UTICA, NY – The nationally-ranked No. 14 Utica College men’s hockey team broke out with two second period goals and earned a 3-1 victory against No. 15 Salve Regina University in non-conference action on Saturday night at the Adirondack Bank Center.
The Pioneers have now won three straight, outscoring their opponents by a 25-2 margin, while improving to 6-2-0 overall on the season. Utica returns to action next Friday when the Pioneers travel to Manhattanville College for United Collegiate Hockey Conference action at 7 p.m. UC returns home next Saturday to take on King’s College at the Aud at 7 p.m.
After a first period stalemate, Utica’s Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) got the Pioneers on the board with his third goal in the last two nights 4:09 into the second period of play. Carter’s sixth goal of the season was assisted by Mikhail Bushinski (St. Paul, MN/Kenai River (NAHL)) and freshman Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)).
Senior Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) got the crowd on its feet with a short-handed breakaway goal midway through the second period to give the Pioneers’ a 2-0 lead. Jarrod Fitzpatrick (Wakefield, MA/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) and Daniel Fritz (Harwood, MD/Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)) assisted McVeigh on his third goal of the season.
Salve Regina made it a 2-1 game towards the end of the second period when Jack Billings scored his team-high 10th goal of the season with :36 seconds left in the period. Salve’s first goal of the contest was assisted by Danny Eruzione and Kevin Clare.
Senior forward Kyle Lajeunesse (South Berwick, ME/New Hampshire (EHL)) found the back of the net in the third period to hand the Pioneers a key insurance goal and a 3-1 lead at 11:15. McVeigh and freshman Brett Everson (Mississauga, Ontario/Hawkesbury (CCHL)) were each credited with an assist on the Pioneers’ third goal of the contest.
Salve Regina has now lost two in a row and saw its record move to 6-3 overall on the season.
Utica sophomore goalie Patrik Virtanen (Vantaa, Finland/Lincoln (USHL)) stopped 33 to earn his third victory of the year. His counterpart, Blake Wojtala made 28 saves in the loss.
