College men’s hockey team set a new program-record for most consecutive wins as the Pioneers defeated host Elmira College 7-1 in ECAC West Conference action Friday night. UC is off to its best start in program-history and improved to 7-0 for the first time in the 16 year history of the program.
Utica, which improved to 5-0 in ECAC West play, returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Hobart College to take on the nationally-ranked No. 6/6 Statesmen in ECAC West action at 7 p.m. Saturday’s contest is a rematch of last year’s ECAC West Conference Tournament championship game where Hobart came away with a 5-0 victory.
Senior Luc Boby (Chicago, IL/Kalamazoo (NAHL)) registered a career-high four points on two goals and two assists to pace the Pioneers. 12 players registered at least one point for UC on the afternoon. Six players added at least two points including Boby, Riley Egan (Lakewood, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)), Vince Stefan (Pittsburgh, PA/Kenai River (NAHL)), Brett Szajner (Novi, MI/Amarillo (NAHL)), Jacob Gerson (Colorado Springs, CO/Hampton Roads (USPHL)) and Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Wakefield, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)).
Elmira has now lost three in a row as their record fell to 1-6 overall and 1-4 in ECAC West play.
Utica jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first 27:22 of the contest and never looked back on its way to the six goal victory. All five of the Pioneer goals came in a span of 10:57 towards the end of the first and into the beginning of the second period.
Defenseman Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) opened the scoring on the evening with his first collegiate goal 16:25 into the first period. Vince Stefan (Pittsburgh, PA/Kenai River (NAHL)) and Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Wakefield, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) assisted on the Pioneers’ opening goal.
Jacob Gerson (Colorado Springs, CO/Hampton Roads (USPHL)) capped the first period scoring as he netted his first career goal, off assists from Riley Egan (Lakewood, OH/Philadelphia (EHL)) and Luc Boby (Chicago, IL/Kalamazoo (NAHL)), to give the Pioneers a 2-0 lead through one full period.
The Pioneers exploded with three goals in a span of 2:01 early in the second period to take a commanding 5-0 lead. Boby netted two goals in the flurry and defender Brett Szajner (Novi, MI/Amarillo (NAHL)) was also credited with his first goal of the season.
Elmira added a goal before the end of the second period to cut UC’s lead to 5-1 headed into the final period of play.
Freshman Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Wakefield, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) netted the sixth Pioneer goal of the evening, his fourth of the season, assisted by Boby and Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) 4:13 into the third period to give Utica a five goal lead.
The Pioneers took a commanding 7-1 lead with 6:53 remaining in regulation when Vince Stefan (Pittsburgh, PA/Kenai River (NAHL)) drove up the left side and slid his third tally of the season past Elmira goalie Parker Butler. Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) and Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)) assisted on the late Pioneer goal to wrap up the scoring on the afternoon.
Utica goalie Patrik Virtanen (Vantaa, Finland/Lincoln (USHL)) made 23 stops as he improved to 4-0 on the season. Freshman goalie Gianluca Baggetta (Maple, Ontario/North York (OJHL)) saw his first collegiate action as he came on with 5:18 remaining in the contest. Butler finished with 33 saves between the pipes for Elmira as UC out shot the Soaring Eagles 40-24.
