Utica, NY – Senior forward Joel Wetmore (Horseheads, NY/Lindsay (OJHL)) netted the coveted New York Sash Teddy Bear Toss goal for the first time in the 11 year history of the event on a penalty shot as the Utica College men’s hockey team earned a 4-1 victory over visiting Salve Regina University in front of a sold out crowd at the Utica Memorial Auditorium on Saturday night. Wetmore finished the night with two goals to pace the Pioneers.
The annual New York Sash Teddy Bear Toss is a holiday toy drive where fans brings stuffed animals to the rink and throw them out onto the ice after Utica College scores its first goal. The stuffed animals are collected and distributed to local children throughout the holiday season.
With the score tied at 0-0 in the first period, Wetmore was brought down from behind by Salve’s Evan Schmidbauer and awarded a penalty shot for the infraction. Wetmore skated in on the penalty shot, made a move to the right and wristed the teddy bear toss igniting goal past Salve goalie Blake Wojtala to send the stuffed animals flying down to the ice from the capacity crowd. Over the course of the last 11 seasons the Pioneers and New York Sash have collected nearly 30,000 stuffed animals through the event.
Utica has now won four straight games and improved to 7-3-1 overall on the year headed into the holiday break. The Pioneers return to the ice on January 3rd when they host Morrisville State for a 3 p.m. tilt.
UC increased its lead to 2-0 just 1:58 later when sophomore Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) netted a shorthanded goal off assists from senior Nick Miglio (San Antonio, TX/Bismarck (NAHL)) and junior captain Kevin Kirisits (Buffalo, NY/Brockville (CCHL)).
Just 1:59 into the second period the Pioneers took a 3-0 lead when Wetmore tallied his second of the night, assisted by Easton Powers (South Lyon, MI/Port Huron (NAHL)) and Brett Szajner (Novi, MI/Amarillo (NAHL)), to hand Utica the commanding three goal lead.
Miglio then netted an empty-net goal with 2:13 left in the contest to give UC a 4-0 advantage. Miglio’s fifth goal of the season was assisted by Trent Samuels-Thomas (West Hartford, CT/Omaha (USHL)) and Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)).
Salve spoiled the shut out on the power-play with less than five seconds to go in the contest when Kyle Morre scored his first goal of the season to cap the scoring on the evening.
Utica goalie Michael Fredrick (Lethbridge, Alberta/Brooks Bandits (AJHL)) stopped 34 shots on the afternoon for the Pioneers and he narrowly missed out on his third collegiate shut out.
Salve’s Blake Wojtala stopped 27 shots in net for the Seahawks on the afternoon. Salve earned a 35-31 shot advantage in the loss and also went 1-for-5 on the power-play.
Utica’ Nick Miglio (San Antonio, TX/Bismarck (NAHL)), Joel Wetmore (Horseheads, NY/Lindsay (OJHL)) and Anthony McVeigh (Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) each totaled two points on the evening.
